University of Rhode Island students Andrew Bikash and Ben Grossman saw a need on campus, and they’ve developed an app to meet that need. The College of Business juniors have developed a peer-to-peer platform that will allow students to network on campus and help them to launch their own entrepreneurial ambitions.
On the app, called Kanu (pronounced “can you”), students can buy and sell items, and they can offer “side gig” services such as tutoring and delivery services. The platform has a map interface that shows the location of posted goods and services on campus.
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Bikash’s and Grossman’s work on Kanu garnered top honors for oral presentation in URI’s 2019 Showcase of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Works. Bikash, of East Greenwich, spoke with PBN about Kanu.
PBN: How did you and Ben come up with the idea for Kanu, and what has your market research told you about the idea?
BIKASH: At the University of Rhode Island, Ben and I saw a common need on campus. Some students were looking for delivery, rides and other services, and others had a desire to earn extra cash in their own time. Not only that; students, especially freshmen, were eager to discover more opportunities to connect with other students on campus. We created Kanu to offer all of these options to students through a personal, safe and customized, easy-to-use app.
PBN: Are you aware if there are similar apps at other schools?
BIKASH: We created Kanu to fill a void. We saw apps that had a “marketplace” but didn’t have the peer-to-peer opportunities that encompassed all of the students’ demands on campus.
PBN: I see that the platform is expected to be launched in spring 2020 through app stores for iPhone and Android. At what stage of development are you? Are you designing the app? Beta-testing?
BIKASH: Kanu has been available to the students since spring 2019. As we approach spring 2020, our next update will improve the student user experience based on our beta-testing feedback. We are incorporating features that provide a platform for students to learn entrepreneurial skills and launch services to their peers.
PBN: What obstacles and challenges have you hit so far in your journey of getting this off the ground? What obstacles and challenges are you anticipating?
BIKASH: Developing an app was a big undertaking. It’s a fast-paced industry with continually changing technology and user features. To deliver the best product, we have had to understand and keep up with all aspects of business development, including legal and financial requirements, marketing, payment processing, and data security.
PBN: Where do you hope to go with this in the future?
BIKASH: Our vision is to improve the lives of college students. With Kanu, students can “Earn, Discover, and Connect.” We hope and are working toward Kanu becoming a staple in student life.
William Hamilton is PBN managing editor. You can follow him on Twitter @waham or email him at hamilton@pbn.com.
