Oh, the places you'll go
Wofford student creates and develops app to revolutionize business travel
2017-12-11
Of the 2,000 startups presented at Plug and Play during 2017, the world’s largest startup accelerator, one Wofford College student’s made the top 20. Jack McDonald presented Voyway, a mobile travel app distinctive in its convenience and aggregation of information.McDonald, a finance major with an accounting and economics minor who plans to graduate in May, first thought of the idea when he moved from his hometown of Rochester, N.Y., to Wofford for his first year of college. While traveling, he noticed obvious gaps in the travel industry. “With the long journey down, I had this idea to redefine the way travel was booked, especially right now in the online digital age," says McDonald. "I interviewed some people and realized there were issues that could be fixed to travel smarter and better.”Voyway, geared toward small businesses that expense employee trips, provides three distinct services. First, it allows for an easy, paperless way of recording expenses. Second, it offers traditional travel information and booking. Finally, McDonald takes great pride in what he defines as providing “point of interest and research.” Voyway shares information and reviews on restaurants and other points of interest in the area, so travelers can better find and choose what they want to do while in a new city.“What we have going for us is the combination of these three things," says McDonald. "By having them together in one app, travel is more efficient and more convenient.”Voyway is still in development, but it’s gaining momentum after being selected during the Plug and Play startup event. As a result, McDonald has been given office space in Silicon Valley to develop the product while meeting with corporate partners and different venture firms.“The startup atmosphere right now is exciting, and I’ve been able to learn so much from the other people around me,” says McDonald. He plans to launch Voyway in 2018. For more information on Voyway, visit http://voyway.com/. by Kelsey Aylor, Wofford Class of 2018