Throughout the month of November, we have been recognizing the determined entrepreneurs in the world who are working to grow their companies. Being a relatively young company, we remember and celebrate that mentality. Another way Kdan celebrates the entrepreneurial mindset and drive is by hiring entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs inside the company–or intrapreneurs, as they are commonly referred to–bring new perspectives to the company and help us recognize new opportunities. Both Chris Heron and Joey DiGangi are two examples of intrapreneurs working at Kdan. They each started their own companies in the United States while at Juniata College, and continue to run them while working with us in Taiwan.
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10K Reps & AssureTech, LLC
“My company runs on the message that by working with a purpose and earning your 10K Reps, your passion can take you to a whole new level. You can earn 10K Reps in any aspect of your life. From the number of books you read, the hours you spend practicing, or the number of times you fail at something before you finally get it right. No matter how big it may seem, it starts with one.” explains Chris, who started 10K Reps while in his junior year.
“By promoting this message, we have been able to connect with numerous companies, brands, and individuals that are actively earning their 10K. This allows us to not only appreciate their great successes but also learn from their mistakes so that we can share those lessons. Our mission is to build a community of individuals that are working with a purpose and earning their 10K Reps.”
Joey DiGangi started AssureTech, LLC during his junior year as well. “I have a severe food allergy and my mission was to develop new solutions for some of the problems that I knew other people like me face,” he explains. “We just released our very first app that helps people translate the foods they can’t eat in different languages, which was inspired by some of the struggles I’ve faced living and working in Taiwan. One particularly scary experience was when I had a bad reaction after my food accidentally came into contact with peanuts. I’m really proud to have an application that can help others with this.”
Applying the Entrepreneurial Mindset to Work at Kdan
“I think getting to start my business in college helped prepare me for working at Kdan,” adds Joey. “I got experience recognizing new business opportunities and coming up with strategies. That skill comes into play almost every day working for a growing company like Kdan.”
“I also think starting a company allowed me to look at problem-solving in a new way and to not be intimidated when starting a new project or being faced with a difficult problem,” says Chris.
Professional Development at Kdan
“I have also learned a lot about working with others and how to distribute tasks so that everyone is working on a problem that showcases their strengths,” says Chris. “And being surrounded by others that have much more experience than I do is humbling, and increases my thirst for knowledge.”
Joey and his venture have also benefited from working with Kdan as well. “My company is geared to a completely different market, but at the end of the day, our business is still software,” he explains. “So it’s awesome to see how a bigger, more successful software company conducts itself from within. It’s something to work towards.”
Using Kdan’s Apps to Improve Productivity and Unleash Creativity in Startups
One of the perks for Kdan employees is getting to use our products. Chris and Joey, have a chance to integrate them into their businesses as well.
“AssureTech’s goal is to develop medical devices to complement our software,” says Joey. “Developing IP overseas means a lot of phone calls with different engineers through their business numbers. I like using a lot of our products, but I probably get the most use out of PDF Reader because I can send NDAs to new contacts and get them signed across the ocean. It keeps things moving forward.”
“Being exposed to all of these great apps has really helped my business,” says Chris. “Not only am I able to use apps like Write-On Video to create marketing campaigns, but I can also bring all of my notes and ideas onto one platform to present to collaborators by using NoteLedge.”
How can Kdan help intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs alike?
In celebration of National Entrepreneurship Month, Kdan is offering a special deal that’s available to qualifying startups and/or early-stage companies that gives them 30% off our Document 365 series. If you’re an intrapreneur looking for PDF-related solutions to help your company, check out our enterprise option for volume purchases, or you can explore our Creativity 365 options for your content generation needs.