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What does your business do?
Linkademy currently has three goals: to serve as a research-based networking website for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors to increase collaboration; to provide companies with access to research to aid in recruitment of and collaboration with students in similar fields; and to connect students with job opportunities similar to their research experiences.
When and why did you start the biz?
I started the idea of my business in February of 2009, although I officially incorporated my company in July of 2009.
During my senior year, I was enrolled in a design class in which I was trying to build a device that would measure brain activity using changes in the concentration of hemoglobin. One of the major challenges that I faced was actually creating the test apparatus. In attempting to solve this problem, our group was able to contact a graduate student in the Chemistry department that coincidentally was working on a similar project as a graduate student in the BME department, simultaneously without even knowing about each other’s work. I was intrigued by this, and was inspired to create a simple network of colleagues to collaborate on research within the school.
How Many People are in your Company?
1
Where's your office?
I have a beautiful office right now located in the Duke University Hatch, which is an incubator for student-run small businesses. It currently holds my computer and a large amount of papers.
What's the toughest part of running your biz?
The toughest part of running my business is doing everything myself. Not only am I responsible for the marketing and PR, but I am also in charge of working with the web developers to get the website running. Multitasking is one of the biggest challenges that I have faced, but with an organized planner, I have been able to pull everything off.
What's the most fun part?
One of the best feelings of running my own business is that I enjoy every minute of working. From the moment I wake up to the moment I sleep, I have the sense of fulfillment that is often overlooked when I work. I also enjoy learning something everyday. Whether it is a minute detail about programming languages, or legal documentation, or going through the finances, I am very happy with what I do.
Anything you would have done differently?
I wish that I could have had more support from other students so that I would not have had to do everything by myself. Although I have learned a great deal, the amount of stress would have been distributed.
What's next on the horizon for your biz?
We're actually going to launch the website at Duke University this fall, and at UNC and NC State soon after. We plan to go national in January of 2010, which should be a big step.
What advice do you have for others?
Starting a business is daunting. There's just so much to think about, but its never wrong to ask too many questions. I would have sat with my lawyer or my accountant for hours (if I had enough money!) so that I could learn from their experience with start-ups.
How do you use Idea Cafe to help your biz?
I hope that through the Idea Cafe, I am able to share my expertise in the education department and give networking advice to anyone who wants it. In addition, I hope to learn more about business tactics, and gain more knowledge from the wealth of information that is on this site. Finally, I hope that Idea Cafe will connect me to funding sources that will allow my company to grow.
School (where, still in school, degree)?
Duke University, Masters in Engineering Management
Prior jobs or business?
I was a Duke University undergraduate student in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Favorite Food?
I enjoy Mexican food, especially tacos.
What are your pets' names?
I have no pets unfortunately.
Is there any one person or event in your life that led
you to go into business for yourself?
I was inspired by my parents who have strongly encouraged me to pursue the path that gives you most fulfillment. After moving to the United States after I was born so that they could live the "American Dream", they wished the same success upon me and the path that I have taken.
Anyone you publicly want to thank?
I would like to thank not only my parents, but Professor Boyd and the DU Hatch Incubator for supporting my small business.
Contact Info:
Rhut Vasavada
rhutvasavada@gmail.com
Website:
http://www.linkademy.com/ |
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