Chicagoan Kai Cromwell loved surfing and already had his own idea for a surf brand, KeAloha Threads, which makes causal wear from recycled plastic. He spent his Startup Internship in Bali learning more about sales, marketing and advertising so he could develop and build his own business idea.
“I recently started my own company and was looking to learn from other more experienced entrepreneurs and mentors and take some of their insights back into my own company.”
“I think I achieved this, I’ve learned a ton and I’m excited to get back and keep working on my idea.”
Kai took part in workshops on everything from digital marketing to UX and entrepreneurship during his time in Bali.
“My work on the Start Me Up program involved helping to build a sales funnel by combining market research and using Facebook ads.”
“My mentor has been pretty successful, she owns four companies so it’s pretty great to learn from someone like that.”
Kai’s advice for anyone thinking of joining the Start Me Up program is to network a lot: “you’re going to meet a lot of interesting people. I think there is a ton to learn and it’s really what you make of it.”
“I’ve done some traveling most weekends, been to Uluwatu twice now and done a ton of surfing. I also got to see a concert and meet one of my favourite artists.’
“This program far exceeded my expectations. I think Erin (my mentor), the success she had in such a short amount of time with one of her companies has given me a newfound appreciation and inspiration.”