Welcome New Student Co-Director!

Hello everyone! My name is Srinidhi Gubba and I’m one of the Student Directors for TYE Oregon. I was in the TYE program this past year and had such an amazing experience!

My team, Ecofitz, created a personalized subscription service that sends out thrifted and sustainable clothing boxes to our customers every month. As someone who cares a lot about the environment, I loved how TYE motivated my team to look at sustainable options when creating our startup. Along with that, the Sunday program taught me so much about business and innovation: I have gained skills in customer validation, ideation, creating lean canvases, etc.

Before TYE, I had no idea what a lean canvas was or how to go about market interviews. I have grown a lot since then. The best part was being able to learn alongside my team. At first, we were all a little shy and confused. However, as we progressed through the program, we became more open to communication and empowered each other. The mentors created a safe environment for discussion; I hope to do the same thing as a student mentor this year.

With hard work and a strong TYE support system, my team was able to grow Ecofitz and make unique outfits for customers. Throughout the year, my team and I would continue to iterate our business model and interview more and more people that fit our target market. This helped us stand out as a startup and led us to the global competition!

Globals was an awesome experience to have. Despite being virtual, I still got to do many things like make a professional pitch and listen to keynote speakers. At times, I would get a little stressed from all the work that needed to be done in the short-time span. My mentors were so helpful, especially when I felt confused or pressured. They would meet with the team as often as they could and helped us manage our time . I will always be grateful for all the support we received from them!

My time in the program made such a big impact on both my professional and personal development: I have made bonds that I’ll have for a lifetime and grew my knowledge of business and communication immensely. I hope that the new TYE students will feel the same way after the program.

This year, the Sunday program is held every other Sunday. The TYE members will learn essential concepts related to building a startup as well as working on their own business with a team. Students from grade 8 to 12 can apply on the TiE Oregon website. If you have any questions about the program, feel free to contact our Program Manager, Nicole Marris [email protected].