SDSU Entrepreneurial Resources Inspires Future Business Leaders to Thrive
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The students at San Diego State University were among the first in the nation to have access to entrepreneurial resources when SDSU’s College of Business Administration (now the Fowler College of Business) launched its first entrepreneurship center in 1986.
Since that time, SDSU has evolved into one of the top entrepreneurial education schools in the nation, having been ranked as the 7th best public school and the 27th best overall by U.S. News and World Report.
The university’s ZIP Launchpad and the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center are two of the programs that have provided thousands of entrepreneurial-minded SDSU students with the tools and resources they need to help them launch successful enterprises. Joshua Shuttleworth, a marketing major at SDSU’s Fowler College of Business is one of those students.
His company, Cram, was a business born of necessity after he and his sister had difficulty studying for their exams and participating in class discussions. After both were diagnosed with ADHD, Shuttleworth dusted off his dormant programing skills and created a business aimed at addressing the struggles he and countless others experience.
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Using artificial intelligence (AI), Cram’s Live Lecture mode listens to and transcribes lectures in real-time, while generating notes and action items. The platform also converts files, videos, documents and other class-related media into flashcards and quizzes, making it easier for students to learn and engage effectively.
In the fall of 2023, Shuttleworth applied to the ZIP Launchpad for guidance on how to advance his business to the next phase. His acceptance into the program was a game-changer almost from the start.
“When I entered the In-Flight track of the ZIP Launchpad program, I got a $3,000 grant and was assigned Craig Lauer (founder at Stealth) as my advisor,” said Shuttleworth. “I got great mentoring from Craig advising me how to use that money to launch my first major digital marketing campaign.”
Shuttleworth continued to work with Lauer and several other successful entrepreneurs to develop a formal business model. “Our ’30-minute meetings turned into hours of talking that resulted in taking Cram to the next level,” he said. “I was finally gaining traction and Cram was starting to generate revenue. At the end of spring semester (2024), I entered the CSU Sunstone Startup Competition and walked away with $17,000 in prize money.”
In the months since then, Shuttleworth says that in addition to taking a full course load, Cram has become his full-time job. “With help from the ZIP Launchpad, I am now in the process of expanding my team with a social media management intern and I am planning to release Cram’s mobile app by December 1, 2024,” he said. “The mentoring and connections I’ve made here at SDSU have opened so many doors for me and I am incredibly grateful to so something I am so passionate about.
