From the Brink of Flunking to a Successful Startup
Yanked out into the hallway in the middle of an iPhone development class in the fall of 2008, Rob Matthews was challenged by his professor to create an innovative business plan for an iPhone app or risk failing the course.
Fast forward to 2011, and Rob is the President and CEO of AirRun , one of the newest free iPhone applications to hit Apple's App Store. AirRun connects two groups of people – those who are looking for a product or service (seekers) and those willing to perform the task (runners) – in a geography-based marketplace.
Rob partnered up with several boyhood friends to launch the app, which debuted in April. Check it out (http://www.airrun.com)
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Jess Loren is an energetic entrepreneur and start-up savant who specializes in the team-based execution of innovative ideas. The co-founder of Chicago social media marketing and business technology solutions company Kambio Group & tech/pop culture blog SocialTechPop, Jess is not only a fluent expert in the present state of social media, but a visionary with an eye toward the future. In her projects, Jess combines the effects of cutting-edge technology with the connectivity of social media, and examines how they play a role in determining the next big thing. Jess has contributed across the industry, working with everyone from Fortune 500 companies to a company that hosts the “largest bar crawl in America.” Follow Jess on Twitter @chitownjess