May 13, 2009
When Baris Guzel, a Turkey native working in Germany, came to the US to get his MEM degree at Duke, he quickly discovered that America, among other things, is a country that uses technology efficiency. His in-box was quickly bombarded with emails asking him to complete surveys for anything from rating student services to registering for Fuqua courses. This was a new phenomenon for Baris, one that he had not experienced in Europe. He saw an opportunity not only to bring an internet based survey tool to Europe, but to bring a new improved survey tool.
Baris quickly partnered with fellow MEM student Rohit Joy, and the two founded Ampoll.com. Between Bariss entrepreneurial spirit and Rohits impressive technical skills and innovative thinking, the two were able to hit the ground running and create a topnotch survey tool that will surely be a success. Ampoll is designed to operate as a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) tool. Rather than using a drop down box to select the type of question you want on your survey, you will simply drag and drop from a box already on your screen. This new WYSIWYG user interface will change the way that people create surveys by making the process easier and faster. Another great feature of Ampoll is that it is free! Unlike most survey tools that have a monthly fee associated with them, Ampoll will be funded by ad sales alone (similar to what you see on Facebook).
Baris and Rohit plan to launch Ampoll in the US and in Turkey simultaneously and then to spread out over Europe, India and China. They had not originally planned to target US markets, but have quickly realized that there is a growing demand here for a better survey tool. Baris and Rohit recently added some staff to their project to help get things going. MEM student, Clement Ramos, has come aboard as the Ampoll Web Designer, MEM alumni Melda Uzbil, Pragati Anand, and ShenShen Yi are helping with global marketing efforts, and MEM Executive in Residence, Vivek Wadhwa, has joined Ampolls Board of Directors. The next big push for the Ampoll team is to get the company into the DUHatch this summer.
Rohit Joy is a recent MEM graduate from Pune, India. He enjoys listening to NPR, watching documentaries, playing Pool in the Bryan Center, and trying new recipes. Rohit hopes to be a product manager or manager for new business development with a fun innovative company at some point in the future. Baris Guzel will graduate from the MEM program this May. He enjoys charcoal drawing and hopes to be a Duerer one day. Both Baris and Rohit love the friendly atmosphere in the US and have enjoyed their time at Duke.