Startup Directory

DipJar

In October 2008, DipJar co-founder and CEO, Ryder Kessler ’11, ’13GF, was at his favorite coffee shop during an Oktoberfest celebration in town. The festival-goers were crowding the store as they streamed in for caffeine breaks between beers. Ryder asked the overwhelmed baristas wasn’t there some financial upside to having an endless line to serve – didn’t they make extra money when the store was packed with customers?

Previously they did – a ton of cash tips and a meaningful addition to their hourly wage. But as more and more people paid with credit and debit cards for small purchases – tips plummeted – even on the busiest of Oktoberfest days.

Ryder thought this didn’t make sense. Not for retailers, not for employees, not for customers who liked the ease of paying with plastic, but had no cash on hand to show their gratitude.

With DipJar, tipping technology can catch up to the easy and efficient payment technology that already defines so much of our daily lives. More and more people are paying for small purchases with debit and credit cards with no way to tip their favorite counter-service employees and no way to donate to great causes. That’s where DipJar comes in. DipJar makes a tip jar and collection box for credit and debit cards.

Before launching DipJar, Ryder was Chief Strategy Officer for Weeels, a tech company in NYC that focuses on location-based social transit.  Before that, he was the Director of Strategy for Border Stylo, a software and social media company in Los Angeles. Ryder is currently pursuing a PhD in English Literature at Columbia with a focus on late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century literature. He graduated from Harvard in 2008. You will most likely find Ryan in a coffee shop.