In this installment of Campus Celebrity we talked with Vincent Sanchez-Gomez, a recent grad and CEO of the tech start up Pagevamp. This Arizonian, now turned New Yorker, spoke with us about his fond memories of Penn, where he sees himself in the next few years, and the importance of lasting relationships.
Name: Vincent Sanchez-Gomez
Year: 2013
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
What made you decide to come to Penn?
Penn just seemed to have the right mix of what I was looking for. Building relationships is something I value, so the “social ivy” reputation associated with Penn was very appealing. By the time I graduated high school, I was looking for something totally new and Philadelphia was a big change from the Arizona desert I grew up in.
How was your overall Penn experience and how has that shaped who you are now?
Though it had its ups and downs, overall, my Penn experience was incredible. But the thing I value most about my years at Penn wasn’t the time I spent in the classroom. It was the incredible people I met and the experiences I shared with them. My current roommates and company co-founders were two of my hall-mates from English House freshman year.
Other than Pagevamp, what have you been up to after graduation?
There is a world outside of Pagevamp? On the rare occasion that I’m not working on Pagevamp, you can find me going out for Sichuan food with friends or strolling through the streets of NYC. Every block has something interesting to offer.
Give us some background on Pagevamp.
Prior to Pagevamp, my co-founders and I ran a small design agency that created digital products for organizations and small businesses around campus. We quickly realized their many frustrations with the existing website creation and management tools out there. We knew we could create something easier, something that didn’t require that our users learn a new complex content management system. We came up with an idea to allow people to create and manage their website from a platform they were already familiar with, and that platform was Facebook. After 48 hours straight of coding at PennApps Fall 2012, the first version of Pagevamp was born.
I am lucky to have two brilliant cofounders in Fred Wang and Atulya Pandey who really know their stuff. It’s a great feeling to know that my partners are better than me at what they do.
Where do you see yourself in the next few years?
Over the next few years, I see myself growing and building this company. I am passionate about building products and making an impact, and I get my fulfillment through entrepreneurship.
What were your favorite things to do at Penn?
One of my favorite things to do while at Penn was to stay up late with my roommates, eating ramen or China House delivery, discussing different ideas of how we could change the world. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it was nights like those that really inspired me to not just settle for the normal career path. That’s what college was all about for me.
Do you stay involved with Penn?
I try to stay involved with Penn when I can. I had so much fun, maybe too much, coming back this year for homecoming. There is a strong presence of Penn alumni in New York. When Saturday night comes along, chances are I’ll be hanging out with some Penn alums one way or another.