Chad Stachowicz ’21 ’22 M.S. takes Cloverhound — his startup communications venture — global.
By LAURA SMAILES
It’s not uncommon to hear of kids who dream of making it big in sports, dunking like Michael Jordan. Not Chad Stachowicz ’21 ’22 M.S. — his heroes weren’t the players but the owners.
“When I was 11 years old, my friends and I didn’t follow sports teams. We were obsessed with the owners of those teams: the Mark Cubans. That’s who I admired,” said Stachowicz.
Although Stachowicz doesn’t own an NBA team like M.J. does today, he has achieved entrepreneurial success by developing customized communication platforms for a number of Fortune 500 companies through Cloverhound, his Charlotte-based venture with an international footprint.
DEVELOPING SOLUTIONS
Stachowicz, even as a child, was driven to change the world. He found joy in seeking answers to questions others thought unimportant. Stachowicz struggled to identify his passion for problem solving, but he says he absolutely felt driven to prove himself. Unabashedly energetic, he feared neither judgment nor being the center of attention. The one place he says he felt focused was behind a computer.
When Stachowicz’s grandmother surprised him with his first computer, he was ecstatic.
It was then that his future began to take shape. In high school, he created an application so his mother could track her finances. While his computer teacher was impressed with the intuitive design of the app, Stachowicz relished in helping his mother.
He had solved his first real problem with a computer.
FINDING CUSTOMERS
Stachowicz in 2011, as a UNC Charlotte undergraduate, launched his first startup. Minds Mesh was a plug-in to use with the campus learning management system. He recognized students were frustrated by being “forced” to use something they deemed unentertaining. He thought, “What if I made this social? [I could] change it to a platform where we could talk about an upcoming test or group project.”
As a sophomore, he joined 49er Foundry, UNC Charlotte’s student idea incubator, and with the assistance of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (formerly Ventureprise), Stachowicz landed some big customers: UNC Charlotte, Davidson College, Wake Forest University and Elon University. He received $50,000 in angel funding and after the first year had more than $50,000 in sales. He still has that initial check, a symbol of personal validation. It reminds him, “I created this.”
For a kid who felt he had something to prove, he was off to a good start.
MAKING A PIVOT
While working full time installing phone systems at Fortune 500 companies and gaining a lot of traction with Minds Mesh, Stachowicz decided to leave school.
A few years into balancing a full-time job and his “side gig,” he seized a rare opportunity. His employer parted ways with one of its biggest clients, and Stachowicz, at the urging of his wife, Kathryn, jumped at the opportunity to leverage his entrepreneurial perspective. He asked the customer for a chance to design a custom communication system.
“I was either going to be a success or a failure. And failure is the first step to success,” said Stachowicz.
He excelled.
Being an expert in your market is essential to leading your own company, he added. While he had initial success with Minds Mesh, the app’s sustainability wasn’t certain. Stachowicz reimbursed his Minds Mesh investors to focus on installing communication platforms for corporate customers, and Cloverhound was launched.
Solving everyday problems was Stachowicz’s passion and this focus on large-scale corporate communications systems would enable him to make the impact he was seeking.
DEVELOPING A TEAM FOR SUCCESS
As Stachowicz continues to expand his team, he says he looks to hire two types of people, “those who know nothing and those who know everything.” So far, his formula is a success.
UNC Charlotte graduate Angelica Srivoraphan ’10 was one of his first hires. Srivoraphan, who completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Belk College of Business, had ideas and sought an environment that would foster her passion for innovation.
Stachowicz, who was focused on the technology aspect of Cloverhound, needed a project leader to move the company forward, and Srivoraphan’s breadth of knowledge has been a winner for eight years. She exudes energy and enthusiasm, excited to come to work each day, and she takes great pride in what Cloverhoud achieves for its customers.
Srivoraphan describes Stachowicz’s management style as inspiring and open. “Being able to create new products and systems is exciting and important. He gives us room to grow. He will give you a task and expect you to complete it, and he also has your back. He encourages us to ask for help. We collaborate. We will always figure it out.”
Stachowicz is known as an appreciative leader. More than half of Cloverhound employees participate in the stock incentive program. They are invested in the company. Just as he is.
When Cloverhound occasionally loses personnel, they usually leave for Silicon Valley. “I am proud of the people we are developing,” Stachowicz say.
