Throughout Global Entrepreneurship Week at Ryerson, we’ll hold Q & A’s with student entrepreneurs from Ryerson’s Digital Media Zone (DMZ). In our first interview we speak with Debora Rubin, the founder of Ping Pong Story. She is currently working towards her Bachelor of Commerce Degree specializing in Global Management and Entrepreneurship.
By Angela Serednicki
The Eyeopener: Tell me a little bit about Ping Pong Story.
Debora Rubin: Ping Pong Story is an online community for educators and kids ages four to 12 where children can write collaborative stories online while immersed in a safe, entertaining environment. The story structure is given, and a child can decide what happens next in the plot by writing their own paragraph and picking an image to go alongside it. There are two sites: one for parents and children and another for educational instructors.
Eye: What inspired you to create Ping Pong Story?
D.R.: I always wanted to create something, make a living out of it, and have fun. When I was nine years old, a group of friends and I decided to write a collaborative story together by passing a notebook along and writing in it. I thought that it would be a good idea to recreate that experience for today’s kids who are so immersed in technology.
Eye: What are your hopes and goals for Ping Pong Story?
D.R.: My goal is to reach as many children and schools as I can and make a difference through non-formal education while utilizing creativity and imagination. I want to succeed and see the end result of all this hard work.
Eye: What would you say are some of the most important things you’ve learned through creating your own business?
D.R.: It’s not easy. You have to be organized, plan time, and really like what you’re doing. You need to take it seriously and read up about all aspects of the business because as a CEO of a company, you need to know a bit about everything (finances, communication, design) about the product that you create.
Eye: What’s your favorite part of being a student entrepreneur?
D.R.: I’m excited to go to work everyday. I love to see how my idea is coming true, how people are using it and how it’s making a difference.
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