Believing “what we could do with computers was magic,” David Makar uses his Khoury College degree to help local grocers

Growing up in the 1980s, David Makar was fascinated with the development of the internet once it was introduced in 1994—which just so happened to be the year he began studying at Khoury College of Computer Sciences.

“I liked the possibility of technology making things easier for other people, to save time, and the feeling that what we could do with computers was magic,” said Makar. “We could now do stuff people thought was impossible, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Soon after leaving his job, Makar launched a website design business in 2003, where he built developed software for small businesses. This venture made him realize how much he enjoyed working with small business owners—helping them grow their business and giving them an online presence.

In 2010, Makar worked as a coach and consultant, helping business owners and entrepreneurs market their business through networking. Over the course of five years, he became an international speaker— delivering keynotes at conferences and hosting business coaching workshops.

Reflecting back on his experiences, Makar found that he could make a larger impact by working with others.

Fast forward to the present day where Makar assists independent businesses on a larger scale through his role as the chief customer officer (CCO) of Rosie.

Rosie’s pursuit to grow the local economy
Rosie is an e-commerce software development company for the independent grocery space. With over 42,500 supermarkets and grocery stores in the US, Rosie gives local grocers a platform to sell their products online for delivery or pickup. In an ever-changing retail space, the company enables local businesses to make their products accessible to as many consumers as possible.

A screenshot of the Rosie website.

As the CCO, Makar’s primary role is to lead the customer success team, which acts as the liaison between the customer—either a retailer or an online shopper—and the software team. Makar’s success is powered by his knowledge of the computer science industry.

“The degree [in computer science] helps me build the bridge from the online shopper, who may or may not have a lot of software experience, to the grocery store, which is really key to customer service and operations and getting all their shelves stocked for what customers want,” said Makar. “It helps me bridge that to the software team who builds the software that replicates that entire in-store experience, like rewards programs and coupons, and brings that to the online platform.”

In leading the customer success team, Makar ensures that the platform is working properly for all of its users. Another key function is to condense user feedback and it send to the software team so that they can build the right tools and features to improve customer experience.

Beyond giving local retailers the ability to enter the world of online groceries, Rosie also strives to make food more accessible for individuals who may struggle with shopping, because of a lack of time or perhaps a disability. Over its last eight years in business, Rosie has been able to grow within the e-commerce space and continuously help more local businesses by updating its software and bringing new local grocers on board.

Since the start of the pandemic, individual enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has increased by four million. In line with its mission to increase accessibility, Rosie is planning to roll out a system for online SNAP payments in 2022. This project would increase the availability of healthy and nutritious groceries for SNAP recipients.

“Often these are people who are homebound, low-income, or sometimes in food deserts,” said Makar, referring to urban neighborhoods that lack access to a local source of affordable or good-quality food. “So, this really just opens up food access.”

Another exciting project in the works is the rollout of retailer-specific apps, which would give “hundreds and thousands of grocery stores” their own online presence, which could help their local business immensely, explained Makar.

Looking at all the work that Rosie is doing to help independent businesses and individuals who are facing food issues, Makar is grateful that he is able to engage in work that helps him fulfill his own goals of helping others by impacting an integral part of their everyday life. From an early age, he knew he wanted to help people in some way. By working at Rosie, he helps small business owners find success and make food more accessible for those who need it.

“There are people who are hungry, even in this country, who just don’t have access to food,” said Makar. “So being part of this company is helping me live that part of my personal mission [to help increase food accessibility] every day is huge.”

More than just a degree
Reflecting back on his time at Khoury College, Makar explained that while his computer science courses taught him the skills he needed to succeed in the field, he especially valued the Khoury College community for all of its networking value.

One way he built his network was by getting together with fellow students to re-establish Northeastern’s chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the largest professional association for computer science.

“Networking is more than just computers and your peers,” said Makar, reminding current students to take advantage of the resource around them, “it’s upperclassmen, administrators, professors, and people in other colleges in the university.”

Being in a role that requires him to correspond with many people across a variety of teams, Makar also commented on the importance of communication in any field.

“A lot of success is driven by just listening— less communication of how to say the right thing and more of, ‘how do I listen to people and really hear what they are saying?’ How do I practice better empathy? How do I understand what they are trying to say even if it isn’t exactly what they are saying?” explained Makar.

By taking a mix of business, communication, and computer science classes at Northeastern, Makar built a strong professional foundation for himself. His main takeaway for current students is to take a look at how they might want to apply their degrees to their career and make use of Khoury College’s community and that of the greater Northeastern University as well. “A few times a month, I reach out to my Northeastern network for advice and ideas. My relationships from the last 25 years have been invaluable to my success.”

“I know I wouldn’t have been able to do what I do professionally, or do it this well, without Khoury College.”

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