A graduate of the Kennedy School of Government, Asma Jaber co-founded PIVOTtheWorld with her husband Sami Jitan. The company just launched an augmented-reality historical tour for Harvard.
How did you get started at the Launch Lab?
We transitioned from the Harvard i-lab to the Launch Lab after I graduated from Harvard Kennedy School. Initially we entered the Venture Incubation Program by becoming finalists in the Dean’s Cultural Entrepreneurship Challenge in 2014.
We had a great time and experience at the i-lab and still wanted to be part of that community.
Which resource do you use most at the Harvard Innovation Labs? Why is it so useful?
The EiRs. The experts-in-residence are so very useful. It’s telling that we’ve pivoted (no pun intended!) to different sales strategies and product development strategies after getting to know some of these EiRs. The fact that they have industry expertise really allows us to have faith in them.
Also the other teams and entrepreneurs are an AMAZING resource and source of guidance as well.
How have other founders and companies helped you during your time in the i-lab and Launch Lab?
I did not read far ahead enough! Absolutely.
The kind of camaraderie that exists at both the i-lab and Launch Lab never ceases to amaze me. Both on a professional and personal level, our team has learned several lessons from entrepreneurs at the i-lab and Launch Lab — from best practices of beta testing, to how to keep one’s spirits high.
What’s next for you and your venture?
We are just about to launch our first Harvard-branded app that the university will use for their Official Harvard tours.
We are soon going to start working on populating our main PIVOTtheWorld app with engaging historical content. And we will be experimenting with how to get users excited about history again!
If you had to give another student one piece of advice to get the most out of the i-lab or Launch Lab, what would it be?
Get to know — and not a superficial “get to know” — but REALLY get to know your fellow entrepreneurs and the i-lab and Launch Lab directors and program coordinators. They are amazing sources of knowledge and strength during both good and bad times!
Learn more about PIVOTtheWorld on their website.