Leaving the last meeting for the day, Nino thought about his time spent working this close in the entrepreneurial environment and doing real business-related work outside of school which, as he found out, is challenging. It’s no piece of cake; there are seldom any textbook answers this time. He looks forward to absorbing as much as possible during the program so he can equip himself with this experience for the rest of his life. But it first begins at UMSL Accelerate and his go-ahead spirit.
Nino Obanor grew up in Belgrade, Serbia, and then moved to the U.S. to start his journey at UMSL in information systems. Nino gets excited about new technology and the way it affects every aspect of human life. A positive influence he has at UMSL is his IS professor, Dr. Dinesh Mirchandani, who is involved with his student experience and development.
Before Nino’s involvement at his internship through the Ameren Accelerator program, he helped UMSL Accelerate reach out to over 300 clean-tech startups, and that helped him learn about the program’s eco-system. Nino heard about the program from his mentor and UMSL Accelerate ambassador, Tamas Javor, about his experience as an assistant director of the program. Tamas encouraged him to see what all the fuss was about. Nino always envisioned to make a positive impact on the world and did so by revitalizing an international leader role at the university, he also speaks five languages which are truly a universal way to bring people together.
Nino is looking to increase his involvement at UMSL Accelerate and the department’s future Accelerator programs in St. Louis, he notes that “My life experiences, in general, have taught me to be patient and persistent; hard-work pays off. I still have a lot to learn but I believe I am on a good track since I enjoy learning new things.” UMSL Accelerate offers an impressive portfolio of classes, legal clinics, and resources that support our members’ eagerness to grow their entrepreneurial spirit.
Getting involved with UMSL Accelerate allowed him the potential to work on bold projects that can positively impact the world of technology and renewable energy. After discovering the Ameren Accelerator Program, he decided to join and, as of July 2017, currently works for WIFIPLUG, a startup company from the United Kingdom, that is one of the seven startups participating in the Ameren Accelerator program. Talk about exciting!
Nino continues to work on UMSL’s campus with the Office of Admissions, which speaks to the flexibility of the program that the cohort holds with startups, this is especially useful for students who, like Nino, run on busy schedules and prioritize campus activity involvement. When Nino is not up at Cortex working at his internship, he plays basketball, kickboxing, and yoga. But whether in a business meeting or in a business class, this entrepreneur in-the-making is always up for a challenge.
