At 21 years old, Seth Trimble didn’t just make basketball history at UNC. He made business history by becoming the youngest Ben & Jerry’s franchise owner ever, leveraging his NIL earnings to secure ownership of the iconic Franklin Street location in Chapel Hill. While most college athletes are figuring out their next meal, Trimble figured out how to own the place that serves it.
How Did Seth Trimble Turn High School Dreams Into Franklin Street Reality?
Trimble shared the news on Instagram with a post that demonstrated his commitment to the Chapel Hill community.
“In the recent months, I have been blessed with the opportunity to fulfill one of my many dreams and aspirations of entrepreneurship. I’m extremely grateful to officially be able to say that I am now an owner of the Ben & Jerry’s store on Franklin St.” Trimble wrote on Instagram.
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The vision started way before NIL money existed. According to a recent interview on Inside Carolina’s YouTube channel, the entrepreneurial spark emerged during his junior and senior years of high school.
“Just the idea of ownership, it’s been in my head, honestly, since mid-days of high school. I’ve just always had the idea of just growing and continue to just expand and show who I am outside of like the basketball court,” Trimble explained.
Even while dominating Wisconsin prep basketball with 27.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while earning state Mr. Basketball honors, Trimble was already thinking beyond the court. His perspective on basketball’s temporary nature influenced his business mindset from an early age.
“I know the ball doesn’t juggle forever, and I know that me as a human being, I’m allowed to have many interests in life, you know, basketball is a thing that I crave the most, it’s what I love to do, but, you know, there’s things that I also want to explore and that’s the business world, that’s entrepreneurship,” he said.
The McBroom Connection
The path to ownership started with a simple photo request. At the 2022 Final Four, Antonio McBroom’s son Knox asked Trimble for a picture, sparking a conversation between Trimble and McBroom’s family. McBroom, CEO of Primo Partners and the previous youngest franchise owner, became the mentor who would change everything.
What began as a chance meeting evolved into regular mentorship sessions. By Trimble’s sophomore year at UNC, their conversations shifted from general advice to concrete business opportunities.
“About last year, I mean my sophomore year, me and Antonio, we have our little meetings, and he would just speak about it, you know, this is what you could do one day, you could become a Ben and Jerry’s owner,” Trimble said.
What Made This Historic Purchase Possible?
When the opportunity became real, Trimble made it a family decision. “I sat down with my family, we spoke about it, and we really wanted to make it happen,” Trimble said. The purchase went through using his NIL earnings from partnerships with brands like Powerade and Town & Country Farms.
The ceremonial handoff with McBroom included a golden spoon and employee apron as Trimble served ice cream to Chapel Hill families, marking the official transition. McBroom’s guidance proved essential throughout the entire process, providing both confidence and practical direction.
“As long as I’ve known Antonio, he’s always instilled just the most confidence in me, he’s always reminded me of the young man I am, the young man that I’ll continue to be, and the man that I will grow and become into,” Trimble said.
Meanwhile, Trimble’s junior season statistics reflect his growth as a versatile contributor for UNC. He averaged 11.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 42.8% from the field and leading the team with 45 steals across 34 games.
His on-court success directly funded his business venture through strategic NIL investments. The historic purchase makes him the youngest Ben & Jerry’s franchise owner in the company’s history, at just 21 years old.
Trimble believes the achievement marks a new milestone for college athletics. “I might be the first student athlete to do it. I have no idea. But if I am, then there’s a lot of ways and new routes that we could take with that.”
The timing aligns perfectly with his senior season, where he’s positioned to lead UNC’s offense. At 21, Trimble has demonstrated to other student-athletes how NIL earnings can transform into legitimate business ownership while still competing in college sports.
