J.J. Levenske

So we went into a venture together under the school builder moniker where JJ here, I think I started with like $10,000 a laptop and I went and got the license. Okay. And bam, we built our first charter school that summer and then it just skyrocketed.

So we went into a venture together under the school builder moniker where JJ here, I think I started with like $10,000 a laptop and I went and got the license. Okay. And bam, we built our first charter school that summer and then it just skyrocketed.

So that was kind of what put my name on the map here locally, because I will, without tooting my own horn or our horn, is it was a Midwestern work ethic that we brought to the valley that was different at the time. At that summer, that summer, there was five charter schools being built. And it just so happens that myself and my superintendent at the time, that's all it was.

So that was kind of what put my name on the map here locally, because I will, without tooting my own horn or our horn, is it was a Midwestern work ethic that we brought to the valley that was different at the time. At that summer, that summer, there was five charter schools being built. And it just so happens that myself and my superintendent at the time, that's all it was.

And we're in the trailer 24-7. And we took an attitude like we would have in the Midwest, which is we've only got this amount of time to get stuff in the ground because the snow's coming. Well, there's no snow in Arizona. But we have something else called the monsoons. So here it was, I think that was the summer of 2017. We were awarded our first contract.

And we're in the trailer 24-7. And we took an attitude like we would have in the Midwest, which is we've only got this amount of time to get stuff in the ground because the snow's coming. Well, there's no snow in Arizona. But we have something else called the monsoons. So here it was, I think that was the summer of 2017. We were awarded our first contract.

We built the, it was the American Leadership Academy campus right down by the Basha High School. And if I remember right, we did a turnkey, however many acres that was, 50,000 square feet plus or minus. And we brought it in in under 120 days turnkey. Wow. And everyone looked at us and went, what in the hell?

We built the, it was the American Leadership Academy campus right down by the Basha High School. And if I remember right, we did a turnkey, however many acres that was, 50,000 square feet plus or minus. And we brought it in in under 120 days turnkey. Wow. And everyone looked at us and went, what in the hell?

I'll never forget the day that I had the meeting, Tommy, with the, he's no longer there, but it was the building official we got assigned from Gilbert. He showed up, I can't remember his name. And he's like, oh, this is how you use your online scheduling system. I said, well, is there a way that I can just have you out here every day? And he's like, well, why?

I'll never forget the day that I had the meeting, Tommy, with the, he's no longer there, but it was the building official we got assigned from Gilbert. He showed up, I can't remember his name. And he's like, oh, this is how you use your online scheduling system. I said, well, is there a way that I can just have you out here every day? And he's like, well, why?

And I go, because I'm going to need you every day. I said, I got to be done in August. He's like, oh, well, it gives you a year and two months. I said, no, you dipshit. Like 90 days from now. He's like, no freaking way. So anyway, what happened? I'll try to give the Reader's Digest version is that that put us on the map because we outshined everyone else.

And I go, because I'm going to need you every day. I said, I got to be done in August. He's like, oh, well, it gives you a year and two months. I said, no, you dipshit. Like 90 days from now. He's like, no freaking way. So anyway, what happened? I'll try to give the Reader's Digest version is that that put us on the map because we outshined everyone else.

Not because they were we were better general contractors or they were worse general contractors. We took the mentality of seeing the end of the beginning and reverse engineering it and doing that. So where I'm going with this is we got all of our utilities done ahead of time. I got the sod in ahead of time so that when all the monsoons hit, we were done and we were just building the building.

Not because they were we were better general contractors or they were worse general contractors. We took the mentality of seeing the end of the beginning and reverse engineering it and doing that. So where I'm going with this is we got all of our utilities done ahead of time. I got the sod in ahead of time so that when all the monsoons hit, we were done and we were just building the building.

Well, I got it dried in so that all of our trades could work inside. Weather didn't impact us. The other five schools that were being built in the valley at the time, none of them opened on time. They had all sorts of problems because they waited. They waited, they waited, they waited, and the monsoons killed them. And it was a wet summer that summer.

Well, I got it dried in so that all of our trades could work inside. Weather didn't impact us. The other five schools that were being built in the valley at the time, none of them opened on time. They had all sorts of problems because they waited. They waited, they waited, they waited, and the monsoons killed them. And it was a wet summer that summer.

So anyway, that was kind of the catalyst. And so coming out of that, I'll spare the audience the whole... We pivoted and iterated on some other things. We tried some other things. But then we soon realized that School Builder was myopic in our name. And we said, we've got to come up with a brand that has more just diversity.

So anyway, that was kind of the catalyst. And so coming out of that, I'll spare the audience the whole... We pivoted and iterated on some other things. We tried some other things. But then we soon realized that School Builder was myopic in our name. And we said, we've got to come up with a brand that has more just diversity.

And so we sat around and we did the old brainstorm where you got yellow stickers. You've done it before, whiteboarding. And we put up all these names. And one of them was Blue Wave, spelled B-L-U-E, Wave. It was based on, we had all read the book, Blue Ocean Strategy, which is a leadership business book. It's a great book. It is a great book. And we're like, hey, that's catchy.

And so we sat around and we did the old brainstorm where you got yellow stickers. You've done it before, whiteboarding. And we put up all these names. And one of them was Blue Wave, spelled B-L-U-E, Wave. It was based on, we had all read the book, Blue Ocean Strategy, which is a leadership business book. It's a great book. It is a great book. And we're like, hey, that's catchy.