Student entrepreneurs take new knowledge to market
ASU students are known nationally for their get-up-and-go and go-out-and-get it attitudes toward entrepreneurialism, but the Department of Information Systems is particularly prolific in producing students who have launched their own businesses. KnowIT samples three this month. Although not yet graduates, Brady Emerson, Robert Mckay and Chris Heninger are already applying what they've learned about driving business through information technology.
ASU students are known nationally for their get-up-and-go and go-out-and-get it attitudes toward entrepreneurialism. According to the 2009 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, ASU ranks second behind Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, as the most entrepreneurial university for students in the U.S.
"ASU offers entrepreneurship coursework, training and programs across campuses and all fields of study," said Audrey Iffert, manager of entrepreneurship marketing and communications for the Office of University Initiatives. "Whether students work as part of a class or out of their residence halls, ASU offers the funding and mentorship to get ideas off the ground."
While student entrepreneurs are encouraged throughout all the colleges on campus, the W.P. Carey School of Business and its CIS program are particularly prolific in producing students who have launched their own businesses.
"I think ASU and W. P. Carey have an environment that fosters entrepreneurs, because they focus on the entire business during education," said Brady Emerson, 22, who is set to graduate in May with a degree Computer Information Systems with a certificate in Small Business and Entrepreneurship. "When you're an entrepreneur, your expertise must extend beyond any single major and encompass concepts from accounting, marketing, finance and the many other disciplines. The ASU student body also represents a very open and accessible test market for new applications, which allows entrepreneurs to experiment more without having to spend as much on marketing and outreach."
Textbook Exchange
Emerson's business is called Textbook Exchange, a Facebook application in which students can post textbooks they are trying to sell and search for textbooks to buy. When students search for books, they are given results from stores such as the ASU Bookstore and online retailers on Amazon, as well as from other Facebook users.
"You can also filter to see if any of your Facebook friends are selling books," said Emerson, who is the Outstanding Graduating Senior for the Department of Information Systems this May. "All transactions occur outside the application, similar to Craigslist, and it is free to all users."
Another perk for students is that Textbook Exchange not only lists where students can find books, but it also offers price comparisons. Emerson began developing the application for Textbook Exchange in the spring of 2010, after he noticed a number of Facebook status posts from fellow students who were attempting to buy and sell textbooks. Seeing a need to make the process easier and more efficient, Textbook Exchange was born.
ForceFinder
Robert Mckay's venture, ForceFinder, was created as part of a classroom project. The 26-year-old Mckay, who is set to graduate in December with degrees in Computer Information Systems and Supply Chain Management, says the concept behind ForceFinder is simple: to track and report. But its applications are far reaching.
"It can be applicable over a wide variety of different business sectors, ranging from grocery carts and luggage, all the way to rental cars and buses," Mckay said. "The device that we created came about in (Information Systems) Professor Asim Roy's class, beginning as a class project and eventually growing into what is now ForceFinder. Our inspiration came directly from the retail stores that were having problems with lost and stolen shopping carts."
After meeting with the vice president of special operations for Bashas', Mckay and other members of his ASU team (Jaime Esquivel and Bonnie Young) discovered that one of the greatest costs the grocery store faces is the continuous loss of shopping carts.
"So we set to work to find a solution to address this problem," said McKay, who now runs ForceFinder with partners Bonnie Young and his cousin, Daniel Mckay. "Along the way, we realized that there was even greater potential than we had planned — we could track anything with this technology!"
That includes trucks, phones, people, cars and even units of soldiers.
Like Emerson, Mckay credits W.P. Carey's professors and fellow students with helping to get ForceFinder up and running.
"Initially we reached out to a contact with Bashas' that came from another student. From there, we have reached out again and again to faculty members and students, always obtaining better understanding, ideas and contacts," he said. "Every teacher I have spoken with about this project has not only provided valuable information, but has also been extremely supportive and adamant in seeing the project succeed."
Mckay and his associates at ForceFinder also have benefited from a grant from the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative. Mckay also was a finalist in ASU's Innovation Challenge.
iGravity Design
Unlike Mckay and Emerson, Chris Heninger, another CIS student, began developing his business, iGravity Design, in his early teens.
