Meet our Wolves’ Den Competitors: Kirk Davies

Posted on Thursday, March 17th, 2016

Kirk DaviesKirk Davies is a graduate of Algonquin College’s Mobile Application Design and Development program and a current student of the Small Business Accounting program. He is the founder of CoachHub—an online marketplace connecting young athletes to vetted private coaches—and will pitch his idea on March 23 at the College’s inaugural Wolves’ Den. The Wolves’ Den is Algonquin College’s very own Dragon’s Den, and features five student entrepreneurs competing for legal help, seed money, and a mentorship opportunity.

Will CoachHub succeed in connecting this entrepreneur with some private mentorship and investment? Let’s learn more about Kirk!

Can you summarize CoachHub in a few sentences?

CoachHub is a service that connects athletes with private coaches. We believe that private coaching is the secret to helping athletes reach their full potential in sports and in life. Our expected launch date is June 1, and we already have over 300 athletes and 80 coaches signed up on our platform eagerly awaiting our launch.

You have experience both as an athlete and as a private coach. Is this what sparked your interest in starting your own business?

That’s exactly where it came from. I’ve been an athlete my whole life and found that private coaching really did change it. It didn’t just change my athletic ability, it improved my grades, my work ethic, and also made me a happier kid.

Because of this, I started my own private tennis coaching company in 2010. However, I found I lacked many of the skills required to run my business successfully. I had no experience with administration, SEO, or website development, which is why I came to Algonquin.

Would you say life experience is key for generating entrepreneurial ideas?

I definitely believe that. Most people get into entrepreneurship after noticing a problem they are encountering in their lives. Then they decide to go out and solve it.

What were these problems for you?

The first problem was that it was hard for parents and athletes to find and compare private coaches. Most coaches don’t have websites. If they do, you can’t tell if the reviews are accurate or if the coach is reputable. If you find a few, there is no way to compare them to find the coach who is the best fit for you.

The second problem I wanted to solve was that it was difficult for coaches to find and manage clients. Most coaches also lack the tools they need to market themselves. I wanted to make it easier for coaches to run their business so they could focus on what they do best: coaching.

How have your studies or entrepreneurship supports at the College assisted you on your entrepreneurial journey?

The Mobile Application Design and Development program was amazing. I can’t say enough good things about it. The teachers were amazing and I learned so much about mobile apps and websites. During the program, I began noticing huge trends with online marketplaces becoming very successful. The idea of CoachHub was a natural evolution after my experience.

The Small Business Accounting program currently teaches me the skills I need to keep my finances in order and bookkeep for my company.

Participating in SUMMIT was also great, because it introduced us to many entrepreneurs who overcame the same problems we were going through. They helped me break down the economics behind CoachHub and identify revenue opportunities and partnerships.

What other aspects of the Algonquin College community have you tapped into?

I was also involved with Applied Research and Innovation, where I worked with top students from the Interactive Media Design program to produce a series of videos to market CoachHub. This was invaluable and we would love to work with them again.

In terms of the community culture, I’ve met many great people here at Algonquin, from teachers to other students. Some have even joined the CoachHub team. The College really makes it easy for students to find any resources they need. I’m very proud to say that I go to Algonquin!

Entrepreneurship is a difficult avenue to pursue. What makes it worth it for you?

In my particular experience, I wanted to give back. I knew how much having a private coach improved my life. For me, my company is more about the journey than the destination, and the same can be said of private coaching. It’s about working hard every day, addressing your weaknesses, learning, and having fun.

We have so many great private coaches in Canada, and I know they can make real impacts on athletes’ lives. I’m just trying to facilitate that link.

Best of luck to Kirk and all our competitors as they step into the Wolves’ Den on March 23! Or, you can join them in the Den and cheer them on March 23 at 11 a.m. in the AC Hub!


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