Meet Anthony Fizer

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Anthony with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I would say I got my work ethnic from the adults I had in my life as I was growing up. This includes my dad (Dennis Sr.), mom (Shirley), and stepmom (Katie). When I was young, I was able to see the resilience and hard work that they put in all aspects of life. This was encompassed in their work life as well as being able to provide the things I needed in my personal life. Despite whatever circumstances came their way, they were able to look at the bright side of things and do what needed to be done. This is one aspect that took some time for me to get adjusted to as an adult, but one that I realized would be much needed as I moved through life. I am always looking to improve my work ethic and become more productive with the time I have available.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I currently serve as co-founder, CTO, and software engineer for a company named Positive Physics (also known as Positive STEM). I help to progress the application from a technical and architectural standpoint alongside co-founder and CEO Jack Replinger. Positive Physics assists teachers in the classroom with students as they learn physics and helps them to comprehend the concepts. This application was not developed to replace teachers, but rather to be a useful tool in the classroom to make their lives as well as the students’ lives easier. A few months ago, while speaking at a high school here in Memphis, I was able to visit the physics teacher and see the students actively using Positive Physics. After speaking with the teacher, he said the application was a lifesaver and has helped him much throughout the entire school year. As we look to expand, a lot of our efforts have been devoted to becoming more inclusive. This includes additional subjects and customizations for the teachers. As of right now, we have content creators working on courses in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, and Engineering for the upcoming school year. We also have added the capability for teachers to create their own problems using a simple problem builder to allow them to design their own courses that fit more with their teaching styles and lesson plans. I am excited about these additions and how they will help teachers and students as we gear up for the next school year.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would say my ability to absorb knowledge, think outside the box, and persevere through the trials and errors were most impactful in my journey. Absorbing knowledge goes hand-in-hand with willingness to learn from others. It is always easy to think that you know everything and that no one, regardless of age or experience, can teach you anything. Thankfully, I learned at an early age that I do not know everything and that for me to expand my knowledge, I must be willing to learn from others. I have been able to speak with people and share ideas from within my field and gain information through online media. I try to see everything with an open mind and be able to incorporate those ideas in what I am working on or may work on in the future. Along with that, thinking outside the box has helped me develop a plethora of options when faced with a task or issue. I always shoot for the conventional method of doing things but depending on the circumstance, an ‘unorthodox’ method may be needed. I have become open to different methods to provide resolutions. With this comes many trials and errors. Sometimes a problem may be resolved in a couple of minutes or a couple of days. When an answer can’t be found, it is natural to say it can’t be done and is impossible. Sometimes, it just takes a clear mind to think through everything. Usually for me, I can concentrate better when I spend some time away and get a good night’s sleep. My advice would be to always be eager to learn and be able to determine what knowledge is beneficial to what you are trying to accomplish. Most issues always have a solution, just must be willing to dig to uncover it.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
I would say my access to books, mainly focused on information of specific concepts and topics. When I was much younger there were commercials that came on television that advertised books about animals that you could subscribe to. In these books, there are fun facts about a variety of animals as well as information about the life cycle of the animals. I saw the commercials and my parents bought the subscription for me. Every month, a new book would arrive, and I would learn about nature and wildlife. They also got me books based on science and mathematics. The topics ranged from ‘men and women in science’ to ‘ planets and space exploration’. I loved learning more about concepts that at the time were foreign to me. These books helped mold my mind to understand and comprehend a range of topics and helped build my love for learning and knowledge.