An entrepreneurship class with 91吃瓜网 Professor Thomas Shinick has been the driving force behind starting his own business ever since.
Co-founder of Boglio
Stanislav Bogdanov听鈥�09, M.B.A. 鈥�12, took an entrepreneurship class with 91吃瓜网 Professor Thomas Shinick, and received advice that has been the driving force behind starting his own business ever since.
鈥淧rofessor Shinick said that a lot of businesses fail for fear of taking risks,” Mr. Bogdanov said. “He asked, ‘What is the opposite of fear? It鈥檚 knowledge. The more you jump in, try it, and learn as you do without being afraid to fail, the more you will realize how you can start things鈥nd succeed.鈥欌��
By March 2013, Mr. Bogdanov had launched , a technology company focused on educational technology and e-learning, with co-founder Louis Di Meglio, one of the first friends he made at Adelphi.
Born and raised in Bulgaria, Mr. Bogdanov came to Adelphi in 2004, and credits Mr.听Di Meglio with introducing him to New York.
鈥淟ouis and I were living on the same floor in Earle Hall,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淎 bunch of us would pile into Louis鈥� car and he鈥檇 give us a tour around Brooklyn, bring us to see the skyline from the Manhattan Bridge, take us to some of New York鈥檚 best pizza places.鈥�
While Mr.听Di Meglio transferred from Adelphi in 2006, the two remained close friends.
鈥淚 was a part of one of Adelphi鈥檚 first classes of Kappa Sigma,鈥� Mr. Di Meglio said. 鈥淭hat connection kept me in touch with Adelphi and continues to do so. My foundation is here.鈥�
Mr.听Bogdanov said he always saw himself working for something he was passionate about on his own. Over the years, as Mr.听Bogdanov and Mr.听Di Meglio鈥檚 friendship grew, they often talked about collaborating on a business together. They realized, given their shared experiences and interests in technology, they had the potential to bring exceptional interactive e-learning opportunities to those who need it.
Mr. Boglio鈥檚 founders are committed to creating customized solutions for clients.
鈥淲hat we鈥檝e found in speaking with people is that they are tired of larger companies coming in with cookie cutter style software that ends up not being what they wanted,鈥� Di Meglio said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e probably going to stay small,鈥� Mr.听Bogdanov added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not the type of business that will just take 100 clients and build them something that only satisfies the basic requirements. We listen to what they want, and we deliver.鈥�
Mr.听Bogdanov explained that they are willing to take on programs from grant-subsidized projects for nonprofits to contract work for multimillion-dollar corporations, and are particularly interested in projects that contribute to society. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to work just to make a profit; we also hope to help nonprofits鈥elp educational institutions,鈥� he said.
When Adelphi caught up with Mr. Boglio鈥檚 founders, one of the projects they were working on was with a Ph.D. researcher from Columbia University who was doing long-term studies with HIV and cancer patients.
鈥淪he is working with something called a digital pill box that has the ability to dispense and track pills at certain times,鈥� said Mr. Bogdanov, who explained Boglio鈥檚 expertise was requested to bring that study into the digital realm, to make it is easier for the research team to track what they need to with the patients, take recordings and help remind the patients to take their pills.
鈥淎fter bone marrow transplants, cancer patients are at times taking up to 20 pills a day. And it鈥檚 very important that they take all these pills, and at specific times. If they miss a couple days鈥� worth of pills they could actually die. When you think about it, it鈥檚 a project that could potentially save lives,鈥� said Mr.听Bogdanov, who also hopes to create some sort of application that integrates with the pill box itself to augment its tracking and reminding capabilities.
Mr.听Bogdanov said he feels extremely lucky to have Boglio off the ground and doing so well in its first year. He echoes Mr. Shinick鈥檚 advice in his encouragement to other young alumni innovators who may have an idea, but are hesitant to take a leap: 鈥淛ump in, learn as you go, and don鈥檛 be afraid to fail. I think it鈥檚 been ingrained in us to fear failure, but if you embrace it when it comes to entrepreneurship, I think you can go really far.鈥�
Looking to get your foot in the educational technology field?
Check out some of the ways听Mr. Bogdanov is jumping in鈥�
HACKA-WHAT? 鈥淎 hackathon is an event in which computer programmers and others involved in software development鈥攊ncluding graphic designers, project managers鈥攃ollaborate intensively on software projects,鈥� explained Mr. Bogdanov. At the , Boglio developed Q-Fit, a fitness Q-and-A app that aims to connect fitness professionals and users in a meaningful way.
IT鈥橲 ALL ABOUT NETWORKING Watching the instructional and educational technology fields experiencing significant growth, yet realizing there are few organizations aimed to bring specifically instructional/educational technologists together to help shape the future of their fields, Mr. Bogdanov established . Through this group, colleagues have the opportunity to share ideas, network and collaborate on projects at events on Long Island and in New York City.
GET INSPIRED Attend conferences鈥攖hese are opportunities to talk to other entrepreneurs and listen to investors. Boglio cosponsored the July 2013 .
What have you been doing since you graduated from Adelphi?
If you鈥檝e started your own organization or program or are engaged in innovative work,听!听We want to share your business or other success with the young alumni community in the future.
For further information, please contact:
Todd Wilson
Strategic Communications Director听
p 鈥� 516.237.8634
e 鈥� twilson@adelphi.edu