Phoenix Tailings<\/a>, a producer of critical metals such as rare earth metals that power the future of modern day society.\u00a0<\/p>\nHow did Northeastern prepare you as an entrepreneur?<\/p>\n
Keith Corso \u2013 I started building BusRight when I was in high school, and I went to Northeastern\u2019s admitted students day, and there was an event for the Husky Startup Challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I walked out of that session and told my parents, \u201cI\u2019m going to school here.\u201d<\/p>\n
We are largely here today because of the resources and support and the network at Northeastern.\u00a0 [Fellow Husky entrepreneur] Nick Myers, was one of our first investors; then the Entrepreneurs Club and the speakers that we brought in were the first million-plus dollars that we raised on our journey of getting BusRight off the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lyle Stevens \u2013 Northeastern gave me the environment for me to practice being a founder before I actually started my own company. I could participate in my undergraduate experience through my fraternity and treat it like a little mini business before I actually founded one when I graduated.<\/p>\n
Melissa LaCasse \u2013 I came to the program mid-career, and Northeastern was able to help me fill in the gaps of the work experience I didn\u2019t have. It was like a crash course in an MBA, so it was really instrumental in not only helping me raise capital to start the business, but also to think through strategically how to grow the business and speak with investors and pitch the business to different people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What is the main problem or problems that your business is solving?<\/p>\n
Keith Corso \u2013 There\u2019s three critical problems that are facing the largest mass transit network.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Overwhelming parent concerns around their child\u2019s safety, not only in a school district building but in the journey going to and from it.<\/p>\n
Routes are getting a lot more complicated. They used to act like trains on rails, and now they\u2019re much more dynamic, given that students are going to different after-school programs. They go to one parent\u2019s house one day, the other parent\u2019s house the next day, and there\u2019s many other variables that drive that route complexity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There is a severe driver shortage, exacerbated by COVID. There\u2019s not enough drivers to get the 26 million students that rely on a school bus every day to school.<\/p>\n
What advice would you give to students at Northeastern who want to be entrepreneurs?<\/p>\n
Keith Corso \u2013 The reward for solving problems is more problems.<\/p>\n
There is this idea that once I just raise that first round of funding, once I hire this key team member, once we close this customer\u2026everything is going to be great. But that is a false understanding of the end destination because the end just creates a whole new set of challenges that we should be just fortunate enough to be experiencing.<\/p>\n
Melissa LaCasse \u2013 Be incredibly coachable, but have editorial integrity about your idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You came to the table with this idea, and you have a sense of why it\u2019s right. But people are there to beat you up, and you want them to. So take from them what you think is true, and right about how you may shift or think about how you\u2019re going to grow your company. But also make sure that you don\u2019t lose confidence in yourself or your idea that you first came to the table with.<\/p>\n
Nick Myers \u2013 Try everything. Take advantage of the amazing different programs\u2026 as well as talk to all your professors. And just start a company. Just push off. Whatever idea you might have, whatever problem you want to solve in the world, just go for it. Don\u2019t worry about it. There\u2019s so many resources available for you. Just take advantage. It\u2019s successful, great. If it fails, you\u2019ve learned a lot.<\/p>\n
How is AI transforming your business?<\/p>\n
Lyle Stevens \u2013 AI is transforming my business because the barrier for creative expression has come way down, thanks to technology making it easier than ever for folks to create content online. Now you have more individuals trying to become content creators than ever before because of the access of AI.<\/p>\n
Nick Myers \u2013 AI is massively transforming the critical materials sector and the manufacturing sector. You have to actually integrate AI as a third or additional pillar to your entire technology stack, to all manufacturing ones, so that you can include automation, you can include robotics, you can include machine learning with how actual materials are produced and the chemistries associated.<\/p>\n
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