BOZEMAN - Posted! is an app, made for students by students; literally. Created in a university class, Michael Mawn took the idea he and his peers worked on and ran with it.
Today, Posted! now has more than 900 users, facilitating $19,000 in earnings for students. Mawn recalled his friends struggling to pay for college, on top of living in Bozeman, and decided that this was the need he wanted to fill.
Students sign up in the app and will see a series of ‘one-time’ jobs, such as shoveling snow, changing the stadium to commencement, and more. Getting paid by the hour, students have the opportunity to earn money, on their schedule, Mawn said.
Another need he saw was international students in need of work. This app gives power to the hand of students, Mawn said.
As a Freshman Business Finance major at the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship, Mawn decided to jump into the start-up process. Gaining help and guidance from the Dean of the college, his professors, as well as Blackstone LaunchPad.
Mawn workshopped and saw this business through, all while going to school and competing with an elite snowboarding team.
“You go to your class, you learn what concepts you’re learning that day, you turn around and use it that day on the business,” Mawn said, “ That’s what gets me excited, diving into something I don’t know anything about so I can become an expert on it.”
Back in October, Posted! Participated in a startup competition, the 32nd Annual John Ruffatto Business Startup Challenge, and took home first place overall, as well as the Intent to Launch and People’s Choice Award. In total, Posted! brought home $19,500—which will go towards development.
There is talk of expanding the business to five other universities, and in the near future, Mawn would like to stay based in Bozeman—where the business began.
“You can really work from where ever, but I’d love to stay in Bozeman—build a team with everyone based in Bozeman. Bozeman is turning into a technology hub which is great!” Mawn said.
