Day: July 3, 2024

Spencer Mobley’s Innovative Approach to the Perfect-fitting T-shirt

Post author By dwsutton@davidson.edu
Post date July 3, 2024
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Spencer Mobley ‘23 Has an Innovative Approach to the Perfect-fitting T-shirt

Spencer Mobley ‘23, knows all too well the struggle of finding the perfect t-shirt fit. Like many of us, he discovered that t-shirts often come in generic sizes that fail to account for the diverse shapes and sizes of real bodies. After years of hunting for shirts that actually fit his frame and the confidence boost that came with those rare finds, Spencer decided it was time for a change.

He came up with a brilliant idea: a line of body-positive t-shirts tailored to fit everyone perfectly based on collarbone length, height, and wrist size. Unlike typical sizes, these measurements provide a more accurate picture of a person’s frame. That’s because they take into account bone thickness and shoulder broadness without being affected by body fat or muscle.

With this innovative sizing approach, Spencer’s t-shirts aim to eliminate the frustration of ill-fitting clothes. Customers will first find the right fit for their frame using these unique measurements, and then select the familiar small, medium, or large sizes to ensure a perfect fit. This process not only guarantees a better fit but also helps customers understand what makes a t-shirt fit well.

Spencer is excited to bring perfectly fitted t-shirts to everyone and change the way we think about clothing sizes. Keep an eye out for his innovative designs and get ready to experience the perfect fit.

Tags Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Startup, Try It Fund

AVINGER IMPACT FUND Try It Fund

Heidi Meyer ‘23, Avinger Impact Fund winner, Aims to Revolutionize how Students Approach Their Careers

Post author By dwsutton@davidson.edu
Post date July 3, 2024
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Heidi Meyer ‘23, Avinger Impact Fund winner, Aims to Revolutionize how Students Approach Their Careers

Heidi Meyer is on a mission to revolutionize how students approach their careers. A 2023 graduate, Heidi knows the anxiety that comes with picking a career path. Heidi’s brainchild, Careers Explained, is designed to tackle this problem head-on. Careers Explained targets and prepares high school and college students for their future careers.

According to Colorado State University Global, one-third of Americans had no plan after high school or college. Heidi wants to help change this statistic for the positive. How is she doing it? Heidi started outreach with private schools which generally have greater funding and fewer restrictions. She then reaches students through their career offices, which are already well-connected with students through newsletters, social media, and events.

What sets Careers Explained apart from other career resources? Depth and personalization. While resources like Naviance offer interesting quizzes and brief job descriptions, Careers Explained goes further. It provides detailed insights into what a typical schedule looks like, the social scene, opportunities for advancement, and how professionals secured their roles. Plus, Heidi’s interviews include valuable advice on how listeners can land similar jobs

Heidi’s business model is straightforward. She plans to charge $1,000 per school annually for access to the resource. Her goal is to partner with 10 schools in the first year, aiming for $10,000 in revenue. Schools start with a six-month free trial before transitioning to the paid subscription. By adding 40 more schools each year, Heidi anticipates making $38,000 in year three and $308,000 by year five.

Having won the 2022 Avinger Impact Fund, Heidi Meyer is already making waves with her innovative approach to career guidance. With Careers Explained, she’s bridging the gap between academic life and the professional world. Heidi is helping students find their path with confidence and clarity.

Tags Avinger Impact Fund, Startup, Try It Fund

Nisbet Venture Fund

Christos Koumpotis and Tasos Pagounas Rise Together to Solve the Student and Recent Alumni Employment Problem

Post author By dwsutton@davidson.edu
Post date July 3, 2024
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Christos Koumpotis and Tasos Pagounas Rise Together to Solve the Student and Recent Alumni Employment Problem

Meet Christos Koumpotis and Tasos Pagounas, the 2022 Nisbet Venture Fund Audience Choice Award winners. These two alumni turned a shared vision into a prize-winning venture, Rise Together.

RiTo, as it is called, aims to solve a significant issue facing young adults and small businesses alike: the challenge of finding employment and talent, respectively.

As recent graduates themselves, Christos and Tasos know the struggle all too well. Many young adults find it hard to secure a job without prior experience, while small businesses often have difficulty competing with larger corporations to attract skilled workers. They saw an opportunity to address both problems simultaneously. Their solution? Rise Together, a platform that connects young people with the skills to small businesses in need of those skills.

Here’s how it works: Users create profiles highlighting their skills, expectations, and experiences, while small businesses list their needs and employment opportunities. The platform then matches businesses with individuals whose skills align with their needs. As you can imagine, this makes the job hunt and hiring process smoother for everyone involved – a true win-win.

But Christos and Tasos didn’t stop there. They recognized the biases—both conscious and unconscious—that plague the labor market. To combat this, Rise Together ensures employers only access demographic information about potential employees after a match is made and communication begins.

Their primary customers are students and recent graduates looking to kickstart their careers, as well as small businesses or startups seeking fresh talent. However, Rise Together’s potential reaches further. It appeals to career changers, individuals seeking more experience, and those affected by labor market inequalities. But wait, there’s more. They also envision partnering with universities to offer their service to students.

Rise Together is entering a competitive landscape. However, it stands out from the crowd of job search platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, Handshake, and RippleMatch. Instead of overwhelming users with countless irrelevant opportunities, Rise Together focuses on precise matches.

But, how do they plan to make money? Well, their business model is simple yet effective. Employers pay a matching fee when they choose to connect with a potential employee. By doing so, they gain access to their contact information and a built-in chat. There is also revenue that will come from long-term partnerships with institutions.

Stay tuned to see how Christos and Tasos continue to rise together.