By: Riley Click
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) — What started as a simple idea between two University of Arkansas students has now become a campus-wide movement for safety and innovation. Swaply, a student-only resale app, is helping students buy, sell and rent items without the risks that come with traditional online marketplaces.
For founder Walter Sarmiento, the idea began after hearing a friend’s terrifying story. She had been held at gunpoint while selling an item through Facebook Marketplace.
“You shouldn’t need pepper spray to sell a dress,” Sarmiento said. The sentence stuck with him and inspired him to build something safer for students.
Unlike Facebook or Depop, Swaply requires users to verify their university email, ensuring that every buyer and seller is a real student or faculty member.
“Your .edu email finally means something,” Sarmiento said.
The system eliminates fake accounts and helps students feel secure while shopping secondhand.
Brixton Blasi, now the app’s co-founder and head of growth, joined after running into Sarmiento on campus last January. He said it quickly became clear they shared the same passion for student safety and creativity. Blasi now leads Swaply’s ambassador programs, which allow student influencers to promote the app and earn money for their content.
“We’re trying to uplift smaller creators in the community,” Blasi said.
Through pop-ups and street interviews, the app’s popularity has grown to over 200 users and counting.
Swaply’s newest feature, rentals, is designed for students all across campus.
“We realized students don’t always want to buy a $100 dress,” Sarmiento said. “Sometimes, they just want to rent it for a game day or formal.”
The feature allows students to rent clothing and accessories from verified peers directly through the app.
To make in-person exchanges safer, Swaply designates meeting spots in well-lit, camera-monitored areas such as Dickson Street and major apartment complexes.
Walter Sarmiento and his two co-founders, Brixton Blasi and Siddarth Suresh Babu, said Swaply has become much more than a business. It’s their passion.
“I’m a founder first, a student second,” Sarmiento said.
Blasi agreed, calling the experience “more valuable than any class.”
Together, they hope to take Swaply nationwide and redefine what it means to buy, sell and rent safely as a college student.
Quicklinks:
SWAPLY LIVE
Swaply App
Swaply Ambassador Form