Whether it comes into play for work (we see you Educational and Leadership Consultants!), for a bit of rest and relaxation or to one of the Fraternity's many nationwide LEAD events/conferences, brothers know how impactful wanderlust can be. And... how gosh darn annoying it can be too. There. We said it. But, lucky for those of us who have drug suitcases around a brand new city, while simultaneously just trying to find a place to eat, 2012 National COY Cody Candee has a solution.
A s
easoned traveler, Candee has been to 50 countries (and counting!) since 2010, which includes backpacking in South America, living in Bangalore, India and spending some time working in London. He has also called more than 12 cities home. Describing himself as a minimalist at heart, Cody couldn't help but realize during his travels how much people plan their days, and ultimately their lives, around the things they own. According to Candee, "I thought, their has to be an easier way." Having worked for Intuit as a project manager/lead, it wasn't long before Bounce was created around the concept of "you could bounce your stuff away from you, then bounce it back to you."
Bounce is a short-term storage solution marketplace, recently named "The Best Luggage Storage Provider in NYC." Essentially, consumers can download the app, select a nearby location to store their luggage for the day and for $5.90 per bag per day, enjoy the city hands-free. Candee partners with local businesses such as shops or hotels who, in exchange for offering luggage storage, are compensated. A key factor in being a Bounce partner is having reliable and consistent hours of operation, so consumers can depend on when to drop off/pick up their belongings.
What began as two young men (Candee and co-founder Aleksander Rendtlsev) working out of a living room in New York has become a company spanning the country (and soon, the globe!). The Bounce team is equipped with a handful of new team members, official headquarters and have recently brought on an intern. And there is no stopping them as they operate by Cody's favorite motto, "Have a bias for action." In fact, the team is working diligently to add an additional 55 cities to the docket. With access to potentially the most prime real estate in the world and no shortage of locations to expand to, the future is bright for Candee, who believes "If you want to have a really good business, you have to have a really good team."
Although he obviously keeps very busy, Candee,
Wisconsin-Madison, is a Deltasig for life. Having gone to every Grand Chapter Congress since 2009, he began as a colony member working hard to get a charter. Helping the group go from struggling to experiencing lines past the doors at events, Candee played a major role in marketing the chapter and maintaining tight bonds. As a National COY, he focused on rallying brothers around best practices and bridging the gap between brothers from different chapters to form mentorships between collegiate members. While he is grateful for many brothers who have mentored him throughout the years, he recalls meeting District Director of the Year Patrick Bonfrisco as a colony member and learning many valuable lessons from him later as they served on the Board of Directors together.
While his company may be built on solving universal travel headaches, Candee credits his many adventures with giving him a profound sense of perspective. "You realize something you thought was true your whole life, someone else thinks what's conflicting was true their whole life. It causes you to reflect on what you truly believe."
Check out Bounce: