Finance and computer information systems junior Keith Ryu navigates through his website Onvard.com. Ryu is co-founder and CEO of Onvard and is focused on guiding students to research study resources. (Photo by Marissa Krings)The vice president of Entrepreneurship at ASU and students at Barrett, the Honors College launched their first startup business earlier this year, bringing their proclivity for learning to the Internet.
Computer information systems and finance junior Keith Ryu founded Onvard.com in February 2012 with his friends Diego Ortiz and David Choi after they grew frustrated with how difficult it was to find accurate information on the Internet.
“I like to learn things by myself a lot,” Ryu said.
He wanted to expand his knowledge and learn things he hadn’t had the opportunity to learn about in the classroom, like online investing.
He found it difficult to learn without the guidance of a teacher because “you don’t know what you don’t know,” Ryu said.
He tried to teach himself online investing, but the information never seemed to sink in, he said.
As a solution, he created Onvard, a free site that creates “tracks,” or a syllabus for a certain subject.
The user can then complete “missions” or lessons to master that subject. Members can also create their own tracks by combining missions from the site.
Communications senior Sarah Albinda, the site’s designer and marketer, joined the team after a friend encouraged her to contact Ryu.
“I really do believe in what (Ryu) is trying to do,” she said.
Albinda’s main focus is design, but she hopes to build content on the site by marketing to experts in various fields.
Ablinda and Ryu said this is the next step for expanding Onvard.
Onvard has 117 members and 12 tracks, Ryu said.
The Onvard team makes no money from the site, which is something they are still trying to figure out, Ryu said.
They receive mentoring from Gangplank, a Chandler-based company that focuses on creating a network of support for businesses in the community.
Katie Hurst, the global operations director for Gangplank, said an ASU professor encouraged Ryu to seek guidance from her program.
“(Ryu) is an excellent example of someone who uses the resources in their community but then in turn gives back,” Hurst said.
Ryu participated in a 90-day mentoring and support program for entrepreneurs at Gangplank called “Road Map to Launch,” Hurst said.
“Keith hit the ground running,” she said. “He has met with half a dozen of our mentors. The mentors really believed in Keith’s idea. He has found a place in our community.”
Ryu still works with Gangplank by mentoring other start-up companies, giving input on their programs and helping the company start a meetup group, Hurst said.
Ryu said some small businesses have said the site would be great for training new employees, citing an email he received from James Archer of local marketing and design company Forty Agency.
Ryu isn’t sure if Onvard will provide this service for businesses yet. Regardless, it will be free for users.
“Online education should be free,” Ryu said.
He said Ortiz and Choi are no longer immediately involved with the site.
Ortiz is studying abroad in Barcelona, while Choi is the site’s proposal writer. At the moment they have no need for proposals to generate funds, though that could change in the future, Ryu said.
He is looking for programmers to join the Onvard team.
Reach the reporter at mncosta1@asu.edu
