Submitted by Martin Gomez (MBA ’20)

The digital assistant market, simply put, is broken. Have you ever really tried asking any digital assistants for something useful like “Can you book me a flight?”, and faced the infamous “Sorry, I can’t do that”? Well, you’re not alone. You’re part of at least 1 billion people across the globe (Fortune) who have access to smartphones with digital assistants that don’t serve real-life needs, beyond telling you corny jokes. That’s where the inspiration for Wing came from.

While I was a freshman in college and living with my roommate, I had this problem all the time! There was nothing out there that could help my roommate and me in a convenient and affordable way, so we put our heads together, and finally decided to build it. My roommate, Karan Kanwar, took his years of AI experience at Fortune 500 companies, and combined it with my business acumen to build a product that not only effectively meets our customers’ needs, but does so using advanced, proprietary AI technology that allows us to build a truly scalable business. The end result was Wing, an AI mobile virtual assistant app in the cloud that helps you 24/7 to save time by helping accomplish your day-to-day needs, all from the convenience of your smartphone – it crushes the “Sorry, I can’t do that” stereotype that has plagued digital assistants for so long. 

Wing can help book appointments on your behalf, accomplish and manage tasks on your calendar, proactively help you throughout your day, and even do some crazier things, like book you a private jet! Wing is capable of doing absolutely anything, as long as it’s both legal and possible. Once you place your request, the app will present you with the best offer Wing found to handle your request. If you confirm, your request will be carried out and completed. We offer this service for $9.99 a month, where competitors in our niche charge closer to $50… AN HOUR!

During the initial stages of my MBA at Chapman, I immersed myself into the Argyros School of Business and Economics ecosystem, networking with faculty, alumni, and keynote speakers, as well as bringing on Economics Professor Terry Crandall as an advisor to Wing. Through these connections, I got involved with the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics’ Launch Labs, a center designed to provide personalized guidance for Chapman affiliate entrepreneurs. During my tenure at Launch Labs, I not only received invaluable feedback from industry experts like Center Director, Mario Leone, but also got a chance to meet potential customers through networking events. The center gave me the opportunity to get feedback from people who have “done it”, network with key individuals that I now rely on, and speak to customers interested in our product. In fact, I was able to onboard over 80 people onto Wing’s waitlist through events at Launch Labs.

As a result of feedback from Leatherby Center affiliate advisors, I was able to narrow down the ideal target market for Wing and craft a more compelling value proposition for consumers. Since then, we’ve developed a minimum viable product, established several industry partnerships with third-party providers, grew the customer wait list and team size, refined our website, and built meaningful connections within the Orange County business ecosystem. We are excited to announce that Wing is launching this September and will be available for customers in Orange County. 

In addition to launching our product, we were also able to put together an esteemed advisory board including: Advisor to the UN on AI Neil Sahota, veteran CFO Jim Klingler, organizational specialist Dr. Aaron Shaffer, Chapman economics instructor Terry Crandall and one of Chapman’s MBA mentors, Kenneth Czaja. 

Combining Chapman’s MBA curriculum with expert advice from Leatherby Center specialists, I believe that these experiences have accelerated both my startup’s growth and prepared me for the immense challenge of building a disruptive company.

Of course, I must end with: if you have a moment and want to keep up with Wing, sign up on our wait list at getwingapp.com!