Day1 AI

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

Industry: AI, Nonprofit Tech

MBA Founding Student Name(s): Simba Mubvuma

Brief Description of Solution: Day1 AI helps grant seekers to discover and collaborate on grants.

Funding Dollars: $250,000

What led you to launch this venture? I met my co-founder Peter Ivie while doing my MBA at Notre Dame. We were both volunteering at a nonprofit and saw firsthand how dedicated these teams are to their missions. We figured, nonprofits are already doing incredible work on their own; imagine what they could accomplish if they worked together? So we started Day1 AI to make it easier for nonprofits to collaborate. That way, they can take on even bigger challenges in the $1.2 trillion grant economy.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far with venture? Talking to over 100 nonprofit executive directors—this has been huge for us. It taught us that nothing beats being obsessed with understanding your customers. And yes, we raised pre-seed money from institutional VCs, which is tough to do. Honestly, getting to know this sector inside-out in just a few months has been the most rewarding part.

What has been the most significant challenge you’ve faced in creating your company and how did you solve it? Our biggest challenge was creating a platform that really clicks with nonprofits, especially since each organization has different needs. To get it right, we set up a lot of interviews and spent countless hours working with nonprofit leaders, testing ideas, and making changes based on their feedback. Listening to our users at every step has been the key.

How has your MBA program helped you further this startup venture? Notre Dame’s MBA program has been a game-changer. The IDEA Center gave us our first funding and an incredible support network. My professors and alumni connections have been invaluable—from helping refine our pitch to introducing us to potential funders and mentors. The Notre Dame community genuinely has your back. And honestly, Notre Dame is probably one of the only places where, if I ever needed to talk to Tom Mendoza (the person our business school is named after), he’d likely take my call. That kind of accessibility and support is just unmatched.

What founder or entrepreneur inspired you to start your own entrepreneurial journey? How did he or she prove motivational to you? Strive Masiyiwa, Zimbabwe’s first billionaire entrepreneur, is a huge inspiration for me. I met him at a conference in 2019, and I was struck by his dedication to doing good, along with his humility. Seeing someone from my home country make such a big impact while staying true to his values is a big part of why I’m here.

Which MBA class has been most valuable in building your startup and what was the biggest lesson you gained from it? Ethical Business Leadership with Professor Chris Adkins. As a founder, you’re constantly faced with tough calls, and this class taught me that sometimes you must go with your values when decisions aren’t clear-cut. This has been a big help when navigating tricky situations.

What professor made a significant contribution to your plans and why? Honestly, my whole final semester faculty. They understood that I was juggling investor meetings and coursework, and their support made all the difference. That’s Professors Chorvat (only class you can bring your dog!), Adkins (class with the best engagement I have seen), Dunbar (more like a Private Equity Partner teaching you how to do the job) and Professor Jason Arnold (Real Estate colloquium that feels like a really great podcast).

How has your local startup ecosystem contributed to your venture’s development and success? Notre Dame’s IDEA Center has been a huge support. They gave us our first check—the initial $1,000—on day one and later invested $50K through the Bridge Fund. More than the money, the mentorship from folks like Ben Hoggan, MaryBeth Wegner, John Henry, Ryan Kreager and Kunci Szentes (who all went to Notre Dame and work in the IDEA Center) helped us refine our approach to customer interviews and build around our users’ needs. The alumni network has been amazing too; Notre Dame is one of those places where you can reach out to someone who’s built six unicorns and get a response (this is a true story!)

What is your long-term goal with your startup? My vision is for Day1 to become the go-to platform for nonprofit grant collaboration. The vision is simple: individually, nonprofits can change their world. Together, they can change the world. Day1 will the technology that will scale nonprofit collaboration into the future.

Looking back, what is the biggest lesson you wished you’d known before launching and scaling your venture?  I wish I’d realized how valuable it would have been to start building my startup from day one of my MBA. Looking back, I can see how much more momentum we could have had if I’d begun using the resources, mentorship, and connections from the start. Jumping in early would have meant testing ideas sooner, getting feedback from professors and classmates, and possibly securing early funding right away. If I could go back, I’d tell myself not to wait—because every day counts in building something meaningful.

DON’T MISS: MOST DISRUPTIVE MBA STARTUPS OF 2024