Well there it is: your 2017 Zuventurez intern team and my last Zuventurez blog. Unfortunately, with graduation around the corner, only Leanne will be returning for the PITCH competition in the spring. All the rest of us are excited to keep up with Zuventurez via social media, and loved the opportunity to work with such an amazing team!

I cannot believe the next time we meet, you will be one workshop away from pitching your idea on the live stage. Thankfully, this is the first time Zuventurez PITCH has extended over two semesters. This means you have all Christmas break to capitalize on your startup, work with your coaches, and build your pitch deck to the strongest point in it’s development.

Investors want to see that your startup is generating profit and continuing to grow. To display the profit , find the total costs and subtract this number from the total sales. This gives the investors an idea of how profitable your company is and the possibility of growth. Discover where your customers find value and build off of that.

There is so much more to beginning a startup then I ever imagined there would be. There are so many questions that need to be asked which, in return, means so many questions that need to be answered. The best part is, you are responsible for all of it: asking yourself the questions AND finding yourself the answers.

Settled in the corner of San Gabriel Boulevard and Foothill Boulevard lies a home that, because of our founder, was converted into a small coffee shop very popular within our APU community. Jonny Liu began with a dream and a passion to love people, and as a result, Mantra was born.

The challenge for the next two weeks is to understand your marketplace. Who are your customers, who are your competitors, what problem are you trying to solve, and why is it worth investment? The best way to do this is to get creative with your idea. Make your design tell a story. 

Many years ago, Jennifer discovered she faced a problem many girls of all ages also faced in our society: an insecurity about their body. At seven years old, Jennifer noticed that the birthmark she had on her back, set her apart from other girls her age. All through high school, she tried to cover it up with makeup or clothes, but nothing could cover up the insecurity she faced underneath the surface.

The Office of Innovation is a perfect mix of entrepreneurial-minded and light-hearted individuals. We drink coffee, we write blogs, edit videos, drink coffee, market on our social media accounts, drink coffee, plan events, and drink more coffee.

Entrepreneurs need to ask a second question: “is the problem worth solving and does it need solving to begin with?” It’s so easy to get lost in our own ideas without thinking about how other people are affected by it. Our speaker Jay Sherer, closed the workshop with one last point, “build something people want.”

Matt asked the room one simple question: “Do I even need God in what I’m doing?” Perhaps God is the missing variable in the startup equation? In any regard, it would seem that Matt’s cocktail of mixing his kingdom mission within his business practice has allowed him the means to spread the Gospel, utilizing both his passion and his calling.