21. The Making of a Tech Entrepreneur (Chris Schmidt)

What does it take for a young Canadian from Winnipeg to build a successful tech start-up in his home town?

Chris Schmidt is the 27-year-old co-founder and CEO of Pluto Ventures, a successful tech company that uses artificial intelligence to revolutionize the way industries understand and account for the physical dimensions of their consumers. Chris founded his first company, a tree banding business, at the age of ten and he still runs it today along with his other ventures. His biggest company is Every Studio, a design agency with its main product being the very popular Snapchat geofilters – custom graphics, or filters, specific to certain locations that users can swipe onto their photos in the app. His clients include international brands such as McDonalsd’s, Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Macy’s, as well as individuals such as brides who want personalized filters for their wedding. While Chris was building these companies, he also completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Manitoba. With all his success, he did not choose to move to Silicon Valley, rather he is growing his businesses in his home-town of Winnipeg, Canada. In this episode we will discuss Chris’ journey in building successful businesses at such a young age, what he learned along the way, and how to foster entrepreneurial skills in young people.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_ChrisSchmidt

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/_chrisschmidt/

Pluto Ventures: https://www.pluto.ventures/