This is my first official blog interview!! I had the pleasure of interviewing a fellow Hampton University alum who just launched a mobile app targeting college students!

Name: Felecia Genet
Age: 22
Residence: Richmond, VA

How long have you been designing apps?
The Be In The Know college app is actually my very first mobile app. I’ve been working on it for about a year now.

What made you decide to make the Be In The Know App?
When I was a senior at Hampton University, I was elected the president of the American Marketing Association. So one day, I had to do my monthly (dreaded) duty of typing, printing, and posting flyers around campus in order to raise awareness for the monthly marketing meeting. After walking around in the rain with these flyers, I asked myself “Why isn’t there an app that allows me to send this flyer straight to the AMA members phones? Why isn’t there an app that allows students to subscribe to the clubs they’re already in, and the clubs they want to join, and the frats who have the parties they don’t want to miss, and the Career Center, etc..” Mobile flyers. Subscription based. Instant information exchange. The idea just clicked, because it was a real solution to a problem. So I decided to go for it!


Was it hard finding resources for the app development?
Depends on your definition of “hard”… Technically yes. At the beginning of the journey I was looking for investors to pay for the app development, then I realized no one invests in “ideas”…maybe prototypes.. but not “ideas”. So a good 6 months went by, simply trying to find app developers in my budget. I eventually was able to talk someone down to a reasonable price, but I learned so much about the app industry and about myself as an Appreneur during those 6 months. I’m glad the Universe made me pump my breaks. I think if I would have found a developer that early on, I would’ve definitely been in over my head.

I read your blog and saw that you majored in Marketing. Did you think that make it harder or easier to learn about app development?
The Be In The Know college app is essentially, a marketing app. It allows students, campus departments, local businesses, and student entrepreneurs to market themselves on a better platform than Twitter, email or Instagram. Instead of marketing your club meeting or frat party by posting endless pictures on Instagram, post it once on the Be In The Know app and buzz it to hundreds of students instantly. Me majoring in marketing definitely contributed to me coming up with the creative idea and the strategic planning necessary to make this worth millions in the future, and that’s the most important part. Because if you have a creative idea and  a plan, you can always find someone willing to make it a reality. But if you have the app development skill, with no creative idea & no plan.. ya got nothing.

Can you see yourself doing app development as a career?
What I want to do with my life is first continue to grow the Be In The Know app, then sell it to a big company who can lead it into its next platform, then come up with another app idea and do the same thing over and over. I’m an Appreneur. The Be In The Know app is my first app, but I already have idea’s for my 2nd and 3rd. I love the mobile industry. It’s so exciting and so fast-paced, its addictive! There’s no way I’m only digging into this cookie jar once.

 What goals do you see for your app in 2014/2015?
For now, I am completely focusing on penetrating the Hampton University market. I need to get as many students as humanly possible on the app, and I need these students to tell me what features they want me to implement in order to make their lives even easier. Once I master the Hampton market, add a few features, I’ll be bringing the Be In The Know college app to VCU in Richmond, VA.

What is your advice to young women that are interested in tapping into the tech scene or creating their own apps?
When I first started this journey, I thought that me being a female, having tattoos, and cool hair would hurt my chances of getting into the tech scene. We all have a stereotypical view of how the tech scene is, and it usually doesn’t include people like me! And even though, to this day, when I start talking to tech people, a little more effort is required to be taken seriously, it really doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if I have to show them that I know what I’m talking about, or if they were able to assume I did based on my appearance. Because either way, they WILL know. These little insecurities like being a woman, or having tattoos, these things don’t really matter if you have the product to back it up. So my advice to young women who want to tap into the tech scene or create apps is this: Go for it! Give it your all, because that is the prerequisite. Don’t be intimidated by these tech-nerds. You may think they’re treating you “different” because you’re a woman, but the truth is, half of them simply aren’t used to talking to females haha just keep talking your talk and batting your lashes and you will see your visions turn to reality!

Random Questions:
Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Song:Von D- Deeper

Favorite Movie:(I have soo many) Kill Bill

Favorite Book: Creative Visualization

Read more about Felecia's App at http://beintheknowapp.com/
And follow Felecia on Instagram at http://instagram.com/feleciagenet and http://instagram.com/beintheknowapp