John Webster Email & Phone Number

Life is full of inefficiencies, I like to fix them.My fascination with improving the world around me began in childhood, not just questioning why things are the way they are but envisioning how they could be better. This intrinsic motivation naturally steered me toward a blend of engineering and entrepreneurship. My early ventures ranged from constructing computers and processors on breadboards to creating internet-connected home appliances, alongside starting businesses focused on homemade dog treats and innovative phone accessories (among many others that failed).After embarking on my Computer Engineering degree at Rose-Hulman, I quickly identified a pressing issue asking to be innovated: parking enforcement. Recognized for its inefficiency, expense, and labor intensity, I saw an opportunity for transformation. My response was UWBPark, a concept I pitched at Startup Weekend, a competitive event within Rose-Hulman's entrepreneurship program, where I was one of 40 participants. My idea, leveraging cameras, sensors, and in-vehicle devices to detect parking violations in real-time without reliance on license plate recognition, won the competition after a demanding 48 hours. The project not only captured the interest of my peers, faculty, and a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs but also set me on a trajectory toward securing funding from Rose-Hulman to develop the first functional demo of UWBPark. Four months after the competition, this vision is becoming a reality. Parking is full of inefficiencies, and UWBPark is going to fix them.

• 

  Rose-Hulman Institute Of Technology

  Freshman