However, in January, the 21-year-old started a corporation with his brother – a corporation he entered in Cal State Fullerton’s Startup Competition.
His company, 10-8 Systems, offers a cloud-based emergency dispatching system for public safety agencies. It is currently being used in over 400 municipalities by both public and private safety agencies. “It’s incredible to know that my system is helping save lives,” says Ruef.
Ruef ’s was one of 37 startups to enter the competition. In the first round, the field narrowed to 15, and ultimately to six. On April 19, the finalists presented their startups to a panel of industry-expert judges. Ruef took top honors. In addition to a $1,000 scholarship, he won a six-month residency at the CSUF Startup incubator. He says, “I plan on making the most out of the program to help 10-8 Systems grow to be the premier dispatching software solution.”