When asked about what advice he most gives, Stachowicz loves to let people know that most businesses are not glamorous. Yet they all have to meet a need and solve problems.
Something everyone notices about the energetic founder in the first few minutes of meeting him is that he honestly cares about solving problems and giving clients full-service experiences. In fact, he prioritizes people over raw learning.
“I am always questioning things. You never know, there could be a different problem out there that you have no idea exists.” In talking with Cloverhound project leader Angelica Srivoraphan ’10 on the topic, she reinforces this saying, “One thing about Chad, he cares about the product and being able to help our clients.”
GIVING BACK
As Cloverhound grows, Stachowicz continues to give back — to his employees, his clients and UNC Charlotte, where his first official profitable startup began. In 2019, he was invited to get involved with campus entrepreneurship through the University’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Through campus interactions, he realized the value of not only completing his degree but extending his studies. Returning to mentor future entrepreneurs led Stachowicz to complete a bachelors’ degree in computer science, and, in 2022, earn a Master of Science in Bioinformatics.
“One of the reasons I really enjoyed my time at UNC Charlotte was that the faculty engaged in meaningful conversations. If you brought up a tough question, they embraced it. There was not a wrong way or a right way, just a way,” he explained.
Stachowicz still mentors in the 49er Foundry, and he serves as a judge for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation pitch competitions, hires students after graduation and supports intern programs. In fact, 25% of the workforce in Cloverhound’s Charlotte office are 49ers alumni, as are the majority of recent interns.
BUILDING A LEGACY
With superior client service a priority, Stachowicz ensures his clients are able to maintain and improve the quality of their communications with customers.
What matters, he says, is that relationships are developed and clients return. He has built his reputation on this and his success tells the story. Cloverhound is now an international company, with 70 employees and offices in Charlotte, Colorado and Costa Rica with $7.5 million in revenue in 2022.
Laura Smailes is assistant director for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Running with the big dogs
Chad Stachowicz ’21 ’22 M.S. takes Cloverhound — his startup communications venture — global.By LAURA SMAILES
It’s not uncommon to hear of kids who dream of making it big in sports, dunking like Michael Jordan. Not Chad Stachowicz ’21 ’22 M.S. — his heroes weren’t the players but the owners.
“When I was 11 years old, my friends and I didn’t follow sports teams. We were obsessed with the owners of those teams: the Mark Cubans. That’s who I admired,” said Stachowicz.
Although Stachowicz doesn’t own an NBA team like M.J. does today, he has achieved entrepreneurial success by developing customized communication platforms for a number of Fortune 500 companies through Cloverhound, his Charlotte-based venture with an international footprint.
DEVELOPING SOLUTIONS
Stachowicz, even as a child, was driven to change the world. He found joy in seeking answers to questions others thought unimportant. Stachowicz struggled to identify his passion for problem solving, but he says he absolutely felt driven to prove himself. Unabashedly energetic, he feared neither judgment nor being the center of attention. The one place he says he felt focused was behind a computer.
When Stachowicz’s grandmother surprised him with his first computer, he was ecstatic.
It was then that his future began to take shape. In high school, he created an application so his mother could track her finances. While his computer teacher was impressed with the intuitive design of the app, Stachowicz relished in helping his mother.
He had solved his first real problem with a computer.
WHATS IN A NAME?
Stachowicz, even as a child, was driven to change the world. He found joy in seeking answers to questions others thought unimportant. Stachowicz struggled to identify his passion for problem solving, but he says he absolutely felt driven to prove himself. Unabashedly energetic, he feared neither judgment nor being the center of attention. The one place he says he felt focused was behind a computer.
When Stachowicz’s grandmother surprised him with his first computer, he was ecstatic.
It was then that his future began to take shape. In high school, he created an application so his mother could track her finances. While his computer teacher was impressed with the intuitive design of the app, Stachowicz relished in helping his mother.
He had solved his first real problem with a computer.
FINDING CUSTOMERS
Stachowicz in 2011, as a UNC Charlotte undergraduate, launched his first startup. Minds Mesh was a plug-in to use with the campus learning management system. He recognized students were frustrated by being “forced” to use something they deemed unentertaining. He thought, “What if I made this social? [I could] change it to a platform where we could talk about an upcoming test or group project.”
