Due to the recent economic recession, many students are graduating from college without promising job offers. Brandon Pollack '10 doesn't have to worry about this.

"I didn't want to have a typical job after I graduated. I wanted to work for myself," Pollack says. His friend Nick Friedman '10 shared similar sentiments, so the pair started their own company: Blue Reserve.

Blue Reserve, according its website, is "committed to offering businesses and homes an economical and eco-friendly alternative to bottled water coolers."

Blue Reserve is marketing a bottle-less water cooler that is designed for use in office buildings. The bottle-less water cooler taps into a building's plumbing and purifies, cools and heats its water.

The bottle-less water cooler is not only convenient--it is also environmentally friendly. It eliminates the need for large jugs of water, which require the combustion of fossil fuels for production and transportation. These jugs are often not recycled properly and build up in landfills.
There are already some companies throughout the country that offer a similar product, so Pollack and Friedman's goal is "to get to people first."

So far, Blue Reserve has experienced considerable success. This past December, Pollack and Friedman were awarded a $5,000 grant from Libra Future Fund in Portland, Maine. The grant is given to young entrepreneurs in the state of Maine aiming to start their own business. The first installation of their product will take place at a law firm in Massachusetts this Friday, March 12. After graduating, the pair will move to Portland, Maine and continue to promote their business. Pollack, a native of Brewster, NY, and an economics major, is working to further develop Blue Reserve as an independent study for academic credit with Linwood Downs, Assistant Professor of Administrative Science.

"He's been giving us advice along the way, which has been very helpful," Pollack says. In fact, the pair has received "a lot of out-of-class help" at the College. "When you're trying to start your own business, it's a lot different from taking a class because there are so many unknowns." Friedman, is an economics and philosophy double major. He studied abroad at Oxford University last spring, where he was a part of an entrepreneurial society, "so he brought a lot of ideas back that helped us start up our business," Pollack says.

The pair has been utilizing the College's alumni network to promote their business, and they are currently working with Career Center Director Roger Woolsey to set up a program at the College for entrepreneurs, which would allow students to propose business ideas and receive start-up money. Pollack and Friedman have benefitted from the College's support and networking, and they are working to pave the way for entrepreneurs to come.