Alumni of the College of Charleston School of Business Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Technology (ICAT) will attend the largest technology conference in the world this November. With more than 60,000 professionals in attendance, Web Summit 2017 connects leaders in technology with up-and-comers in the industry, including the members of the Jyve team.

Music booking tool and app Jyve was created by a team of students enrolled in the ICAT program in 2015. Jyve chief executive officer and founder, Brandon Brooks ‘15, majored in music as well as business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship. The Jyve app takes a revolutionary approach to the musical experience, seamlessly connecting artists, venues and fans. William Bragunier ‘16 and  Michael Buhler ‘19, serve as the chief marketing officer and chief financial officer, respectively. You can find their app in the app store on your iPhone or Android device.

“I’d say the most valuable advice I learned from ICAT program is how important it is to question everything. Also, the Jyve team learned how to conduct extensive market research, which has truly played a role in our success as a small tech startup”, Brooks tells us of his time as an ICAT student here at The College.

Web Summit started in 2010 as a way to connect the technology community with rest of the world. Now, it features over 1,000 speakers from more than 160 different countries, representing the intersection between the tech and business world. It’s also where big names such as Uber, the popular ride-sharing service, got its start back in 2011. Speakers include Sean Rad, creator of every twenty-something’s favorite app, Tinder; Caitlyn Jenner, olympian turned reality television star; and David Karp, founder of microblogging site, tumblr.

The Jyve creators will enjoy four days of star-studded experiences, exploring new and creative ways to make their mark on the tech world.

Brooks says he’s “looking forward to catching up with Jared Grusd, CEO of Huffington Post, who was one of the judges for the pitch competition” they competed in. He’s also excited to hear from Stewart Butterfield, founder and CEO of Slack, and one of his idols Ryan Leslie, artist, and founder and CEO of SuperPhone.

ICAT is housed in the School of Business’ Center for Entrepreneurship, and is a collaboration  with the Office of Economic Development. The program teaches students the benefits of incorporating technology into their entrepreneurial and startup endeavors, utilizing Scrum framework. Scrum is the world’s leading development methodology, and is used by some of the most successful businesses.