From Fashion to Finance, DMZ Companies Hit the Market in Time for Back to School
Newswise — TORONTO, August 8, 2011--- It may be “back to school” at Ryerson University, but for members of the Ryerson Digital Media Zone (DMZ), the truth is – they never left. Rather than taking it easy and enjoying the carefree days of summer, these enterprising young people have been toiling away day and night to ready their products for market. So while fellow Ryerson community members are sharpening their pencils, here are the new projects DMZ innovators have in store for back to school:
WhatImWear.in (http://whatimwear.in)Twenty-nine-year-old Ryerson School of Fashion alumna Monica Mei spent her summer testing and tweaking her mobile style-sharing app, WhatImWear.in. The free application helps users build their style story from snapping a pic, to tagging their clothing, to narrating the background behind the look. Then they can share that story instantaneously with friends, family and international trendsetters through the social style app and the WhatImWear.in website.
This is Monica’s second venture. While at Ryerson, she was awarded $25,000 in the campus-wide Standard Broadcasting Business Plan Competition for her designer label, Aime Luxury. This collection of eco-chic designs is now in boutiques across the United States and Canada, and Flare magazine recognized her as one Canada's best new designers. Monica’s most recent recognition was as one of Toronto’s hottest young entrepreneurs in the Globe and Mail’s Report on Small Business.
WhatImWear.in’s public beta will be available for free download August 25 – just in time to share those back to school outfits.
Finizi (www.finizi.com)Finizi is a new concept for the financial sector incorporating the auction style of eBay and the transparency of the Facebook generation, with the goal of getting the customer the best possible rate on their financial products. Positioned as “finance made easy,” the Finizi web platform allows customers to request a rate and then sit back while the financial institutions bid for their business in a reverse auction. After six hours the auction closes and customers are left with the day’s top three rates and they get to choose which rate or bidding institution they prefer. Then they can complete the transaction in whatever way they like (online, in person, etc.) with the institution directly.
Headed by Daniel Shain, a 25-year-old former banker, Finizi is launching with its first live auction September 12 at www.finizi.com. It is open to individual consumers and business entities. Their first financial product will be Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs).
UpdatesA couple of DMZ companies who are already out in the market, have updates ready for back to school. Student job recruitment site Fanfare is rolling out an enhanced version of the platform September 1. The new version will include personalized social feeds, enhanced search and filter capabilities and broader geographical reach. By the end of August, 500px.com is launching a public API (application programming interface) so that students will be able to create their own applications using 500px content and functionality.
Opened in April 2010, Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone (DMZ) is a multidisciplinary workspace for young entrepreneurs infused with the energy and resources of downtown Toronto. Set atop Yonge-Dundas Square, this hub of digital media innovation, collaboration and commercialization is home to both entrepreneurial startups and industry solution-providers. With access to overhead and business services, students and alumni can fast-track their product launches, stimulating Canada’s emerging digital economy through spending and job creation. Since its launch the DMZ has helped more than 170 innovators to incubate and accelerate 29 startups and to launch 57 projects. For more information on the DMZ, visit www.ryerson.ca/dmz.
Ryerson University is Canada's leader in innovative, career-oriented education and a university clearly on the move. With a mission to serve societal need, and a long-standing commitment to engaging its community, Ryerson offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs. Distinctly urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to 28,000 students, including 2,000 master's and PhD students, nearly 2,700 faculty and staff, and more than 140,000 alumni worldwide. Research at Ryerson is on a trajectory of success and growth: externally funded research has doubled in the past four years. The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education. For more information, visit www.ryerson.ca
Note to Editors: For digitally-themed Back to School expert tips, see our Back to School page at www.ryerson.ca/dmz
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