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<\/p>\nDarren Austin (\u201895) graduated from Georgia Southern University with every intention of making his mark in the field of mechanical engineering. With the help of the University\u2019s Office of<\/p>\n
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Career Services, he found a job as an Engineer-in-Training at HESM & Associates, an architectural engineering firm in Atlanta. \u201cI enjoyed the work and was exposed to a number of industries that I had previously not known much about,\u201d said Austin.<\/p>\n
During the course of his first job at HESM&A, the Georgia Southern graduate grew increasingly intrigued by the possibilities of the Internet. \u201cFor as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by computers and the Internet,\u201d he noted. \u201cWhen I was as young as 11 years old, my mom enrolled me in computer programming classes at the community college in Dalton, Ga., our hometown.\u201d Two years after joining the engineering firm, Austin made a \u201cconscious decision to shift to a career focused on the Internet and mobile technology.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new path Austin carved for himself took him to positions at several Internet-based startups, and such well-known companies as Expedia, Motorola, AOL and Amazon.com, where his team created the original technology to extend the online retailer\u2019s shopping experience to millions of mobile phones and connected devices in countries around the world.<\/p>\n
Today, he lives in Seattle and is Vice President of Products for the mobile startup Glympse. The Glympse app for smartphones lets users quickly and safely share their location visually with others in real-time. To describe what Glympse does, Austin explained, \u201cThink about how often you send a text message or make a phone call to say, \u2018I\u2019m on my way\u2019 or \u2018I\u2019m stuck in traffic\u2019. Glympse eliminates the need for all those messages. The app allows recipients to view a dynamic map that shows the sender\u2019s location updated in real-time, but only for as long as the sender chooses.\u201d A key benefit to using Glympse is that it helps reduce the pressure for drivers to text or make phone calls while driving – an increasing safety concern in today\u2019s highly connected world. Owners of Android, Blackberry, iPhone and Windows mobile devices can use the free app, and Glympse has collaborated with Mercedes-Benz, Ford, BMW, Garmin and others to make it available for in-car location sharing.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>The mechanical engineering alumnus considers this job an ideal fit for his talents. \u201cMy Georgia Southern education enabled me to become a technical generalist. That skill is becoming more and more important in today\u2019s economy and especially important in a startup environment. After experience at both large companies and smaller startups, I have learned that I am happiest and most energized when working at a startup company,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s something special about the energy of a small, talented team dedicated to changing the world with a great new product or service. You could say that I\u2019m addicted to that energy.\u201d<\/p>\n