Byram Hills Alum Awarded $100,000 Thiel Foundation Fellowship

ARMONK, N.Y. – For most high school graduates, investing thousands of dollars in a college education is the next step in life. But Byram Hills High School Alum and Armonk resident James Schuler isn’t most people.

Byram Hills High School graduate James Schuler is already making big money just a year after graduating.
Photo Credit: *FundElevator*

by Michael Nocella

05/29/2013 5:00 a.m.

According to The Journal News, the 2012 Byram Hills graduate is already closing in on a quarter million dollar in assets, thanks to FundElevator.com, a health-care transaction smartphone application and website co-founded.

At only 19 years old, Schuler was recently deemed with a $100,000 Thiel Foundation fellowship which is given to 20 entrepreneurs under 20 years old. He will now travel to San Francisco on Saturday for the “Under 20” Summit, where he will give a short speech and give advice to other youngsters looking to follow in his footsteps.

“What I taught myself outside of school was 10 times more important than what I ever learned in school,” Schuler told The Journal News.

Schuler told The Journal News that his goal for FundElevator.com is to give more control back to everyday people to fund nonprofit organizations and candidates they support. FundElevator.com was inspired by Kickstarter.com, a crowd-funding website that does not allow donations for causes.

The young businessman does not seem like he’ll run out of ideas anytime soon.

“If for whatever reason FundElevator fails, I just go on to a new company,” he told The Journal News.

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