Mporio: Marist Italy’s ‘Mporium’
Mporio promotional image with students reading the newspaper on steps in Florence, Italy. Photo courtsey of Ainsley Walter '26
Mporium is a staple at Marist University in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. But Marist isn’t only in Poughkeepie, and Mporium isn’t only in Steel Plant. Across the ocean, Marist Italy has its very own student-run boutique: Mporio.
Mporio was born at the beginning of the fall 2023 semester. A student studying at the Marist campus in Florence was passionate about bringing the same experiential learning opportunity that is so valued at Marist in Poughkeepsie to Florence. Ainsley Walter ‘26 and Jennifer Cabrera ‘26 both joined the team in 2024, initiating an influx of Mporio employees and new ideas.
“We kind of just got this position, and we were told to sell merch,” said Cabrera. “There wasn't any structure or rules set in place, which is why we kind of started to develop this.”
While Mporio started as a student initiative to sell Marist Italy merchandise, it has since expanded creatively and physically while in the hands of Walter, Cabrera and Troy Tucker ‘26.
“We took inspiration from Mporium, and we kind of had this idea of creating semester-based collections and campaigns to go along with them to make it more engaging and creative, and get the word out there,” said Cabrera. “‘Now we just have this brand, and we have full control over it.”
“So it was very general in the beginning. Just like, Marist Italy T-shirt: sell this,” Walter added.
Last year, instead of selling items with the Marist Italy logo, Walter and Cabrera created a new graphic to accompany the theme, “Hot Off the Press,” inspired by newspapers.
“So instead of just having the classic Marist Italy, which is nice, we wanted to make more stuff that you could wear day to day; less like, ‘this is college merch,’” said Walter.
Unlike in Poughkeepsie, where the Mporium workers are employed through a class, the student workers of Mporio receive compensation for their efforts.
However, Mporio lacks the most fundamental aspect of Mporium. Mporio only functions out of the main office for Marist Italy; the small space and hidden location hinder sales. And on top of that, Mporio products are only available for pickup in Florence.
“We try to set them up really nicely and display them. Right now, I think a big issue actually is that we are online only. It's hard to get the word out there,” said Cabrera. “It can be hard to sell the merch.”
However, to combat their fatal flaw, last year, Mporio hosted its first-ever in-person event. The pop-up in Florence acted as a way to advertise their brand, attract new customers and sell their products.
Cabrera said, “[It was] I think, pretty successful and really fun. Establishing Mporio as a brand, and people can come and physically interact with the pieces as they would with Mporium. And I think that has really helped build a personal connection with Mporio and really freshen up as a brand.”
Right now, as Walter and Cabrera approach graduation, they are compiling templates and instructions for the incoming staff, as Mporio is primarily run by students and overseen by Student Life Coordinator, Marisa Garreffa. Mporio’s reliance on students’ efforts has provided Cabrera and Walter with invaluable experience.
“It’s helped me adapt to a lot of different situations that I don't think I would have known how to do before,” said Cabrera. “I think it's been a really cool opportunity, and I think it’s expanded my creativity and just made me more of a creative person.”
Cabrera and Walter both emphasized the learning experience that operating a business in a different country presents. They have learned to navigate unique challenges such as language barriers.
“For Mporio, I always try to showcase the merch in a way that's not just merch, it's the experience. It's the city of Florence. It's something representative of a bigger thing,” said Walter. “My time in Florence has changed my life, so hopefully, this sounds a little cheesy, but it can become a symbol or a keepsake of memory.”