2018 alumnus finds success with social networking app
Logan Koshenka, BBA ’18, (far left) is pictured with members of the Business Cluster he participated in while an undergraduate in Ohio University’s College of Business. Photo by Melissa Cordy, BSVC ’18
Logan Koshenka, BBA ’18, knew at a young age what he wanted to do with his life, admitting, “I’ve always been obsessed with creating, building and entrepreneurship.”
But it was the sense of community Koshenka found at Ohio University that served as a driving force behind Skyway, the social networking app he founded.
Koshenka tested Skyway in November 2017 while studying in OHIO’s College of Business. The social networking app is designed to facilitate interaction amongst people in a given area, with Athens serving as its pilot location.
“The inspiration behind Skyway was really to have a location-based, social platform to see what’s happening around you in real-time,” Koshenka said. “Whether it be finding plans, making new friends or spreading news about an event on campus, I wanted there to be an easy way to talk to people around you. The sense of community we all love at Ohio University drove a lot of that inspiration.”
Feedback on the original version of Skyway was positive, and Koshenka embarked on a process of refining and improving the app. In December, Koshenka released the newest version of Skyway on the iOS App Store, and in January he was featured on the website of Next Gen Summit, a community for young entrepreneurs. The number of registered Skyway users recently reached the 3,000 mark.
An OHIO alumni tradition, Logan Koshenka, BBA ’18, poses for a picture in front of Class Gateway on the day of his graduation.
“The goal is for Skyway to someday be used all over the world as the go-to app for knowing what’s going on around you,” Koshenka said.
Koshenka’s latest success as an entrepreneur and software developer follows years of fine-tuning his skills in both fields.
At only 15 years old, Koshenka sold a blog he created that taught teenagers how to earn money. At 19, a website he created that connected individuals with experts in a variety of fields caught the attention of Silicon Valley, and Koshenka was accepted into Draper University, a startup bootcamp for emerging entrepreneurs. Shortly thereafter, Koshenka released his first app, The Perfect 10, a strategy and luck-based game that generated 10,000 downloads in its first week.
Koshenka attributes a lot of his success to the opportunities he had at Ohio University and, specifically, to the College of Business professors who educated and mentored him over the years.
“The decision to become a part of Ohio University’s College of Business was easy,” Koshenka said. “Everyone I met and everything I heard made me feel very confident that I’d gain a lot of value from it.”
A self-described “business nerd to his core,” Koshenka immersed himself in his college experience, staying after class to talk with professors and even reaching out to professors whose classes he wasn’t enrolled.
“They were excited to see someone so passionate about business, and I was excited to learn from their years of experience,” he said.
As a proud OHIO alumnus, Koshenka said he makes a conscious effort to stay connected to his Bobcat family, both his friends and his professors. He said he looks forward to visiting campus, attending Homecoming, and giving back to the University by serving as a resource to the students who are following in his footsteps.
His advice to those students?
“I’d like to encourage any current students who are reading this to really enjoy your time in Athens,” Koshenka said. “It sounds cliché, but keep in mind that your time there will end, and you’ll miss it. Make the most out of every second spent in the best college town in the world.”