UW-Madison entrepreneurs vie for $50,000 prize with innovative job search app | Business

A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison students is making waves with their innovative startup, SideShift, which is like a dating app for jobs. The platform aims to simplify the hiring process for small businesses looking to recruit college students.

Seniors Canyon Pergande and Nick Lawton founded SideShift after observing the challenges faced by both students and local businesses in the job market. Many small businesses near campus rely on outdated hiring methods like paper applications and word-of-mouth referrals, making it difficult to attract and retain college talent.

To address this issue, Pergande and Lawton, along with co-founder Drew Levin, developed SideShift, a user-friendly platform that allows businesses to post jobs, accept applications, and communicate with applicants seamlessly. The website is currently in beta testing, with a mobile app set to launch soon.

The platform has already garnered interest from hundreds of students and dozens of businesses, including Red Square Flowers and Comfort Fuel. SideShift is free for students and employers to use, with businesses paying a fee for each successful hire.

Excitement is building as the SideShift team prepares to compete in the upcoming e-Fest competition at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. With a chance to win $50,000 in prize money, the founders are eager to showcase their innovative solution and potentially secure funding for future growth and development.

As graduation approaches, the team is optimistic about the future of SideShift and the impact it can have on the job market for college students and small businesses alike.