New computing science grad Terence Leung programmed his way into co-ownership of a local startup. Photo courtesy Yiba Lin.
As Terence Leung prepares to walk across the convocation stage on June 14, he fondly remembers having to stay overnight at the University of Alberta's Department of Computing Science Centre (CSC) building on a 12-plus-hour-straight coding session.
"It was during Reading Week, and actually, I got kicked out of CAB around 2:00 a.m.," Leung chuckles. "Luckily, as a computing science student, I had 24/7 access to CSC, and continued my work there." Turns out Leung did pretty well on his assignment. He recently successfully completed all of his undergraduate work and has now started another venture which promises more than a few late nights.
Leung recently partnered with two Edmonton women to expand Squid Arms, a web-based startup that connects busy families, professionals, and seniors with helpers in the local community to get chores done-from cleaning to mowing the lawn, moving, buying groceries, walking the dog, office work, and more.
"That's when it becomes fun-when you reach a deep sense of algorithmic thinking that allows you to come up with a satisfying and creative solution to a problem all on your own." -Terence Leung
"It's the Airbnb for getting chores done," explains Leung, who owns part of the company and will lead the programming and development for SquidArms.com. "Shoppers can peruse profiles of Helpers and the chores or services they provide. Helpers set their own rates and decide which chores to accept. Shoppers book them through the Squid Arms site and provide a rating and review after the chore is completed."
Co-founders Laurie Wang and Veronica Young are also fellow UAlberta alumni. Wang, BA '05, is a mom of two who works as the communications director at the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. Young, BComm '07, works as a controller for a local consulting company.
"As the shared economy continues to grow, it's pretty amazing to see how technology creates new ways to connect people," says Wang. "We can see how Terence is passionate about programming and using it to create solutions and connections for people in tangible ways."
"Almost any computing science student would likely say that it's not uncommon to get into 'the zone' as you hack away at problems. That's when it becomes fun - when you reach a deep sense of algorithmic thinking that allows you to come up with a satisfying and creative solution to a problem all on your own," says Leung, who's always been interested in business and startups.
Leung says his studies at U of A have helped him learn to work in teams as well as independently. He's also had opportunities to gain new skills through conferences and hackathons.
"The last hackathon I attended was Hacking Health back in February. It really exposed me to the idea of having to learn and develop new technologies within a stressful time-boxed environment. I also attended the Student Developer Conference organized by Startup Edmonton a couple months back and it was encouraging to hear the stories from some of the local entrepreneurs."
Leung, like his fellow grads, is currently on the job hunt, but continues to work hard on his side venture, Squid Arms.
"It's kind of neat to think I own part of a company now - it feels like there's a lot of responsibility on my shoulders though!" says Leung. "But I always say, if you see an opportunity in front of you, go for it! You might not get a second chance at it. University is one of the best times to go out there and explore the world around you."