Palm Beach Post: Moving Up Feature
Web designer creates non-profit sponsorship site
While working as the webmaster for the Jewish Federation in Boca Raton, Rosston Meyer noticed how big name donors were recognized with their names on conference rooms and buildings. He wanted to find a way for people who weren’t affluent to be recognized for their support.
It took a few years after leaving that job for Meyer to launch Sponsorist.com, a networking website for people and organizations searching for the perfect sponsor.
Sponsorist, which offers free listings to non-profits, gives people the chance to browse through the website, link with sponsors and select a percentage that will automatically go to a charity of the listing user’s choice.
Now that there is a virtual marketplace for sponsors, charities, and all things non-profit, people are given the chance to buy sponsors (at a reasonable rate) for practically anything, he said.
Since launching late last year, the site has been featured on CNNMoney.com and in The Wall Street Journal. His site was named one of the top “Killer Start Ups” of 2011 by killerstartups.com.
Working with a sales team, Meyer, who operates his business from home, is building the site’s presence in Florida by seeking events to be listed and then matching sponsors with those events.
“We are also integrating new features into the site by year’s end including better sharing on social networks, embeddable widgets and geolocation,” he said.
“Feedback has been good,” he said. “This is one of the best times ever to start a tech company.”
Meyer’s full-time job is designing and developing websites. He has built sites for the Boca Center, Atlas Party Rental and several restaurants in Miami Beach.
Born in Chicago, Meyer was a toddler when his family moved to Wellington. He was an English major in college and taught himself much of what he knows about computers.
The Post sent a staff photographer over to take this picture!
Education: Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Florida.
Age: 32.
Personal: Single. Lives in West Palm Beach.
Hobbies: Playing guitar, art, biking.
Career highlight: Being featured on CNN and in The Wall Street Journal.
Favorite quote: “How accidental our existences are, really, and how full of influence by circumstance.” – Louis I. Kahn
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Tags: south florida tech, sponsorist, startups, website design