Entrepreneur Group Hacks A New Career Path For Computer Scie
Source: Lisa Wirthman
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For many aspiring entrepreneurs, the technology industry is synonymous with startups. But in the world of academia, computer science students often find themselves with one of two options: a career in research or a job in corporate America.
Chintan Parikh is a computer science major at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. He’s also a co-founder and advisor for Startup Exchange, a student-led group started in 2013 that aims to widen the base of entrepreneurs among graduates.
“We wanted to add a third option―work your ass off, start a startup, and innovate,” he wrote in a blog post. “I don’t want to be stuck behind a desk, debugging someone else’s code. I want to be building amazing products that reach millions of people.”
Although Georgia Tech is a leading research school, until recently it offered little support for students who wanted to break out of the lab (or the classroom) to start companies of their own, Parikh says.
“When I got interested in entrepreneurship, I realized there weren’t really any accessible organizations on campus that could help students,” he says.
So Parikh did what any entrepreneur would do―he hacked the culture of Georgia Tech. “We really wanted to create a hub where students could come in, be casual, and just learn from the people around them,” he says. “That was our founding philosophy.”
Building Something New
Whether it’s food carts, security devices, or revolutionizing crutches, Startup Exchange’s hackers, storytellers, coders, and enthusiasts share a collective passion for building something they believe in.
With a central location on the second floor of the university library, it’s easy for any student to drop in on the group’s informal Friday night meetings. But it was an event called 3 Day Startup―a 72-hour campus workshop teaching entrepreneurial skills in a hands-on environment―that really lit the spark for campus entrepreneurship.
After the event, Startup Exchange membership surged from about 10 to 70 students, says Parikh. Today, Startup Exchange also runs Startup Chicks, a support network to empower women entrepreneurs, and HackGT―Georgia Tech’s first national hackathon.
The group also hosts Startup Semester, a student-run pre-incubator program that connects entrepreneurs with mentors throughout the Atlanta business community.
(Not so) Risky Business
One benefit of student entrepreneurship is that it’s easier to take risks while still in school , says Parikh. “If you start a startup and you fail, you’re still a student,” he says. “It’s such a great time to learn about entrepreneurship.”
Entrepreneurship also prepares students for real world careers, he adds. “When you’re running a startup there are so many different things to do, and you have to tackle each and every one by yourself, or with a small team,” Parikh says. “You end up learning about a very broad array of topics.”
After launching Startup Exchange as a freshman, and serving as the group’s director the following year, Parikh co-founded his own company last summer called Cappio, which helps regular investors make smarter stock investments.
Students Supporting Students
He’s still involved in Startup Exchange, and would like to see the group establish a student-run venture capital firm. “I think it’s a lot easier for students to approach other students,” he says.
While Startup Exchange is still a work in progress, its greatest value may be the ongoing support it provides for campus entrepreneurship.
“Every time I walk into a meeting and see 70 students who are so hungry to learn about entrepreneurship, it’s just crazy to think that this community didn’t even exist two years ago,” Parikh says.
For students on other campuses who would like to start a similar group, Parikh says it’s important to learn how to work with the administration by becoming familiar with the school’s long-term goals. He also recommends finding successful alumni who will back the program.
But Parikh’s biggest tip for young entrepreneurs is to share their passion. “If you can convey a passion to your executive board or to the students who come by, it’s so easy for others to latch onto that passion and make it their own,” he says.
Lisa Wirthman writes about business, sustainability, public policy, and women’s issues. She’s deeply interested in innovative ways to solve social problems. Her work has also been published in The Atlantic.com, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Fast Company, Investor’s Business Daily, the Denver Post and the Denver Business Journal.
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