An Overview:
Major: Finance
Hometown: Atlanta (Born in Togo, Africa)
Year: Junior
Favorite quotes: “Luck is when prepartions meet opportunity.” – Seneca / Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Meet this week’s campus celebrity, third year finance major, Justine Avoudikpon! Justine’s contagious goal-oriented mindset has landed her many amazing opportunities on and off campus. In August of 2015, Justine participated in the Fall student exchange program to study international business in Lyon, France. While there, she received advice and guidance from a marketer in Barcelona that eventually became her mentor about how to successfully start and run a business. With the help of his advice and Justine’s drive to make a difference in traveling in her community, she went on to continue making her mark on campus with the creation of an app that will be available next month.
Swifte is the name of Justine’s app that provides a ride-sharing service for college students at an affordable price while simultaneously reducing the carbon footprint on our planet. The idea for Swifte came about during her time in France where she used a similar app to travel around the country.
“I thought something similar to this app could have been beneficial to me as a college freshman since I didn’t have a car and it was hard to get reliable transportation,” she says.
The app will serve as a bridge to fill the gap that a lot of college students face when trying to find transportation around Athens and when they are looking for a ride back to their hometowns. The benefits don’t end with the riders however; the drivers also will be able to earn some extra cash for their time, resulting in a win-win outcome.
The road to entrepreneurship isn’t easy however and Justine’s advice to anyone who wants to follow in her footsteps is to start as early as possible and keep a supportive circle.
“The best time to start a business is in college because there’s less of a risk of failure and less to lose. Surround yourself with positive role models and friends that can help you accomplish your goals,” she says.
Swifte will be available on Apple and Android devices on March 10, 2016 for use at UGA! Justine hopes to have her app available in every university by 2018. She’s also looking for a co-founder and interns to assist her with the marketing and technology aspects of the app. If you’re interested, feel free to contact her at justinea@uga.edu!