At the age of 16, Sam Hirsch became a social entrepreneur when he founded CleanFare — a mobile app that gives points to people using clean transportation by walking, biking and taking the train or bus. The app allows users to log in and get points and achievement awards as it tracks their mileage of clean transportation. These points will then get the user coupons and discounts to local businesses.
He has since won multiple awards and recognition for his project, including a $5,000 grand prize and a $1,000 scholarship in the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute’s High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge at the U. He is now living and working at Lassonde Studios as a first-year student in computer engineering at the U.
Hirsch said, “The key to making an entrepreneurial venture successful is to be passionate about your project and its impact. If you care deeply about what you’re doing, you’ll be able to work through hardships, your passion will inspire others to care about your idea, and most importantly, you’ll be willing to do whatever it takes to make your idea work. You don’t necessarily have to be extremely talented as long as you have that determination to succeed.”
Learn more about CleanFare at cleanfareapp.com.
More articles like this in ‘Student Innovation @ the U!’
Find this article and a lot more in the 2018 “Student Innovation @ the U” report. The publication is presented by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute to celebrate student innovators, change-makers and entrepreneurs.
