Will Trapp ’24 never anticipated that a Zoom call with two guys in a van halfway around the world would lead to what he called “the greatest professional experience of my life.” But that’s exactly what happened.
While Trapp was studying abroad his junior year in Prague, Czechia, Ground Game co-founders Aman Brar ’99 and Josh Kline ’99 contacted Wabash’s economics department looking for any students who may be interested in spending the summer working with the venture capital firm.
Professors recommended Trapp, an economics and religion double major and mathematics minor.
“It was unlike any interview I’d ever had,” chuckled Trapp. “They were both crammed in Josh’s (work) van, eagerly talking over each other. But the conversation was amazing. It was enlightening to learn more about what they were passionate about, their plans for Ground Game, and all the different things they were cooking up across the board. They also really showed an interest in me as a junior in college and my goals. I felt very seen, which was nice.”
Trapp landed the summer internship with Ground Game and spent 11 weeks developing a deep appreciation for customer closeness and for the power of entrepreneurship. He remained connected with Josh and the company his senior year through a project with Wabash’s Center for Innovation, Business, and Entrepreneurship (CIBE).
Today, Trapp is employed by Josh and works for Grover, a vertical SaaS business focused on improving customer experience for RV manufacturers and brands.
“Josh called one day and said, ‘We want to start a software company focused on a market we know well. Do you want to do the discovery for it, figure out what problem is most painful and worth solving first, and then have co-founder status?’ I said, ‘Yeah!’” Trapp said. “This is just wild—it’s not where I thought I would be.
“I cannot express how grateful I am for his trust and his push,” he continued. “I would not have had the audacity to go into business on my own, at this young of an age, but Josh has been so encouraging and helpful.”
With more than two decades of experience as a sales leader for emerging tech and a passion for entrepreneurship, Josh has remained very involved with the College in a number of ways since graduating as history major.
He regularly speaks at campus events, provides mentorship to CIBE fellows, and has hired nearly a dozen Wabash students as interns over the years. He also recently created REVelry, a three-month, intern-to-hire program designed to connect high-potential grads with early-stage companies—developing the next generation of elite sales professionals.
During the Giant Steps Campaign, Josh, along with his wife, Monica, established the Josh ’99 and Monica Kline Fund to Promote Entrepreneurial Exploration and Development.
The fund supports entrepreneurial experiences and related professional development opportunities for Wabash students, such as internships, fellowships, and immersion experiences. It also supports established professional development programming such as small business internships and provides micro-grants to student entrepreneurs.
Josh created the fund after reflecting on his own experiences at Wabash. As a student, he felt like the College, at that time, was “largely defined as a forming school for students interested in law or medicine,” and didn’t present as many avenues for those interested in a different path.
“There wasn’t strong encouragement for doing things that seemed different and risky,” Josh explained. “I thought a lot about how we—myself, other alumni in business, programs at Wabash like the CIBE—can help to inspire and ‘de-risk’ pursuing nonconventional endeavors.
“We have a huge responsibility to prime and prepare these talented Wabash men for the world through hands-on experiences,” he continued. “This fund is designed to support young individuals with the courage, conviction, and passion to create or forge new paths—ones the world often sees as dauntingly difficult.”
“We just wanted to create a small way to say, ‘Go for it,’” Monica added. “College is such a great time to try something new, take a risk, and learn by doing. If this fund helps even one student take that leap, then it’s worth it.”
Josh originally never planned on a career in sales, but that all changed when he got a recruiter’s cold call fresh out of college.
“I was lucky to land at a company that truly valued sales and sales enablement,” Josh said. “That experience led me to an exciting journey with several portfolio companies of a venture fund that recognized the power of strong sales cultures—some of which went on to generate over $100 billion in enterprise value.”
CIBE innovation consultants Jake Oostman ’25 and Jackson Hughes ’26 have worked alongside Josh.
Oostman, a financial economics major and psychology and religion double minor, spent 12 weeks last summer interning with Ground Game. He attended client meetings and networking events and conducted screenings and research on inbound companies. As a part of CIBE, he continued working with Josh during the first semester of his senior year.
“I felt like I was actually part of the team,” he said. “My third week (in the internship), I remember going up to him and asking if there was anything else I could do. He was like, ‘You know what? Come to the partner meeting next Monday with an idea on how we can run X, Y, and Z better.’ This was my first real exposure to sales and the venture capital world, so I was shocked but also honored that he trusted me to figure it out.
“Josh does a really good job of uplifting his employees and giving opportunities and insights on how he thinks and builds relationships with clients,” said Oostman, who will be working as a financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial after graduation. “After that internship, I felt so much more prepared going into my senior year and for life beyond Wabash.”
Hughes, a financial economics major and business minor, worked alongside Oostman with the CIBE on projects with Ground Game. His biggest takeaway from that experience was the importance of relationships.
“Josh invests in people more than the actual product,” said Hughes, who landed an internship this summer as a real estate private equity intern with TwoPointO Capital. “It’s all about passion. If he finds a person who has high energy and is passionate about their product, then Josh is on board and says, ‘OK here’s how to sell it.’
“He isn’t just the guy with the capital. He’s the guy who has the means to invest but also takes the time to guide and teach new entrepreneurs how to be successful. He sets the example for how you should treat people.”
Trapp, Oostman, and Hughes weren’t surprised when they learned the Klines had established the Josh ’99 and Monica Kline Fund to Promote Entrepreneurial Exploration and Development. All three expressed gratitude to their mentor for finding yet another way to pay it forward to the next generation.
“I appreciate Josh and Monica’s generosity in my life and their focus and devotion to Wabash,” Trapp said. “Josh has always been so generous in finding ways to be helpful and to give back his time and his knowledge to students and young graduates, and that’s really special.”