Cloudonix - Pace Entrepreneurship Studio Startup

Eric Klein '90, '97, co-founder and COO
Nir Simionovich, CEO and founder

Interview with Lubin and Seidenberg alumnus Eric Klein

Tell us about your startup.

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Cloudonix revolutionizes business communication with its Software Defined Voice and Text platform. Enterprises can streamline their operations and enhance customer service by integrating voice and data for a comprehensive service experience. With Cloudonix, companies can route voice and text communications from any digital source (websites, mobile apps, ads, emails, bus stops, or devices) directly to their call center, making it easier to capture leads and provide top-notch customer support. Cloudonix also enables remote teams to access cloud capabilities for their on-premise call center with added security, privacy, and cost-effectiveness.

How did you come up with the idea for your company?

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Cloudonix's beginnings were not as traditional as you might imagine—considering its industry. Prior to Cloudonix, Nir and I were working together in Greenfield Technologies, a telecom-focused consulting and development company that Nir founded in 2007. Starting in 2013, multiple companies came to us that were looking for a high-performance VoIP developer SDK that was optimized for mobile devices. At the time, the offerings were just too bloated and didn't fit the mobile device properly. We set out to build that SDK, and did so. Originally, we didn't plan to build a SaaS platform; however, following an incident involving Nir's wife and his old SUV, the idea behind Cloudonix was born in August 2015.

The incident occurred on a Saturday night, where Nir's wife took his car and drove to a mall with two of her friends. Roughly at midnight, she called Nir, who had stayed at home with their girls, saying: "The car stopped in the middle of the road and there is a smell of gas in the car.” Nir tried to get her to call the insurance company and get a tow truck, but she was unable to do so, mostly due to the duress she was under at the time. So, at around midnight, Nir got a babysitter and drove the family's second car to get his wife. On the way, he tried calling their insurance company—a far from ideal experience. Key in your ID, key in your policy number, select your issue ... the list just goes on and on. He tried using the company's mobile app, and there were forms, upon forms, upon forms to complete. Why does it have to be so complex? So, Nir had an epiphany—why is it so stressful to call the insurance company for assistance? He realized that much of it was related to the method they use to gather data—it feels like an inquisition. When you use the app it goes to the dialer and knows nothing about you (at best it knows to tie your phone number to your account). This means you need to answer lots of questions for the agent to have the context to help you.

But why? The mobile app has already been authenticated; it has the policy number and it can get your location. Heck, it can even be paired with the car's computer to get the status of the car. The app has the context; we can help preserve it and make the experience less painful. The next day, we started working on building the platform that is now known as Cloudonix.

As an alumni entrepreneur, how did your classes at Pace University prepare you to start your business?

As a double alumnus from Pace, I am constantly surprised. I earned my first degree from Lubin—a BBA in Management Information Systems. This not only gave me a strong basis in programming (not that I do that anymore), but I keep using what I learned in my marketing and accounting classes. For example, accounting helps with the budget planning and forecasting. Almost everything you do in a startup is in some way related to marketing and sales, even if you never talk to a prospect. So having these as a basis really helped shape my career and daily life in our startup.

Being on campus, or in an accelerator, comes with a level of energy and people to consult that is missing when you are in your own office. Finding people to help you and to work with you becomes much harder once you pass outside of a university setting.

What is a challenge you've had to overcome as an alumni entrepreneur?

Being on campus, or in an accelerator, comes with a level of energy and people to consult that is missing when you are in your own office. Finding people to help you and to work with you becomes much harder once you pass outside of a university setting.

Do you have any words of advice for a student looking to kickstart their own business?

Keep talking with advisors and potential customers; learn what the pain points are and what customers would pay to solve them. Too many startups are a solution looking for a problem, and that tends to mean that you have no path to revenue, let alone success. Find out if pain potential customers are already regularly spending money on due to their use of difficult or multiple tools. Once you find a way to streamline or consolidate their pain, you will have a winner. Otherwise, at best, you are a nice feature to be acquired by another company.

Connect with Cloudonix:

Twitter:

• @cloudonix
• @NirSimionovich
• @EricLKlein
• @therealguss

Linkedin:

• cloudonix-io
• nir-simionovich
• ericlklein
• odedarbel

Fatima Rehana

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Class of 2023

Currently Studying: MBA in Marketing Analytics

Member Of: TEAM Pace (President), International Student Club (Social Media Director), Lubin Women in Leadership (Vice President of Marketing and Events), Lubin Graduate Marketing Society (Vice President of Industry Relations), Strategy and International Business Club (Director of Marketing), Graduate Finance Club (Director of Social Media)

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Fatima Rehana always dreamed of getting a graduate degree that combined her interests in marketing and analytics. She found that unique opportunity at the Lubin School of Business. As she pursues her MBA in Marketing Analytics, Fatima is also building leadership skills and friendships on campus by taking advantage of all of the student organizations that Pace University offers.

