Catching Up with CLA Grads at Tech Runaway iCracked
From a Cal Poly dorm room start-up to a Silicon Valley success story, iCracked has triumphed in the technology sector.
Founded in 2010 by Cal Poly alumnus AJ Forsythe (B.S., Psychology, 2011) and Anthony Martin, the company prides itself as the “most efficient on-demand repair and buyback network for iOS devices.”
In four short years, the company has witnessed exponential growth. Forbes recognized the company this year as No. 17 on its list of America’s Most Promising Companies and named founder Forsythe as one of the Top 30 Under 30 Individuals in Technology.
What was once a two-man operation now boasts an annual revenue of $10 million and more than 500 iTech repair representatives across the nation and in 10 countries, and 52 employees (and counting) in its Redwood City office, including two other CLA graduates: iTech Manager Cody Ward (B.A., History, 2013) and Senior Graphic Designer Leslee Lambert (BFA, Art & Design, 2011).
We caught up with Lambert and Ward to learn more about their time at Cal Poly and what they do for iCracked:
What motivated you to pursue your liberal arts major?
Cody: I chose history because it was the No. 2 major for law school preparation — [law school] was my plan going in. That plan obviously changed.
Leslee: I took a graphic design class in high school my sophomore year and really liked it, so my parents suggested it as a career.
Why did you choose Cal Poly?
Cody: My mom, aunt and uncle are all alumni of Cal Poly. We had been down a couple times growing up because my mom loved it so much. I chose Cal Poly because it is such a prestigious school in a beautiful area, and I had roots there. I couldn’t say no.
Leslee: I didn’t really know that Cal Poly was the place for me until I came to campus and did a tour and sat in on some classes. I fell in love with it.
What was your initial plan after graduation?
Cody: The plan post-graduation was to be in law school. A few months after I started applying, I had a change of heart. I changed my plans and looked for a sales job and ended up here.
Leslee: I was planning on heading in the direction of an advertising agency or design firm in San Francisco. But I kind of got caught off-guard with AJ Forsythe, who was starting a company at Cal Poly called iCracked. He was putting these fliers around campus, and I told him they were terrible and needed to be redesigned. So I just jumped on board with him as a side project to add things to my portfolio. By the end of the year, he asked if I wanted to join them full time. I jumped at that because it was such a cool opportunity … and I’m still here, three years later.
What do you do for iCracked?
Cody: My title is iTech manager. I am the first point of contact for the 500 iTechs we have around the country; I am their liaison to headquarters. If they have questions, comments, concerns, technical issues, small-business support issues, marketing questions — they call me.
Leslee: Currently my title is senior graphic designer. I used to be the only designer, but now we have a team of five. Our team designs all the sales tools and marketing collateral for iTechs to use in the field, as well as branding for headquarter initiatives.
What’s it been like to grow with the company?
Cody: Amazing — the growth of the company, like Leslee said, as well as the personal growth of just graduating and starting a career with a growing company.
Leslee: Incredible. We were working out of a garage three years ago. Last year we had fewer than 20 people working here, and now we’re up to 52. We’re growing like crazy.
What skills did you develop at Cal Poly that you have put to use at your job?
Cody: Studying history was not so much learning the history but how to look at an argument from a certain point and know the different ways of approaching it. It has allowed me to be adaptable, understand an argument or statement, see it from other ways, break it down as quickly as possible, and present my own opinion or facts against it. That helps in problem solving, when people call in with something I’ve never dealt with or in creating projects from scratch. The ability to think quickly and critically is what I learned at Cal Poly.
Leslee: For me a lot of it is foundational. As a graphic design student at Cal Poly, you learn the foundations of design — color theory, typography, layout — all of that comes into play with my job. It’s crucial to have those basic design foundations.
What is your favorite thing about working at iCracked?
Cody: The community, the family here. We call it a family, because we work long hours, and we’re together a lot. Some of us even live together. My favorite thing is we all share the same goal, that it’s not just a job; we’re here to build something. Everyone understands that and works together and supports each other, and it’s really awesome — best part of working here.
Leslee: I would agree with Cody hands down on that answer as well. It is kind of like a family here. We’re taking something and trying to make it bigger than what it is. On top of that, for my job specifically, I really love that I can come in here and create something and see it produced for the masses.