"At the age of 11, my dad bought me my first computer, and using Yahoo Geocities I began to develop my own little websites," said the 21-year-old Heninger, who is scheduled to graduate in May 2013. "As the years went on, I became proficient in the use of Adobe Photoshop and HTML code. The technology field continues to change rapidly, and by staying current, I am able to set myself apart from other companies and provide the best web development solutions to my clients."
After several years of building websites for friends and family, Heninger registered iGravity Design as an LLC, quit his part-time job last summer, and began devoting himself solely to his business and his education.
"I went through the process of meeting with lawyers, getting the business completely registered, getting my accounting and everything set up, etc.," he said. "I have been operating independently for eight months now and have built up a clientele of over a dozen people, with about half of those being projects I am keeping updated on a constant basis."
Although iGravity Design was started before he began attending W.P. Carey, Heninger said his business already has benefited from his college experiences.
"One of my huge inspirations was that of Cloud Creative Group, a company I read about in KnowIT that has pushed me to become involved in ASU's entrepreneurial programs," he said. "I believe that the ASU environment is made for entrepreneurs because professors in the W. P. Carey School of Business have always geared their teaching toward real-world application. I am able to take things I learn in my accounting, CIS, supply chain courses and directly apply them to my business.
Learning to ride the rollercoaster
While their companies may all be different, Emerson, Heninger and Mckay share more than being CIS student entrepreneurs. All three are experiencing the stresses of running a business and being full-time students, as well as the satisfaction of a job well done.
"Being a student and running my own business is hectic," Heninger said. "At times, I feel like I am struggling to just stay above water and not drown. At the end of each day, however, the satisfaction of happy clients AND doing well in class is something that cannot be replaced. Knowing that I am making a difference to my clients' businesses is an amazing feeling."
For Emerson and his Textbook Exchange, juggling his business and classes is especially tricky during certain times of a semester.
"One of the biggest challenges with this specific business and being a student is the overlap of peak times," he said. "The most popular time for students to be using the app is right after classes end and finals begin. As finals finish, students like to sell their books and I want them to use Textbook Exchange, but it is hard for me to work on the application and market it while also studying for my own finals."
Along with classes and his business, Mckay of ForceFinder has another little something that will soon make him even busier.
"I am married with a child on the way, so in short, even if you if you do have a family, you can STILL be an entrepreneur," he said. "When hit with a wall, there is always a way: over, under, through, around! If you can't get at it through any of those ways, then it is time to get creative. That is one reason why ASU is so great, because you may find that YOU cannot do it, but someone you know most likely can.
"To be student and run a business is much like a rollercoaster, with many ups and downs. If you can make it through your worst day, then your business might actually have a chance of success," Mckay added. "One day everything is going as planned and working well and then the next day a glitch comes up and everything seems like it could be falling apart. However, even if everything fails (which is always a possibility), there is one thing that I am walking away with: The knowledge and connections that have come from this experience will be invaluable in future business opportunities."
— Portraits of Brady Emerson and Robert Mckay by Andrew Farquhar.
"You can also filter to see if any of your Facebook friends are selling books," said Emerson, who is the Outstanding Graduating Senior for the Department of Information Systems this May. "All transactions occur outside the application, similar to Craigslist, and it is free to all users."
Another perk for students is that Textbook Exchange not only lists where students can find books, but it also offers price comparisons. Emerson began developing the application for Textbook Exchange in the spring of 2010, after he noticed a number of Facebook status posts from fellow students who were attempting to buy and sell textbooks. Seeing a need to make the process easier and more efficient, Textbook Exchange was born.
ForceFinder
Robert Mckay's venture, ForceFinder, was created as part of a classroom project. The 26-year-old Mckay, who is set to graduate in December with degrees in Computer Information Systems and Supply Chain Management, says the concept behind ForceFinder is simple: to track and report. But its applications are far reaching.
"It can be applicable over a wide variety of different business sectors, ranging from grocery carts and luggage, all the way to rental cars and buses," Mckay said. "The device that we created came about in (Information Systems) Professor Asim Roy's class, beginning as a class project and eventually growing into what is now ForceFinder. Our inspiration came directly from the retail stores that were having problems with lost and stolen shopping carts."
