Georgia Tech student and Wesleyan alumnus Scott Schroer recently won the Georgia Tech InVenture competition with a $20,000 prize for his innovative grill alert system. Schroer graduated from Wesleyan in 2010. He played on the state championship football team as a junior in 2008 and was crowned homecoming king in 2009.
Schroer and his fraternity brothers Alex Roe and Will Sweet started a company called FlameTech, and the Grill Defender is their product. The Grill Defender is designed to alert grillers when gas levels around their grill become dangerously high. The device can be easily fitted to any grill.
The three students entered the InVenture competition and came in first place. Schroer and his partners applied their studies at Georgia Tech in a practical way. Their experience has taught these entrepreneurs that resourcefulness and a willingness to learn are vital for success. Schroer’s major is in mechanical engineering, so his studies were very applicable to his invention, but he found that there was still a lot to learn.
“When you start out with an idea, even if you think you know a decent amount about the subject, you will inevitably run into something that is completely out of your wheelhouse,” said Schroer. For these three, the electronics proved to be more complex than they could handle without some help. YouTube videos, articles, talking to friends with more experience in that area and trial and error finally equipped the inventors with what they needed.
Schroer’s high school career at Wesleyan helped prepare him for college and entrepreneurship. “Wesleyan is where I feel my solid foundation in persistent and resourceful problem solving comes from which, I think, is the key to success in any professional field,” said Schroer. Wesleyan helps students develop time management and resourcefulness that are tools for success well beyond high school.
In regards to advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Schroer said, “Just jump in with both feet, be willing to be persistent and acquire subject knowledge however you have to and ask for help.”
