Olivia Anderson '21
Olivia Anderson ‘21 began the IDEA Center’s Race to Revenue program this past summer, excited about having dedicated time to focus on the project she and her team members had embarked upon. The Jüke team intended to develop an app for musicians to share during live performances in smaller venues like bars, restaurants, and cafes. The app would enable the musicians to connect with their audience in an effective and streamlined way as well as afford the audience the opportunity to review the artist’s catalogue of songs, easily make requests and efficiently tip.
As a Notre Dame Visual Communication Design student, Olivia was new to the demographic Jüke wants to serve: bands and solo artists. She entered the summer interested in connecting with musicians and learning how to create a platform that would make them comfortable and eager to work with the company.
Olivia was also a complete newcomer to the world of entrepreneurship and startups, and welcomed the coaching and mentor pairing Race to Revenue would be providing her, as well as the varied guest speakers who would be joining the Racers twice a week during the program’s Lunch and Learns.
On Friday, July 31, the 10-week Race to Revenue summer internship program concluded with a Demo Day, when Racers were given the opportunity to pitch their company to judges, receive feedback and compete for cash prizes. The teams were batched into groups based on the amount of their financial ask. Olivia was awarded first place for Jüke in the <$20k category. (You can view Olivia’s 5-minute pitch here.)
Listening to Olivia describe the progress Jüke made this summer and speak clearly about its plans for next steps, it is hard to believe she ever felt like a startup or entrepreneurship novice. It is clear that the IDEA Center’s Race to Revenue program, by providing focused time to work on the project, 1:1 coaching, and valuable experts and mentoring, resulted in her experiencing a unique practical learning opportunity, gaining confidence in her abilities and achieving clarity around her role on the Jüke team.
A win, all-around.