A Startup to Help Build Startups

It’s an old story. College seniors head toward graduation, many with dreams to start their own businesses. Then reality hits, and they end up taking jobs in fields that promise a steady, low-risk paycheck. The startup option goes up in smoke.

That scenario bugged Dave Girouard. A little over a year ago, Girouard, who was then president of the enterprise unit at Google, was talking with friends and family who saw that drama play out again and again. Grads with computer science degrees from top schools and a flair for Ruby programming have no trouble finding work they love. But for smart, creative seniors who don’t have those specializations and who carry big school debt and have risk-averse parents, any idea for a startup dies in its cradle.