At 15, Dylan Diamond built an app. Now, his Staples High School classmates had an easy way to view their schedules and grades.
Most people would have stopped there.
Diamond rolled it out nationally. It’s evolved into Saturn — a must-have calendar and time management app for high school and college students.
Customizable and shareable, it includes classes, clubs, sports practice and games, concert and show rehearsals, and more.
Dylan Diamond
As CEO of Saturn Technologies, Diamond oversees 100-plus employees, at its New York headquarters.
Long before he earned a dual degree in computer science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, Diamond’s Staples Class of 2017 teachers and classmates knew he’d go far.
Diamond is just one of a remarkable crop of recent SHS grads who are creating companies, raising tens of millions of dollars in funding, and redefining entire industries.
Max Hammer graduated a year before Diamond. He too went to Penn, where he majored in international relations and affairs.
Today, Hammer and classmate Josh Karol — a fellow 2016 Staples grad, who earned a degree in compueter science and mathematics at Emory University — are CEO and CTO, respectively, of CrowdVolt.
Max Hammer and Josh Karol.
Their start-up solves a problem bedeviling their generation: how to exchange rave and EDM tickets, without the hassle of buying them of Facebook Marketplace or Reddit, or paying high fees on other sites.
How serious are they? Hammer and Karol are backed by Y Combinator — the most prominent start-up accelerator in the world.
Jack Sharkey is even younger than those three. The University of Texas computer science and business grad — now CTO of Whop — is a 2018 Staples alum.
His platform connects buyers and sellers in the digital economy, focusing on influencers and content creators.
Jack Sharkey
Whop secured $17 million in a Series A funding round. Investors — including Insight Partners, the Chainsmokers fund and Peter Thiel — valued the startup at $100 million. With a million customers and 3,000 sellers, Whop has facilitated $100 million in transactions.
Like Diamond, Hammer and Karol, Sharkey got his start in Staples’ computer science program. He created an app offering schedules, sites and other info on all 27 sports played at any of Connecticut’s 183 high schools — including varsity, JV and freshman.)
Next Monday, November 25 (6:30 p.m., Westport Library), they’ll all pay it forward.
The 4 creative, hard-working entrepreneurial superstars will be featured at Startup Westport’s Young Innovators Forum.
Molly O’Shea
The Staples connection continues with the moderator. Molly O’Shea
A 2014 Staples grad who earned a BA in design and entrepreneurship at New York University, she’s a venture capital investor, and founder of Sourcery, the VC deal and startup trend newsletter.
Previous Startup Westport forums focused on women and minorities.
Now, Westport’s public-private tech and innovation partnership shines a spotlight on a new group of entrepreneurs. All are younger than 26.
Next week’s Young Innovators Forum is open to all ages.
“We are excited to welcome Staples High School students, their parents, alumni and all other Westporters for an evening celebrating the success of these extraordinary, home-grown innovators — and to hear how they journeyed from classrooms here to the pinnacle of innovation,” says Startup Westport co-founder and president Cliff Sirlin.
The panelists will discuss the challenges they’ve faced, the creative solutions they’ve pioneered, and how Westport and Staples shaped their journeys.
Hammer looks forward to inspiring others, and building connections — just as he did, a few years ago here.
Diamond adds, “The mentorship I received, and the encouragement to build products that served the community, were hugely motivating. I’m thrilled to return, to share my experiences.”
O’Shea — who is coming from California to moderate the evening — notes, “Each of these companies has achieved incredible milestones and legitimacy.
“This is not just a typical panel. They’ve collectively raised from top-tier Silicon Valley firms, hit significant growth, and reached product market fit.”
And, looking back at her alma mater, O’Shea says, “I’m excited to support Staples’ growing role in tech.”
(The Young Innovators Forum is free, but registration is required. Click here for details.)
(“06880” often highlights the success of Staples graduates, of all ages and types. If you enjoy this coverage on your hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Such great young people! As a side note that’s unrelated, I met the other Jack Sharky maybe 60 plus years ago! I also met Jack Dempsey in 1962.
Oops.. spelled Sharkey.. and my phone changed the spelling.
Staples has so many talented students. The school should offer a course “Fix Town Hall” where students could decend upon and fix the Town‼️
Tom, The town has Ms Tooker. When she’s not doubling as a bench, she’s working day and night to make Westport great again!