Tim Sae Koo is the visionary behind Hypemarks, finding himself constantly fascinated on how technology can help make the world a better place. He previously worked with Grubwithus.com and DeskSite, doing business development and sales. He graduated USC with a Business Entrepreneurship degree in December 2011. 

Stay connected: http://facebook.com/hypemarks ; http://twitter.com/hypemarks ; http://angel.co/hypemarks

Help us understand what you are up to (Describe your work / research):

Hypemarks’ mission is to make web discovery more efficient and meaningful for everyone. We essentially help you easily discover the web through people you care about. Think Pinterest but for websites and links.

Hypemaks Homepage 

What drives you to continue pursuing this area of study?

My goal in life is to make a dent in this world, and the only way I believe I can do so is to solve problems. I see technology being a catalyst in making the world a better place, and I want to learn as much as I can about it.

Describe how your work might impact people’s lives, now and in the future. (What’s the potential societal impact?)

We want to make Hypemarks the discovery portal for everyone who wants to discover information more efficiently. By allowing people to tap into the people they trust and their expertise, we believe we can help save time and quench people’s curiosity.

How did you come up with the idea?

This idea came out of my Entrepreneurship class while I was a Junior at USC. I had a simple thought: People are all experts on certain topics, and I want to tap into that knowledge. The ways we ask for this information today is inefficient. I want to change that.

Has anyone ever doubted that your idea could work? (Please elaborate.)

Of course. Family, friends, and even investors have voiced their doubts in us. Being all 21-22 years old, it’s tough to convince people of your hunger and passion. In the end, I dismiss all of that and focus on executing my vision.

What is the next step in the innovation process for you (and how might people help)?

After raising money, our next goal is to validate the assumptions we have on what people want. I would love it if you could go check out http://hypemarks.com, sign up, play around with it, and let me know any feedback you may have. Email me personally at tim@hypemarks.com.

Hypemarks Profile Page

What is the one innovation you can’t live without?

iPhone.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I always thought I was going to go the corporate route. I wasn’t necessarily born an entrepreneur; one day I just realized I wanted to chase after my dream.

What do you wish you would have invented?

iPhone.

Any tips for aspiring innovators?

It’s never too early or late to start. If you have a dream you want to see a reality, do it now. The older you get, the more obligations and obstacles get in your way. Age should never matter; hunger and execution is everything.

Email or phone?

Email. tim@hypemarks.com

What is the most fun you’ve ever had?

Biking down a 10,000 ft. high dormant volcano in Hawaii!

What other USC Stevens Center for Innovation programs have you been involved in? (TEDxUSC, mentoring and legal office hours, USC Student Innovator Showcase, Ideas Empowered, USC Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program, etc…) Please elaborate on your experience.

2011 USC Student Innovator Showcase. That experience provided a lot of great feedback for us to evolve our idea.

Business Insider features Hypemarks - "A Bunch Of USC Students Just Launched A Startup, Hypemarks, And Got Bill Gross To Invest"

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/usc-students-launch-hypemarks-2012-7#ixzz20M7N27Hm!