I am going to work on my own venture this summer. The product I am creating is “Neighbor”, a peer2peer delivery platform on top of a mobile ordering system. So, what does that mean:

Mobile Ordering

Students, Faculty and Stuff can use the Neighbor application to order on-campus food services more conveniently. After a quick sign-up users can choose from all available campus stores. Once decided on a store the user can select different menu items and can place an order for pick-up. Payment is processed within the Neighbor application (accepting all major credit cards as well as all meal plan currency). After placing an order the user receives an order ID. This ID needs to be presented at the store to receive the order.

Delivery

Peer2peer delivery builds on top of the mobile ordering systems. Every community member with a certified @schoolname.edu e-mail address is eligible to fulfill orders. We are developing an algorithm that matches users with relevant orders for delivery. The system allows to leverage the excess capacity of daily on-campus commutes of students, faculty and stuff. Users can earn points that can be applied to future orders.

Neighbor differentiates its self mostly due its user experience, by providing a fun, social and food centric solution for its users. Besides a basic select a store, choose items and pay, Neighbor has a fun interface that prompts users constantly new meal combinations and options. This leads to a “tinder” like experience for food – you don’t want it swipe left, you want it swipe right and you will be right at check-out. In addition, we are already developing social components where users can take a picture of via the app ordered food and can share it will all their friends. Users can now, also with a single swipe, order what their friends have ordered.

My responsibility is about everything. From starting the company, acquiring the right partners, selling to universities, managing the development team and talking care of daily operations. I am doing this venture together with a fellow deacon, Philipp Wendler.

Throughout this summer, the goal is to finish development, strengthen investor relationships to hopefully have a successful round of funding in late August and sign deals with a couple of places to start operating in August.

I am based in Winston Salem. Here is also our engagement development team, however, the core developers are sitting in Romania. Philipp is currently in Europe and is analyzing and evaluating possible market entry options in that region.