One of the many great things about working with Cal State Fullerton students is that they are creative and they use that creativity to come up with solutions that most others would never think of. A prime example of this is CSUF student Bryan Ruef‘s startup 10-8 Systems. Bryan, who is a computer science major at CSUF and has worked and volunteered “in the area of public safety at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and as an emergency medical technician and ambulance dispatcher”, came to the realization that the current dispatching system for municipalities who cannot afford the current, very expensive, options needed a serious upgrade.
Seeing that gap in the market, Bryan created 10-8 Systems to be a more affordable dispatching system that is significantly more effective at getting emergency personnel where they need to be much more quickly. The amazing part, as told in a recent CSUF News report, is that 10-8 Systems, which is less than a year old, is being used to save hundreds of lives in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.
“So far, more than 500 people affected by Dorian have been rescued or saved with the help of this software.”
“‘We had 300 people trapped in a church when the roof collapsed,’ says Ruef. ‘We had a man and his baby stuck in a manhole, and they were able to get them onto a helicopter and into a hospital in Miami. As depressing as it is to see all these calls for rescue in the Bahamas, it’s a really good feeling that we’re doing something to help.’”
CSUF Startup Incubator and Center for Entrepreneurship Help Launch 10-8 Systems
“Building the software was one thing, but starting a company was another. Ruef engaged his older brother Kevin to handle business development and operations, but a key turning point for 10-8 Systems came last spring when Atul Teckchandani, associate professor of management and entrepreneur-in-residence in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, suggested that the younger Ruef participate in the CSUF Startup Competition. As part of an outreach program between Mihaylo’s Center for Entrepreneurship and ECS, Teckchandani works with ECS students, coaching them on how to translate their ideas into businesses.”
“The competition was the first time Ruef had ever pitched his business, but he impressed the judges and took first place, winning a $1,000 scholarship and six months in the CSUF Startup Incubator.”
“’10-8 discovered a real-life problem in the dispatch space that needed to be solved,’ says John Jackson, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and lecturer in management. ‘Their solution helps organizations accept, deploy and track services, such as search and rescue with increased efficiency and reliability. This startup is going to be big.’”
“Ruef credits the competition’s prepping process and the CSUF Startup Incubator for putting 10-8 Systems on the path to success. The incubator provides customized support for its entrepreneurs; now the company has a team of seasoned business professionals advising them and supporting their growth.”
CSUF Startup Incubator
Entrepreneurs who are accepted into the CSUF Startup Incubator work with our entrepreneurial experts over a six month intensive launch period that includes: access to office space, quarterly investor pitches our entrepreneurs can participate in, free events, a dedicated one-on-one coaching relationship with one of our more than 700 startup experts, and so much more! If you are ready to learn the right way to go from concept to launch, please go to this page or contact a CSUF Startup Incubator representative at csufentrepreneurship@fullerton.edu.