I’m Sam Solis, a freshman at the College of Charleston, born and raised in Adrian, Michigan — and I’m the founder and CEO of Regather.

The idea for Regather started during a trip I took to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2024. While visiting the Smithsonian museums, I noticed just how crowded these places can get — packed shoulder to shoulder with school groups, camps, and families. It hit me how easy it would be for a student to get separated from their group or, in a worst-case scenario, taken by someone else.

That experience sparked the idea for Regather — a mobile app that helps schools safely manage and monitor student groups during field trips and off-campus activities. Alongside my partner, Kiara Hall, we started developing early concepts, built a business plan, created a pitch deck, and entered the CEO Challenge. We placed third and used that momentum to keep pushing forward.

Today, Regather is still in development. We haven’t launched yet, but we’re actively looking for a software development partner and are accepting applications from schools interested in joining our pilot program.