Those who download the app will be asked to fill out a brief questionnaire, which provides Scholly with the information it needs to sort through a database of scholarship opportunities and provide a list of options. Before he founded Scholly and appeared on Shark Tank, Christopher Gray, a LeBow College of Business and Close School of Entrepreneurship student majoring in entrepreneurship, earned $1.3 million in scholarship money with a little help from a friend. It has also connected students with over $100 million in scholarships to further their education. Did you know founder Christopher Gray’s first title after graduation was CEO of Scholly? As Scholly members, they will also receive an exclusive $100 bonus to be applied toward their first payment. In realizing how broken and time consuming this process was, he created Scholly to make things much easier. To help families cover this expense and minimize the debt that their children might face, a young entrepreneur named Christopher Gray developed Scholly, an app that connects students to scholarship opportunities that fit their unique circumstances. Enter Scholly. With graduation looming, Gray came to see college as a necessity, but one priced like a luxury item. Scholly was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, landing a deal with Daymond John and Lori Greiner and sparking the biggest fight in Shark Tank history. How many students had it discouraged from going or even applying to college? Chris won over one million dollars to go to college, some of it from big name scholarship programs like the Gate's Foundation and Coca Cola Scholars Foundation. Scholly now has almost two million users. At times during his high school years, they were homeless. Also, how have social good projects played a role in your early life? The name “Million Dollar Scholar” is a convenient headline that was bestowed on Gray by the local press and re-used by the likes of USA Today, Fox News and The Philadelphia Inquirer after he won $1.3 million in scholarship money. His story has been featured in some of the most prominent newspapers, magazines, and news programs in the U.S.; in 2016, Gray was placed at the top of the Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Social Entrepreneurship, and he received the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award that same year. To date, Scholly users have been awarded more than $100 million in scholarships, and the app has almost two million users. There are 1,900+ professionals named "Christopher Gray", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. Chris, can you tell us about your childhood background? For seven months, Gray made the trip to his local library to jockey for time on one of a limited number of desktops there. These scholarships allegedly include the Gates Millennium Scholarship, Coca Cola Scholarship, AXA Achievement Scholarship, and the Horatio Alger Scholarship. No matter what your interests are, Scholly can help find money to support them. Gray was still a college student himself when he created Scholly to help others pursuing a route that was all too familiar to him. Founded at Drexel by Gray and fellow students Nick Pirollo and Bryson Alef, it launched in 2015 with the simple goal of matching students with available scholarships: Input your age, interests, and other demographic information and Scholly would find potential fits. He did this for seven months. Christopher Gray's Social Links Profile. There are plenty of sites that list a wealth of scholarships available but Scholly takes this process to another level by way of innovation. A Better Way To Find Money For College. By the end of Gray’s presentation, he’d won the sharks’ interest and wound up walking out of the room with not one but two investors, Lori Greiner and Daymond John, who contributed a total of $40,000 to Scholly’s development in exchange for a 15% stake in the company. Actor and activist Jesse Williams is a member of Scholly Search’s board; Chance the Rapper has appeared at its Chicago-based initiatives. Scholly is an online search platform that helps high school seniors, current undergraduates, and graduate students match and win scholarships. © 2020 Sootchy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. An Exclusive Interview with Christopher Gray: Founder of Scholly, Shark Tank Winner and Forbes 30 under 30. By enrolling in a 529 plan, you can generate tax-free investment returns for yourself or a loved one, and the process is surprisingly easy. But the process nagged at him. How Christopher Gray’s app, Scholly, helps kids go to college. Still in his midtwenties, Gray has been named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list for social entrepreneurship and Oprah Winfrey’s “SuperSoul 100” (who are basically her favorite people). And Steve Case, the AOL co-founder, has awarded a $100,000 competitive grant to Scholly. My questions are: 1. One such business that Sharks were impressed with enough to invest was Scholly. In recent years, Gray has set about evolving Scholly into a full-service education app. And the benefits of Gray’s Shark Tank appearance went beyond the TV studio. Scholly was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank , landing a deal with Daymond John and Lori Greiner and sparking the biggest fight in Shark Tank history. Christopher Gray is the founder and chief executive officer of Scholly, a mobile and web app that helps students find scholarships for college. As Christopher Gray and his co-founders, Nick Pirollo and Bryson Alef, began the work of developing Scholly into a powerful tool for prospective college students, they were offered the opportunity to pitch their nascent app on the popular show Shark Tank. Chris represents his company, Scholly, and has come to … As a teenager in Alabama, Christopher Gray was a straight-A student, community volunteer, and relentless dreamer. Here is the real story. Christopher Gray, one of Forbes’s “30 Under 30” and Oprah Winfrey’s “SuperSoul 100,” shares