About UpSide AI
Personalized, on-demand support for college athletes across Texas, fostering self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and career readiness.
Meet the Founder
Marqez Bimage
Marqez Bimage is a Texas native and a proud alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Berkeley. As a Pell Grant recipient, he faced challenges in developing self-efficacy, building emotional intelligence, and preparing for career readiness throughout his academic, social, and athletic journey. He witnessed peers struggle with the same obstacles, driving him to create a transformative digital tool for the next generation of Texas college athletes.
A highly regarded recruit from Brenham, Texas, Marqez earned a full scholarship to UT Austin. In 2020, during a time of great uncertainty, he made the difficult decision to opt out of the Texas football season, a choice shaped by the stark difference he observed between the athlete experience and that of the broader student body.
The following year, he was accepted to graduate school at UC Berkeley, where he walked on to the football team, earned a scholarship, and was honored as the Jonathan and Judy Hoff Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Our Mission
Our mission is to help Texas college athletes confidently navigate the moments that shape who they become and what comes next. It's more than just an app. It's someone in your corner, 24/7.
Self-Efficacy
Fostering belief in personal abilities
Emotional Intelligence
Building self-awareness and empathy
Career Readiness
Preparing for future opportunities
The Challenge
Between the Meetings
Questions rarely wait for office hours. The right person often isn't available the moment a decision or situation comes up.
Stretched Support
Advisors, counselors, and career services are stretched thin, with limited time per student.
Confidence Barriers
Self-doubt about belonging, speaking up, and taking the next step in a new environment.
Our Core Values
These principles guide everything we do and every decision we make.
Access
Every Texas college athlete deserves the same support, regardless of their background.
Excellence
We provide world-class AI guidance designed specifically for the challenges Texas college athletes face.
Innovation
We harness cutting-edge AI to solve real problems and create meaningful impact.
What Makes UpSide AI Different
UpSide AI isn't just another app. It's built specifically for college athletes across Texas.
From Cleats to Code: Founder-Built
UpSide AI was designed by Marqez Bimage, who experienced firsthand how hard it is to balance school, growth, and life without support always within reach. Our platform isn't built from theory alone. It's rooted in real-life experience and a deep understanding of what college students actually navigate.
Research-Backed Approach
Our AI guidance is informed by established psychological frameworks, including Albert Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Jack Canfield's E+R=O success principles. We blend evidence-based strategies with practical, real-world advice you can actually use.
Privacy-First Design
Your conversations, goals, and progress are yours alone. We prioritize data security and use encryption to protect your information. We never share your data with third parties.
Community-Driven Growth
Students, advisors, and educators help shape our roadmap through feedback and feature requests. This isn't built in a Silicon Valley bubble. It's built with and for Texas college communities.
Our AI Framework
UpSide AI's responses are built on proven psychological frameworks that help students develop resilience and emotional intelligence.
The E+R=O Framework
UpSide AI helps you understand that while you can't always control Events, you can control your Response, which determines your Outcome:
Remember: You can't always choose what happens, but you can always choose how you respond.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
UpSide AI recognizes that your needs exist on multiple levels. We meet you where you are and help you build a strong foundation: