Future Founders Alonso Tapia and Tyler Bradley

Future Founders Alonso Tapia and Tyler Bradley


Second Year Master of Arts Management students Alonso Tapia and Tyler Bradley have been accepted to Future Founders Residency Program, an innovative six-month pilot program designed to empower diverse millennials to launch and grow businesses in Chicago. We met with Alonso and Tyler to talk about their experiences with Future Founders, the program’s admission process, and their unique business ideas.

Congratulations for being accepted to the Future Founders Residency Program! What was your reaction when you found out that you were accepted?

Alonso: I was shocked at first. I couldn’t believe that the judges had liked my idea so much. It really affirmed the concept and made me feel more confident about the business I am starting.

Tyler: I was extremely excited. For one, I am super passionate about my business. In fact, I specifically came to Columbia and enrolled in this program to help start my business. So, it is very fulfilling and uplifting when an organization like Future Founders believes in it and wants to help it grow.

What was the program’s application and admission process like?

Alonso: The process wasn’t terribly long, but it was somewhat rigorous. Since it was the first iteration of the program the admissions process was somewhat experimental. The most difficult part of the admissions process was the interview portion. It was a sort of “speed-dating” interview session with many members of the start-up community in Chicago. It was difficult because they asked many questions that challenged the business idea, but was also very helpful because it caused me to think about the business approach in a different way.

Tyler: This admission process was very in-depth. If I remember correctly, it was a three-step process with three cuts. 1) An Application 2) A pitch video 3) An in-person interview with multiple Future Founders constituents, which took about 4-5 hours. It was a lot, but I was able to pool through.

As part of this program, you’re expected to work on your own start-up business idea. Tell us more about your business!

Alonso: As part of the program I am looking to launch A-PART. A-PART is an online art rental platform that provides art rentals starting at $20/month with an option to buy. We collaborate with emerging and mid-career artists to bring emerging collectors a selection of fresh new work. The rental fees are applied to the final purchase price, and interest-free payment plan options are available. A-PART believes that art should be accessible, affordable, and fun.

Tyler: My company is called HUE Productions, LLC. It is an educational entertainment company that uses the arts, entertainment, and media to inspire social change, promote positive conversations, and build communities. The idea for this company started by accident! I was an undergraduate student at Central Michigan University in a choreography class. For an assignment, I created a work called Labels, which was inspired by many of my experiences and by my peers. When I performed it for the class, many of my classmates wanted to flash mob it or perform it somewhere. It’s funny to look back on it now, because I was really doing it just for the grade and never would have imagined what would come out of it. Nevertheless, the following year, I ended up creating a full production called HUMANITY, which was inspired by the dance Labels. HUMANITY premiered as a student production during my final year at CMU. It is an original theatrical dance production that combines dance, music, theatrics, spoken word, and American Sign Language to address various social issues. To my surprise, it was extremely well received. So much so, that it won various awards, and people kept asking me to do it again. After performing it about 5-6 times, I decided that I wanted to take it to the next level, which ultimately inspired HUE Productions, LLC. Our website is www.HUE-Productions.com.

How will you benefit from being involved in this program?

Alonso:
The biggest benefit that I have gotten from the program is accountability. Future Founders has been great about holding me accountable and pushing me towards accomplishing my goals. With the program I have learned how to make strong short-term goals that are attainable that in turn feed the long-term goals. Besides this, I have really benefited from the resources and contacts they have been able to connect me with.

Tyler: Future Founders always provides amazing resources and networking opportunities. For instance, through Future Founders I got connected with a Roosevelt University professor, which ended up resulting in my first paid gig at Roosevelt University. In addition, through Future Founders I got connected with an organization called the Community Law Projects, which provides free law services. This has helped me finalize a lot of my legal documents for my business for free! Furthermore, Future Founders is supplying all of its cohort members with a $1,500.00 stipend, which is really going to help me take my company to the next level.

This is your last semester at Columbia! What’s next for you?

Alonso: I am currently actively looking for full-time employment in the Chicago area. I hope to work on A-PART as a side project initially and then hopefully grow the business so that it can be my full-time job.

Tyler: To be honest, I’m not exactly sure! I’m kind of embracing the idea that I’m diving into the world of the unknown, which is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. I most definitely plan to continue building HUE Productions. In addition, I am currently the Chief Operations Director at Deeply Rooted Dance Theater. I am also looking for other opportunities. So I guess we will see where the wind takes me.