Innovator of the Week
Jag Vootkur
CEO of KudosWall
Please provide your 30-second pitch about your company.
Today’s students are doing a lot more than other generations. In many cases, today’s children know how to do things like coding or even conducting themselves in high 
pressure situations, all by the time they are 13. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to organize and build something useful from these accomplishments. This is what KudosWall is for. KudosWall is a social platform designed to record and cherish the proudest moments of K-12 students, all in one place. Parents can incubate the profiles and portfolios of their children, and hand these over when they are ready. Students and parents will never have to worry about forgetting another memory, thanks to KudosWall. And since KudosWall is a social platform, it’s easy to get inspiration from fellow students! KudosWall is perfect for prep school and college applications, resumes, or scholarships. And the best part is, it’s free!
Who or what was your best resource for starting your company?
Besides the internet and books such as Lean Startup and 0 to 1, I would have to say that my friends and family have really guided me when I was starting my company and filing for patents. I am also very thankful to the Alpha Loft for their support and continu
ous guidance especially from Mark and Mike. I am also really thankful for Live Free and Start’s startup concierge Liz Gray, who also provides guidance for me from time to time.
What was your biggest obstacle in starting your company and how did you overcome it?
I think that my biggest obstacle was me, and my fears of the unknown. Deciding to make KudosWall was, no doubt, one of the most difficult decisions in my life. One day, I was reading about Elon Musk’s journey after his success from PayPal. I found that extremely inspirational and it really helped me make an informed decision of, taking the leap of faith that was KudosWall. I have to say though, once I decided to go forward on KudosWall, it has only been getting better and better!
What’s the best advice you have received?
Over the course of my ‘journey’, I’ve heard a lot of advice. These were the ones that stuck with me the most.
- “Don’t become an entrepreneur for the money – there are absolutely no guarantees of it”
- “Don’t expect free time or a very flexible schedule – there is no day off for an entrepreneur — But if you are passionate and like what you are doing every day will be like a holiday”
- “Don’t think you are the boss – instead, you are the chief pizza delivery person, you have to serve your best employees. Your customers are the bosses”
What about the NH lifestyle appeals to you?
I’ve lived in New Hampshire for about 18 years. I don’t know many other lifestyles, but the one I have here in NH is great! The people are amazing and we support each other, and now as an entrepreneur, I like it even more for even more reasons.
What does the future look like for your company?
KudosWall’s future is bright. We are gaining more traction, both with individual users and organizations. We have been reaching out to great organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, who are supporting KudosWall. But we know that in order to reach that bright future, we need to put in a lot of hard work.
Connect with KudosWall on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn or connect with Jag on LinkedIn.