Why did you choose Pace University and the Lubin School of Business?

I have always had a passion to pursue a master's degree in marketing, along with obtaining an MBA degree. However, looking at the demand for analytics, I wanted to integrate the field of marketing with analytics. Subsequently, the Lubin School of Business is one of the few universities that provides a combination of MBA, marketing, and analytics, which was perfect for what I was looking for. Moreover, I love that Pace University is in the heart of New York City, which gives us students a better chance at networking and the opportunity to study in the business hub of the world while gaining New York life experience.

How have clubs on campus helped enrich your student experience?

When I first started at Pace University in the Spring 2022 semester, I had attended the graduate and undergraduate clubs meet and greet sessions, where I learned a lot about each club, how we can be a part of the event planning process, and gain leadership skills by being on executive boards. I started applying to student organizations that interested me. Today, I am on the executive board for six student organizations, where I am responsible for interacting with industry professionals, marketing and social media management, event planning, and industry relations. This has really helped me gain valuable leadership, interpersonal, teamwork, and time management skills, as well as gain confidence in my abilities. Besides learning how to multitask, I have also gained some amazing friends by interacting with students from all around the world.

You sit on the e-boards of six student organizations, including President of TEAM Pace and Vice President of Marketing and Events for Lubin Women in Leadership. What motivated you to go after these positions?

As soon as I learned about the benefits of being a part of student organizations on campus, I started applying to clubs that suited my interests. I had the drive to gain valuable leadership skills and meet and interact with industry professionals. Being part of on-campus student organizations means that I now have the ability to plan events, which can sometimes be hectic, but fun and exciting at the same time.

How have your Lubin classes helped you as the Employer Relations Intern for Pace University's Career Services department?

I started working at Career Services at the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester. I have been implementing my knowledge and skills that I am gaining through my Lubin classes into my internship, such as analytical, marketing, software, research, and managerial skills.

Why is it important to be involved on campus?

Being involved on campus is really exciting, as it helps us get a break from academic classes. Clubs also help shape us and gain transferrable skills that might be highly useful in our career development and professional life. Furthermore, being involved gives us a chance to meet new people and hopefully form strong and lifelong bonds with new friends.

How do you balance classes and your leadership roles?

It can be quite exhausting at times, but it's part of growing up and learning to be responsible. I usually try to stay as organized as possible to ensure high performance. I also love keeping an organizer with all my deadlines based on priority. I also usually set my personal task completion deadlines at least a day before the actual submission deadline, which helps me ensure that I can double-check my work thoroughly.

Tell us a bit about being an international student at Pace.

Being an international student in a new country can be nerve-racking, which was the case for me. However, Pace University has been so supportive, helpful, and organized—all of my questions are always answered. Meeting such a diverse range of students from all over the world has really helped me learn about different cultures and traditions. So overall, I am loving this experience!

What has been your favorite opportunity at Pace?

Everything that I have done so far at Pace has helped me in some way or the other. However, my favorite opportunity would be being part of the Career Services department, where I have had the opportunity to work with such an amazing team (a special shoutout to Helene Cruz, who has been a constant support and mentor). It has helped me gain valuable insight into how hard the team works to ensure that students can gain maximum success in life and in our careers. It has also helped me develop myself further and learn the "dos" and "don'ts" of the professional world.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students?

Pace University has various departments to support you, so make sure that you try your best to utilize them. Also, try to grasp as much knowledge as possible from your peers, professors, advisors, and guest speakers, as every piece of information can help you at any stage of your life. Don't dedicate your entire time solely to academics, and focus equally on professional and personal development, as you need to prioritize work-life balance. It can be exhausting at times, but please trust in yourself, because you can do it! All you have to do is make maximum use of all the resources and opportunities available to you at Pace.

After coming to Pace University, I have managed to come out of my introvert shell and be more confident, which can be a very important trait for someone like me who wants to work in today's highly competitive and dynamic marketplace. I have met so many people at different stages of their lives, learned from their personal experiences, and found some really close friends who are like family to me.

What does #LubinLife mean to you?

To me, #LubinLife means new opportunities and personal development. After coming to Pace University, I have managed to come out of my introvert shell and be more confident, which can be a very important trait for someone like me who wants to work in today's highly competitive and dynamic marketplace. I have met so many people at different stages of their lives, learned from their personal experiences, and found some really close friends who are like family to me at this point. At Pace University and the Lubin School of Business, there are so many supporting resources available, that you would never feel stranded or lost if you understand and appreciate its importance.

Connect with Fatima on LinkedIn