A successful business is not always measured by how much money you make. For Markevis Gideon, founder of NERDiT NOW, success comes from helping others. Growing up in an underserved community, Gideon’s only opportunity with technology came when a teacher gave him a laptop. That singular moment sparked a passion, and Gideon spent hours disassembling and reassembling the computer, finding his niche in technology. Years later, after some time spent away, Gideon returned to his hometown, and he was shocked to see that the technological divide between his community and other areas of the world had remained the same. Gideon wanted to give to others what his teacher gave to him: a chance to engage with technology despite the circumstances.
Starting in his apartment and eventually transferring to a traveling hub located in the back of an ambulance, Gideon formed a team that repaired computers, phones, and tablets for a community that might not have access to the latest technology. NERDiT NOW was Gideon’s way of helping those who, like himself, wanted an opportunity to learn and engage with the world around them through modern technology. From there, the business grew, and NERDiT NOW went on Shark Tank, securing a partnership and beginning the next step of business: creating kiosks in these communities that teach individuals how their technology works and what they can do to succeed in their own entrepreneurial aspirations.
“So my name’s Markevis Gideon, founder of NERDiT NOW where we purchase, repair and resell computers, phones and tablets.
When I was 12 years old, I grew up in an underserved community, it was one teacher who saw something in me and donated a laptop.
I had begun to take it apart, put it together, take it apart and put it together. Then, after that, I kinda went away for a while and lived in China for five years. But when I came back, I saw that the communities I grew up in were still undeserved, and there was this big technological divide.
So when I am living in my apartment, I’m like, “You know what? Let’s just start an IT company, to start raising money to now donate computers back into the community.”
So we knew we wanted to make a new way to actually expand out of this apartment. So we started with this ambulance. It was looked at to be a way for us to not have to get a store front and to be out into the community where we can repair things.
So being on “Shark Tank,” was an awesome, surreal experience. It was something that we never thought was necessarily within our grasp. But the cool thing that came from “Shark Tank” is that we got a new partner.
He’s actually helped us build out our prototype. We’re looking to push about 10 kiosks out there. And with each kiosk, we wanna make sure that we’re also going back into these underserved communities and training individuals to not only learn the tech skills, but to potentially also figure out how to become entrepreneurs through our franchise model through our business.
When I moved back from China, I wasn’t sure exactly where I wanted to go. But, again, I saw the communities here and how they needed the support and want to make sure that I go ahead and pay it forward.
And the support around is just awesome. It’s a great business community. It’s very small, it’s very intimate, and it makes it so much more relatable, and I can go to other business owners, and they offer to help.
Like, “Hey, Markevis, try this or try that,” and it’s not like they want anything in return. They’re just thoroughly interested in making me succeed. So I truly appreciate being here from Delaware and look forward to seeing more entrepreneurs come.” –Markevis Gideon
When Gideon decided to start NERDiT NOW in his own community, he was thinking philanthropically. He wanted to give back to his town and help people, like his younger self, who would benefit from technological assistance. What Gideon was not prepared for, however, was how supportive the community would be in return. Delaware proves time and time again to be the perfect place to start a business. Not only is this due to the statistical, and financial evidence that doing business in Delaware is cost-effective, but the other entrepreneurs that make up a genuine community where new organizations can thrive. “They’re just thoroughly interested in making me succeed,” Gideon says about his fellow business owners.
There exists a desire in the intimate, growing business communities of Delaware to assist new entrepreneurs in reaching success. Not only does Gideon feel this type of support from others, but he looks to pay it forward through his work in the community, proving yet again that business in Delaware is unlike anywhere else.