Andrew Timlin

2017 Mike Ilitch School of Business 25 Under 25 winner

B.S. in Finance expected fall 2017

A Wayne State transfer student from the University of Oregon, Andrew Timlin is a business leader with a proven finance and entrepreneurial track record, as well as an exceptional work ethic. During his senior year in high school and his freshman year at UO's School of Business, he launched OptHub Inc., a mobile technology company, after successfully raising more than $400,000 in seed capital from angel investors. His startup was profiled in the Portland Business Journal; Andrew was just 19 years old.

Through OptHub, Timlin designed an app that allows consumers to gather brand content such as videos, coupons and other specials in one place, eliminating the need to sign up for company emails or download their apps. It also limits the need to hand over personal information like email address to multiple brands.

In 2015, Andrew took a leave of absence from the University of Oregon, moving back to his home state of Michigan to center his efforts on OptHub and raise additional funding. When fundraising failed, he decided to focus on his education, joining the Mike Ilitch School of Business and Honors College at Wayne State.

In addition to his academic course load, Andrew also works part time as an IT project coordinator for Meadowbrook Insurance Group in Southfield, a role that grew out of a summer underwriting internship in the company's medical malpractice program. He is responsible for analyzing workflows on Microsoft Visio that document Meadowbrook's accounting/business departments to determine if a software change is in order.

"I am drawn to entrepreneurship," Andrew says. "I have already learned so much from starting a company, raising investment capital, professional networking, and writing and implementing a business plan. I'm looking forward to future opportunities."

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn