Rob Rucki, '24 | L1NKUP (Hardware)

Rob Rucki, L1NKUP

Describe your company:  L1NKUP exists to simplify student life and remove campus friction through the use of human-centered technology. L1NKUP provides an open-source, API driven digital ecosystem that improves and consolidates several standard campus systems into one - the L1NKUP system, saving administrators time and money while enhancing every aspect of a student's campus experience.

Target Industry: Hardware

What is your role in the company, and please list team members' names and their current role in the company: I am currently the COO & CMO.Thomas Engel is Product Manager & Sales Officer. John Boelhoff is CFO.   

Why did you apply to Race To Revenue? What are you hoping to get out of this experience?  I'm hoping to gain three things from R2R: (1) connection with other racers, investors, and IDEA Center-affiliated individuals, (2) general start-up knowledge, and (3) experience working on my own company with the support of the IDEA Center and its resources.

Has there been someone who has helped you with your venture so far?  I've gotten general help from the IDEA Center through interactions with other Fellows, and my McCloskey competition feedback, but I'm hoping to get one individual who is able to look over our whole company in depth and offer real-time advice and feedback.

What do you want to learn more about, relating to business development in general or your own company/venture specifically? I want to learn more about the process of ideation, about securing early and middle stage investors, and about successfully taking a product to market, specifically, beachhead B2B Sales.

Entrepreneurial fun fact: My fun fact is the first 'venture' I founded was a kids summer camp while I was in 9th grade - I ended up getting a $100 investment from my parents to hire and train six employees, eventually getting over 40 kids in the camp and making a crazy ROI for my parents.

Favorite place to get tacos and what kind? Casa Rucki - I make the best tacos. The trick is to combine the beans and the meat...