Student-athlete-entrepreneur Prince Shyllon ’26

“There isn't room at the top for everyone. Stay ambitious, separate yourself, and be the Only 1 Up."  

So says Prince Shyllon ’26, a basketball player, social media influencer, and entrepreneur from Prince George's County, Maryland, who started his first business in high school — a clothing brand called, you guessed it, Only 1 Up. The brand name is intended to inspire individuals who prioritize productivity in their lives — those focused on their purpose, determined to achieve their goals, and committed to their self-betterment. 

Shyllon is now a first-year Skidmore student who plays point guard on the Thoroughbred men’s basketball team, plans to major in business and minor in computer science, and — of course — grow his business. 

He applied to a number of colleges but was impressed with Skidmore’s science facilities when he visited campus. He also enjoyed a good visit with Coach Joe Burke and members of the basketball team. 

Now in his second semester, he’s taking the iconic intro business course MB 107; Microeconomics; English 105; and Intro to Computer Science. He’s also involved with several student groups — the Investment Club, Ujima, and the African Heritage Awareness Club — though he had to step back during the recently completed basketball season that saw his team advance to the Liberty League playoffs. 

Not unexpectedly, Shyllon saw limited time on the court – 14 games in all — due to so many veterans on the roster.  Burke says he is “excited about his (Shyllon’s) potential and most importantly, his ability to elevate and lead players around him. Prince has natural leadership qualities that we look for in our recruits. We look forward to him putting them to use throughout his career.” 

For his part, Shyllon enjoys Burke’s coaching style: “He is a really honest guy who insists that we play hard-nosed defense, especially off the bench, but on offense he lets us play free as long as we’re playing smart, which is fantastic for someone like me who likes to shoot threes.” 

Speaking of taking shots, Shyllon recently participated in Startup Skidmore, a skill-building workshop and competition that brought together students united by a common interest in entrepreneurship and learning from alumni and faculty with proven records of success. 

“I wanted to gauge the strength of my company’s operational and financial structure in front of successful and experienced entrepreneurs,” he said, adding that he especially valued the feedback of alumni judges – from advice on minimizing debt to converting his brand’s message into long-term sales and sustainability. 

His pitch stood out – and not just because he rapped part of it: Based on the strength of Only 1 Up’s profit margins, year-one analytics, engaging website, and apparel samples, judges were so impressed that they awarded the budding entrepreneur a second-place prize.  

The company, which brought in $10,000 in year one, offers ski masks, hats, shirts, hoodies, shorts, sweatsuits, and sticker packs. Shyllon has a Tik Tok presence with nearly 40,000 followers and keeps potential customers up to date on drops and clothing outputs on Only 1 Up’s Instagram account (@only1upbrand). 

On a more personal note, here are a few tidbits about the first-year Skidmore student: 

• Favorite TV series: “Money Heist” and “Top Boy” (both on Netflix)
• Favorite music: Drake, Partynextdoor, Brent Faiyaz, and Burna Boy, as well as rappers from the Washington, D.C., metro area: No Savage, Baby Slime, and Big Flock. For pre-game prep, he prefers slow R&B/love songs from Drake's “Take Care” and “Thank Me Later” albums and Brent Faiyaz's “Wasteland” album.
• Favorite book: “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki
• His family: Along with his brother and sister, Shyllon was raised by his mom, who works as a nurse. His father, a college physics professor, passed away when Shyllon was young.
• Best thing about Skidmore: “The people. Everyone is so laid back, yet hardworking in the classroom. It's rigorous but not a harsh, cutthroat environment.”