University of Georgia Athletics
Van Dyk Balances Football and Business
September 20, 2011 | Football
Sept. 20, 2011
There aren't very many college football players who wake up in the morning and send emails out to their company's personnel with what needs to be accomplished for the day. There aren't very many college football players who, after hours of practice and homework, communicate with staff late at night to make sure that their company is running efficiently.
For Georgia Bulldog football player Wes Van Dyk, it's a common occurrence.
Van Dyk, along with his sister and Tulane law student Katie, took top honors at the University of Georgia's Next Top Entrepreneur in April with their business plan for RushEase, an online database that helps eliminate the paperwork of sorority recruitment. With the win, the Van Dyks earned a $500 cash prize, a trophy and the chance to have a $100,000 investment to help launch their business.
"It was fun, and I learned a lot," Van Dyk said. "Really I have learned more right now in the past six or eight months by getting my feet into it rather than sitting behind a book for a while, so the practical application of it has been really enlightening."
Once the contest was over, Van Dyk started meeting with GIB Ventures, an investment club in Atlanta that also served as panelists for the event. The groups began discussing the terms of the loan, but many of the fine print details couldn't be agreed upon, so Van Dyk respectfully walked away.
"We thanked them for everything they had done, as they were also a guiding force in getting everything ready," Van Dyk said. "We just decided to go outside for other investments. We have already secured a significant portion that's required of what was our target.
"So we are now in development. The website is already done. We are in alpha stage, which is like the test stage. By probably mid-September, we will have a scanned and pretty site that will be ready for presentation."
Once the site is launched, Van Dyk commented that RushEase would have all the aspects of formal recruitment in a functional platform online. Sorority chapters, alumni and potential new members will have a username and will be able to access their account while being able to view others' profiles. All required information will be accessible online, including recommendations and recruitment information forms, essentially eliminating the paperwork from being printed or mailed.
Things are quickly moving into high gear for the site. The group is now officially a limited liability corporation in New Orleans, with Van Dyk along with his sister and UGA student Charles Roach acting as board members. They have an accountant and legal counsel on staff and family friends, who work in business themselves, serving as advisors.
Although the plan came together easily, Van Dyk has seen a few challenges. The Bulldog tailback added that the only real conflict has been trying to figure things out as they go.
"It's just hard to really hash through some of those things and make sure everything is packaged up nice when we present to investors or signing people on," Van Dyk said. "I guess it is more the preparation and making sure things are the way they need to be because there are only a certain number of us doing it, and we have other things going on in our lives.
"It's kind of a balancing act, but we have been really successful so far. All the people we have on board are really passionate about making it happen."
With everyone involved having great enthusiasm for the company, it's no doubt that Van Dyk has high expectations for RushEase. The Highland Park, Texas, native noted that the future of the database won't stop at recruitment, but will continue to serve as a Greek hub with such things as information, bulletins and due payments.
As for his future, Van Dyk will stay fully committed to RushEase, but would like to eventually start his own film company. Van Dyk touched on films during high school with such things as highlight videos for end-of-the-year banquets. He continues today with a friend studying abroad in Jordan, as the two want to make a documentary showing that life in Jordan and the United States is not that different.
The experience has been great lessons learned for Van Dyk. Not only will the practical applications be of use now and after graduation, but also the respect and genuine interest he receives from other businessmen has changed Van Dyk's life.
"It has kind of been a turning point in my life where I find myself a lot more responsible for my own actions in the future," Van Dyk said. "The experience of really being able to get in there and have at it has really taught me more about myself and what I and my sister can accomplish because both of us have done a lot in these past eight months.
"Whatever happens, I'm obviously really proud of what we have already accomplished."