Ambitious goals can become a reality when backed by a supportive community and an encouraging environment. For Joey Arora, a CU Boulder student who studied business, his twofold goal of starting his own company and joining the U.S. Air Force was made possible by his internal drive and a network of supporters.
Arora's goals began while at George Washington High School in downtown Denver. Because he knew he'd be the first in his family to attend college, Arora sought advising and mentorship through the school's Future Center program—a collaborative endeavor between Denver Public Schools and the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF). At the center, Arora received valuable advice on how to prepare for, apply to and attend college, giving him the resources to make a smooth transition from high school to university.
“The Denver Scholarship Foundation was a fantastic support network, both financially through college and with the networking during and after college,” Arora said. “DSF surrounded me with the resources and encouraging community I needed to be successful.”
With the collaborative support from the local community and his own high school, Arora decided to make his goals a reality: to study business at CU Boulder to begin his own company, and to join the Air Force as a cadet. To further fuel his ambitions, Arora joined the Diverse Scholars Program at CU Boulder, where he was able to collaborate and grow relationships with an entrepreneurial group of students: “The people I was involved with through the Diverse Scholars Program were my support network. We studied together, ate together and guided each other through the challenges we faced.”
After graduation and four years of working for the Air Force, Arora was equipped with the knowledge and support necessary to establish Startup Alerts, a business focused on entrepreneurship and helping others find their career niche.
“I wanted to build a community for entrepreneurship and I realized that events are where people meet up and connect,” Arora said. “At Startup Alerts, we focus on sharing and notifying people about events they might be interested in. I wanted to give back to the entrepreneurial community, and Startup Alerts is an avenue to do that. If we can increase engagement in entrepreneurial activities, we can help people be more impactful in their business decisions.”
Startup Alerts, which Joey started in 2012, is still running strong, as well as his new position as an officer in the Air Force. His combined experience with DSF, CU Boulder and the Air Force have helped shape his life goal to have a positive impact on the world. “My goal is to inspire people,” Arora said, “to build communities, grow entrepreneurship and improve the human condition across the world.”
