MSUM alumnae Kayla Duffney (left) and Hannah Savoy were part of the winning team at Women’s Startup Weekend in Fargo.
HOW do I .. .
WOMEN’S STARTUP WEEKEND WINNERS PROVIDE ANSWERS Words by Danielle Rebel, MSUM Marketing & Communications Photography by Dave Arntson, MSUM Marketing & Communications
We’ve all had those “oh, crap” moments, wondering how in the world we’re going to get something done.
cations and B.A. in communication studies), pitched an idea she believed would help solve issues many 20-somethings face daily.
Whether it’s a flat tire when you’re late for a meeting, or an unexpected visit from your mother-in-law, the winning team from Women’s Startup Weekend in Fargo has you covered.
“I don’t know how to do a lot of stuff that I should know how to do, so that’s how I got the idea,” Savoy explains. “After calling my dad constantly on how to do different things, I always heard a sigh after I asked a question, being like, ‘Oh, I should know how to do this, shouldn’t I?’”
Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement for entrepreneurs to learn the basics of establishing startup companies in a short period of time. Minnesota State University Moorhead alumna Hannah Savoy, 2013 (B.S. in mass communi-
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Fellow alumna Kayla Duffney, 2014 (B.F.A. in graphic design and B.A. in film production), plus Keely O’Regan, Evan Balko, Brittany Butler and Sue Nelson, joined Savoy after she pitched her idea. They could all relate to the problems she described.
“It seemed like a fun idea and that’s what has involved a lot of people,” Savoy says. “We wanted to make sure we were having fun for the weekend, and our team worked really, really well together.” The team created a BuzzFeed-like content source with short videos illustrating various how-tos. In order to suit a wider audience, the team expanded their focus and chose a name for the project: How the F? “I think it appeals to everyone because it doesn’t have to be anything technical,” Duffney says. “We wanted to do checking your oil or changing a tire. But a lot of people go through divorces or breakups, and it’s now like, ‘How to be single,’ or, ‘How the F do I cook for myself?’”