Ethan Chung and Maria Hantova are the Edinburgh Napier alumni behind ePupp - a social enterprise focused on finding homes for animals in shelters and promoting ethical breeding. The two met at Edinburgh Napier during their studies. Twelve years later the two of them are part of the founder team of ePupp – Ethan as CEO and Maria as Head of Product. Keep reading to learn more about their journey.
What was your most memorable memory from studying at ENU?
Ethan: I loved the freedom to explore and try new things at ENU. During my BA(Hons) Business Studies with Marketing, I spent a year getting industry experience and a year abroad. This allowed me to build memories I treasure to this day, whilst also setting me up with a professional network and friends all around the world.
Maria: I really enjoyed the flexibility of my studies. It allowed me to balance work, classes and a 6-month placement that was part of my BA(Hons) Business Management with Festival and Event. The most memorable part must be graduation when all our friends came together to celebrate. It was a truly special moment!
Describe your career journey from graduating until now. Have you worked together before?
Ethan: During our time at ENU, Maria and I worked in the same division at Sony Professional as part of our year in industry at Edinburgh Napier.
Post graduation, I completed an MSc in Computer Science and started a PhD in Advanced Quantitative Methods. I had a variety of jobs in software development, finance and consultancy in the tech industry. However, throughout my career I always had a desire to give back. This resulted in founding ePupp, a project that allows me to use my professional skills to contribute to the welfare of animals and society.
Maria: I started off my career by completing a few placements with local businesses.
My career really picked up when I joined the Tesco Bank graduate scheme where I was given great opportunities to lead on projects very early on. After that, I moved to NatWest Bank as a Product Owner and subsequently Senior Product Owner.
It has been fantastic to be offered a space to grow and take on new challenges!
What is ePupp?
Ethan: is a social enterprise focused on finding homes for animals in shelters and increasing transparency from breeders to ensure ethical breeding.
It formed after the co-founders spent months looking for the perfect addition to our respective families. The search was full of conflicting information about adoption processes, run-ins with suspected puppy farms, charities leaving us on read, and there was always danger of online scams. To make sure no one had to go through the same, we started looking at how we could support animal charities and educate future owners, helping them find ethical breeders.
We started ePupp as our way of giving back to organisations that promote and work to improve animal welfare in the UK. Since day one, we've been extremely fortunate to have an incredible team of like-minded people who help bring our vision to reality.
What is your role at ePupp?
Maria: I'm currently Head of Product at ePupp, which means that I scan the market to understand what our customers want and need. I then use this information to develop features for users on our platform.
Additionally, as Ethan defines our strategic direction, I’m in charge of translating our overall strategy into specific requirements for our developers. This means that I see our overall vision whilst also understanding all the button-click level detail.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Ethan: My spare time has recently evaporated with the launch of ePupp and the birth of my first child 5 months ago!
However, whenever I can, I go the gym, play tennis, badminton or go for a run. I also like volunteering. I do pro-bono work for different animal charities, and I took on mentorship roles for the youth community.
Maria: I stayed in Scotland after graduation and I'm enjoying all the beauty it has to offer. Whenever I have time, I go out for hikes with my dog or do some sightseeing in the Highlands.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Ethan: I feel I would tell myself to relax more and enjoy things, but I know my younger self wouldn't listen!
I would say, both the good and bad times pay off. Even when you find yourself facing different hurdles in life, know that every step of the way will be a learning experience which will shape you into the person that you are.
Maria: I'd echo the relax and take it easy advice. It's great to be driven by the desire to succeed but also make time for friends, family, and fun activities.