Intro to Business Q&As: Jake Koning – Travel Buddy

Product: Travel Buddy

Instagram: @TravelBuddyMichigan

Group members: Jake Koning (president), Miles Duiven (marketing), Benjamin Chapman (sales), Rayyan Dar (finance), and Samuel Rabideau (supply chain).

What purpose does your product/company serve and what problem is it looking to solve?

“It’s a collapsible cup made out of silicone, and you can pack it in your bag. It’s good for travel.”

Why did your group decide to go with this business idea?

“We thought it would be good for the environment because a lot of people use plastic cups. We use reusable material.”

Why do you think your product will be appealing to the student body in general?

“People like reusable water bottles, and it is easy to use and bring places.”

How did you come up with the name?

“Miles came up with it while we were brainstorming ideas.”

How can people hear about you and buy from you?

“People can go to our Instagram, and we have posters and stickers around school.”

What will you be doing with your profits? Is there an organization you plan to donate a percentage of your profits to?

“We are donating five percent to the Environmental Defense Fund. We will split [the rest of the profit] equally.”

Tell me a story from your experience working on this project.

“Well we started out making a totally different product first, and we didn’t like the product—a glove department organizer—so we switched to making [the Travel Buddy].”