Closer Look
Alden Schatz
Age: 20
Education: Student, University of Oregon
Company: Waddle Meal Plan
What the company does: Prepaid app that allows parents and students to upload money to a Waddle account and spend it at participating restaurants and grocery stores while receiving discounts and rewards
Founded: 2020
Accelerators, incubators and competitions: Winner of several undergraduate startup competitions, including being named New Venture of the Year by UO; Semifinalist at the Smith's Draper Competition
Outside funding: Competition winnings, family and friends
How did your company come about? While quarantining at home in early April of 2020, I received a call from co-founder Mia Lopez. She mentioned that while her brother was a student at CU Boulder, he had been using an “off-campus” meal plan that was entirely funded by her parents. When Mia presented the question, “Would you be interested in looking into why the University of Oregon does not have a program like this?” I instantly became obsessed with the venture.
What is your ultimate vision for the company? The ultimate vision for the company is to help guide many young people in learning how to budget their finances. I want to transform the way that student’s interact with their food finances in a way that is easy, fun and the most cost effective.
Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur? Yes. Since the age of 12, I have been fascinated with the process of idea, creation and execution. The beauty of being an entrepreneur to me is all of the exposure to many facets of business and all of the unexpected obstacles I am challenged with.
Do you ever feel like you are missing out on anything because you are following this path at such a young age? This is a question I get often. It is easy to notice the short term “missing out” when I think about time spent with friends and family. But I do not feel as if I am “missing out” on being young. This is the lifestyle I choose to live and I believe I am truly creating opportunity for myself.
Where do you go for advice and support? My friends and family give me tremendous support, encouragement and guidance. All of the people in my life know how passionate I am about what I am creating and all of them give me the foundation necessary to make the necessary sacrifices. I know that I can always count on my advisor, Nathan Lillegard, UO professor, to help me navigate the many obstacles of entrepreneurship.
