It wasn’t easy for Micki Tubbs and Michelle Tomallo. The duo
founded what was to become FIT Technologies in 1999 as a
provider of student information software for educational institutions just before Sept. 11 and the collapse of the technology market.
They ran into difficulties obtaining funding for working capital. They
met with nearly 30 venture capital and angel investors in 24 months; all
offered great advice but no financial backing for the company. Because of
the start-up troubles, Tubbs and Tomallo did not receive paychecks for
two years. They personally guaranteed company liabilities and accumulated more than $100,000 in personal credit card debt.
However, even with challenges in front of them, Tubbs, president and
CEO, and Tomallo, vice president, forged on. Tubbs was able to leverage
her relationship with two local schools to pilot their project. Eventually,
their client base grew to 56 schools and FIT Technologies became a software provider and a trusted IT adviser.
They also took a risk to officially move from being a product provider
to being a service provider. Schools without IT departments and out-of-date technology relied upon FIT’s services to help them operate more
effectively. In addition, users of FIT’s Student Information System
demanded customization of the tool for seamless networking and proprietary designs. The modified business model led to significant growth.
However, just when things were looking good, the duo faced more
challenges. A few weeks before moving into a dream space in one of
Cleveland’s historic neighborhoods, the new office building caught fire.
The fire led them to be one of the first tenants of the Idea Center building, where the company occupies more than 20,000 square feet.
Even with all the hardships, the company continues to grow and has
offices in Cleveland, Akron and Washington, D.C. FIT employs 129 staff
members and supports 250,000 clients and SIS users throughout the
country.
HOW TO REACH: FIT Technologies, www.fittechnologies.net or (216) 583-0733