Hult students launch virtual reality business Viewy

When it comes to disruptive business innovation, virtual and augmented reality has certainly been one megatrend to watch. No longer the sole remit of sci-fi fantasy or video gamer tech, VR is demonstrating its value and far-reaching application across sectors—from marketing and HR to healthcare. And the clever application of virtual reality can mean  real-world business growth. Back in 2016, an ambitious group of Hult students saw the potential in bringing cutting-edge VR and AR technology back home to their native Colombia. While Carlos Rojas was working towards his Masters in International Marketing and  Juan Felipe Santos was finishing his Bachelor of Business Administration, the concept of Viewy was born. The founders did some research and found that  75% of Fortune 100 companies use VR, explains Maria Camila Tellez, Undergraduate Class of 2016 and Masters in International Business Class of 2019. When they looked at how many companies had done it in Latin America, they found it was only 1%. They saw a great opportunity to take advantage of that gap. The Viewy team includes Hult grads Maria Camila Tellez, Juan Felipe Santos, Marcos Rojas, and Carlos Rojas. Maria was the most recent Hultian to join Viewy, where she is the Account Manager. Marcos Rojas, Viewys Finance Director and co-founder, is another alum who graduated from Hults Undergraduate Program in 2016. It’s funny, because we barely knew each other while studying at Hult, says Maria. Despite not knowing each other very well, we had an idea of what working alongside other Hult students meant.  Work ethic, creativity, presentation skills  and—most of all—an eagerness to succeed is what we believe characterizes students at Hult. Work ethic, creativity,  and—most of all—an eagerness to succeed is what we believe characterizes students at Hult. Beyond their Hult connections, the visionary Viewy team also includes co-founder Manuela Ospina  and audiovisual specialist  Jairo Pineda. They also have partnered with VR/AR developer  Max Silva and his studio Waman. We had the opportunity to ask Maria and the team a few questions to find out more about their company and startup journey. Tell us about what Viewy does—whats your USP? Viewy is a virtual reality agency that focuses on developing apps to improve marketing and training processes for big companies.  Through our own apps, we offer a  SaaS (Software as a Service) model. But we dont just create content, we are consultants that understand your business needs and put a special touch on each campaign we launch. Talk us through the journey of how the company went from concept to launch Viewy started out as just an idea between Carlos, Juan Felipe, Manuela, and Carloss girlfriend, Laura, in November 2016. They noticed that there was a big opportunity in the market for a VR/AR consultancy in Colombia. They started to try out what worked and what the right strategy would be to make Viewy the best startup.  We’ve always seen virtual and augmented reality as the future. The company officially launched in January 2017 and, just four months later, Viewy closed its first deal. Since then, it’s only been progressing. So far, Viewy has been self-funded, but we are on the lookout for investors who believe in Viewy as much as we do. We’ve always seen virtual and augmented reality as the future. What have been your biggest achievements so far? From the start, we’ve only worked with multinationals. We have eight major clients at the moment.  We are also the first company in Colombia to have a VR partnership with Lenovo and TP-Link. 2018 has been a great year for Viewy. In March, Viewy won a prize in Brazil at an event called 100 Open Startups at Open Innovation Week Brazil. In April, we were  accepted for two accelerator programs, Oracle Scaleup Ecosystem  and Apps.co, which is  sponsored by the government. At the moment, Juan Felipe is in Mexico, handling the expansion of Viewy Mexico, which will be managed by another Hult grad, Alvaro Peon,  and his brother Salvador Peon. We are thrilled to see Viewy grow, especially alongside other Hult students. We hope to encourage more students and alumni to join our team! Members of the Viewy team at 100 Open Startups, and innovation event in Brazil. How competitive is the startup market in Colombia? What are the major obstacles? At the moment in our industry, the startup market is not very competitive. While its not a saturated market, every day the competition is rising. It is starting to become trendy, and its going to blow up soon. One of our obstacles is investment. Even though companies support startups more and more, we still have a long way to go regarding funding and capital investments. How did studying at Hult prepare you for your business venture? Our experience at Hult helped through things like case studies, developing a global mindset, and learning  soft skills like negotiating, presenting, and critical thinking. Overall, it helped us to see things differently—to see all points of view. What are your plans for the year ahead? Viewy is constantly innovating. Every six months, we have a goal to create a new product or service that addresses a need in the Latin American market. This year, we are working on two important projects: Viewy Sports and Viewy Academy. Viewy Sports is a cognitive simulator for football that seeks to complement physical training with mental training.  It is designed to boost information retention up to 90%. Viewy Academy is content created for an educational purpose. We are working alongside Dr. Jorge Eslava,  an important neuropsychologist in Colombia who specializes in education. Our purpose is to change how educators teach and how students learn within the country. Our biggest plan for the years ahead it to expand to different countries in Latin America. We want to be in every corner of the world, and to reach that goal we will start by growing in Latin America. What key learnings from your experience would you like to share with aspiring entrepreneurs? Any advice? The team has learned a lot from this experience, both on a personal and a professional level. The main advice is that it’s going to be hard work. Some days will be harder than others, so it’s important to keep focused and not let your emotions get the best of you. Trust the process. Another piece of advice is that the execution is more important than the idea. Basically, it’s how you sell it. You’re going to have competition, so you’re going to have to distinguish yourself from it. You’re going to have competition, so you’re going to have to distinguish yourself from it. Interested in finding out more about the exciting career paths of Hult alumni? Download our latest Global Careers Report. Kickstart your career with Hults undergraduate business school. To find out more, take a look at our blog 5 big reasons why to apply early for your MBA or Masters. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .