1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Julia Tomeo and I just graduated in December from the School of Management as a Markets, Innovation and Design major. I am working as a Strategy Intern for the School of Management, and will be for the remainder of this semester. I am originally from Fairfield, CT and have two sisters, Sophie and Olivia, who also graduated from Bucknell in 2015 and 2013. I am a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma here at Bucknell.
2. What is Friendress?
Friendress is a platform that allows you to share your clothes with your friends. You are able to upload articles of clothing to a virtual closet that can be shared in private groups, or to the public using location services. You then have the ability to request to borrow clothing from your friends. This allows you to save time, money and some stress when you choose outfits for things like date parties, formals, interviews, etc.
3. Where did the idea for Friendress originate?
I was part of a class called Should We Start This Company taught by Erin Jablonski where we had to make groups to form a company, write a business plan, and participate in the Bucknell BizPitch. From this class, Kate Jansen, David Salvay, Abby Schell, West Shepherd and I all came together to form Friendress. Kate felt inconvenienced when she had a date party but still hadn’t chosen a dress when it was only hours away. We made it to the final round of the BizPitch and are currently competing in Student Startup Madness which is a digital media entrepreneurship tournament hosted by SXSW.
4. When will Friendress launch?
We plan to launch the beta version of our platform in April at Bucknell. We need to test the platform on a group of people so that we can prove our concept and make any changes we deem necessary once we receive feedback. When we gather this feedback from users, we will begin developing the final version of the mobile app that will be accessible to anyone- not just Bucknell.
5. How can we stay updated?
Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/friendressapp), Instagram (@friendressapp), Twitter (@FriendressApp) and Snapchat (friendressapp). Also, have a look at our website and share your email with us for future updates! (www.friendress.com)
6. What can we expect from Friendress in 5 years? In 10?
We expect that Friendress will grow exponentially. Of course, we will start at college campuses, but when this generation of users graduates, the clothes sharing doesn’t stop- so neither will the need for Friendress. We expect users to help us bring the app to larger cities such as NYC, DC, Boston, Chicago, LA, etc. Friendress will be one of the top social media apps in the app store that is a must to have on your iPhone.
7. What words of advice do you have for current and future entrepreneurs at Bucknell?
Just go for it. It’s all about taking the first steps, and the rest will come. As my dad always tells me, “80% of life is just showing up,” if you don’t show up you may never reach the next step or meet the right people who will help you get there. Also, leverage the amazing Bucknell network that we have. There are so many successful alumni that are always interested in what students are up to and they are very willing to help us out and share their personal experiences.
Fast Facts:
Snapchat or Instagram? Snapchat
Favorite place to nap on campus? I don’t nap too often but when I do definitely my own bed.
The Freez or Sweet Frog? Honestly, both. The Freez when it’s open and Sweet Frog when it’s not.