Reflections Magazine Issue #83 - Fall 2015 | Page 24

Feature Article

Self-Starter

SHU Student Gilius Blinstrubas ’17 Follows in his Family’s Entrepreneurial Footsteps

H

is grandfather started one.
His father started one.
So, it’s not that unusual that Gilius (pronounced GIL-us)
Blinstrubas decided to start his own business. What is unusual
is that Blinstrubas started not one—but two—businesses
before beginning his junior year at Siena Heights University.
“It takes a special person to do it,” Blinstrubas said. “I really
enjoy business. I spend a lot of time reading business books,
articles and talking to people about business. It doesn’t feel
like work.”
The grandson of Lithuanian immigrants who came to the
U.S. during World War II, Blinstrubas’ grandfather started his

24 | Reflections Fall ’15

By Doug Goodnough

own tool-and-die business, and his father a law firm. Their
entrepreneurial example inspired him to start his first business
in 2013 as a freshman at SHU.
“I love stickers, and I know other people do, too,” Blinstrubas said of the origins of his start-up business concept.
“You put logos on cups, balls and T-shirts. Stickers would be
cool on a light switch.”
Using that idea, he started Switch Art, a company that
designs custom graphics to cover light switch plates. Most of
his business is web-based, and Blinstrubas said he has already
learned a lot from that experience. The native of Downers
Grove, Ill., and business major said he has recently “pivoted”