Greg Weil '08 and Aaron Schneider '08 wanted to occupy themselves this summer with something more than the typical internship or job. In doing so, they ended up getting their feet wet in a new business venture: pond development. The two spent part of their summer in Chicago training for their undertaking by working on the construction of an 11-by-16 foot backyard pond. After a full day of work with 10 other people, the two undergraduates felt they had the skill to start their own company. This August they opened shop in Waltham, and College Pro Pond Builders was born.

While Weil admits that "building ponds is really a simple process, it's really about spending a day with a shovel and digging," he also claims the experience was more worthwhile than the typical alternatives.

The partnership was born when the two attended a Phi Kappa Psi fraternity-sponsored business leadership conference over winter break, held in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Weil related with alacrity how several "high-powered speakers, such as Jerry Nelson, owner of Ticketmaster, showed such an enthusiasm while speaking to young American college kids." Schneider and Weil said they were both impressed with how devoted and dedicated the speakers seemed to be.

But their greatest influence ended up being Greg Whittstock, the founder of Aquascape Designs, which conceptualizes and builds ponds and pondless waterfalls. With his own patented pond-construction process, Whittstock owns "the number one gardening company of its kind in America," Schneider said. "Whittstock created a niche market that became one of the strongest markets in America.

Weil claimed that Whittstock's example offered the inspiration they needed. "He started his company, which now grosses $60 million a year in revenues, after sophomore year in college."

"There's something about starting your own company when you're young and building it from the ground up," Weil said.

Schneider and Weil joined Whittstock at Aquascape's headquarters in Chicago in an apprentice-like capacity. More than just interns, they were contributors to the company's vision, they claimed; their advanced waterfall design was named best design in a company-wide competition, netting the two a cash prize of $100 each.

"After that, we came back to Brandeis, and knew we could start College Pro Pond Builders," Schneider said with a grin. Although serious business men, neither is without a sense of humor, a trait they found necessary for dealing with friendly ridicule.

"When I first went home from Chicago and told my parents that I wanted to get into pond construction, they thought I was crazy," Weil said.

Weil, of Wayne, N.J., and Schneider, of McAllen, Texas, ran into obstacles while trying to start their Waltham-based business. "We didn't have any sense of whom to contact or what our targeted demographics were going to be" Schneider said. "It was difficult because neither of us are from the area and it is also hard to market a pond if there's no one here with a pond to begin with."

Since there are few backyard ponds in the area, Weil and Schneider are struggling with one of Whittstock's basic principles. "Whittstock said that to sell a pond, you have to see a pond," Schneider said. "How can we make someone jealous of their neighbor if their neighbor doesn't have a pond to begin with?" In other words, Schneider and Weil want the Joneses to get some water out back.

Despite receiving no job offers in Massachusetts, the two are confident that their efficiency and work ethic will pay off. Schneider said it takes, "One to two days for a pond and one day for a waterfall" and that "no one else in the business can offer that efficiency of work with superior quality. They're built to last, guaranteed."

"Our ultimate ambition, though," said Weil, half-jokingly, "is to redo Massell pond. It's disgusting.