During my time at Brown University, I couldn’t help but notice the growing piles of waste left behind by students year after year, both on and off campus. While initiatives like university policies and the Clean Break program provided support for move-outs at the end of each academic year, the problem didn’t seem to go away. Wanting to do more, I started Hander—a platform dedicated to reducing waste in student communities. We started at Brown and soon expanded our efforts to include our neighbor, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), aiming to make a real impact in fostering sustainable habits.
As a founding member and product manager at Hander, I led the user research and oversaw the development of both the web and iOS applications.
Key Question:
How can we create a system to foster year long circulation of usable items in order to decrease the total amount of items thrown away at the end of the year?
Co-Founders
Dave (🙋🏻)
Caden Chou
Nuo Wen Lei
Eric Kim
Skills / Tools
UX Research, Product Design, User Testing, Full-Stack Development, Mobile App Dev, Agile, Figma
The Problem
We identified a significant need among students in Providence: the opportunity to repurpose and exchange gently used items.
Despite the availability of several online second-hand exchange platforms, students rarely utilize them, often discarding items instead—resulting in substantial financial waste.
56%
Usable items thrown away at the end of academic year
65%
Storage constraints as the primary reason for disposal
13,000lb+
items disposed every year at Brown University
Student Surveys and Interview Results
What are some challenges that make it difficult to purchase second-hand items?
Insight 1
Students prioritize their time and effort over seeking more affordable items. Entrusting the second-hand selling and buying process to complete strangers can be perceived as a source of potential physical and psychological exhaustion for students.
Insight 2
Existing Service 1
Facebook Marketplace
Privacy concerns with interacting with complete strangers
Exposure to scams and fraud due to large user base
Not much student users due to migration of trend towards Instagram
Existing Service 2
Instagram (DM / Stories)
Limitations of reaching beyond existing network
Limited search functionality
Existing Service 3
Privacy concerns with interacting with complete strangers
Lack of community features that limits usage of younger generation
Existing Service 4
Offline Stores
Require offline visits
Limited Access
Lack of efficient item listings and search systems
Pain Point 1
Waste Generation
Items that students no longer need or cannot store often end up being discarded, leading to unnecessary waste and economic inefficiencies.
Solution 1
Upcycle & Reuse
Sellers can recover some of their expenses, while buyers save money by purchasing the second-hand items they need.
The Solution
Hander: 24/7 Student Marketplace, All Year Round
Discover a secure, user-friendly, and community-focused marketplace built for college students—helping you save money and reduce waste effortlessly.
Feature 1
Secure Community
Hander prioritizes student security by requiring sign-ups with verified school emails, ensuring a safe and trusted community.
Feature 2
Easy Browsing
Users can discover products of interest through categories or personalized recommendations tailored to their preferences.
Feature 3
Reserve Now, Buy Later
Users can browse and reserve items anytime with our year-round reservation system, while sellers can upload items as soon as they no longer need them.