After meeting with the vice president of special operations for Bashas', Mckay and other members of his ASU team (Jaime Esquivel and Bonnie Young) discovered that one of the greatest costs the grocery store faces is the continuous loss of shopping carts.
"So we set to work to find a solution to address this problem," said McKay, who now runs ForceFinder with partners Bonnie Young and his cousin, Daniel Mckay. "Along the way, we realized that there was even greater potential than we had planned — we could track anything with this technology!"
That includes trucks, phones, people, cars and even units of soldiers.
Like Emerson, Mckay credits W.P. Carey's professors and fellow students with helping to get ForceFinder up and running.
"Initially we reached out to a contact with Bashas' that came from another student. From there, we have reached out again and again to faculty members and students, always obtaining better understanding, ideas and contacts," he said. "Every teacher I have spoken with about this project has not only provided valuable information, but has also been extremely supportive and adamant in seeing the project succeed."
Mckay and his associates at ForceFinder also have benefited from a grant from the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative. Mckay also was a finalist in ASU's Innovation Challenge.
iGravity Design
Unlike Mckay and Emerson, Chris Heninger, another CIS student, began developing his business, iGravity Design, in his early teens.
"At the age of 11, my dad bought me my first computer, and using Yahoo Geocities I began to develop my own little websites," said the 21-year-old Heninger, who is scheduled to graduate in May 2013. "As the years went on, I became proficient in the use of Adobe Photoshop and HTML code. The technology field continues to change rapidly, and by staying current, I am able to set myself apart from other companies and provide the best web development solutions to my clients."
After several years of building websites for friends and family, Heninger registered iGravity Design as an LLC, quit his part-time job last summer, and began devoting himself solely to his business and his education.
"I went through the process of meeting with lawyers, getting the business completely registered, getting my accounting and everything set up, etc.," he said. "I have been operating independently for eight months now and have built up a clientele of over a dozen people, with about half of those being projects I am keeping updated on a constant basis."
Although iGravity Design was started before he began attending W.P. Carey, Heninger said his business already has benefited from his college experiences.
"One of my huge inspirations was that of Cloud Creative Group, a company I read about in KnowIT that has pushed me to become involved in ASU's entrepreneurial programs," he said. "I believe that the ASU environment is made for entrepreneurs because professors in the W. P. Carey School of Business have always geared their teaching toward real-world application. I am able to take things I learn in my accounting, CIS, supply chain courses and directly apply them to my business.
Learning to ride the rollercoaster
While their companies may all be different, Emerson, Heninger and Mckay share more than being CIS student entrepreneurs. All three are experiencing the stresses of running a business and being full-time students, as well as the satisfaction of a job well done.
"Being a student and running my own business is hectic," Heninger said. "At times, I feel like I am struggling to just stay above water and not drown. At the end of each day, however, the satisfaction of happy clients AND doing well in class is something that cannot be replaced. Knowing that I am making a difference to my clients' businesses is an amazing feeling."
For Emerson and his Textbook Exchange, juggling his business and classes is especially tricky during certain times of a semester.
"One of the biggest challenges with this specific business and being a student is the overlap of peak times," he said. "The most popular time for students to be using the app is right after classes end and finals begin. As finals finish, students like to sell their books and I want them to use Textbook Exchange, but it is hard for me to work on the application and market it while also studying for my own finals."
Along with classes and his business, Mckay of ForceFinder has another little something that will soon make him even busier.
"I am married with a child on the way, so in short, even if you if you do have a family, you can STILL be an entrepreneur," he said. "When hit with a wall, there is always a way: over, under, through, around! If you can't get at it through any of those ways, then it is time to get creative. That is one reason why ASU is so great, because you may find that YOU cannot do it, but someone you know most likely can.
"To be student and run a business is much like a rollercoaster, with many ups and downs. If you can make it through your worst day, then your business might actually have a chance of success," Mckay added. "One day everything is going as planned and working well and then the next day a glitch comes up and everything seems like it could be falling apart. However, even if everything fails (which is always a possibility), there is one thing that I am walking away with: The knowledge and connections that have come from this experience will be invaluable in future business opportunities."
— Portraits of Brady Emerson and Robert Mckay by Andrew Farquhar.
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