Name: Grant Awes
Bio: I’m currently enjoying my last semester at Iowa State University before graduating, and all the while expanding my network in future technology and platforms by working for a handful of startups.
Title: Epic Engagement Entity
Thanks to our sponsor
Age: 22
Residence: Ames, Iowa
Website: bit.ly/findgrantawes
Twitter: @AWESomeGRANT
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/grantawes
Intro music: “WARP” by The Bloody Beetroots feat. Steve Aoki
Silicon Prairie News: Involved with as many startups as you are, how do you divide your time between them all? What’s your startup schedule like for a typical week?
Grant Awes: Dividing up time between them all can definitely be difficult, but I focus on which have the biggest initiatives coming up the soonest. My startup schedule mainly relies on when I have exams and large projects due. If I have a test or project during the week, I usually work on startup to-do’s one day on the weekend. If I don’t have any exams or big projects during the week I usually just focus on startup to-do’s evenly throughout the week.
SPN: You describe yourself as a “connoisseur of the groundswell.” Can you explain what that means and how you came to embody that description?
GA: I learned about the “Groundswell” in one of my advertising classes, and it’s basically been coined as a measurement of how active people are on the internet. There are six types of users: http://pinterest.com/pin/176977460326321592/. I came to embody that description by being highly active, with my intent being to figure out what makes each social platform online unique.
SPN: As someone who works extensively with social media, what experts in the field do you look to for examples and ideas?
GA: The big players are the big brands. Not only do they show what great things you should do (Blendtec: http://www.youtube.com/user/Blendtec/featured), but also what you shouldn’t (Chrysler: http://soshable.com/a-lesson-from-chrysler-tweet-with-ing-care/).
SPN: With graduation just around the corner, what are three items still on your Iowa State bucket list that you’re hoping to check off before you walk across the stage?
GA: Chest-bump Cy, Le Tour de Franzia and talk beards with the current ISU President.
SPN: In your time with Locusic, you’ve had the chance to become more familiar with the local music scene in central Iowa. Imagine you’re in charge of organizing a four-act concert of local acts. Who’s playing, what’s the venue, and what else do we need to know about the show?
GA: The Sun Company, The River Monks, Leslie Hall and Angle. It’s a unique lineup that’s sure to give the crowd a show. To top it all off, it’d be on a gorgeous summer night outside at the Simon Estes Amphitheater for all of Des Moines to hear.
Image credit: Photo by Laurel C. Scott.
Prairie Portraits: To learn more about this series, see our introduction post, or visit our archives for past Prairie Portraits. To suggest an individual for a future Prairie Portrait, contact editor@siliconprairienews.com.
