Posts by :
Big Wynn! Webgreek partners with Alpha Tau Omega
January 18th, 2011“I love it, but you need to prove yourselves. If you’re here next year, we’ll talk business.” Those were Wynn Smiley’s words as he left our sorry excuse for a booth during the FEA conference in 2009. Admittedly, he was right. We were young dreamers with a great idea we’d drawn up only a few months prior with nothing to show but a few mock-ups and my goofy ass smile.
When the 2010 FEA conference rolled around, Wynn was there and so was Webgreek…all 6 of us. Our team had grown, our product was rockin’, and we’d spread to over 130 college campuses within 4 months of launching the platform. Needless to say, it was time to talk.
The point is, I’m proud to announce that Webgreek has inked a National partnership with Alpha Tau Omega, one of the most cutting edge, progressive Greek organizations in the country… and we couldn’t be more pleased. The engagement not only spreads Webgreek to over 6,500 undergraduates across 135 campuses, but we’re working with the perfect partner. Among a long list of “firsts,” Alpha Tau Omega had the foresight to jump aboard the social media wagon before it even hit the tracks, pioneering the use of Facebook, Twitter, and digital media in the Greek space. Today, nearly every National fraternity and sorority has followed suit.
So what does this mean for ATO undergrads? This video should do the trick.
If your National Organization is interested in learning what Webgreek can do for you, just give us a call at 1-888-Wise-Owl. If I was you, I’d contact our National partners too to get the inside scoop.
WePay – WebGreek’s choice for Fraternities and Sororities
September 23rd, 2010Rarely do we talk business on our blog, because quite frankly, most business talk has the effect of an Ambien cocktail during an overseas flight. Yet along with building amazing fraternity and sorority websites over the past few months, we’ve had the pleasure of working with one of the greatest companies in Silicon Valley, and they deserve a shout.
That company is WePay, and if you haven’t heard of them yet (gasp!), WePay helps groups collect money online. It’s that simple. (Click here to see how easy it really is.)
Alright, back to my story. In one word, WePay is “phenomenal.” And I’m not just labeling their product, their team, or the customer service. I’m talking about surpassing expectations in everything they do. Here are a few examples to back up my stance (in no particular order):
1) They spend more time working for their customers than Kanye spends talking about how awesome he is. For anyone that has followed Kanye at all, you’ll know how hard they must be working to accomplish this feat.
2) Instead of building a company culture, they live one. Bill and Rich (founders) are the exact same people in and out of the office, which sets the tone for the rest of their team. For example, I was working from their office one day, minding my own business, when suddenly the silence was broken by hideous techno and Rich doing the bump dance while “air spanking.” He looked like this… (Click here). Though still scarred by the image of Rich’s gyrations, every one on the WePay team had a smile from ear to ear. They love their jobs.
3) It takes a lot to run a business. Spearheading and funding killer events like Jason Putorti’s (lead designer for Mint.com) “Design for non-designers” in front of hundreds of entrepreneurs is so far beyond the call of duty, words can’t describe.
4) While dreaming up a business idea is simple, executing a billion dollar (with a B) vision in the time that they have, all while never letting the importance of their customers slip from their #1 priority, is heroic. WePay has never taken their eyes off of the customer.
5) This is the most important one. Charity. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen WePay employees tweeting about various charitable fundraisers online. Granted, they’re using WePay, but charities are not even close to their number one target and they make more noise about them than any other group.
A personal example: Our chief blogger and the head of our Being Awesome Department, Spenser, recently ran a marathon for his 26th birthday. In conjunction, he raised over $17,000 for Haiti relief using WePay. Not only was the fundraising successful, but Rich was kind enough to waive all the fees for it, as well as dropping in a donation on behalf of WePay unsolicited. Bravo, WePay.
This list is not nearly as exhaustive as it could be, but it’s for reasons like these that Webgreek has choosen to work with these guys over everyone else in the market (our WePay app is launching next month, stay tuned!) Not to mention they (we’ll) save Fraternities and Sororities thousands of dollars a year when compared to every other billing service in the space.
WePay walks the walk, while letting others talk for them. Other startups should aspire to do the same.
If you’re not already using WePay to collect dues, money for rush t-shirts, charitable donations, or to sell tickets, do yourself a favor and visit WePay.com right now. Signup takes less than a minute, you’ll save your chapter thousands, and the WePay team will have your back. The choice is easy.
Whiskey Sour
June 15th, 2010Welcome to another dose of Tonic Tuesday! For those of you that are unfamiliar with Tonic Tuesday, every Tuesday the Webgreek team will be throwing up a new drink recipe for your enjoyment (both alcoholic & non-alcoholic). Last week’s drink of choice was Cowboy Margarita, which we posted on our Facebook page. But from now on, we’ll be tossing them up on Facebook and right here on the blog. Now, let’s get on with this weeks drink, shall we?!
A proper whiskey sour can improve even the most perfect day and is suitable for both men and ladies. Aside from being an excellent summertime refreshment, this tasty little biatch of a beverage has a great story of origin to boot. In 1872, Elliot Stubb, an English-borne globe trotter and entrepreneur extraordinaire, set out for Peru with dreams of opening his own watering hole. While concocting an experimental whiskey-based libation, Stubb thought to “whisk” in a lil limon di pica, a small lime that grew native in a local oasis. Stubb’s hope of conjuring a succulent new drink was answered as the deliciously fascinating beverage spread throughout local nightclubs and bars like a literal prairie fire (I struggle to call this a drink, however it seemed to be the only gift I received on my 21st birthday…beware). Today, we know the beverage as a “Whiskey Sour,” rightfully named for the acidic touch the lime gave to it.
The Goods:
juice of 1/2 lemons
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
1 cherry
1/2 slice lemon
Startups are like Sex…in more ways than you'd think.
May 20th, 2010Don’t ask me how I started thinking about this, but the further I delved the more correlations I discovered. For instance, when you first start out, you really don’t know what the hell you’re doing unless your partner has been there before. And since you are new to the game, ya simply don’t know where best to focus your energy, which often times leads to over exertion without grade A results. So then you turn to the guess and check method, learning from your mistakes and aiming to repeat the successes. When in doubt, you look to the counsel of trusted sources (role models, advisers, and @ age 17, Cosmopolitan). Quickly you begin to learn the ins and outs of the business but realize that the best in the biz all possess one trait; they never stop learning. If you’ve worked hard, chosen the right target market (the sexiest ones aren’t always the best choice), executed on your milestones, and had a little luck on your side, everyone gets to cash in big in the end. Before you know it, you are wildly addicted, and that’s the stage I am currently at with my entrepreneurship career. In my next post I will be highlighting the top 10 reasons I LOVE working for a startup.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=df3f7213-43a4-4b07-8487-f73f43ceffca)
Top 5 Music Festivals in America… Let's put it to a Vote!
May 13th, 2010There should come a time in every teenagers life when they are introduced to the acoustic world of wonders. A whimsical place where laughter is bountiful, the opposite sex galore, and every passer by is floating on cloud 9. I’m talking about a summer music festival people, and if you haven’t been to one, you should listen up…literally (so lame, but I’m keeping it dammit)
*Side note: I’m a die hard music nut. My father raised me to be so, with a classic LP collection that’s as extensive as my dirty laundry pile right now. *
Seeing as the season is arriving and we live in the best country in the world when it comes to music festivals, I thought I’d put together a lil’ list of my personal top 5, with a poll for you to cast your votes at the bottom! To be honest, I’d love to ignite a fiery debate on this one so speak up and defend your faves or forever hold your peace.
#5 Lollapalooza
