Widener Alumnus Dives into the Shark Tank
The Widener community cheered on another one of its successful alumni – this time as a contestant diving into the Shark Tank.
Widener alumnus Markevis Gideon ‘10 has made huge waves as the owner of NERDiT NOW, a company specialized in fast technology repairs.
Gideon and his two business partners appeared Oct. 27 on Shark Tank, a popular ABC show that gives budding entrepreneurs the chance to secure business deals that could make them millionaires.
They pitched the sharks on a $150,000 investment for a 20 percent stake in the company. While the company didn’t secure the funding, the investors agreed the trio is destined to go far.
Gideon’s entrepreneurial success is partially thanks to the academic foundation and career advantage he received as a Widener student.
While at Widener, he participated in a global exchange trip that allowed him to study at Chongqing Technology and Business University in China. This trip paved the way for his future by giving him life-changing global experiences.
“One thing that Widener really did help me with was it allowed me to go on a study abroad trip my junior year,” said Gideon. “It allowed me to focus on different entrepreneurial things I wanted to do, and that’s exactly what I’m doing today.”
After graduating in 2010 with a dual degree in computer science and accounting, he moved to China and spent five years teaching at a university, working for an import/export company, and opening and running a hotel lobby bar.
“During that time, it made me a more diverse individual,” he explained.
Once back, Gideon was invited to give a TEDxWilmington Talk on this transformational trip and passion for entrepreneurship. Gideon encouraged others to “Find your China,” a guide to helping define your own success, in the talk.
Back stateside, Gideon has been on the entrepreneurial track with NERDiT NOW.
The company repairs technology, from replacing smartphone screens to removing viruses, at two store fronts, kiosks and an ambulance.
And, harkening back to Widener’s devotion to civic engagement, the NERDiT Foundation has donated 326 computers to community centers and nonprofits in underserved neighborhoods in Wilmington, Delaware since 2016.
In a witty and lively pitch, Gideon and his partners explained their growing business aims to provide customers with a service they can trust. Their kiosks offer repairs in as little as six hours, and the ambulance allows them to provide mobile repair services, too. Their proposed $150,000 investment would have allowed NERDiT NOW to purchase two more mobile device repair ambulances and 10 kiosks, and finish development of the kiosk software.
While the sharks decided not to fund the expansion, NERDiT NOW is not dead in the water. The sharks agreed Gideon and his company are just at the beginning of their journey.
