Sigma Chi - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

2 The DELTA PSI SIG A s we all know, Sigma Chi is a lifelong commitment. Delta Psi brothers rediscover and renew this obligation after they graduate RPI and pass through life. It's the reason we live together, work together, travel together, celebrate together, and even grieve together far beyond our experience at 58 Pinewoods. It's the reason we read this alumni newsletter. It's the reason we give back as bridge builders to those who follow us. Driven by this lifelong commitment, more than 160 alumni brothers pledged financial support to the Building Our Bridge to ΣΧcellence Campaign. They were joined by 59 undergraduate donors, who made a bold commitment to pledge future earnings to the project. Together, they funded the renovation and expansion of the Pomeroy Chapter House that would facilitate lifelong bonds between many more Sigma Chis. The 1855 Campaign was created to continue the spirit behind those initial undergraduate donations. Since the Class of 2014, more than 100 undergraduate brothers have pledged $18.55 from each bi-weekly paycheck for five years following their graduation. The total financial commitment to the campaign is nearly $250,000 and growing. As the fund grows, it will support endeavors of the Pinewoods Educational Foundation such as undergraduate scholarships, career workshops, and outstanding speakers. Over time, it will enable the Foundation to maintain and solidify Delta Psi as the premier fraternity at RPI. To our young brothers, I hope you join in my excitement to create a lasting legacy for our chapter. To our recent graduates, please begin monthly payments to the 1855 Campaign by visiting bit.ly/2B4F81f. In hoc, Ken Sobel '12 1855 Campaign Tops 100 Donors Sigma Chi Trio Starts Fingerprint Payment System Experience in Sigma Chi Prepared Alumni for Intensity of Startup Business Written by Ken Sobel '12 A re you supposed to enjoy your first job out of college? Two weeks into my career, this was the biggest question weighing on me. I didn't sign my job offer with the expectation of hating my job, but here I was. With the encouragement of Andrew Stevens '12, I decided on the solution. "I'll start my own company!" And so Whirl Inc. was born. I quickly joined forces with my biological brother, Steve Sobel '14, and former Pro Consul Jay Cady '14, both who, unlike me, knew how to design circuits and write code. With a founding team in place, we got to work. Our product was a point of sale system that accepted fingerprint payments. It would dramatically improve the speed, convenience, and security of everyday retail transactions. After working nights and weekends for six months, we had our first prototype by the spring of 2014. Still resembling an RPI science project, that prototype helped us raise capital from Y Combinator, a startup venture fund based in Mountain View, California. We quickly relocated to the San Francisco Bay area, where we spent over two years figuring out how to transform a prototype into a business. In those two years, we learned how to design hardware, build production-quality products, file a patent, write a pitch deck, form investor relationships, acquire customers, and partner with large banking institutions. Looking back, it was not my RPI coursework, but rather my experience in Sigma Chi that best prepared me most for the intensity of starting a company. By late 2016, Whirl had processed over $1.2 million on behalf of its customers, and over 1,000 people used our product to pay by fingerprint. In 2017, Visa tendered an offer to acquire Whirl's patent rights — and we accepted. Steve, Jay, and I continue to work as a team at b8ta, a new type of retailer that allows emerging consumer brands to sell through physical stores over the internet. Ken can be reached at kenneth.sobel@ gmail.com. Delta Psi Historical Society Committee I think it would behoove us at Delta Psi to gather as much historical "stuff" from our past so that future generations of Delta Psi Sigma Chi's can be made aware of "from whence we came." I'm thinking of getting together a Historical Society Committee that would gather these artifacts from the past and house them somewhere in the Troy area for display during either alumni weekends or a more permanent display in the house. Anyone interested in pursuing this idea should contact me, Ruff, at BobHutnick@gmail.com.

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