2015 Keynote Speaker
A Princeton Startup Odyssey: Bootstrapping WyzAnt to $100M Before Raising $21.5M
By Mayra Ceja ’03
On Friday, May 28th, 2015, Drew Geant ’05, Co-Founder/CEO of WyzAnt spoke to 200+ Princeton Alumni at the 18th PrincetonEN Startup Conference.
About WyzAnt
WyzAnt is an inspiring Princeton Startup story.
Today, WyzAnt is the leading marketplace for in-person and online tutoring. With over 76,000 active tutors, 80 full-time employees, offices in Chicago and San Francisco, this Princeton Startup has created a powerful online marketplace for tutoring services. In 2014, WyzAnt raised an impressive $21.5 million in funding from one backer, unheard of in the industry.
But WyzAnt is more than that…
WyzAnt is a story about hard work, stick-to-itiveness, and common sense. While I cannot capture the magic of our interactive 1-hour fireside chat, below are a few highlights that I hope inspire you stay connected with PrincetonEN.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP THE PRINCETON WAY
The Princeton Entrepreneurs’ Network In Action
I met Drew (pre-money) several years back and when earlier this year I called Drew (post-money) to ask if he would keynote our event he, (himself, not his “assistant” or “people”) responded to my “tiger call” within hours. That’s the Princeton Network.
It all started 10 years ago, when Drew Geant ’05 and his Co-Founder Michael Weishuhn ’05 launched WyzAnt as a better way to connect tutors with clients, and vice versa.
Both Princeton athletes, Mike and Drew first met as pre-frosh during Outdoor Action. Talk about Princeton kismet!
At Princeton, Drew majored in Economics and Mike in Computer Science. Celebrating their 10th Reunion with classmates, it’s clear that the one-time college roommates haven’t lost their stripes.
Bootstrapping A Princeton Startup
REAL bootstrapping. With only from $10,000 from “friends and family” and two freshly minted Princeton degrees, Drew and Mike spent the next 8 years building WyzAnt into a scalable company with $100 million in annual revenues without no additional funding.
About Drew:
Andrew Geant ’05 is cofounder and CEO of WyzAnt, the leading marketplace for in-person and online tutoring. Founded in 2005 with his Princeton classmate, Michael Weishuhn, WyzAnt is headquartered in Chicago. Andrew grew up in Maine. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, skiing, fishing and trying new restaurants in the Windy City. He lives in Lincoln Park with his wife, Katie, and Bogey, a Labradoodle.