If you go to UMBC, you know there are three rules to never break:
1) Never leave your parking spot unless you absolutely HAVE to because there is NO chance you'll find another.
2) You can't speak your native language anywhere on campus to talk about people because someone will understand you.
3) Never set yourself up to be standing at the Starbucks line between 10 am - 1 pm because there are 50 plus people trying to get a coffee fix and you'll never make it to class on time.
Enter: Joseph Hyman, UMBC Mechanical Engineering major of 2011, and certified coffee fanatic.
Now, how exactly does one become a certified coffee fanatic? You probably think that's just a flowery title to make this article sound cool. No, Joseph Hyman is actually a certified coffee fanatic, so much so that he and his team have created the next revolutionary coffee related device, right next to the K-cup.
After a Kick-starter campaign with over 700 supporters and and $85,000 in Crowdfunding Pledges, Joseph has answered all of our hot-beverage prayers.
Meet MoJoe Brewing Co., one of the only companies that sell a portable coffee mug and coffee maker in one. It gets better; not only does this cup make coffee anywhere you go, it looks exactly like a regular coffee mug, and it fits in your car's cup holder so it's not inconvenient at all.
But wait, it gets even better. MoJoe's cup can be charged in your car, an outlet, and even with a rechargeable battery! It's more convenient than charging your phone. The cup is filled with any kind of water, and will heat it up to more than 195 degrees Fahrenheit so your hot cup of afternoon java isn't compromised just because you're busy.
MoJoe comes in 9 different color assortments for your taste, and takes ground coffee as well as coffee packets for convenience.
Joseph works with Ezekail Kolajo and Jingrui Wang, both UMBC students/former students. With no business experience to work with, Joseph and his team used the support and resources of the Alex Brown Center to guide his way through the start up. In fact, you may even recognize him from our Entrepreneurship Panel a year ago. He's been featured on Huffington Post, Mashable, and the Baltimore Business Journal, and his product hasn't even officially launched yet. After seeing this start up through, Joseph says, "It makes the sleepless nights worth it".
We always knew UMBC alumni were smart, but they just stole our hearts too.
If you're interested in MoJoe's product, click here. To read the original article, click here.