Alumni - Frederick D. Hill Archives - University of Indianapolis

24
‘If you’re not having fun, what are you doing?’
PORTiCO WinTeR 2007
At age 26, Ryan Hupfer’s résumé reads like that of a
50-year-old. He has worked in construction, designed
Web sites, traveled around the country, created an
online community, written a book, become a TV
personality, and still found time to be hip to Indy’s
social scene. If you’re not one of Hup’s 5,815 friends
on MySpace.com, then this is your chance to see
who you’ve been missing.
Hupfer graduated from UIndy in 1998 with a
degree in computer information systems, a degree
that would serve him well over the next few years.
He got a job at Best Buy, but soon found himself
designing Web sites on the side and bartending.
Through a UIndy alumni connection with Eric
Stone ’02, Hupfer got a job working at Shiel Sexton
in their information technologies department.
For the next couple of years, Hupfer not only
worked on software and computer training systems,
but also moved to operations and learned the
construction side of the business. “It was really cool,”
he said, “but I also knew I wasn’t going to stay in
construction my whole life.”
It was about this time in the fall of 2004 that
Hupfer created HupsHoopty.com, an online social
community for young professionals in Indianapolis.
“Connecting people together and then having them
do something is almost better than doing something
myself,” he says. “I love being able to be that person
who knows other people and can bring them together.”
Though the site started with just a few of
Hupfer’s friends, it quickly grew into one with more
than 1,200 members and as a place to find out what’s
going on in and around Indy. Hup’s brown 1992
GMC conversion van that earned the “Hoopty”
name can still be seen around town at clubs, events,
and wherever the party is happening.
Shortly thereafter, Hupfer happened to be at an
Alumni Association Career Development Committee
meeting at UIndy when he heard about a new job
on campus. “They were looking for someone to be
a student advisor and who could help the campus
program board,” he said, “and it was perfect timing
for me.” Hupfer took the job and spent a semester
working at UIndy and taking graduate classes. “I had
a blast with that job,” he said, “and now I’ve actually
got six credits toward my MBA.”
Being at the right place at the right time made
a difference again for Hupfer. While attending a
meeting in downtown Indianapolis one day, someone
mentioned that he should check out a fast-growing