Excessive College Aspect Hustle Results in Over $1.6 Million Raised

This Aspect Hustle Highlight Q&A options Dylan Zajac, 21, a senior at Babson School. At 15, Zajac had a facet hustle thrifting and fixing computer systems. The gig impressed Zajac to discovered his nonprofit Computer systems 4 Folks, which offers refurbished computer systems to individuals in want. Responses have been edited for size and readability.

^{Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Computer systems 4 Folks}

When did you begin your facet hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?
I began out by going to thrift shops round Brooklyn, New York, with my highschool associates, simply as a enjoyable pastime. We might take the PATH practice from Hoboken after which skate from thrift retailer to thrift retailer, usually hitting three or extra in a single day. At these retailers, we might sift via piles of previous electronics, looking for hidden gems. Once we discovered one thing invaluable, we might negotiate arduous to get a deal. Some days we purchased so many computer systems we needed to stack them on our skateboards to roll them dwelling.

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As soon as we received the computer systems again, we might clear them up, repair them and promote them on Fb Market or eBay. Earlier than lengthy, this pastime became an actual enterprise. At one level, my total bed room was crammed with random desktops and Apple PowerBooks. The margins have been insane, generally as excessive as 80%!

What have been a few of the first steps you took to get your facet hustle off the bottom? How did it evolve into the nonprofit you run now?
One of many key issues that made it doable for me to begin my facet hustle was accessing a laptop computer and the web after I was in center faculty. I would spend hours watching YouTube tutorials on the way to refurbish computer systems and studying the ins and outs of ecommerce platforms, which helped me attain a whole bunch of shoppers, all from my bed room.

However as I received deeper into this, I began noticing an enormous drawback. On my journeys to Brooklyn, I noticed mountains of e-waste — computer systems tossed away by individuals and firms who had no concept the way to eliminate them correctly. On the identical time, I noticed simply how many individuals on the earth (2.6 billion to be precise) do not have entry to the digital world. That is when the concept for Computer systems 4 Folks hit me.

I made a decision to show what I would realized right into a nonprofit. Utilizing on-line tutorials, I found out the way to incorporate, file for 501(c)(3) standing, create bylaws and get the whole lot up and working. The plan was easy: Acquire used computer systems from people and firms, refurbish them and donate them to individuals and organizations in want. In February 2019, as a 15-year-old highschool sophomore, I formally started my mission to remove the digital divide. I have been at it ever since.

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What have been a few of the largest challenges you confronted whereas constructing Computer systems 4 Folks, and the way did you navigate them?
One of many hardest challenges was ensuring Computer systems 4 Folks might run sustainably with out me. Balancing faculty with working the nonprofit taught me that there is actually no such factor as steadiness; you simply need to make it work. Many individuals assumed Computer systems 4 Folks would collapse as soon as I went to school, as most small initiatives like this do. To show them mistaken, I centered on making a stable construction the place obligations like accounting, HR and program administration have been clearly outlined. I constructed proprietary methods to automate stock, consumer administration, donor administration and federal/state grant reporting, which helped us scale and run effectively.

Securing sufficient funding and pc donations stays an ongoing problem as we work to fulfill the overwhelming demand for our providers. With a whole bunch of people on our ready checklist, the necessity usually outpaces provide. To handle this, we have been diversifying our funding sources, leveraging authorities grants, basis grants, particular person giving and earned income. Moreover, we’re partnering with a few of the largest Fortune 100 and 500 corporations to gather their used computer systems, making certain we will proceed successfully bridging the digital divide.

What do the group’s development and success metrics seem like right this moment?
Up to now, we now have donated 3,668 computer systems to people in want, diverting over 55,000 kilos of digital waste from landfills. Our applications have empowered 1000’s to entry training, safe employment and thrive within the digital world. We have raised over $1.6 million via awarded grants and donations, permitting us to scale quickly and develop our group to over a dozen full-time workers members.

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What do you take pleasure in most about engaged on this nonprofit?
I really like fixing robust issues, constructing expertise to streamline processes and dealing with a group of mission-driven individuals all centered on the identical objective. It is also extremely rewarding to obtain messages every single day in regards to the life-changing impacts of our applications and to see these outcomes mirrored in our information.

What’s your recommendation for others hoping to begin a company that makes an influence?
Let neighborhood insights drive your options; do not begin one thing simply because it appears impactful. Guarantee your efforts create a internet optimistic for the world, particularly within the nonprofit area. At first, do not depend on others to deal with the necessities. Learn to handle incorporation, taxes, accounting, operations, expertise, HR and organising a board of administrators your self. It is important to grasp what you are promoting and trade inside and outside. After you have a stable basis, construct a group that enhances your expertise and consists of individuals who excel in areas like fundraising, accrual accounting or group. Lastly, do not overthink each step: Act quick, make choices rapidly and hold transferring ahead.