Passion ignites innovation. At least this is true for Ilan Rosenbaum, a junior at UW-Madison studying Computer Science and Genetics. With a background in software engineering from his time at MarkLogic and his current position at VoyaTech, Ilan’s journey took an unexpected turn when he founded Rooms in the summer of 2023.
Rooms is a user-friendly app designed to connect students seeking rooms with those who have them. Originating from Ilan’s observation of the housing challenge faced by UW-Madison students, the app features a map highlighting available rooms to ease the burden of lease hunting during the campus housing crisis.
Motivated by the struggles of his peers, Ilan identified an opportunity to create a solution. His reasoning behind his creation was that “You have to sign a lease about a year in advance. A lot of people, including my friends, have had issues where they didn’t want to be in a lease that they had signed a year early because circumstances had changed, or they needed to find a place to live and they didn’t have a year in advance to make that decision. They all got stuck using Facebook where they needed to find a sub-letter. And it was a very bad process. And I was thinking, “I could fix that.”
The app operates on the principle of simplicity, offering an accessible experience for students while refraining from intervening into the leasing and contracting side. Ilan’s goal was modest –to assist a few individuals in finding suitable housing. However, the app has been a success and has had over 1,000 downloads since its creation.
Despite lacking prior experience in app development, Ilan was determined. Reflecting on his journey, he admits, “It was a learning experience, but I did it. I didn’t expect anyone to ever use it honestly. I made it with the purpose of ‘if I can help three people find a place to live, that’s a success.’ I learned something and people have a better place to live now.”
Recognizing the need for professional guidance, Ilan reached out to the Business & Entrepreneurship (B&E) Clinic to enhance the app’s marketing and strategies. Leveraging social media and online platforms for initial promotion of his app, he later embraced the Clinic’s support to elevate his advertising efforts. The B&E Clinic was happy to help Ilan with this task as they are a longstanding program on campus that offers free business advice and services to Wisconsin-based small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Regarding the future of Rooms, Ilan remains open to opportunities that align with his values and aspirations. “As far as app development goes, I have no plans to develop another specific app. But I also have a lot of goals and a lot of things I’m planning on doing and if I decide at one point there’s a problem that I can think of a solution for, I would do that.”
Ilan’s entrepreneurial journey is just getting started — and there is always more room to grow!
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