Make your dent.

OUTCOMES

If you do Sandbox right, it will fundamentally change who you are. You’ll become a creator, a builder, and someone who makes a dent in the universe.

Our alums use this skillset to start amazing companies and have incredible careers.

Statistics

262M

Combined Valuation

To date, Sandbox companies are valued at a combined $262M and growing quickly.

Venture-backed Startups

Over a dozen Sandbox startups have successfully raised venture capital.

Y-Combinator Startups

Six Sandbox startups have participated in Y Combinator.

15K

Starting Salaries

Sandbox alums are among the most in-demand hires at the fastest growing companies making $15K more in starting salaries than their peers.

Case Studies

MENTION

BYU

Mention is a secure enterprise messenger built as an end-to-end encrypted alternative to Slack and Microsoft Teams. It's designed specifically for critical infrastructure, ensuring that neither Mention nor any AI has access to your communications—your data isn't their training set.

Their platform provides encrypted team communication with all necessary features, prioritizing privacy above all. It achieves this with end-to-end encryption, automatic key rotations, and local key management, giving users full control over their data.

BBY

UVU/BYU

BBY is booking software designed specifically for beauty professionals, empowering them to manage their entire business through a single, intuitive site.

For example, BBY provides beauty professionals with a custom booking schedule for clients to book directly through their personalized site, secure payment processing with deposit options for cancellation fees, and tools like custom forms and client notes to boost client retention.

BBY started in Sandbox's fourth cohort and is already trusted by over 400 independent beauty professionals.

RELAY HEALTH

BYU

Relay is an app that helps people overcome addiction through peer support and accountability – starting with pornography addiction. It’s like if Alcoholics Anonymous were invented in 2024.

For example, when someone is struggling in isolation, Relay matches them with 3-7 other peers with the same challenge, makes it easy to reach out for help when vulnerable, and enables change through shame-free accountability and facilitated connection.

Relay started in Sandbox's first cohort and went on to raise $3M from investors including Y Combinator.

Testimonials

"My regular classes at school didn’t interest me and I felt like college wasn’t the direction I wanted to continue, until Sandbox. It was the ideal mix of learning and hands on application. I met my co-founder there and we’ve now gone on to raise venture capital and start our careers in our startup."

Brandon Davis, Founder of Interval (BYU)
"Sandbox was like a high-pressure kiln for my career growth. It surrounded me with highly motivated individuals, better prepared me for the careers I was pursuing, and let me pursue alternative careers without jeopardizing any of my career progress."

Chase Meredith,  Founder of Replay (BYU)
“All of school taught me to check boxes, memorize, regurgitate, and cheat--whatever it takes to get an A. Until Sandbox. Sandbox encourages you to explore, build, test, and fail. Over and over again. Sandbox gave me the skills to excel at Bain & Company. It also gave me the courage to find a role that felt much more fulfilling."

Kristen Hansen,  Strategy at Leland (BYU)
"Sandbox was an opportunity to start a company with all of the upside and none of the risk. It was a years worth of experience compressed into two semesters of real-life building.
I met my co-founder, built a startup (which failed), and then raised $2.4 million in funding for a new startup."

Blake Rouse, Co-Founder of Buster (BYU)
"Sandbox gave me the confidence to lead, to trust my instincts, and to create something entirely new. I launched a product, learned from customer feedback, and secured professional partnerships. I’ve never grown more—personally, academically, or professionally. I’ve never worked harder or had more fun."

Paige Knudsen,  Co-Founder of ReVroom (BYU)
"I originally did Sandbox because it sounded fun and challenging. But then it changed the trajectory of my career. The most impactful experience of my college career, and one of the most impactful experiences of my life."

Ethan Webb,
Co-Founder of Mindsmith (BYU)
"I got a fully working, polished app onto the App Store in less than 4 months. I didn't know React Native 4 months ago. That alone tells you enough about how much I grew as a developer. Sandbox changed the trajectory of my life."

Kamila Turapova,
Co-Founder of BBY (UVU)
"Thanks to Sandbox I 1) found my co-founders and 2) was able to focus 100% on building my startup. Thanks to Sandbox we got into YC W24 and raised a bunch of money. It also qualified me to transition from an F1 to an O1 (extraordinary entrepreneur" visa).”

Santiago Gomez Paz,
Co-Founder of Zaymo (BYU)
Sandbox was by far the best experience I had at BYU and it was not even close. I have learned more in the 2.5 years since I first started Sandbox than I would have in 5 years working after school."

Pearson Wallace,
Founding AE at Stratus (BYU)
"In my job at Figma, I use almost nothing that I learned from college-level computer science courses. Instead, I rely on the lessons and frameworks I acquired through Sandbox every single day."

Justin Hill,  SWE at Figma (BYU)
"I would never have dropped a safe career to start a high-risk startup without the environment Sandbox created. Now, when I would have been starting my first job, my company has 6-figure revenue, a 9-figure valuation, and I'm hiring employees to keep up with the demand."

Brice Douglas,  Co-Founder of Zaymo (BYU)