The Petition Co.

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

Industry: Political Tech, GovTech

Founding Student: Michael Korvyakov

Funding: Self-funded

Brief Description of Solution: Our software expedites the process of validating the voter registration of signers on political petitions.

What led you to launch this venture? I’ve worked on many political campaigns where my candidate had to collect voters’ signatures to make it on the ballot. The candidates always made a habit of collecting 2x to 3x the number of required signatures in case the clerk or their opponent challenged the validity of those signatures. I knew there had to be a more efficient way to check the registration of these signers.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far with this venture? We closed five large contracts in our first three months of business. We’re now scaling our team to take on many more in the upcoming cycle.

How has your business-related major helped you further this startup venture? As a Business and Global Affairs major, I’ve taken classes related to finance, management, negotiation, and entrepreneurship. Each of these has played a unique role in moving my business forward.

Which business class has been most valuable in building your startup, and what was the biggest lesson you gained from it? Entrepreneurship for the Common Good with Professor Jeff Reid gave me the opportunity to hear from entrepreneurs pursuing social missions alongside their profit missions. That class taught me that making profit and doing good are not necessarily at odds.

What business professor made a significant contribution to your plans, and why? The biggest contribution to my plans came from the staff of Georgetown Entrepreneurship, including Jeff Reid, Aveline Argo, Jacob Stiglitz, Ben Zimmerman, Amy Millman, and Lucinda Bakken. They’ve provided me with the environment, lessons, and resources that have made my entrepreneurial journey possible. Above all else, they’ve encouraged me to bet on myself and take a chance on my ideas.

What founder or entrepreneur inspired you to start your own entrepreneurial journey? How did he or she prove motivational to you? My parents are immigrants from the Soviet Union. After working for years as accountants, they pivoted to running their own business. Growing up, they were a model of the hard work and versatility required to be an entrepreneur. Their expertise, example, and encouragement have been pivotal to my entrepreneurial journey.

What is your long-term goal with your startup? After making our name in the signature validation space, we plan to expand to validating elections that are still reported on paper internationally. Our long-term mission is to protect democracy at home and abroad.

How has your local startup ecosystem contributed to your venture’s development and success? The D.C. GovTech and Political Tech scenes are very strong, allowing me to meet many people in the space. I’ve also had the pleasure of being in Georgetown Entrepreneurship’s Venture Lab, where I’ve worked alongside and learned from brilliant entrepreneurs.

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