Photo credit:  Janet Rogers, Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications

Student Innovator Has Big Vision

“One of my major goals in life is to instigate Kansas City’s transformation into a world education capital. I took the first step when I approached John Stamm after his presentation at ‘1 Million Cups.’ ”

This is a quote from a young entrepreneur, Zach Anderson Pettet. Pettet was selected the Student Entrepreneur of the Year for his partnership in the company, Tutorious, by the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Tutorious is a non-profit education start-up focused on preparing under-resourced teens for the ACT.

Pettet also is involved with another venture – yet to be identified to the public – and, when combined with Tutorious, led the committee to select him as the student entrepreneur.

Pettet said it was apparent he and Stamm shared a common goal, based on a presentation given by Stamm.

“I had been attending ‘1 Million Cups’ for a few weeks and had been generally impressed by what I had heard, but never blown out of the water. John changed that,” said Pettet. “The sustainable model behind Tutorious is what really hooked me. The idea of charging a slightly higher price for one student who could afford it and then subsidizing the under-resourced student seemed to be pure genius.”

Over the next few months the two developed a partnership, and today they run Tutorious.

Pettet began as a business advisor with a limited scope. When the business’ growth exceeded expectations, he was brought on as the first business development hire. He would take the lead on planning their first charity event on top of his day-to-day sales, fundraising and branding duties.

For a number of years, Pettet thought there was a need for education innovation in Kansas City, and Stamm agreed, solving the problem through Tutorious – from within the system. Their goal is to make ACT preparation tests available to all those who need it in Kansas City – for now.

Currently, their services are made through direct sales to schools, via social media and word of mouth. According to Pettet, the outlook for Tutorious is “rosy” now that the ACT has been mandated for many students in Missouri.

“Business will increase in the areas where we want to help students based on the mandate,” said Pettet. “This also puts Missouri on a better track as far as getting kids into college.”

Pettet, who will complete his undergraduate degree in entrepreneurship at Bloch in December 2015, has additional entrepreneurial plans. He was about to pursue a startup of his own, but then received a job offer he couldn’t turn down.

“I have recently received an offer from a growing startup that I must pursue, so I have put my company on the back burner for now,” Pettet said. “I will continue to work with Tutorious in some capacity – even if it’s only big picture stuff or as a board member. The startup that I will be working with is going to give me a chance to effect change on a much more significant scale than I previously thought possible. Stay tuned.”

|Wandra Brooks Green, Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications