[quote style=”boxed”]I really enjoy working with people who care about what they are doing. Being around people that are passionate about their life and what they have done makes me excited about what I have in store for me in the years ahead.[/quote]
Betsy Huigens is a 21-year old senior at DePaul University in Chicago earning her Bachelors of Arts in psychology with a minor in marketing. She is scheduled to graduate in November of 2011. For the past year Betsy has been interning at Sandbox Industries, a venture capital firm and business incubator in Chicago working on many of the start-ups including one of her own, Bluelight. Bluelight is an iPhone app that lets the people you care about know where you are. It is a very discreet way to avoid the obligatory “call me when you get there” request. The beauty of this app is that it doesn’t send out your info unless you don’t get to where you’re going.
Betsy created the Bluelight concept as a college freshman as a way to feel safe when going out without compromising her privacy and independence. Huigens says, “From a safety aspect it’s important to make sure someone knows your plans, but when you are in a college setting surrounded by new people that safety plan is not as reliable or convenient as it should be. I wanted to create something that lets you be safe while being able to take responsible risks without feeling like you are sacrificing your privacy.”
What are you working on right now?
Full time I am a student at DePaul University working on getting my BA in Psychology. Part time I am interning at Sandbox Industries in Chicago. In the remaining time I work on Bluelight.
3 trends that excite you?
1. Science, but more specifically the advancements in medicine.
2. All the new wireless capabilities and amazing things phones can do.
3. Transparency: with information being more available people can be as informed as they want about what’s going on in the world.
How do you bring ideas to life?
1. Brainstorm (ideas, obstacles, and solutions)
2. Get the easy stuff out of the way
3. Find solutions for the bigger things
4. Put it all together
What inspires you?
I really enjoy working with people who care about what they are doing. Being around people that are passionate about their life and what they have done makes me excited about what I have in store for me in the years ahead.
What is one mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?
With Bluelight we were so focused on creating a product that could help people, and didn’t look at it as a product, so we didn’t create a revenue plan early on…I learned not to overlook the simple things, it also motivated me to take a few business courses.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
A volume control for your television that adjusts the volume based on decimal levels so that it will automatically keep the volume within a desired range. I’m pretty big on action movies I just hate always adjusting the volume between the explosions and the whispering scenes.
What is one book and one tool that helps you bring ideas to life?
Most recently I read Don’t Shoot the Dog, which is a psych book, but does a really good job in outlining how people learn and develop habits, and I think it’s really important for users to view your product as part of their day-to-day routine. My white board and many colors of dry erase markers have saved me every time I need organize my thoughts and get things moving.
Who would you love to see interviewed on IdeaMensch?
Nick Rosa Co-founder of Sandbox Industries and Hallie Steube CEO Bookyap.
What are you going to accomplish in the up coming years?
During my senior year I want to focus more on just being a student, I spend most of my time interning. People keep telling me I am missing out on the college experience. After graduation I want to get some corporate experience and see how I like having a grown-up job.
What is the most interesting thing you learned about yourself?
Really random but last year I learned that I’m allergic to Spider Monkeys, it’s something I never would have known if I hadn’t gone to Mexico. Proof that you can’t discover anything if you are afraid to experience the world.
Connect:
Bluelight Web page:
Bluelight on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bluelightapp
Betsy Huigens on Linkedin:
Betsy Huigens’ Email: betsy (at) bluelightapp (dot) com
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.