Student Launched Tech Startup Before He Graduated

Tell us about your new startup.

TalkShop is a peer-mentorship platform that connects younger students with older students and working professionals who are only a few steps ahead of them. We’re starting off with the high-school-to-college transition, so if you’re in high school and you’re considering colleges, you can use TalkShop to find student mentors at those colleges. You can book one-on-one calls with those students to get a relatable, insider perspective on everything about the school and the application process. It’s an affordable way to get additional help and guidance on a fairly complicated process.

What are you studying at USF?

Entrepreneurship & innovation in the Graduate School of Management. I graduated at the end of June.

Why USF for graduate school?

I went to St. Ignatius here in San Francisco for high school, and I really loved the idea of getting back to my Jesuit roots and being surrounded by like-minded people. Also, it’s a super exciting time to be in San Francisco right now, given the state of the tech industry.

What’s your career advice to your undergraduate self?

I wish that I had talked to more people in the fields I was interested in. I highly encourage students and younger professionals to talk to peers who are only a few steps ahead of them. Ask what their day-to-day looks like, what their paths look like, try to understand the skills they’ve developed and the projects they’re working on. I didn’t ask enough of those questions when I was just getting started. I just took the internships and jobs that were offered to me and didn’t ask the questions that would have helped me get on the path I’m on today. I think it’s really important for students to get as much information as possible from their peers before going too far down certain career paths. Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but I believe the next best thing is asking the person ahead of you, “What’s around the corner?”