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In April 2006, John Lanctot and Alex Greenwood, of Wilmette, Ill., near Chicago, came up with the idea to sell Chicago-inspired T-shirts, but didn't know how to get it off the ground.

As an entrepreneurship major at the University of Dayton, Robert Green had a few ideas.

"I have a lot of experience of being an entrepreneur through the entrepreneurship program at UD," Green said.

Green joined the effort in April, and the three founders recruited a Web site designer, an artist and a marketing intern to work for Addison Station Apparel Co.

Each of the founders invested $600 in the venture, and broke even with their 148th shirt, just four months after their first sale.

Though Green says his experience at UD has been very helpful, he added, "It's a lot different not being in the classroom and not having an advisor to help us along the way."

Green described their designs as "innovative and creative T-shirts that would target any Chicago sports fan." Their first shirt featured popular Chicago Cub Ryan Theriot as "The Riot," a nickname popular among fans for the infielder but, as far as Addison designers knew, not yet coined by any T-shirt manufacturers.

"After months and months of work," Green said, they incurred their first expense April 12 when they ordered 100 T-shirts from a printing company .

Since then, they have designed two more Cubs-inspired shirts, and plan to release Chicago Bears shirts in the fall.

"I'd be very pleased if we were able to do this full-time after college," said Green. "It all just depends. I'm an entrepreneur at heart, and that's what I want to do."

Venture: Original-design

Chicago-themed T-shirt sales

Founders: Robert Green, 21; John Lanctot, 20; and Alex Greenwood, 20

Founded: April 12, 2007

Initial Investment: $1,800

Web site: www.addisonstation.com