Computer science graduates Prince Mugisha, Ashton Bower, and Ryan Furukawa have a good eye for market trends — and fashion.
In search of a capstone project they could put their hearts into, Mugisha and Furukawa thought of their friends in the clothing design industry. While they could conjure beautiful pieces and innovative style, the local industry faced a widening divide between them and manufacturers.
With small orders and even smaller budgets, these local designers couldn’t send plans to large textile manufactures. They needed manufacturers on their scale, who could match their production and consumer needs.
After considering these roadblocks, Mugisha and Furukawa recruited Bower and got to work. The end result was Seamster, a mobile application that integrates clothing designers, manufacturers, and consumers into a tailor-made space.
“Seamster enfranchised those who couldn’t make their dreams a reality simply because of the clothing industry’s high barriers to entry,” Mugisha said. “The app can help launch smaller businesses, designers, and manufacturers over the walls and connect the creatives with their consumers.”
Mugisha, Bower, and Furukawa didn’t just put their hearts and time into the project, but their own money, too.
“Almost all of the financing came out of pocket,” Furukawa said. “Hosting clients, storing data, getting servers. We never had any disputes over it, either. We were all really willing to share the burden.”
Together, the team finished their multifaceted app, providing users with a “storefront” to manage and sell their inventory, while also helping them to make connections, build relationships, and expand their reach — all during a global pandemic.
More articles like this in ‘Student Innovation @ the U!’
Find this article and a lot more in the 2021 “Student Innovation @ the U” report. The publication is presented by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute to celebrate student innovators, change-makers, and entrepreneurs.
