UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Through [entrepreneurially based organizations and resources at Penn State], I have met other people who are very ambitious and very driven by building things they love — whether that is building a business or building a software — and finding balance. I have found the more I surround myself with people like that, the more I become a person like that. I have built real friendships with people who have built me up and supported my ideas and how I think day to day.” 

Those are the words of Ryan Jai Hokimi, a senior studying computer science. Jai Hokimi is one of the many budding entrepreneurs who has tapped into the University’s many resources and networks that exist to help students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members turn their ideas into viable businesses. 

Jai Hokimi and fellow student Braeden Davidson, a junior pursuing a degree in corporate entrepreneurship and innovation, recently co-founded Saveware, a startup that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the sales tax refund process for businesses and tax firms.  

Davidson conceptualized the idea as a solution to the manual process he experienced during an internship and needed someone to help develop the technology.  

After experiencing the frustration of filing for a sales tax refund by hand during an internship, Davidson set out to solve a problem that affects businesses nationwide. But he needed someone to help develop the technology. He requested support through the Nittany AI Student Society and was connected with Jai Hokimi, the organization’s president.  

From there, the duo set off on the path to a partnership and launching a startup. Saveware has participated in the MVP DevLab at Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank, as well as various pitch competitions, including the Happy Valley Venture Capital pitch competition, where they won $5,000; the Mont Alto LaunchBox LION Tank pitch competition; and the Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition, where they won $15,000, the largest prize amount.   

Along with his mentor Brad Zdenek, director of economic development and student programs in the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, Jai Hokimi will discuss “Creating an Entrepreneurial Environment” at Penn State during the University’s Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 6. Jai Hokimi sat down for a Q&A with Penn State News in advance of the meeting to talk about his entrepreneurial journey. 

Q: Why did you choose to come to Penn State? 

Jai Hokimi: My uncle went to Penn State, and he absolutely loved the environment. He told me that, because of the University’s size, students can find the right person or group of people to help them with whatever they may want to accomplish. That was one of my biggest motivations to come here. I also chose Penn State because of the large network and endless opportunities available, both as a student and after graduation. 

Q: What first sparked your interest in entrepreneurship? 

Jai Hokimi: My dad is an entrepreneur. He would often come home from work and tell me stories about his day. It was always interesting to me how every day was different from another, as he was focused on addressing and accomplishing each day’s specific needs and tasks. I've always loved entrepreneurship from that aspect. Then, at Penn State, that spark grew very naturally. As a student studying computer science, I had lots of opportunities to play around with technical projects and build different types of software with my friends. Soon I was asking myself, “OK, now that we know that we can build some stuff, would anyone be interested in it? Is this something that we can sell?” That transition from tech to entrepreneurship was very natural, I think. 

Q: Tell us about the company you co-founded, Saveware. 

Jai Hokimi: Saveware helps companies avoid overpaying on sales tax and helps them recoup any overpaid sales tax using AI technology. There are tax firms that specialize in reviewing a company’s invoices for these overpayments and then working to recoup the taxes for them. However, this is a very manual process. 

Braeden (Davidson), who had worked as a sales tax analyst intern, had experience with this manual process. In his internship, he spent days combing through companies’ invoices to determine which charges were tax exempt. It was a tedious process, and he realized there was likely a better way to tackle it. He came back to Penn State the next semester knowing that he needed someone to help him build a solution. We got connected through the Nittany AI Student Society. Braeden is a business student, so he understands the use case and the sales tax application very well. I’m a computer science major and now the CTO of our startup, so I’m in charge of building the software and overseeing the product.  

Q: How have your experiences and the resources you’ve accessed at Penn State helped you to grow your business? 

Jai Hokimi: The programs at Penn State have been extremely valuable to us — especially Happy Valley LaunchBox, which gave us the guidance we needed to understand what it took to build our startup and provided us with opportunities for funding and structure to have the best chance of success. Our participation in Invent Penn State’s Summer Founders Program this year was also invaluable, as it gave us the opportunity to work on our startup all summer and connect with amazing advisors in the University’s network. 

We are nearing our first partnership with a tax firm, and this partnership will help us figure out what our long-term vision will look like. From there, we’ll continue building the software and planning it out. We’re also starting to hire Penn State students as interns to help roll out the tech in the next few months. Our goals for the next year are to generate revenue, establish our first client partnership and have our full software-as-a-service platform ready. 

Q: Describe the overall experience at Penn State for student entrepreneurs. 

Jai Hokimi: LaunchBox is amazing. They offer programs for every step of the way as you develop an idea and build a business. And LaunchBox is not just for students. Anyone across Pennsylvania can access resources at any of the 21 LaunchBoxes across the state. They have been with Saveware every step of the way. 

Another outstanding resource at Penn State is the Nittany AI Alliance, under which the Nittany AI Student Society operates. Most startups require technology, and Nittany AI has many coders in its membership that are ready to help explore ideas and build technology to support them. I owe Nittany AI so much credit for where I am today; it was the start of my Penn State career. I went to a meeting in my first year and it was a small club with only six members, but with the boom of AI in the last two years the organization has grown to hundreds of members today. It’s become a great resource for students interested in AI to build skills and be connected to internship and networking opportunities. Now I’m lucky enough to be president of the organization and help younger students have the same experience that I did.  

The LaunchBox and Nittany AI have helped me to realize that I love both entrepreneurship and technology, and they have provided me with opportunities to pursue both of those interests together. Through these organizations I have met other people who are very ambitious and very driven by building things they love — whether that is building a business or building a software — and finding balance. I have found the more I surround myself with people like that, the more I become a person like that. I have built real friendships with people who have built me up and supported my ideas and how I think day to day. I’ve also met many Penn State alumni who have been through the entrepreneurial journey. They have so much experience, and being able to get their advice and tap into their networks has been priceless. 

Q: What advice do you have for other Penn State student entrepreneurs? 

Jai Hokimi: You’re not alone. Take advantage of the University’s resources. Make sure you’re always taking a step forward, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. For me, that’s the hardest part. If you look at it week by week, you might not always feel like you’re advancing, but if you look at it semester by semester, you’ll realize just how much you are accomplishing. 

Q: What does it mean to you to be able to share your success as an entrepreneur with President Neeli Bendapudi and the Board of Trustees? 

Jai Hokimi: I’m very honored. I first came to Penn State with imposter syndrome. I wasn’t an overachiever in high school, and I came to college not really knowing what I wanted to do. Then, in a welcome speech, the dean encouraged us to try things out. So I did. I explored a few clubs and found I really loved the AI club. I met other students who I perceived to be more knowledgeable and experienced in these domains than I was, which pushed me to work harder to catch up to them.  

Honestly, it was a lot of fun — I was learning about things I cared about. And now I’m at a point where I can help other students in the same way people once helped me. So to be able to talk in front of the trustees and President Bendapudi is such an honor. It makes me realize that I’ve come full circle, going from someone who knew nothing and who felt like an imposter in every room to someone who believes that they can do whatever they want as long as they put in the focus.