At RED Academy, providing our students with real-world experience is the foundation of our curriculum. That’s why we put a lot of time and effort into creating relationships for our Community Partner Projects, pairing students with different non-profit organizations, start-ups and small businesses to work on projects that benefit local organizations while allowing students to have a tangible impact on their careers and their communities.

This includes Tangoo, a restaurant-focused marketing agency. Recently we sat down with Tangoo’s CEO, Paul Davidescu to share his experience.

Who are you, what do you do, what is your business?

I am the Chief Eating Officer at Tangoo, a restaurant-focused marketing agency using social networks and technology to elevate guest experiences via social media restaurant marketing programs, food influencer network, and its customer-centric team culture.

Tangoo has a network of 225 clients ranging from restaurant and bar groups to independent cafe’s and other food and beverage establishments. Results delivered are features in niche media publications, double-digit revenue growth, and significant changes in their brand and digital strategies

I am passionate about solving problems in food & beverage, entrepreneurial education, and health/fitness. I enjoy writing and public speaking to inspire people to stay strong during their entrepreneurial journeys while undergoing massive personal growth.I spend my time advising startups and mentoring new entrepreneurs and students. On the side, I like to train for triathlons, meditate, learn languages, and journal – the perfect segway for the next question about gratitude.

How did you hear about RED and why did you want to become involved as a Community Partner?

I heard about RED through some of its creators like Matt Parson and I wanted to get involved because we want to support Vancouver’s digital marketing community! The talent is fantastic at RED especially and it was a joy to get some unbiased fresh perspectives on where our business can improve.

What did you have RED students work on for you? What was the deliverable?

We have participated in a couple projects, one being on our iOS App and the other on our inbound marketing strategy.

What was your experience like working with RED students?

For the limited time they had, they did super well! People stayed in touch as often as they had to and they were never afraid to ask the hard questions which I definitely appreciated. We are actually looking at hiring one student this week, so you can say we were impressed!

What was your experience in the presentation?

I felt so grateful and pleasantly surprised at their calibre of work. It reaffirmed the value of getting unbiased people to dissect your business and give an objective and critical analysis of where it needs to be improved upon to be the best in the market.

How did you feel about the report and the presentation as a whole, and the quality of work provided to you?

Top notch. I couldn’t believe how much they accomplished in the time they had.

Would you recommend other businesses/entrepreneurs work with RED students and be part of the Community Partner Program? If yes, why?

YES! Out of all the different school projects students have completed for Tangoo the last five years (we have had A LOT) – RED Academy blows it out of the water. This was my second project with them and I could not believe how insightful they made their report in such a short amount of time. The students in my group were extremely professional, inquisitive, and not afraid to tell us where we needed to focus better. They basically created our playbook for the next 3-6 months, which I am extremely grateful for. We had been talking about making an inbound strategy similar to this for ages but it never got done! It goes to show how important it is to get fresh eyes and a focused effort on those important but not urgent projects. I would HIGHLY recommend any other startup and small business to tap into this resource if it’s not completely booked up!

Interested in becoming a Community Partner? Submit a project and apply to become a Community Partner!