For many entrepreneurs…

coming up with the next big idea is the hardest part. Connor Tullis and Sven Wollschlaeger, on the other hand, had the vision and technology for Venue Tourist ready from day one.  Having developed an innovative method for photographing and displaying 3D spaces, they identified universities as an ideal target for their services. What better customer for virtual tours than an organization with dozens of buildings and tens of thousands of on-site customers (i.e. students)?

Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, the two had their suitcases packed and were ready to fly off to the East Coast to sell their services to as many university deans and administrators that would hear their pitch.  The only problem: a pitch and a product were all they had. 

Seeking to further develop their promising business plan, Sven and Connor applied for the Barger Leadership Institute Capstone Program. Upon selection into the Capstone program, they were also selected as the annual London Idea team.

With little foundation for their business, they began their engagement with The London Idea eager to learn what it takes to run a business.  How do you file for an LLC? How can you protect your intellectual property?  What does it take to scale a business? 

Through the connections they made leveraging TLI, Connor and Sven gained invaluable insight into business structure, foundation, and strategy.  They met with legal experts, management consultants, and CEOs to better understand how they could take their product and turn it into an enterprise.  

Since the start of their program, Venue Tourist has grown to take on a handful of new clients, with several more in the pipeline.Targeting university-cluster cities like Boston and Washington DC, and leveraging the connections they have forged through The London Idea, Connor and Sven are on their way to helping universities across the country provide potential new students an on-campus experience from the comfort of their own homes.