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On March 24th, the Zahn Center launched its first Founders Spotlight, a new program on Tuesdays to connect students with guest speakers from local tech and social lemonade stands. This weeks event featured Fani Maksakuli, a CCNY alum and co-founder of InYourClass.
A startup launched by CCNY students, InYourClass is a social network connecting remote learners with the resources they need to make online learning just as effective as learning in the classroom. And one of the main topics covered in Fanis discussion was the importance of connecting oneself to resources, and leveraging those resources. He stressed how essential it is to remember that even though you may be starting your own lemonade stand, you are not alone. Without his team and some great advisors, he elaborated, the company would not have lasted. He encouraged students to take advantage of the resources that are available to them through the Zahn Center and the rest of CCNY. If youre looking for an engineer, go to the Engineering Department and ask them for their best student. Chances are that connection will be worthwhile.
Fani shared with the students that this past summer was especially hard for InYourClass because the team was forced to make personal sacrifices for the company. For Fani, getting through the tough times makes success that much more rewarding.
InYourClass is expanding rapidly with new programs at Stanford and CCNY, and exploring into a variety of new projects. Fani will open an office at City College, and announced that hes currently seeking summer interns, particularly in computer science and engineering. These interns will not only get to work hands-on with Project Managers and write code, but will also have opportunities to pursue their own project ideas. The benefit from interning at a startup is that you are there from the very beginning, you are a part of shaping the company, he said.
Here are some quick takeaways from Fanis discussion:
- Find someone more experienced than you to help you on your journey.
- Find great co-founders and create the best team. Investors look at the team as a whole, with greater emphasis than the original idea.
- Get your feet wet, create a prototype, and dont be afraid to share it!
- Yes, youll fall down a lot. Just pick yourself back up. No excuses.
Reach out to Fani Maksakuli for guidance, support, and internship inquiries at fani@inyourclass.com
InYourClass is participating in the Zahn Summer Internship program. Learn more here and apply by April 15th!