On their way to the international Global Student Entrepreneur Awards finals and a shot at a prize package worth up to $40,000 in cash and in-kind gifts, three local university startups went head-to-head at the Dallas leg of the competition on Tuesday night.
And taking home the night’s top prize of $11,000 in cash and other services was EZTutor, a peer-to-peer tutoring marketplace, created by SMU finance major Aryan Bhatnagar.
“It’s always inspiring to see a bunch of students come out… I love seeing student come in and just talk about what they’re working on. It’s very inspiring for me,” said Jeremy Brandt, CEO at We Buy Houses and one of the judges at the event, after the presentations.
EZTutor launched in 2017, as Bhatnagar was looking for a way to get help on classwork from his former soccer teammates, after suffering an ACL injury that kept him off the field. So he decided to bring the camaraderie and leadership that comes with team sport to the tutoring industry. The company matches graduates and upperclassmen from schools to tutor the current class. Students and tutors are matched based on needs, location and learning and leadership styles.
“I realized that if we can be teammates on the field why can’t we do so in the classroom,” Bhatnagar said at the event.
Since its formation, EZTutor has seen a revenue of $180,000, helping more than 300 students with nearly 110 tutors, largely in Flower Mound and Coppell, where Bhatnagar is from. And during the pandemic, the company has moved to more online tutoring sessions and has been working with SMU to bring its tutors onto its marketplace.
As it grows, Bhatnagar said he hopes to bring on a software developer to complete work on EZTutor’s app – a move that would double the company’s team size. In addition, he hopes within the next 16 to 18 month to be operating in 20 schools across DFW, hitting revenue of seven figures. In the long run, Bhatnagar is considering a franchising option for the company, as well as looking at options to partner with large institutions and school systems.
“Our goal is not only to help you get a good grade on your algebra test but to set you up for fundamental success in the long run,” Bhatnagar said.
To participate in the Entrepreneur’s Organization Dallas event to move onto the GSEA finals, businesses needed to be undergrad-led and show an income of at least $500 in the past six months.
Check out the second and place winners below.
Second Place ($1,000 prize): CURLē – Launched by SMU management, biology and human rights major Mona El-Gharby, CURLē is a line of hair care products specifically designed for curly-haired people and people of color. The company is looking to launch at the end of this month and currently employs five part-time employees.
Third Place ($350 prize): Hummin Group – Founder Grant Dennis, an entrepreneurship major at TCU, is looking to teach the next generation rocket science. Through Hummin Group, Dennis is providing STEM education workshops in space law, history, culture and engineering, while using a kit to create their own rockets.
“Our future is in good hands no matter what industry you’re looking at,” said event judge and former Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco, speaking about all of the pitches.
If you missed out on the event, you can find a recording here.
