Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/235251
s ATor power: duc s The eedge Breed rning l A know orMing le ers Th sf TrAn wering o o & eMp Becky spliTT ceo of stUdY blUe After leaving a successful career at Microsoft to return to Madison and raise a family, Becky Splitt is now revolutionizing how students collaborate and interact as CEO of Study Blue, a worldwide, user-generated, public database of study aids for students ages 14 to 24. How do you describe Study Blue to someone who has never heard of it? Study Blue is a mobile learning platform where students can take, sort and organize their notes and flashcards, study them on the go, and connect with other students that are learning the same thing. What is the biggest challenge you faced in getting Study Blue off the ground? There are two ongoing challenges for a startup: You have to raise money, which means you have to sell the vision before you execute it. The second is limited resources. In the beginning, you don't have 46 bRAvA mAgAziNe | JANUARY 2014 the time or luxury for extensive research and testing. You have to take some risks. What are your goals for the future of Study Blue? Currently, the majority of our usage is in North America. Globalizing is a long-range goal. We see that Study Blue is a place where anyone who wants to learn anything anywhere in the world can benefit: yoga poses, IHOP menu items, recipes for gin and tonics. Our material goes beyond traditional core academic settings and age groups. What advice would you give to other women considering a startup? Reach out to other people, ask questions. People are so willing to help. The worst thing you can do is try to go it alone. If you have that gut feeling, go for it. Crowdsourcing is very foundational to everything we are doing [at Study Blue]. It's the idea that 'we' are smarter than 'me.' –A.M.