Excessive College Facet Hustle Results in Over $1.6 Million Raised

This Facet Hustle Highlight Q&A options Dylan Zajac, 21, a senior at Babson School. At 15, Zajac had a facet hustle thrifting and fixing computer systems. The gig impressed Zajac to discovered his nonprofit Computer systems 4 Folks, which gives refurbished computer systems to folks in want. Responses have been edited for size and readability.

^{Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Computer systems 4 Folks}

When did you begin your facet hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?
I began out by going to thrift shops round Brooklyn, New York, with my highschool associates, simply as a enjoyable pastime. We might take the PATH prepare from Hoboken after which skate from thrift retailer to thrift retailer, usually hitting three or extra in a single day. At these outlets, we might sift by piles of previous electronics, looking for hidden gems. Once we discovered one thing invaluable, we might negotiate exhausting to get a deal. Some days we purchased so many computer systems we needed to stack them on our skateboards to roll them house.

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As soon as we bought the computer systems again, we might clear them up, repair them and promote them on Fb Market or eBay. Earlier than lengthy, this pastime became an actual enterprise. At one level, my whole bed room was full of random desktops and Apple PowerBooks. The margins have been insane, typically as excessive as 80%!

What have been a number of the first steps you took to get your facet hustle off the bottom? How did it evolve into the nonprofit you run now?
One of many key issues that made it doable for me to begin my facet hustle was gaining access to a laptop computer and the web after I was in center college. I would spend hours watching YouTube tutorials on easy methods to refurbish computer systems and studying the ins and outs of ecommerce platforms, which helped me attain a whole lot of consumers, all from my bed room.

However as I bought deeper into this, I began noticing an enormous downside. On my journeys to Brooklyn, I noticed mountains of e-waste — computer systems tossed away by folks and firms who had no thought easy methods to get rid of them correctly. On the similar time, I spotted simply how many individuals on the earth (2.6 billion to be actual) haven’t got entry to the digital world. That is when the concept for Computer systems 4 Folks hit me.

I made a decision to show what I would realized right into a nonprofit. Utilizing on-line tutorials, I discovered easy methods to incorporate, file for 501(c)(3) standing, create bylaws and get all the pieces up and working. The plan was easy: Accumulate used computer systems from people and firms, refurbish them and donate them to folks and organizations in want. In February 2019, as a 15-year-old highschool sophomore, I formally started my mission to eradicate the digital divide. I have been at it ever since.

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What have been a number of the greatest challenges you confronted whereas constructing Computer systems 4 Folks, and the way did you navigate them?
One of many hardest challenges was ensuring Computer systems 4 Folks might run sustainably with out me. Balancing college with working the nonprofit taught me that there is actually no such factor as stability; you simply must make it work. Many individuals assumed Computer systems 4 Folks would collapse as soon as I went to school, as most small tasks like this do. To show them incorrect, I centered on making a stable construction the place duties like accounting, HR and program administration have been clearly outlined. I constructed proprietary techniques to automate stock, consumer administration, donor administration and federal/state grant reporting, which helped us scale and run effectively.

Securing sufficient funding and laptop donations stays an ongoing problem as we work to fulfill the overwhelming demand for our companies. With a whole lot of people on our ready record, the necessity usually outpaces provide. To handle this, we have been diversifying our funding sources, leveraging authorities grants, basis grants, particular person giving and earned income. Moreover, we’re partnering with a number of the largest Fortune 100 and 500 corporations to gather their used computer systems, making certain we will proceed successfully bridging the digital divide.

What do the group’s progress and success metrics appear to be right this moment?
Up to now, we have now donated 3,668 computer systems to people in want, diverting over 55,000 kilos of digital waste from landfills. Our packages have empowered hundreds to entry schooling, safe employment and thrive within the digital world. We have raised over $1.6 million by awarded grants and donations, permitting us to scale quickly and develop our staff to over a dozen full-time workers members.

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What do you get pleasure from most about engaged on this nonprofit?
I really like fixing robust issues, constructing expertise to streamline processes and dealing with a staff of mission-driven folks all centered on the identical aim. It is also extremely rewarding to obtain messages on daily basis in regards to the life-changing impacts of our packages and to see these outcomes mirrored in our knowledge.

What’s your recommendation for others hoping to begin a company that makes an affect?
Let neighborhood insights drive your options; do not begin one thing simply because it appears impactful. Guarantee your efforts create a internet constructive for the world, particularly within the nonprofit house. At first, do not depend on others to deal with the necessities. Learn to handle incorporation, taxes, accounting, operations, expertise, HR and establishing a board of administrators your self. It’s important to know your corporation and trade inside and outside. After getting a stable basis, construct a staff that enhances your abilities and contains individuals who excel in areas like fundraising, accrual accounting or group. Lastly, do not overthink each step: Act quick, make choices shortly and maintain shifting ahead.