postcity feature - jordan rapps

Since age 14, Jordan Rapps has been mastering the art of business. He has not yet completed university and has already developed three business ventures, from a swim program to an e-commerce service and a media production company. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial drive,” says Rapps. During his time at Westmount Colligate Institute, Rapps noticed early on that his peers had a propensity for procrastination. Seeing a golden opportunity, he decided to sell his meticulous study notes to the cohort of frantic and under-prepared classmates before major tests and exams. Marketing the packets as Rapps’ Relief Guides, he lit the fire of his entrepreneurial spirit while simultaneously lining his pockets with fun money in the process. “People came to me, asking to buy them [Rapps’ Relief Guides], and I figured, why not make a little money off of something I was doing anyway,” he says. Rapps also began a crash swim course startup called Swim Bros. Once again profiting off procrastination, Rapps provided teens heading off to summer camp with the necessary swimming accreditations in a hurry. Swim Bros, at theswimbros.com, still runs from May to June, now with a July to August expansion. He and partner Brody Dehond are even looking into renting space at an indoor pool, so that they can run the business all year round. In Grade 11, Rapps co-founded an e-commerce service called Cartoon Me with high school chum Daniel Mester. The website, cartoon-me.com, allows clients to send in photos and have them returned in cartoon form for a fee. Now in his second year at Western university, studying business, Rapps is focused on his rapidly growing media production company, Little Goat Media. The company, fronted by Rapps and roommate Jonny Solomon, is a platform for local artists to share their music. Rapps and Solomon, taking a page from famed music startups such as the Black Cab Sessions and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, produce high-quality videos of intimate acoustic sessions; calling them Little Goat Sessions. Little Goat Media also dabbles in social media strategy and small business promotions. CBC Music even featured one of the sessions from the group Eh440 on Searchlight, a cross-Canada contest in search of the best up and coming musicians. This summer, Rapps will start an internship with computer giant Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE), working on corporate video solutions, facilitating audiovisual content for corporate events and creating YouTube content for HPE’s products and services. Moving forward, Rapps shows no signs of slowing down. Although he values his schooling, he believes life is learned and made by doing. “I’ve learned more from experience and business ventures than I have from school,” he says. Rapps’ latest venture is Little Goat Media, a media production company Triple threat tycoon Jordan Rapps on starting three companies before getting a degree by Darcy Streitenfeld REPORT CARD STUDENT: Jordan Rapps GRADUATED: Westmount Collegiate, 2014 BEST SUBJECT: Business WORST SUBJECT: French CURRENT JOB: Entrepreneur “ Why not make a little money off of something I was doing anyway. ” LOCAL GRADUATES LIFE

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“I’ve always had anentrepreneurial drive,” says Rapps.

During his time at WestmountColligate Institute, Rapps noticedearly on that his peers had apropensity for procrastination.Seeing a golden opportunity, hedecided to sell his meticulous studynotes to the cohort of frantic andunder-prepared classmates before

major tests and exams.Marketing the packets as Rapps’

Relief Guides, he lit the fire of hisentrepreneurial spirit whilesimultaneously lining his pocketswith fun money in the process.

“People came to me, asking tobuy them [Rapps’ Relief Guides],and I figured, why not make a littlemoney off of something I wasdoing anyway,” he says.

Rapps also began a crash swimcourse startup called Swim Bros.Once again profiting offprocrastination, Rapps providedteens heading off to summer campwith the necessary swimmingaccreditations in a hurry.

Swim Bros, at theswimbros.com,still runs from May to June, nowwith a July to August expansion. Heand partner Brody Dehond are even

looking into renting space at anindoor pool, so that they can runthe business all year round.

In Grade 11, Rapps co-foundedan e-commerce service calledCartoon Me with high schoolchum Daniel Mester. The website,cartoon-me.com, allows clients tosend in photos and have themreturned in cartoon form for a fee.

Now in his second year atWestern university, studyingbusiness, Rapps is focused on hisrapidly growing media productioncompany, Little Goat Media.

The company, fronted by Rappsand roommate Jonny Solomon, is aplatform for local artists to sharetheir music. Rapps and Solomon,taking a page from famed musicstartups such as the Black CabSessions and NPR’s Tiny DeskConcerts, produce high-qualityvideos of intimate acoustic sessions;calling them Little Goat Sessions.

Little Goat Media also dabblesin social media strategy and smallbusiness promotions. CBC Musiceven featured one of the sessionsfrom the group Eh440 onSearchlight, a cross-Canada contestin search of the best up and comingmusicians.

This summer, Rapps will start aninternship with computer giantHewlett-Packard Enterprise(HPE), working on corporate videosolutions, facilitating audiovisualcontent for corporate events andcreating YouTube content forHPE’s products and services.

Moving forward, Rapps showsno signs of slowing down.Although he values his schooling,he believes life is learned and madeby doing.

“I’ve learned more fromexperience and business venturesthan I have from school,” he says.

Rapps’ latest venture is Little GoatMedia, a media production company

Triple threat tycoonJordan Rapps on starting three companiesbefore getting a degree by Darcy Streitenfeld

REPORT CARD STUDENT:

Jordan RappsGRADUATED:

Westmount Collegiate, 2014BEST SUBJECT:

Business

WORST SUBJECT:

French

CURRENT JOB:

Entrepreneur