advice for students hoping to launch a sustainable social venture. Just download the free Sootchy app, and you can open a plan, manage your funds, and invite contributions from friends and family members. “My grandma always told me, ‘You have to work. into Scholly… July 3, 2018. Learn how Christopher Gray turned his struggle to fund his education into a national service to help people across the country achieve their dreams. View the profiles of professionals named "Christopher Gray" on LinkedIn. Scholly Before Shark Tank. By the time the last one came in, Gray had amassed $1.3 million. Only current scholarships are considered (staff members constantly update the app’s pool of scholarships), and Scholly passes over options that require a Social Security Number – often an indication that a scholarship is untrustworthy – or that require a big upfront payment. " — Christopher Gray Scholly uses app technology to make the scholarship and financial-aid application process as efficient as possible. “The amounts are compelling,” Gray says, “but what’s just as powerful are the stories of people who get, like, the last $3,000 they need to enroll. Gray has met with Bill Gates, been honored by Oprah Winfrey and invited twice to the White House. Like David Adefeso's struggle to pay for college being the impetus for the creation of Sootchy, so did Christopher Gray's challenge to find scholarships drive him to develop Scholly. Scholly was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, landing adeal with Daymond John and Lori Greiner and sparking the biggest fight in Shark Tankhistory. Lacking internet access at home, he searched for scholarships at the library, one hour at a time, in keeping with the posted screen limits. Fortunately, his efforts bore fruit, starting with a $20,000 grant from the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans – the first of many he would receive. He Makes Money Empowering Others To Avoid Student Loan Debt “I saw a problem and I tried to fix it,” he says from a Hollywood office populated by a handful of coworkers and one very large dog named Milk. The goal of Scholly is simple: to pair up students with scholarships that fit their specific circumstances. Christopher Gray Instagram/ @cjgray91 ) Lori Greiner, one of the judges, as well as FUBU co-founder, Daymond John , decided to partner with Gray after a … I am Christopher Gray, a student who won 1.3 million dollars in scholarships, and the creator of Scholly! “I realized there’s all this money looking for students,” he says, “and all these students looking for money.”. On his bookshelf sat works that would intimidate many adults, let alone children: Paradise Lost shared space with the biographies of prominent financiers and inspirational books by the likes of Malcolm Gladwell. Christopher Gray is the founder and chief executive officer of Scholly, a mobile and web app that helps students find scholarships for college. For many students, scholarships won with the help of resources like Scholly can cover tens of thousands of dollars in higher education expenses, but given the ever-growing costs associated with college, more might be required. “This good thing happened to me,” he says, “and now maybe I can help people who otherwise may not be able to help themselves.”. In total, Christopher Gray’s persistence earned him an incredible $1.3 million in scholarships, which he used to pave the way to a degree in business administration from Drexel University in Philadelphia. Within the first few hours after the show was aired, Scholly received 80,000 requests. Written by Scholly founder Christopher Gray who won 1.3 million dollars in scholarships, our latest blog post shares his secrets to paying $0 for college and graduating debt free. Scholly Math is an AI-powered standalone app that helps students solve tricky problems (while showing its work, of course). As graduation drew closer, Gray turned to scholarships to cover the cost of his continuing education, but he quickly found that the work of hunting down and applying for college funds required significant time and energy, not to mention easy access to a computer. His story soon reached the producers of Shark Tank, and the rest is Scholly history: Gray’s 60-second pitch resulted in a near-instant deal with Lori Greiner and Daymond John—and some viral offscreen dramatics. When his first scholarship check arrived, he sensed his efforts paying off. The Latest Information for Understanding Your Options. Even as a young child growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, Christopher Gray’s interest in education was evident. Scholly was created by Christopher Gray, who won $1.3 million in scholarships through grit, sweat, and hustle. The idea, Gray says, was born from his desire to help others do what he did. Christopher Gray is the Drexel University student behind Scholly, an app that helps students find scholarship opportunities. Christopher Gray just graduated from Drexel University in 2015, but he’s already making a huge name for himself through his startup Scholly, a comprehensive scholarship search platform that landed him on Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2016. Learn more by visiting us online or check out the Sootchy app today. I realized there’s all this money looking for students, and all these students looking for money. He used the money to study finance and entrepreneurship at Drexel University (and to cover his living expenses for all four years). Yet, as monikers go, it misses the mark. “I got some scholarships because I was the only one who applied. 02/19/2016 03:47 pm ET Updated Dec 06, 2017 1. In their pages, Gray learned the value of recognizing – and capitalizing on – one’s own potential, a philosophy that led him to excel as a high school student. There’s also Scholly Editor, a web-based proofreader. “We originally created it to help with essays,” Gray says, “but a lot of kids are using it to get better grades and learn English, especially in underserved schools.” 

