Bring your ideas to life.
The Innovation District is a comprehensive ecosystem of people, programs, and places working together to foster entrepreneurship and the commercialization of ideas at UGA.
When Eduardo “Kaito” Alzati Amano was moving out of his freshman dorm, he faced a problem: he had no idea what to do with all his belongings. Instead of throwing them away or scrambling to find buyers, the University of Georgia International Business student came up with a solution: a marketplace where students could easily sell items during move-out.
That common problem, experienced by many freshmen, became the foundation of his app, Dawgy.
Kaito, now a senior international student studying International Business and Management at the University of Georgia, has been very involved with the Innovation District during his time on campus. He participated in both the Entrepreneurship Program and the Idea Accelerator Program. Additionally, he pitched his app at the UGA Kickstart Fund, where he received advice and constructive feedback.
It all started with Innovation District’s Executive Director, Chris Rhodes, who introduced Kaito to the Innovation District’s extensive resources and opportunities. After an initial conversation, Kaito followed up and, soon after, they began actively collaborating on the Dawgy app. Kaito mentions that “[Rhodes] has been there since day one and has always been super helpful and encouraging, along with always giving honest feedback.”
Kaito created his app with the goal of providing students with “everything you need, all in one place.” The app currently features a part-time job finder, student marketplace and student discounts.
The idea for the app grew out of the problem of fragmented information across platforms. He found that students often share job postings, sell items, and post information within their personal social media accounts, meaning students are only reaching a limited number of followers. The Dawgy app solves this problem by bringing those opportunities together in a centralized space where students can reach a much broader audience.
As graduation approaches, Kaito has been thinking about the next steps for the Dawgy app. Most importantly, he wants the app’s legacy to live on. He brought two freshmen onto the app development team and plans to have them take it over once he leaves. The freshmen will be working on new integrated features and further improving the app for current users. Thanks to Kaito’s partnership with Rhodes, the Innovation District, and all his amazing work, he has ensured his app will not stop when he graduates but will continue to flourish.
