David Ward, who started Tree Top Solutions Inc. in 2002 as a sophomore at Union College, stepped down as CEO of his company to become an employee of a local software company.
Ward, 24, is employee No. 3 at WiFiFee LLC in Menands. WiFi is wireless Internet access. WiFiFee is a billing software targeting wireless Internet users. Ward will be involved in the development of the billing software.
Ward said it was the right time to leave.
“If I was going to go anytime, it was a good time I picked,” Ward said. “Sometimes, when you're an entrepreneur, it's tough to separate your business from your career, especially for someone as young as me. I haven't even started my career.”
Derek Mebus, 25, Ward's former partner and college roommate, now heads Tree Top, a Web developer in Schenectady.
“I think, tactically, he [Ward] will be missed at Tree Top,” said Jon Lemelin, U-Start director. “But I think, strategically, his new position at WiFiFee could be phenomenal. I think it's a good move for him.”
Seven months after moving into U-Start, Tree Top became U-Start's second company to graduate, moving into a building where Thomas Edison once conducted research.
Tree Top, which has 80 clients, including WiFiFee, expects to close the year with $70,000 in revenue. It projects sales of $200,000 in 2005.
Mebus said he's ready to take over.
“I'm definitely in for the long haul,” Mebus said. “I had that gut-check moment. I have too much faith in the business.”
Mebus also thought it was time for a change.
“It got to the point where the friendship and the business started getting intermeshed too much,” Mebus said. “This is a new chapter.”
But not too new. Both Ward and Mebus expect the the relationship between WiFiFee and Tree Top–they market each other's products–to increase.
Bill Schwarz, Union's director of corporate and government relations, set up a meeting with Ward and WiFiFee founder Brian Epstein, also a Union grad.
“Always looking for another Union alumni,” Epstein said. “Every time I met with him [Ward] I was impressed. He's very bright. He gets what it's like to run a business.”
But Ward said he still has a lot to learn about business. Last December at Tree Top, Ward recalled, some employees came into his office and the topic of vacation came up.
“So, when do we get vacations?” an employee asked.
“Derek and I looked at each other and said, 'We never took a vacation ourselves. What does everyone else do? Do we pay you those days?' ”
Ward isn't too hard on himself for not knowing.
“You've got two young college grads who had internships and then started a business,” he said. “Where are we supposed to learn those kinds of things?”