Justin Bowen, senior computer science major and CampusHubLife developer, works on the website and app, CampusHubLife, from his laptop in his apartment on Oct. 7. Bowen spent three months coding the platform to create a centralized online space for UCF students to socialize and share opportunities.
Kiara Velez
Leaning over the kitchen counter of his apartment, Justin Bowen taps his screen to push the final line of code live, launching a student-created app and website that centralizes selling, buying and job postings.
Bowen, senior computer science major, spent the last three months coding and building CampusHubLife, a Reddit-style marketplace platform designed exclusively for the university community, according to Bowen.
Bowen also launched CampuSupply in February 2025, a student-focused delivery service that brought classroom essentials to students, previously reported by the Charge.
Now, Bowen is expanding his focus from physical supply delivery to campus-wide social connections and opportunities.
“Pretty much with CampusHubLife, we really want to reach the student body, so pretty much students could go on the marketplace,” Bowen said. “They could post anything that they want: new products, or if they have jobs, they can post on there as well.”
Bowen explained how the idea for CampusHubLife expanded from his previous venture, and the idea struck from a personal experience of falling for a UCF-targeted scam online on Reddit.
“I gave out my e-mail, both my e-mails, personal and school. Then later, someone told me it was a scam, so that’s the reason I built CampusHubLife,” Bowen said.
To address common safety concerns with online transactions, Bowen integrated a two-step campus email verification system into the platform, ensuring the site stays safe for UCF students and faculty.
Beyond buying and selling, CampusHubLife also lists a dedicated space to list subleases, sell textbooks and promote student-run microbusinesses and organizations.
Justin Bowen, senior computer science major and CampusHubLife developer, scrolls through forum posts on the CampusHubLife mobile platform in his apartment in The Accolades. The campus-exclusive marketplace platform launched on Oct. 5, allowing verified UCF students to buy, sell and connect online.
Kiara Velez
According to recent Federal Trade Commission Consumer Sentinel Network data, young adults ages 20 to 29 reported losing money to fraud more often than older demographic groups.
For students, having a campus-verified space simplifies the chaos of local logistics.
“Leasing, for example, you’d have people post on the class Snapchat Story and everything and Instagram, whatever,” Ben Clark, junior film major and beta tester for the platform, said. “It all seemed very scattered. So, it’s really cool to see there’s a place for all that to be handled.”
To boost user engagement following its official launch on Oct. 5, Bowen is introducing interactive leaderboard games with prizes directly in the app by the end of October.
Looking ahead, CampusHubLife has ambitions to begin hiring UCF students on campus for development, marketing, and operations.
“I’m hoping that we can have CampusHubLife grow so that we can actually hire more UCF students on campus,” said Bowen.
Students interested in the online marketplace can visit their website or look for promotional flyers posted across campus by the end of October.