Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew “Mo” Gerhardt.
Hi Matthew “Mo”, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a lifelong Michigan State Spartan, a former longtime MSU staff member, and someone who has spent my entire life navigating the world with muscular dystrophy and using a wheelchair. A lot of my story really centers around community, inclusion, and trying to create spaces where people feel seen.
Professionally, I spent close to twenty years working at Michigan State University, including with MSU Women’s Basketball as an academic coordinator and life mentor. Those experiences shaped me in a huge way because I saw firsthand how powerful connection, belonging, and representation can be. I also competed internationally in Power Hockey as captain of the Michigan Mustangs, which taught me leadership, resilience, and the importance of adaptive athletics and visibility.
Over time, I started noticing something that bothered me in the apparel world — especially in college sports apparel. Adaptive clothing and traditional clothing were almost always separated, if adaptive options even existed at all. People with disabilities were often treated like an afterthought instead of part of the main community experience. As someone who loves Michigan State and also lives with a disability, that disconnect always stood out to me.
That eventually became the inspiration behind Every Spartan.
I created Every Spartan to be more than just another apparel brand. The mission is rooted in the idea that fandom, school pride, and representation should belong to everyone equally. We focus on offering both traditional and adaptive apparel side-by-side under one brand experience, while also emphasizing storytelling, inclusion, and community connection.
The journey has definitely been unconventional. I didn’t come from the fashion industry, and I’ve had to learn everything from licensing and manufacturing to e-commerce and branding as I go. There have been a lot of long nights, challenges, and moments of doubt, but also incredible encouragement from the Spartan community, ambassadors, athletes, alumni, and families who connect with the mission.
What keeps driving me is the bigger picture. If a child using a wheelchair can see themselves represented in college apparel without feeling separated from everyone else, that matters. If someone realizes they belong in the community exactly as they are, that matters.
At the end of the day, Every Spartan is really about people. It’s about creating apparel that represents shared moments, school pride, and inclusion in a genuine way. The name says it all: Every Ability. Every Moment. Every Spartan.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not — and honestly, I think most meaningful things aren’t built on a smooth road.
One of the biggest challenges has simply been building something completely new in an industry I didn’t originally come from. I had the vision for Every Spartan, but learning the apparel business, licensing process, production workflow, e-commerce, fulfillment, and marketing all at once has been a huge undertaking. There’s no real blueprint for what I’m trying to do.
On top of that, because I live with muscular dystrophy and use a wheelchair, there are naturally additional physical challenges and limitations that affect daily life and business operations. Things that might seem simple to others can require much more planning, energy, or adaptation behind the scenes. But in many ways, those experiences are also what shaped the mission in the first place.
Another challenge has been trying to change perception. Adaptive apparel is often viewed as a niche category separated from mainstream fashion or college apparel. From day one, I wanted Every Spartan to approach things differently — not “adaptive over here” and “everyone else over there,” but truly integrated and inclusive. Getting people to fully understand that vision sometimes takes time because it challenges the way the industry traditionally operates.
There’s also the reality that starting any business can feel overwhelming, especially when you care deeply about it. There are moments of doubt, financial pressure, slow periods, and the uncertainty that comes with putting something personal into the world and hoping people connect with it.
But at the same time, those challenges have reinforced why I’m doing this. Every encouraging message, every customer who feels represented, every ambassador or family who says they believe in the mission — those moments make the difficult parts worth it.
I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that perseverance matters. You don’t need to have everything perfectly figured out to start building something meaningful. Sometimes you just have to keep showing up, keep learning, and trust the bigger purpose behind what you’re creating.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Every Spartan?
Every Spartan is a licensed Michigan State-inspired apparel brand built around inclusion, community, and storytelling. At its core, the brand exists to make sure everyone feels represented in the Spartan experience — including people with disabilities, who are often overlooked in traditional apparel spaces.
What makes Every Spartan unique is that we offer both traditional and adaptive apparel side-by-side under one unified brand. That may sound simple, but it’s something that’s surprisingly rare, especially in collegiate apparel. Most adaptive clothing is separated into its own category or treated as an afterthought. Our philosophy is different: inclusion should be built into the experience from the beginning, not added later.
We specialize in creating apparel that focuses on moments, identity, and community rather than just logos. A lot of our collections are story-driven and inspired by the emotional connection people have to Michigan State — whether that’s game days, traditions, overcoming adversity, lifelong friendships, or simply feeling like you belong somewhere.
Another thing that sets us apart is authenticity. Every Spartan wasn’t created in a boardroom or by a large corporation trying to chase a trend. It was built from lived experience. As someone who uses a wheelchair and has spent years immersed in the MSU community through both athletics and university life, I understand firsthand how important representation and accessibility are.
Brand-wise, I’m probably most proud that people connect emotionally with what we’re building. Of course, I’m proud of the apparel itself, but what means the most is when someone says, “I’ve never seen a brand do this before,” or when a family with a child with a disability feels included instead of separate. Those moments validate the mission more than anything else.
I’m also proud that we’ve approached the brand with professionalism and long-term vision from the beginning. We went through the official licensing process, focused heavily on compliance and quality, and built relationships throughout the Spartan community with the intention of creating something sustainable and meaningful.
Ultimately, I want readers to know that Every Spartan is about more than clothing. It’s about representation, belonging, and creating apparel that reflects the full Spartan community. Whether someone is wearing traditional apparel, adaptive apparel, or simply supporting the mission, the message is the same:
Every Ability. Every Moment. Every Spartan.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that authenticity matters more than trying to fit into what people expect a business or brand should look like.
Early on, there’s always pressure to compare yourself to bigger companies, follow trends, or try to make your story fit into a cleaner, safer version. But I’ve learned that the things that truly connect with people are the real and honest parts — the mission, the struggles, the purpose behind it, and the willingness to build something different even when it’s difficult.
I’ve also learned that community is everything. No one builds something meaningful completely alone. Every Spartan has grown because of the people who believed in it early — friends, ambassadors, athletes, customers, families, and members of the Spartan community who saw the vision and wanted to support it. That support has carried me through a lot of moments where the road felt uncertain.
Another big lesson has been understanding that progress doesn’t always happen as quickly as you want it to. Building something sustainable takes patience. There are moments where you question whether all the hard work is paying off yet, but I’ve learned to focus less on overnight success and more on building something with long-term impact and purpose.
And personally, living with a disability has taught me resilience in ways I probably didn’t fully appreciate when I was younger. You learn to adapt, problem solve, and keep moving forward even when things are difficult. That mindset has become a huge part of how I approach both life and business.
At the end of the day, I think the biggest lesson is that purpose matters. If you genuinely believe in why you’re building something, it gives you the ability to keep going through the hard days — and it helps create something people can truly connect with beyond just a product.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.everyspartanapparel.com
- Instagram: @everyspartan
- Facebook: /everyspartan
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/everyspartan
- Twitter: @everyspartan
