Seeking a Better Way to Collect Money, College Roomies Launch WePay.com

They say necessity is the mother of invention. But for the young entrepreneurs behind WePay.com, necessity looked less maternal--and more like a confusing mishmash of cash and checks as they tried to collect money from friends to cover a bachelor-party tab.

Their solution--a group payment epiphany of sorts--not only helped these Boston College grads manage their own finances, but became a buzzed-about web startup that launched their careers.