Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrew Keller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Andrew , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

There are two key problems Learnicity tackles. Firstly is financial literacy. I knew this was a growing issue within my Generation, ‘Gen Z.” Whether it was talking to friends about finances or hearing how their money is allocated. There were tons of missed opportunities from lack of financial know how. This became even more prevalent as I started talking to other generations. The problem is clear. Money is a taboo subject for a majority of people, and the resources out there do not supply this education in a simple or engaging format. So I knew the Learnicity app had to present the material in a simple, and eye pleasing manner. This learning model propelled our first prototype, as users love the simple gestures and interactions to simply learn more.

The second key issue Learnicity tackles is rejuvenating small businesses. Growing right outside of Hagerstown, MD, I always wondered why can’t small businesses stay open? During development of the app, I got to meet and sit down with dozens of local business owners across every industry. As the world is still recovering from COVID, the race to AI dominance is in full effect, our small business owners in our towns and cities were getting left behind. The big chains and corporations already have too much power and resources, it was time to get small businesses connected to a revolutionary application that boosted their brand, got them more eyes and customers. This is where Learnicity Businesses stand above all. By offering a discount or product on our app, it incentives learning for our users and they can use their knowledge from the app to go out and support these local businesses.

This is key for me as I get to interact with people of all backgrounds, and experiences. No matter your financial level, like everything else, the best place is to start. As Learnicity was in development, I thought to myself, “10 years ago, if someone would’ve asked you to download the app that teaches them financial literacy and you get real rewards to local businesses, it wouldn’t be possible.” Now, as I just turned 20 years old, I made it happen, and I’m only just getting started.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My story starts when I turned 16 years old. I just bought my first stock, and my passion for everything investing, finance, the economy was in full force. This remained prevalent as when I graduated in the Spring of 2022, I was heading to Mount St. Mary’s university to study economics and play division 1 tennis. Unfortunately, after a week at university, a personal tragedy forced me to drop out. Within 2 weeks of dropping out, I got the first job I could get in Finance, and started working with a national insurance company. At 18, I was licensed in Life & Health Insurance, Annuities, Long Term Care, in 3 different states. Along with the insurance qualifications, I also sat down and helped many seniors with medicare as I was licensed with Humana, United Healthcare, and Aetna. Doing this for a few months was very eye opening and helped me gain rewarding experience.

The turning point for me happened in late March of 2023. I had the idea for Learnicity for awhile, and it was really starting to pick up steam in my head and with others. I was in Philadelphia for a “Managers in Training” meeting with the insurance company. During the conference, I remember just looking around at everyone, and thinking to myself “so is this it?” ‘Is this really what you wanna do?” That epiphany was the scariest yet rewarding thing I tackled. So when it came down to it, the question was “Do you throw away this promising career path for an idea you have?” The answer to that is “yes”, and I haven’t looked back since.

In April of 2023, I developed a Learnicity prototype that I had a local high school class try out. The results showed in instant need and demand for this product. So with this data I entered into Hagerstown Community Colleges “Idea Pitch Competition” I was able to win and bring in some key funds that helped pay for the development of the app. That whole summer and fall was marketing, development, and meeting with key business owners, community officials, and local politicians to tell them what is coming. On December 22nd 2023, The Learnicity App made its anticipated release on the iOS and Google Play Store. Now a few months after release, we have a dozen businesses on the app, hundreds of actives users, and we’re working with many non profits to help their clientele with financial literacy needs.

The Transaction function of the Learnicity App is one of our most modern features. After a user completes a little 2 to 3 minute lesson on “Budgeting Basics” in the app, they will get coins. These coins can be spent at participating businesses. Every Learnicity Business has our QR code in their store, so when a user wants to redeem, they simply scan the code in the Learnicity app and get their reward. These QR codes only work on the Learnicity App, and we share customer metrics with the business owners and so they can better see their audience, and how to gain more customers.

From a founder standpoint, I’m most proud of saying “I invented something” My high school class was a small 100 couple kids, our town has just two stoplights, and many people do not get an opportunity to pursue their dreams and actively tackle challenges. With great motivation and a desire to succeed, I was able to flip the script and make one of the most applicable consumer apps ever. This idea and app was not crafted in a Silicon Valley meeting room or a high rise over New York City, this idea and app was crafted in my bedroom in Western Maryland.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I have read numerous self help, business Stories and biographies, if I could only pick a few to read for the rest of my life, it would be these,

– The $100 Startup , Chris G. I first read this in Freshman year of High School. This teaches you on numerous accounts how being scrappy and living off the land can help start your business.

– How To Win Friends & Influence People, Dale C. A must read for anyone, the principles and strategies Carnegie covers in this can apply to any interaction, industry or person. This is one I will come back to and visit often.

– Meditations, Marcus Aurelius. My favorite book I’ve ever read. The stoic philosophy is one I Practice daily. I recommend the Stoic principles and philosophy for entrepreneurs especially because there are many parallels in their teachings with our day to day lives. One of my favorite quotes not only from Meditations but any type of literature I’ve read is “What hurts the hive, hurts the bee.”

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Keeping it simple. When you’re dealing with new inventions, especially in the tech industry, things can be very volatile. When it comes to sales, you must have a good scope and implement effective strategies that harness your resources. There are tons of software and services out there that help streamline sales processes. One service Learnicity uses to handle our invoices & billing is Stripe. It’s great for business and companies starting out because it’s free and can tailor across many different industries. Also using automations to handle a lot backend tasks that would take countless hours.

Contact Info:

• Website: learnicity.org
• Instagram: @aandrewkeller @learnicityapp
• Facebook: Andrew Keller / LearnicityApp
• Linkedin: Andrew Keller
• Youtube: Learnicity

Image Credits
– Mayor Tekesha Martinez, Mayor of Hagerstown – Nan S. Mann, Western MD Regional Director from Chris Van Hollen State Senator – City of Hagerstown