Mostly, he hopes to continue helping students reach dreams that circumstances might have once deemed impossible. Scholly Search is the classic example of a simple idea that exploded. Scholly also garnered accolades from an array of companies and publications, including Inc. Magazine and Under Armour. He was also the son of a single mother who’d lost her job to the recession. During the college application process, Christopher Gray discovered that information for scholarships was scattered all over the internet. Stepping into the Shark Tank is Christopher Gray, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “I don’t care how we monetize,” she said, prompting a minor meltdown in which a number of sharks basically stormed out of the studio.). “It’s extremely simple,” said Christopher Gray, the founder and CEO of Scholly, in an interview with USA Today. “CommonBond is a like-minded partner that shares our vision of helping students achieve their dreams,” said founder, Christopher Gray. The app is available on both web and mobile platforms, but note that it’s not free; the use of Scholly’s services will cost you $45 per year, which comes out to $3.75 a month. Feeding Scholly to the Sharks. It was during his time there that Gray realized just how backward the scholarship system was in the U.S., and how many students craved help in finding scholarships. He was also the son of a single mother who’d lost her job to the recession. Hello Reddit! Christopher Gray. (Greiner offered Gray his requested $40,000 without even asking questions. When a student inputs her data (state, race, GPA, etc.) Even Oprah weighed in when she named Gray to her Super Soul 100 list, which honors socially conscious leaders from a variety of industries. How, he thought, could it be so disjointed? This insight led to the idea for an application that streamlines the process for everyone: Scholly. Christopher Gray’s work got the attention of Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Jesse Williams. As Christopher Gray and his co-founders, Nick Pirollo and Bryson Alef, began the work of developing Scholly into a powerful tool for prospective college students, they were offered the opportunity to pitch their nascent app on the popular show Shark Tank. In the days after he made his pitch, viewers from across the country download the app in such huge numbers that Scholly rocketed to the top of the rankings on both the Google Play Store and iOS App Store, where it stayed for more than three weeks. How Christopher Gray’s app, Scholly, helps kids go to college. Christopher Gray is the founder and CEO of Scholly, a web and mobile app that helps students find scholarships for college. Christopher Gray is the founder and chief executive officer of Scholly, a mobile and web app that helps students find scholarships for college. It’s really powerful to experience that, because, OK, I was a homeless kid.”. He often wrote 500-word application essays on his phone — not a smartphone but a chunky 2008 model with a tiny keyboard. Gray himself has earned more than a little attention as well. christopher gray After winning $1.3 million in scholarships himself, Christopher Gray founded Scholly, an app that helps students easily find scholarships for college. Though many dream about the possibilities that a college education creates, that optimism is often tempered by the eye-popping price tag that almost any degree carries today – a cost that continues to climb with each passing year. I always wear my Scholly sweatshirt when I travel, and people come up to me and say, ‘Oh wow, you’re Scholly!’ Not ‘Oh, you’re Chris’ but ‘You’re Scholly!’ And they’ll tell me their story. Christopher Gray and his co-founders got to working on a platform that would make the process of matching and applying to scholarships much more simplified. Here, we’ll look at how he turned a struggle to fund his education into a service with hundreds of thousands of users nationwide. Christopher Gray (A): I’m Christopher Gray, the founder and CEO of Scholly, a web and mobile app that helps students find scholarships for college. As a teenager in Alabama, Christopher Gray was a straight-A student, community volunteer, and relentless dreamer. He’s spoken at the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper summit and received the 2018 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award. Gray … Christopher Gray is an excellent example of someone who saw and experienced a problem, and figured out how to fix it. Today, it has roughly 3 million users who have landed more than $110 million in scholarships. The Solution: Scholly. I was actually still a college student at Drexel University when I created Scholly in an effort to help others pursuing a … A lot of times, students just don’t know they exist.”, More good news was to come. ... Scholly founder and CEO, Chris Gray, was one of those stories. For countless high school students across the country, the thought of heading off to college is one that inspires excitement and apprehension in equal measure. Whether it was 50 years ago or 5, Black Americans continue to contribute to this country's history of amazing achievements. You have to ignore whatever is going on around you, put your head down, and focus.’”. Scholly is an app that gives students an … Christopher Gray, a 24-year-old entrepreneur, has already accomplished much and given a lot. Christopher Gray, 22, came up with the idea for Scholly in 2013 after winning $1.3 million in scholarships himself. According to Tech Crunch, one of the creators of the Scholly Scholarship App, African-American Christopher Gray, won $1.3 million in scholarships to attend college. The company has relocated from Philadelphia to California, into a sprawling corner office with mountain views. 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