As a sophomore, he joined 49er Foundry, UNC Charlotte’s student idea incubator, and with the assistance of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (formerly Ventureprise), Stachowicz landed some big customers: UNC Charlotte, Davidson College, Wake Forest University and Elon University. He received $50,000 in angel funding and after the first year had more than $50,000 in sales. He still has that initial check, a symbol of personal validation. It reminds him, “I created this.”
For a kid who felt he had something to prove, he was off to a good start.
MAKING A PIVOT
While working full time installing phone systems at Fortune 500 companies and gaining a lot of traction with Minds Mesh, Stachowicz decided to leave school.
A few years into balancing a full-time job and his “side gig,” he seized a rare opportunity. His employer parted ways with one of its biggest clients, and Stachowicz, at the urging of his wife, Kathryn, jumped at the opportunity to leverage his entrepreneurial perspective. He asked the customer for a chance to design a custom communication system.
“I was either going to be a success or a failure. And failure is the first step to success,” said Stachowicz.
He excelled.
Being an expert in your market is essential to leading your own company, he added. While he had initial success with Minds Mesh, the app’s sustainability wasn’t certain. Stachowicz reimbursed his Minds Mesh investors to focus on installing communication platforms for corporate customers, and Cloverhound was launched.
Solving everyday problems was Stachowicz’s passion and this focus on large-scale corporate communications systems would enable him to make the impact he was seeking.
DEVELOPING A TEAM FOR SUCCESS
As Stachowicz continues to expand his team, he says he looks to hire two types of people, “those who know nothing and those who know everything.” So far, his formula is a success.
UNC Charlotte graduate Angelica Srivoraphan ’10 was one of his first hires. Srivoraphan, who completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Belk College of Business, had ideas and sought an environment that would foster her passion for innovation.
Stachowicz, who was focused on the technology aspect of Cloverhound, needed a project leader to move the company forward, and Srivoraphan’s breadth of knowledge has been a winner for eight years. She exudes energy and enthusiasm, excited to come to work each day, and she takes great pride in what Cloverhoud achieves for its customers.
Srivoraphan describes Stachowicz’s management style as inspiring and open. “Being able to create new products and systems is exciting and important. He gives us room to grow. He will give you a task and expect you to complete it, and he also has your back. He encourages us to ask for help. We collaborate. We will always figure it out.”
Stachowicz is known as an appreciative leader. More than half of Cloverhound employees participate in the stock incentive program. They are invested in the company. Just as he is.
When Cloverhound occasionally loses personnel, they usually leave for Silicon Valley. “I am proud of the people we are developing,” Stachowicz say.
When asked about what advice he most gives, Stachowicz loves to let people know that most businesses are not glamorous. Yet they all have to meet a need and solve problems.
Something everyone notices about the energetic founder in the first few minutes of meeting him is that he honestly cares about solving problems and giving clients fullservice experiences. In fact, he prioritizes people over raw learning.
“I am always questioning things. You never know, there could be a different problem out there that you have no idea exists.” In talking with Cloverhound project leader Angelica Srivoraphan ’10 on the topic, she reinforces this saying, “One thing about Chad, he cares about the product and being able to help our clients.”
GIVING BACK
As Cloverhound grows, Stachowicz continues to give back — to his employees, his clients and UNC Charlotte, where his first official profitable startup began. In 2019, he was invited to get involved with campus entrepreneurship through the University’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Through campus interactions, he realized the value of not only completing his degree but extending his studies. Returning to mentor future entrepreneurs led Stachowicz to complete a bachelors’ degree in computer science, and, in 2022, earn a Master of Science in Bioinformatics.
“One of the reasons I really enjoyed my time at UNC Charlotte was that the faculty engaged in meaningful conversations. If you brought up a tough question, they embraced it. There was not a wrong way or a right way, just a way,” he explained.
Stachowicz still mentors in the 49er Foundry, and he serves as a judge for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation pitch competitions, hires students after graduation and supports intern programs. In fact, 25% of the workforce in Cloverhound’s Charlotte office are 49ers alumni, as are the majority of recent interns.
BUILDING A LEGACY
With superior client service a priority, Stachowicz ensures his clients are able to maintain and improve the quality of their communications with customers.
What matters, he says, is that relationships are developed and clients return. He has built his reputation on this and his success tells the story. Cloverhound is now an international company, with 70 employees and offices in Charlotte, Colorado and Costa Rica with $7.5 million in revenue in 2022.
Laura Smailes is assistant director for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.