Today we’d like to introduce you to Momin Irfan.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m currently a junior at SMU studying Computer Science, Finance, and Mathematics. I’m passionate about entrepreneurship, education, and quantitative finance. I’ve spent the past few years exploring these passions by working at investment firms, running tutoring companies, opening research companies, and spending time with
business and life leaders.
I grew up mostly in Toronto. I spent about half my life in Toronto, and the other half in the U.S., Pakistan, and (briefly) the U.K. It’s been quite an interesting switch across the countries, and my life has involved a lot of moving. What I got from it though was a good sense of how to be open, how to remain calm, and how to make the most of the time you have. Making and leaving friends and family so often instills a sense of gratitude for the time that you have been given, and that has been my biggest asset over the years.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s only through my support system and some key advocates that my life has been possible.
Growing up in Toronto, we did not live in the best neighborhoods. We immigrated to Canada in 1999 and my parents worked like crazy to support my sisters and me. I still remember my dad’s paper routes while studying to essentially re-do his degree. Although now we are blessed to be in a comfortable position, at the time my schools and support were not the best. We moved a lot, and I was always in a temporary mindset over a permanent one.
We managed to come over this, and for that I have a great deal of people to thank:
First are my Mother and Father. Next are my sisters. Then are my teachers and friends. If I were to explain why for each this would take forever so let me focus on one story:
Here comes Mr. Bushbeck:
I remember one day, while I was doing random math problems in the back of class, he pulled me aside and tried to learn more about me. It wasn’t every day that there was a student just doing math in the back. He got me more materials, and ultimately admission to a very high-quality district. From there I got a chance to excel.
Then came Ms. Armstrong, then Ms. Dabbs, then Prof. Fontenot, then Prof Linck, and the Prof. Maxwell. I have had advocates that have pushed me through both educational and personal issues. The large network of friends and advisors has been crucial to getting me to where I am today.
This is one main reason why I started Fenprep. I wanted to give students that same chance to meet advocates, so that they too can beat odds and take the least likely paths. So, they too can get closer to reaching their potential.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I have two businesses currently: Fenprep and Belmeade Research. I will focus on Fenprep and briefly mention Belmeade.
Fenprep is a low-cost tutoring service that aims to make education accessible for as many people as possible. Our business model is simple, use revenue from tutoring to organize classes for students that wouldn’t be otherwise able to afford it. Our main classes have been college prep and computer programming/STEM.
We started out in our dining room. We would hold classes for students in the community there. Once the numbers got larger, we moved to the local library. When that got too much, we then began fenprep anywhere and brought the education to the students wherever they were.
The inspiration for this business was twofold. The first was to give students advocates just like the ones I had (I wanted to be a Mr. Bushbeck for as many students as possible). I thought I had to wait until I was out of school to be an advocate for education, but turns out nothing was holding me back.
Furthermore, coming to SMU showed me how certain programs have made other incoming students incredibly successful in discovering their interests. I wanted to mimic this success for other students who wouldn’t have the opportunity otherwise. This is one reason why I am very thankful for partnering with Aleena Taufiq’s Geared Up.
Belmeade research is a quantitative asset management and finance operations firm. We created an abstract platform that can take any idea and make it deployable as fast as possible. The inspiration behind this business comes from my passion for finance and technology. I started this company with two other friends and we have consulted for hedge funds out here in Dallas and others across the U.S.
Belmeade is a whole lot of fun (but not as fun as fenprep)!
What were you like growing up?
I was nerdy and proud. I was into video games (will still beat anyone in Call of Duty), paintball, airsoft, nerf guns, and more things of that like. I always broke things apart to figure out how to put them together. I broke apart all of my toys and would either upgrade them, modify them, or re-purpose them. I wasn’t going to let Hasbro tell me how my toys should function. I was also very much into art and created many 3D objects, sculptures, drawings, and paintings.
Growing up, I wanted to be one of two things: a scientist, or a businessman. Those goals have not changed much (except that I went from scientist to computer scientist instead). I find that entrepreneurship is the perfect balance of the two,
My personality now is at the core the same, but after constantly moving and meeting new people, I have become progressively more outgoing and extraverted. It has helped me balance out the “nerdy-ness”!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fenprep.com
- Phone: 4692009400
- Email: fenprep@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fenprep
Image Credit:
Bridge – Alyssa Harrison
Guy with fenprep eyes/London – Isaac Oti
New York/Paris – Hasan Syed
Girl w/ fenprep eyes – Hafsa Irfan
We have pictures of three sessions / All college prep sessions – Credit, Me
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
