Tommy WARES: True Scholarship in Practice

On May 3, 2018, Professor Zeinab Karake will receive the “Distinguished Faculty Member” Award at the Robert H. Smith School of Business’s 18th Annual Undergraduate Banquet. Smith seniors overwhelmingly nominated her for this honor:

“ … [She] really cares about her students and always does the best for them.”

“Karake goes the extra mile to care for her students outside of an academic perspective. She genuinely wants to aid students in their future endeavors.”

“She always brings excitement into the classroom. She is passionate about what she teaches. She is a good mentor.”

Karake is a clinical professor of information systems in the Department of Operations and Information Technology, serves as co-Faculty Champion of the Information Technology and Business Transformation Fellows Program, and was previously recognized for being an outstanding teacher when she received the prestigious Allen J. Krowe Award for Teaching Excellence.

It is no wonder then, that Tommy Piantone, a senior information systems and management double major, recently sent an email to Victor Mullins, the Smith School’s associate dean of undergraduate programs, extolling praise upon Karake.

“While I have many faculty and staff to thank for helping me develop my company, I owe Professor Karake a special thanks. Her valuable lessons and her enthusiasm about innovation inspired me to turn the concept of printing shirts for myself in my living room into a company I plan to pursue after graduation,” wrote Piantone.

Piantone discovered his passion for business in Karake’s “BMGT 301: Introduction to Information Systems” course.

Besides teaching the fundamentals of information technology, data management, and learning the intricacies of Excel and other data analysis platforms, Karake made sure that the content of the course was relevant to the real world. So, when Karake brought up Zara, the Spanish fast-fashion mega-retailer, and its streamlined supply chain and production process, Piantone had a lightbulb moment. He had just started making shirts with original designs out of the basement of his home, and hearing about Zara’s inventory optimization models and their streamlined production helped him realize that Zara’s success could also influence his own success. Piantone made plans to start his own LLC, Tommy WARES.

Tommy WARES has evolved into an ethical apparel brand that serves as a fundraising platform for organizations creating social value in local communities at zero cost to the organization. Piantone took to heart the “initiate-fail-learn-succeed”approach for ventures that Karake extolled, and has managed to create an operations model where production optimization is at the core. This means that the production pipeline, from design prototyping all the way to shipping, is leaner than usual, and thus allows cost cutting, and relieving customers of several financial burdens. In effect, Tommy WARES can make shirts to order and not charge UMD student organizations fundraising costs.

As CEO and founder of Tommy WARES, Piantone holds ethical sourcing and sustainable material in highest regard. The shirts are union-made in the U.S., with an organic bamboo and organic cotton blend. Piantone and his team have established good relationships with organic, ethically conscious suppliers, creating a fully sustainable pipeline. Addtionally, for every shirt sold, Tommy WARES donates a percentage of sales plant a tree.

Tommy WARES is currently applying to both the Terp Startup and the Halcyon Incubator program, where Piantone was previously a finalist. The company is also looking to expand its partnerships to work with more sustainability organizations, especially those involved with watershed preservation and conservation.

“We want to spread the message on ethical production as we continue to help local organizations fundraise their own projects,” says Piantone. Tommy WARES is clearing the way for a new type of business, one that maximizes sustainability efforts through efficient and streamlined business strategies.

Piantone attributes his success to the opportunities the Smith School has provided, and to mentors like Karake that have inspired him to use entrepreneurship as a catalyst for change.

Smith student Philip Peker ’18 has written several articles for the Smith School.