Students often feel that what they major in is indicative of what they must do for the rest of their lives. But for one Mercer University senior, discovering his passion after he declared a major only opened up new opportunities.
Micah Givens is a 22-year-old computer engineering major at Mercer. Initially following in the footsteps of his civil engineer father, Givens chose computer engineering because he had a love for science. However, in his junior year, he discovered his true passion was business.
“I didn't realize I wanted to do business until I was a second semester junior. [So] I decided to apply computer engineering with a minor in business,” Givens said.
The marriage of the two career possibilities led Givens to inventing two upcoming technologies that may land him his own company one day soon.
“[My partners and I] made a bone conduction head band. Only the person wearing the headband can hear the music,” Givens said. “Your ears are completely free, so they you can be aware of your surroundings. It vibrates your skull the same frequency that music vibrates your eardrums,” Givens said.
Givens and his partners Marcos Nve-Nsi and John Niesen, presented their “Head Noise” headphones at Bear Day and found success among those who tried the headphones out. They plan to continue the venture as a possible business opportunity upon graduation.
Givens and Nve-Nsi partnered again to invent a shopping app called “Zanglers” that allows users to find clothing easily by “tagging” items on an online database. Users are incentivized to tag the clothing they buy by receiving a 10 percent profit when shoppers buy the items they have tagged.
“I was trying to find a red tank top online, and I couldn't find any. So I thought there should be an online mall where I could look. When I couldn't find one, I figured I’d make my own,” Givens said.
The two are working on partnering with big-name stores such as American Eagle Outfitters and ASOS.
The app was also recently entered in the Innovation Center’s Next Big Idea Pitch competition and took home first place. Givens and Nve-Nsi will receive a $6,000 grant to further fund their venture.
Givens’ dream of owning his own start-up could soon become a reality.
Micah Givens and team invent new technologies
