Press Iyamu is a Fairleigh Dickinson University student who studies electrical engineering and is the co-founder of a startup sharing economy platform known as Where is it? Who has it? How much?, or W.W.HO., founded March 31, 2016. Iyamu told the Amsterdam News that this platform allows users to rent items to or borrow items from other users within their community and review each other based on their experiences.
Iyamu said, “We eliminate the inconvenience of purchasing an item at full retail that will only be used temporarily by the consumer. At the end of the day, we just want to develop an app that encompasses the ability to list and borrow items safely, build a stronger sense of community and make a little money on the side while helping each other save some money.”
The benefit of W.W.HO, according to Iyamu, is that this platform will enable people to borrow/loan items safely, with the bonus of adding value to items they already own. “We are also tackling excessive consumerism, which results in lot waste in a world of finite resources,” he said. “Think about it. Why buy something of temporary use when you can get what you need, when you need it, from someone in your own community? This erases the effort of finding storage and reduces the amount items lying around collecting dust.”
The inspiration for W.W.HO came from an experience in Iyamu’s engineering program during his freshmen year of college. He was working on his friend’s 2008 Nissan Maxima. That friend is a co-founder and the legal officer of W.W.HO.
“The job was installing a cold air intake and new air filter under the hood,” explained Iyamu. “Easy enough right? We had all the parts we thought we needed, but then reality hit. The standard wrench set we had would not work for the metric bolts and lugs that came with the install kit.”
He continued, “Out of a car, tools and time, the following day we made our way to the nearest AutoZone and purchased a tool set for $30 bucks! That was $30 for one item in the set that was used one time. Then, to find out a week later that a friend of mine had exactly what we needed in his garage the entire time was irritating. After this aggravating experience, a thought came to mind: We are not the only people with this problem. My relatives, my friends, my neighbors all go through this. Needing an item temporarily but having to pay full price for it. So we sought a solution and W.W.HO. was that solution.”
Currently the W.W.HO. team consist of the three co-founders and one employee, all of whom attend Fairleigh Dickinson University: Iyamu; Akshay Patel, a pre-dental student; Nafijur Dalim, a computer science major; and Christopher Harlow, their lead software engineer.
When asked about the vision of the business for the next 10 years, Iyamu said, “In the next 10 years from now, I see W.W.HO. being a social media platform that exists in the everyday lives of people around the world. I can envision us standing with tech giants such as Lyft, Airbnb and even Google in Silicon Valley. With a concept like W.W.HO., I believe the sky’s the limit.”
In his spare time, Iyamu does a number of things. He enjoys philosophy and anything that provokes his thought. He also likes to maintain his physical health by working out. But his favorite pastime is meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. “If humans were computers,” he said, “I would say God programmed a love for diversity in me.”
Iyamu and his associates plan to promote their business via social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and other large social engines. “We also believe in the power of the people and advocate word-of-mouth,” said Iyamu.