$25,000 Makes a BIG Difference!

Posted on July 9, 2013

“Oh, that’s cool…” *cue subtle eye roll
This is the reaction I usually get from people when I tell them that I am the CEO of a tech startup company. I guess I can’t get too upset with them since I probably wouldn’t believe a college student (let alone an ENGLISH MAJOR) could actually start a viable tech business either. With that in mind, I have a feeling a lot more people are going to understand why I was crazy enough to co-found a company at 20 years old while still going to college full time and playing a varsity sport. Today, I am proud to announce ProfilePasser’s acceptance into AlphaLab, a startup accelerator program located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After an intense (and I seriously mean intense) application process, the incubator accepted 9 companies out of over 100 that applied. Each company has been provided with $25,000 in investment capital, office space, strategic business support, mentorship, and educational sessions to help us accelerate the launch and growth of our businesses. At the end of the 20-week program, each startup will present their company at AlphaLab Demo Day to investors and press from around the nation.
Honestly, it’s hard to describe what it feels like to be accepted into such a prestigious and competitive program. I am proud yet humbled, excited yet scared, confident yet insecure, and stressed yet at peace. Now that ProfilePasser has been accepted, we have a lot of momentum and support to make this business a success. At this point, some of you reading this post might be asking yourself, “so what is ProfilePasser anyway?”
Well, ProfilePasser is a mobile app that connects high school athletes and college recruiters. We are focusing on increasing the interactions between athletes and recruiters at showcase tournaments and events so that more athletes can advocate for themselves and more coaches can find talent faster without the hassle of old-fashion recruiting. If you want to learn more, you can also check out our alphalab company page or visit our website.
As I continue to grow my business, I hope that you will help me spread the word to your family and friends. Feel free to read the ProfilePasser Blog, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook!

So why did I decide to start ProfilePasser? It’s pretty simple really: my parents raised me to leave things better than how I found them. At age three, I signed up for my first soccer team and I immediately fell in love with the game. Growing up, I played for a nationally ranked club team and made the Region 1 Olympic Development Team (one step below a youth national team) when I was 14 years old. Like many others, my dream was to play Division I soccer, but when I was old enough to start getting attention from college recruiters, I learned a heartbreaking lesson: it takes more than talent to play at the next level, it takes exposure. Unfortunately, there were very few tools that helped athletes advocate for themselves and get the exposure they deserved. I watched many of my extremely talented teammates fall through the recruiting cracks. Forced to give up soccer, many went through a grieving process akin to losing a loved one; some even fell into depression. Often, it was not because they were not good enough, but because they just could not make the right connections.
While it may seem counterintuitive, I say all of this because I founded ProfilePasser for all the talented athletes who do not get recruited. ProfilePasser will give every talented athlete the exposure they deserve and the opportunity to connect with college recruiters when it matters most: at showcase tournaments and events. We will enable athletes to give 110% towards being recruiting, and if they do not get recruited to play at the next level, they can rest assured that they gave their best effort and that they just were not good enough. It will give them the closure they need to move on and live successful and happy lives. That’s why I started this company—not to make money (although I hope to do that too), but to change athlete’s lives and to leave the college athletic recruiting process better than how I found it three years ago.
To wrap up this rather long blog post, I want to take a few seconds to thank everyone who has supported me or helped ProfilePasser along the way. This includes my family, friends, teammates, coaches, colleagues, attorneys, mentors, and professors. Here’s to a bright and successful future! Let’s go change lives together.