Our next team spotlight is KnotProfit, an online platform enabling couples to support charitable projects with their weddings.
KnotProfit was founded by Kritika Kripakaran and Joshua Harris, who when setting off to plan their own nuptials, saw a clear need in the wedding industry– couples were changing with the times, but the wedding industry was not. Inspired by their own experiences and perspectives, they set out to create a service that caters to today’s engaged couple.
What attracted you to the Flashstarts accelerator?
We had heard about Flashstarts at a few networking events around town, but had our first formal interaction with them through a student business competition we entered for which Charles Stack was a judge. We had never really considered applying to a business accelerator, but after talking to him and Jennifer Neundorfer, we knew that Flashstarts would be the perfect opportunity for us to really push KnotProfit forward.
Tell us about your company.
KnotProfit connects couples who are engaged to be married to nonprofit organizations. Like us, 60-70% of engaged couples live together before marriage. There often isn’t a need to receive traditional household items as gifts, so we allow couples to opt for donation-based wedding registries instead of accepting unneeded items from their wedding guests. KnotProfit couples receive wedding vendor discounts for doing so, and also have the opportunity to have a meaningful honeymoon experience by visiting the nonprofit project that they have sponsored.
What has been the biggest challenge?
As a consumer of our own product, we’d say the biggest challenge we have is remembering to step away from our product and keep in mind the outsider’s perspective. We constantly have to remind ourselves to test, test, test. Asking the right questions and operating as a lean startup is a lot harder than Eric Ries makes it sound. Everyone is always thinking of new features that we’d love to pack in, but we’ve got great mentors here at Flashstarts and Braintree that help us keep an objective view of the direction we want to go in.
Tell us about working and living in Cleveland.
We absolutely love working in Cleveland! We are huge foodies and beer lovers, so we’re obviously in heaven here. There is never a boring moment and we truly do feel at home!
How do you like working with interns?
Our interns have been beyond amazing! They’re always coming up with fresh ideas and are motivated to really take ownership of every task they complete.
What is some advice for future interns?
Realize that every task is an important task. Our interns have been incredible about realizing this and we always find a way to joke about the seemingly unimportant daily chores, but we’ve also seen firsthand how the little things can amount to something incredible in the end.
What surprised you about your experience at Flashstarts?
Time flies! Coming into Flashstarts, we had a pretty detailed plan of what we wanted to accomplish, but Charles and Jennifer continue to push us beyond our limits, and we always emerge surprised at how much we were able to accomplish.
What are some things you’ve learned this summer, so far?
We each came in here with our specific set of skills, but that definitely doesn’t cover everything it takes to run a startup. We’ve each had to become more familiar with one another’s roles, and when no one fit perfectly into a roll, it’s made us learn how to transition on the spot and step up.
Learn more about KnotProfit by visiting their website, checking them out on Facebook and following them on Twitter, @KnotProfit. KnotProfit is also giving away a free photo-shoot to one lucky Cleveland couple – so click here to enter!
