Reid Turner and Danika Pfleghardt didn’t plan to start a company when they walked into accounting class.
They just happened to sit next to each other.
Like many students in Clemson University’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, they started talking about classes, ideas and eventually something bigger. Within weeks, those conversations turned into brainstorming sessions. Within months, they had a company.
“Yeah, so we were just honestly just sitting next to each other in accounting class, just by chance. There was no particular logic when we sat down on the first day of class, and just began kind of chatting,” Pfleghardt said. “We came up with probably 200 different ideas. We just kept building on each other’s thoughts.”
Today, Turner and Pfleghardt are co-founders of Drive AI, a student-built startup that helps small and mid-sized businesses use artificial intelligence to streamline operations. And while the technology they work with is cutting-edge, the foundation of their company is something much simpler: relentless curiosity, long hours and a willingness to ask for help.
While both serve as co-founders, Turner and Pfleghardt have naturally divided responsibilities based on their strengths. Pfleghardt focuses on marketing, outreach and design, while Turner leads operations, finance and the technical side of the business. Still, the lines often blur. As with many startups, they regularly step into each other’s roles, which they say has helped them build a more cohesive and adaptable company.
Building something beyond the classroom
Both students arrived at Clemson from different backgrounds. Pfleghardt, a sophomore from Vienna, Virginia, is studying accounting and artificial intelligence, and Turner from Hartsville, South Carolina, is studying finance and artificial intelligence.
Their idea for Drive AI took shape after seeing how the technology is used in the real world through internships.
Pfleghardt had interned with one startup that used AI extensively and one that didn’t. The difference was clear. Turner, at Sonoco Packaging, a Fortune 500 company, saw how large organizations were already using advanced AI systems to save time and money.
What they didn’t see was access.
“There are so many smaller and mid-sized organizations that don’t have the resources to afford those systems,” Turner said. “We wanted to bridge that gap.”
They created Drive AI to help businesses automate repetitive administrative work, from scheduling to data entry, so employees can focus on higher-value tasks.
In one early project, they helped a landscaper automate a tedious year-end accounting process that used to take days. What once required hours of manual data entry could now be done almost instantly.
The project reflects the company’s broader mission: making powerful tools practical for small and mid-sized businesses.
The Clemson advantage
While Drive AI may have started in a classroom, it grew because of what happened outside of it.
From the beginning, Clemson’s emphasis on networking and mentorship shaped the company’s trajectory.
“In Business 1010, everyone says ‘network, network,’ and it sounds cliché,” Pfleghardt said. “But once you start doing it, you realize how valuable those connections are.”
Those connections quickly turned into opportunities.
A meeting with professor Amanda Cooper Fine led to an introduction to Clemson Mayor Robert Halfacre. That connection opened the door to Drive AI’s first major client, the Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce.
Bryan Lee, president of the Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce, said he immediately saw their potential.
“I could brag all day about our relationship with Danika and Reid,” Lee said. “The ‘AI kids’—that’s what I call them—got us thinking about what AI could do for us.”
Working with the Chamber, Turner and Pfleghardt developed tools to streamline communication with rowing clubs and universities, helping support efforts to bring more teams to the area.
“The Chamber has slowly started to invite more rowing teams to our area, which is a significant economic impact,” Lee said. “Teams stay in our hotels, dine at our restaurants and hopefully buy something orange.”
Their work also expanded into improving access to Clemson University resources.
“You can imagine how complex and deep the University website is,” Lee said. “This is huge for us to be able to point people exactly to where they’re looking for help, especially in agriculture.”
The collaboration is ongoing, but its impact is already visible in both efficiency and in strengthening connections between the University and the surrounding community.
Mentors, momentum and long hours
Turner and Pfleghardt say a network of support is behind Drive AI.
Professors, community leaders and mentors have played a critical role in helping the company grow. What Turner describes as an “informal advisory board” includes faculty and local professionals who offer guidance, feedback and connections.
“It’s so helpful to have people we can just reach out to,” he said.
Faculty support has gone beyond advice. Professors have helped make introductions, offered flexibility and encouraged the students to pursue their work.
“It has been such a pleasure to be a small part of their journey,” said principal lecturer
and internship coordinator Amanda Cooper Fine, who first connected them with key community leaders.
That support system reflects a broader culture, Pfleghardt says, that defines Clemson.
“Everybody’s just so supportive,” she said. “When we started asking for help, people were willing to give it, and that kept pushing us forward.”
Recently, Drive AI was accepted into Launchpad Tech Ventures, a regional startup accelerator designed to help early-stage companies grow.
Through weekly sessions, mentorship and hands-on assignments, the program is giving Turner and Pfleghardt structured guidance as they scale their business, while also connecting them with a broader network of entrepreneurs and advisors.
For the two founders, the accelerator represents a key next step: turning early momentum into a sustainable company, with the support and resources typically found in larger tech hubs now emerging in South Carolina.
Balancing ambition and student life
Running a company while in college isn’t easy.
Between classes, meetings, client work and managing a growing team, Turner and Pfleghardt are constantly balancing responsibilities. Projects that once took 20 hours now stretch into 50 or more. Their client base continues to expand.
And yet, they insist it doesn’t feel like a burden.
“It gives me energy to do everything else,” Pfleghardt said. “It’s what we enjoy.”
Seeing the work as an opportunity rather than an obligation has fueled their growth.
“It’s not always easy,” Turner added. “But I don’t regret any of it.”
Looking ahead
Drive AI is still young, but the co-founders aim to grow the company, help more businesses and continue building their team.
But what’s already clear is that what started as a conversation in a Clemson classroom has become something much bigger, a reflection of what can happen when ambition meets opportunity.
