MPU: Tell us a little about what you are studying, and your startup? 

Sam Brew: I'm studying maths and economics as an undergrad, after initially starting in computer science/economics, and my startup is called Resdemou (literally meaning "matters of the people").  

Here's the short pitch: right now, organisations and government agencies put all their documents in one big digital vault, and if someone gets in, they get everything in one fell swoop. With Resdemou, each document is secured in its own digital "micro-vault", meaning even if you can get into that main vault, you'd still have to break into each document individually, making mass data breaches impossible. 

I've been supported immensely by UNSW Founders over the last two years as I've refined the idea and solution, and we're now starting our first pilot program! 

MPU: Could you give us some insight into your role as the Chief Student Entrepreneur?  

Sam Brew: Chief Student Entrepreneur is a new title, and I'm still working out how I can make the most impact with it, but in abstract I'm responsible for helping UNSW Founders build greater student engagement so we go from 300 signups for the Peter Farrell Cup (UNSW's massive student pitch competition, with $100k in prizes this year alone) to 60k, the number of students on campus. I believe passionately that Sydney can be a global hub for innovation and startups, and I want to build a culture on campus of seeing problems and trying to solve them by default, where talking about crazy ideas becomes routine, and together, we help each other build a better world. 

MPU: How do you manage to juggle it all?  

Sam Brew: I'll admit I do a fair bit, but I love every moment of it, and I try my best to keep everything I do within the domain of my clear passions, because then my enjoyment of what I'm doing makes it so much easier. I think you have to work much harder at balancing things you like with things you don't like, and I'm in a very fortunate position to be studying a degree filled with topics I find fascinating, building a startup that is literally my passion project, while getting paid to teach entrepreneurship, something I love. Things can certainly get overwhelming at times, and there may be a very overengineered custom scheduling system involved, but at the end of the day I'm privileged to do what I love, and that sorts out most of the juggling for me. 

MPU: What is your connection with music, and why choose music as your extracurricular activity on campus?

Sam Brew: I've loved music for as long as I can remember. I apparently asked my parents to let me play the violin in preschool, then ended up doing that, piano, and flute (which I whittled down to just flute by the end of high school), and I got involved with singing wherever the opportunity arose. My high school had an exceptional musical program, and I was able to participate in ensembles at a high level in a way I loved, and it was only natural for me to continue that at UNSW. Admittedly, it took me some time to actually join Corde, but I love every second of it, and I still play the flute in my spare time. 

MPU: Is there a way that music contributes to your day-to-day life and studies at UNSW?  

Sam Brew: Playing the flute on my own is the best break I can possibly give myself, and in general music, including singing, and most definitely in an ensemble, is so different from everything else I do that it provides the perfect counterpoint to the rest of my life, and it revitalises me in such a unique way. As for aiding my studies more directly, I could go on a rant about Pythagorean tuning and the mathematical perfection of harmony, but I'll spare you that!

MPU: How has participating in the ensemble benefited your social life on campus? 

Sam Brew: Participating in Corde has taken me well outside my usual social circles in Founders and economics/maths, and allowed me to connect with people who share a deep passion in music and singing together, which has been so lovely. Not only have I met fantastic people through the ensemble, I've also had the opportunity to make music with them, which, for me, creates a deeply human bond not replicated in really any other activity. 

MPU: What advice would you give to similarly academically minded people, who may be interested in joining one of our ensembles here on campus? 

Sam Brew: Get on with it! If you're considering joining an ensemble, I'll borrow a term from startups and say "move fast and break things", and if you're anything like me, it won't be a decision you regret one bit. The opportunity to take time away from intellectually rigorous study, to instead become part of a deeply human creative tapestry, is the most rejuvenating thing you can do, and not only does it better balance your mind and your life, it brings deep and wonderful joy.