Entrepreneurship student passes on spring break to start business

While many students spent spring break on the beach, one Penn State senior was in Silicon Valley launching his own business.

Alex Mann, a finance major and engineering entrepreneurship minor, is the founder of AM Analytics, a social media and market intelligence platform that aggregates information about a client’s brand by tracking live conversation through media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook.

AM Analytics creates an analysis of not only what is being said, but also what the catalyst is, why the user feels that way, where the users are from and why it matters. The data are then used to generate a visual representation of the analysis, which the client may use to recognize and track trends to allow for more targeted and efficient marketing.

Over spring break, Mann traveled to San Francisco to pitch his idea to potential partners who can help his business excel. He also attended ETech, the O'Reilly Emerging Technology conference, to assess the current social media landscape and to scout out additional members for his company, including a lead developer.

The ETech conference is designed to expose new emerging-technology ideas and to allow attendees to learn from the people behind them, fostering a unique environment for the exchange of ideas.

"Being in State College, it is difficult to launch a business in the social media and analytic arena," said Mann. "Going to San Francisco for this type of conference will allow me to not only meet with key players but help me get a better feel for what’s going on in the industry."

For more information about AM Analytics, visit the company online at www.amanalytics.com. To follow Mann in his entrepreneurial journey, visit his Web site: www.alexjmann.com.