Creating a platform that makes it easy for students and professionals alike to form meaningful connections, for the purpose of networking, is what junior business student Blake Marushak has set out to do with his business, AlumLinx.
The app reimagines networking by eliminating the “transactional feel” that can be associated with other popular networking platforms.
Inspired by Fraternity and Sorority Life, especially his time as a brother of Sigma Pi, Marushak said, “So we have such a vast, vast network of amazing alumni and we don’t really know how to reach out to them. That’s been a big problem. Not with our chapter, but with every other chapter here at Monmouth, and Greek life as a whole. … You can definitely use things like LinkedIn, but LinkedIn gets a bit troublesome because after a certain amount of time after an alumni has graduated, they eventually take their organization out of their bio.”
Recognizing a gap in how undergraduates can contact alumni from their college, club, or specific organization, Marushak has created an app-based software that allows users to connect with alumni for different job opportunities, internships, and to build professional relationships. The app will be available on a website forum as well.
Marushak expressed, “I really want to push that you are able to connect with your proper alumni. Let’s say, for example, an alumni has a job opportunity. Why would they not want to hire someone that was in the same organization, club, or school?” The app will also support a feature that allows employers to sign up for AlumLinks and post a job where they can swipe on candidates, and candidates can do the same for job postings.
Marushak has been working with the Center for Entrepreneurship, specifically the Director, Alison Gilbert, after she gave a presentation to one of his classes. He explained, “I kind of pulled her aside at the end of class and really asked about the different aspects of it. And it’s been really interesting because I was lucky enough to get into HawkTank at the right time, they had the application closed, I think a week after I had had talked to her, and luckily I’ve been working on this business for quite some time now.”
Marushak has been getting support from various parts of the Monmouth community, including Joe Palazzolo, Ed.D., a lecturer in the Department of Management and Leadership within the Leon Hess Business School, and Sigma Pi faculty advisor. “I would say Alison and Dr. Palazzolo have definitely been the two that have been pushing me in the right direction,” said Marushak.
The HawkTank finals will take place on Apr. 29 at 5 p.m. in the Center for Entrepreneurship. Marushak elaborated, “It’s actually pitching your idea to real investors and who knows, maybe someone in the room could be a possible investor for for my business so I’m definitely treating it as as real as possible and not so much just a school event, but this is an actual thing that I can carry into the real life.”
Marushak concluded, “Building the pitch and everything is definitely awesome and I’m extremely happy to be a part of it as a finalist.”
