From Weekend Project to Streamlining the Beverage Industry: ISM Alumni, Adam Elghor Co-Founds Backbar Solutions
Meet Adam Elghor (‘15), an innovative entrepreneur and ISM alumni. With a passion for building and driving his success, Adam has earned the title of Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer of Backbar Solutions, a company revolutionizing the way beverages are made in various venues. What started as a weekend project has now scaled into a nationwide venture showcasing the power of creativity and determination. Last year, Backbar Solutions raised a $3.5 million seed to continue the development and expansion of the business.
Adam developed his passion for robotics and engineering at an early age. This enthusiasm only grew during his time at the Georgia Institute of Technology while pursuing a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering. In 2015, Adam and his roommate set off on a small project to create a mini-cocktail mixer for their apartment. Little did they know that their idea would spark the beginning of something remarkable.
Elghor says, “One of my other roommates was so excited by our idea that he actually worked on it for his senior design project at the Georgia Institute of Technology. After this, the ball kept rolling thanks to our school’s start-up accelerator. We ended up in China for six months where we began building manufacturing relationships.”
After their formative experience in China, Adam and his team returned to the United States and set up shop in San Diego where they would officially release the Backbar One automatic cocktail dispenser. The device streamlines the beverage-making process, providing stability in venues regardless of fluctuations in business.
With Backbar One now available in five states, Adam's sights are set on expanding nationwide. He plans to establish a large-scale manufacturing process, enabling them to produce hundreds of units at a time. Adam also aims to secure partnerships with prominent companies and gain traction in stadiums across the country.
Adam credits the education at ISM for his foundation-level skills that propelled the development of Backbar Solutions. He states, “The robotics team at ISM cultivated that love for building even further and was my first step toward the career path I’m on now. It helped me learn to be hands-on and made a lasting impact on me by teaching me more about the inventing process.”
He adds that in addition to the hard skills learned through robotics, “I also learned the soft skills that are crucial for sales calls and pitching my product with ease.” Through programs like our Student Life Organization, he was able to gain skills that weren’t learned in a classroom and implement them in his day-to-day life
Not only is Backbar Solutions changing the face of bartending, but it's also a company that values its roots. Adam also recently hired a fellow ISM Husky Alumni, Matthew Brinkman (‘15), to join the Backbar Solutions team and said “It has been awesome having another ISM Alumni on the team.” Together, they are taking the industry by storm and delivering innovative solutions to businesses nationwide.
To all current ISM Huskies, Adam has this piece of advice for you: Follow your passions, and you will always find something where you can use them.
