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A college entrepreneur using AI is proving that technology and persistence can help small businesses grow faster and smarter.
How a College Entrepreneur Using AI Is Transforming Sales
Businesses toil over cold calls and email campaigns to generate sales, often with poor results. Aaron Perry, a senior majoring in economics at Cedarville University from Overland Park, Kansas, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to turn unresponsive contacts into paying clients through his new business, Misogi AI Solutions.
Perry noticed there are many services to generate lists of potential clients, or leads, but businesses lack the resources to effectively follow up with them, leaving contacts unused in a database. Sales representatives rarely have time to re-engage the leads, so businesses are forced to accept the loss.
In Perry’s mind, this is an opportunity to improve business sales through customer follow-up. Less than a year ago, in February, he began developing a service to address the issue. Five months later, he launched Misogi AI Solutions.
From Classroom to Startup: The Birth of Misogi AI Solutions
“I nurture the leads that the sales team didn’t convert from their initial outreach,” said Perry. “I automate following up with leads through authentic outreach, combining the personal side of cold calling and the mass outreach of email marketing.”
He accomplishes this through lead nurturing — a method of reengaging old contacts until they take action.
“Businesses have already paid for the leads,” said Perry. “I make the most of them.”
Related: Best AI Tools for Small Businesses in 2025
Turning Cold Leads Into Conversions with AI-Powered SMS
Perry nurtures leads using AI-powered SMS conversations, with agents tailored to brand goals and customer needs. SMS conversations have a higher response rate than other forms of communication, and they free the sales representatives to work on more involved tasks.
Perry expressed excitement about the name of his business. “Misogi” is a Japanese process involving an annual challenge that affects the rest of a person’s year. Perry is an endurance athlete, and the term reflects a philosophy that guided him in his training.
“Implementing this system in any business can favorably affect the other 364 days of the year and beyond,” Perry said.
Building a Faith-Driven Business with Purpose and Grit
Perry is not new to the business world. In 2023, he created Ultra Lyte Running, selling lightweight hats with small pockets to hold gels or keys. Even with his experience, Misogi AI Solutions has challenged him in a new way.
“It’s a pretty big shift to go from a product-based business to a service-based business,” said Perry.
During that shift, he brought his business dilemmas to like-minded classmates and Dr. Kary Oberbrunner, Berry Chair and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship.
“They’ve helped me whenever I’m stuck with an idea and suggested different ways to go about it,” said Perry.
Entrepreneurship at Cedarville University: Resources That Inspire
Cedarville has equipped him to tackle these challenges. The Robert W. Plaster School of Business and Entrepreneurs for Christ provide students like Perry with resources to help them become entrepreneurs long before they graduate.
“Everybody has ideas, but there’s a big barrier to actually following through,” said Perry. “By providing so many resources, Cedarville helps take that barrier away.”
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it ranks among Ohio’s largest private universities and is recognized by The Wall Street Journal as being among the nation’s top three evangelical universities. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.
Written by Rachel Ward