A GVSU computing student is turning a real-world problem into something bigger. Mohamed Aziz Boufaied–working alongside Zachary DeBruine, Assistant Professor of Computer Science department–recently won a pitch competition through the Seidman College of Business with a startup focused on improving how public safety professionals do their jobs.

The idea came from something pretty simple—actually spending time with officers and seeing how their day works. What stood out right away was how much time goes into paperwork. Reports, data entry–all of it adds up. And while there are plenty of tools out there, most of these tools just don’t meet the security standards required for government work, so they can’t even be used.

That’s where their startup, Ledger Systems, comes in. They’re building a system designed specifically for that environment—something that helps automate the time-consuming parts of the job while still meeting all the rules and requirements public safety departments have to follow.

When Aziz presented at the pitch competition, he didn’t try to overcomplicate things. He focused on the problem and why it matters. That clarity is what really connects with people. It wasn’t about pitching a cool app—it was about showing a real issue and a way to actually fix it.

Since then, they’ve already taken a big step forward by working with an early client. That’s helped them move from just an idea to something real. Instead of guessing what users need, they’re building alongside them and adjusting as they go.

Aziz says his experience at GVSU played a big role in getting to this point. The College of Computing gave him the technical background to take on something this complex, especially when it comes to security and building systems that actually hold up in real-world situations.

Like any startup, it hasn’t been easy. One of the biggest challenges has been making sure everything meets strict legal and security standards. But instead of cutting corners, Aziz and Zach have focused on doing it the right way from the start.

Looking ahead, the goal is to keep growing and bring this solution to more departments beyond West Michigan. At the end of the day, it’s about giving officers more time to focus on their work instead of being stuck behind a desk.

For other students thinking about starting something, Aziz keeps it simple: just start. You don’t need everything figured out. Pay attention to real problems, talk to people, and build from there.