I am biracial, grew up in the ghettos of Milwaukee, WI, my 3 siblings and I were raised by our single white Muslim mother and I ended up moving to Nashville, TN and attending Tennessee State University. Although she didn’t get the chance to go to college, my mother wanted us to go as far as we could and not get trapped in the non-progressive environment we were raised in. Being bi-racial, Muslim, and a northerner in a southern school, I felt different throughout my entire college career. After 5 years of hard work through college, I was excited about what I achieved and I wanted to invite my family to my graduation to celebrate my accomplishments. When I was presented with the options for my invitations, I felt that none of them spoke to my individuality, personality or my experience through college. They were also all very expensive and I didn't feel as though I should have to spend so much money on invitations that I didn't even like…even though I needed them. Many of my fellow classmates felt the same way.
I was not educated in the ways of entrepreneurism – but I have always been a problem solver and I immediately saw a problem that needed to be solved.
I created The Graduate Invitation & Novelty Company (The Graduate) in 2003 when I graduated from Tennessee State University. The Graduate is the official HBCU Graduation Company. Our company slogan is “you only graduate once…be different”! We create invitations that are one of a kind, just like you are. Purchasing from The Graduate means that students can afford graduation invitations and they can also display their uniqueness and individuality by customizing them any way they want to. Every student should be given the chance to celebrate and preserve their achievement by customizing their own graduation invitations and sending them out to their closest family members and friends.
>>> At the Graduate, we pride ourselves on being different. How is this for different: <<<
Being that I graduated from an HBCU, I wanted to make sure our company gave back to the universities who helped birth my entrepreneurial spirit. As an entrepreneur, I think it is so important to keep our dollars in our community. Therefore; for every invitation purchase that comes from your school, we will donate 7% back to your school, and you get to decide where the money actually goes. What other invitation company can say that?
As a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, I thought it would be neat to design a Greek graduation invitation line. In 2008 we became the 1st company in the world to offer Greek graduation invitations.
We also develop custom made graduation t-shirts and other novelty items to help our graduates commemorate this outstanding achievement.
Thank you for patronizing our business and supporting a company that supports our community!
Nubian Simmons, MBA
President
Mission
The Graduate Invitation & Novelty Company exists to provide graduates with a customized alternative to the traditional graduation invitation. We work hard to provide you with an invitation that is one of a kind, just like you are!
Values
Our customers' interests always come first. Our experience shows that if we serve our customer well, our own success will follow.
We take great pride in the professional quality of our work. We have an uncompromising determination to achieve excellence in everything we undertake.
We stress creativity and imagination in everything we do. While recognizing that the old way may still be the best way, we constantly strive to find a better solution to our customer's problems.
We constantly strive to anticipate the rapidly changing needs of our customers and to develop new products & services to meet those needs.
Integrity and honesty are at the heart of our business. We expect our people to maintain high ethical standards in everything they do, both in their work for the Graduate and in their personal lives.