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Building Communities through Entrepreneurship

written by Hallie Jacobs

University Avenue serves as an artery for San Diego proper, connecting more than 11 miles of hyper-local and proud neighborhoods. From the affluent urban district of Mission Hills to the sleepy family-friendly suburban La Mesa, the neighborhoods scattered along University Avenue serve a diverse array of San Diego residents. Smack dab in the middle of the thoroughfare sits City Heights, a longtime haven for refugees from all across the globe.

The community of City Heights is as bustling as it is diverse – a large number of local businesses launched and supported by refugees from Middle Eastern, Northeast African, Southeast Asian and Latin American origin. The community is proud of its global roots, celebrating the varying backgrounds and cultures.

The vitality and pride of the City Heights neighborhood inspired resident and Rady School of Management graduate David Tran (MBA ’15) to create a hub for the community to gather, while catering to the local interests and tastes. Along with his wife Sterling Tran and colleague Lonny Cheuk, City Heights Coffee House was born – a multi-cultural space for residents to gather over a cup of coffee or tea sourced from the countries that make up the neighborhood.

City Heights Coffee House  sits right in the center of University Avenue surrounded by local businesses and nonprofit organizations – from Vietnamese, Somali, and Ethiopian restaurants to Lao, Mexican, and Ugandan community centers – all interspersed – and just a stone’s throw away from organizations that assist refugee resettlement and integration.

The complex ecosystem comprised of low-income households, challenges with affordable housing, gentrification, and a diverse population inspired Tran and his partners to create a social enterprise that focuses on workforce development. City Heights Coffee House offers jobs to opportunity youth in San Diego, including refugee and justice-involved youth. Opportunity youth are classified as youth between ages 16-24 who don’t have a job and aren’t in school. A crucial element of the Life Development Program is to provide on-the-job retail training, basic skills such as budgeting and managing a schedule, conflict-resolution tools, and career development courses such as resume and job-search prep.  

“During my time at Rady, I took Professor Ayelet Gneezy’s class that focused on social entrepreneurship,” he said. “This class was pivotal for me because it exposed me to a different entrepreneurial path – one that isn’t traditional and focused solely on profit. One specific concept that she was teaching in the class was around root cause analysis. When we see a problem in any community – globally, nationally, or locally or regionally, anywhere or in the workplace -you have to ask yourself, ‘What’s the problem, and what’s causing that problem? And what’s the problem beneath that problem?’”

Over 41,000 youth in San Diego face barriers to employment opportunities (or lack thereof) and lack support structures to identify and perform successfully in education. The mission of City Heights Coffee House isn’t solely to provide a quality cup of coffee – it extends a hand to the community, offering jobs to underserved youth. Through job training and providing career and personal development opportunities, Tran and his team are dedicated to paving the way for their youth to succeed.

A space to serve

A longtime resident of City Heights, Tran was inspired to create a space after noticing a need in the community.

“The inspiration for City Heights Coffee House came from my experience a few years ago volunteering for a nonprofit organization called Bridge of Hope here in City Heights,” he said. “We were delivering clothes, donations, furniture and food to refugee families and I remember meeting this Afghani family that had just moved here to San Diego. When I met them, I realized that they were given all this food, but didn’t even have a fridge or a kitchen table. Moreover, they didn’t have jobs and were expected to assimilate into American society with limited help and support.”

With an idea in place, Tran decided to attend the Rady School to gain the business acumen to create and launch his dream – a community hub that helped local refugees and at-risk residents obtain marketable skills and knowledge to succeed in the workplace and community.

“My time at Rady was invaluable to the development and execution of the City Heights Coffee House,” Tran said. “The Lab to Market class in the second year of my MBA program taught me to take a concept and transform it into an actual business plan. I conducted market research and it taught me how to think — how to take a social enterprise concept that was going to solve problems for our community and transform it into an actual plan that we could work with and had action steps to it.”

Taking an idea and transforming it into a functioning business is no easy undertaking, but with the skills and tools Tran developed during his MBA, he was able to create a functioning business prototype before crossing the Commencement stage.

“Through countless hours of brainstorming, primary and secondary research and feedback from classmates and alumni, City Heights Coffee House was able to incorporate in April 2015,” he said. “Shortly after in August 2015 with a stroke of divine favor, we received our 501(c)3 status.”

A growing venture

Since 2015, City Heights Coffee House has continued to grow, moving from a Farmers Market stand to a small cart behind a thrift store to now a storefront on one on San Diego’s most popular streets. The new space has been conducive to providing a hub for the community to gather, hosting mental health discussions, cultural celebrations, art shows, open mics, and local council meetings.

“It’s so exciting to see how far we’ve come – our social venture has grown so much and we’re continuing to grow,” Tran said. “We want to continue to expand so we can provide more career opportunities for youth who want a hand-up, not a handout. We’re in the mission of second chances.”

Sitting in the shop with a cup of coffee (sourced from Ethiopia – a large population of Ethiopian residents reside in City Heights), the energy is palpable. Local residents filter in and out throughout our conversation, admiring the local art on the wall while waiting for coffee prepared by college students who live in the area. One barista, Betel Mulugheta from Eritrea, is eager to share how City Heights Coffee House has helped her in her career.

“My time at City Heights Coffee House has been extremely helpful for my career,” she said. “I work as a manager and barista, so I have experience with both making drinks and running operations behind the scenes. It’s given me the opportunity to learn more about business and I feel confident in my abilities.”

Mulugheta’s testimony brings a smile to Tran’s face – seeing his team’s goals for the business and community materialize in real time only reinforces why City Heights Coffee House was created in the first place.

“I’m so thankful for my time at Rady, because without Rady this wouldn’t have been possible,” he said. “I hope other MBA students realize that social ventures and enterprises can be profitable while changing the world for the better.”


March 7, 2019 0 comment
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AlumniStartupsStudents

#RadyMade Startup Wins Pitch Competition

written by Matthew Wu

A healthy beverage startup company found at the Rady School of Management placed first in the Ignite UC San Diego startup pitch battle, earning a cash prize of $5,000 and being named best product.

The company, headed by CEO Kabir Gambhir (MBA ’10), produces the drink Cascaraa, made from the sun dried coffee fruit of the same name, which hopes to provide a healthy alternative to naturally caffeinated beverages for younger audiences. Gambhir said he was inspired to create the drink after facing health problems with traditional caffeine, and applied his past experience within the medical field in creating the drink.

“Discovery was a big part of maintaining health and wellness,” Gambhir said. “ It’s something that I’ve really been inspired to share with as many people as possible.”

 The restructured Ignite Startup battle format now features a rap battle as a part of its competition, incentivizing companies to find a creative alternative in pitching their ideas.

Gambhir, alongside fellow team member Renan Iwayama (MBA ’19) and a few members of the company, did just that, showcasing their rapping skills with their original song, “Drink Cascaraa,” a parody of Snoop Dog’s iconic, “Drop it Like it’s Hot.”

“It was a fun and amazing way to challenge ourselves in writing the lyrics for the song from a pitch standpoint,” Iwayama said, “I’d definitely approve of them doing something like this again next year.”

Gambhir says he plans to use the prize money in reinforcing the company’s marketing strategies by partnering with Hello Advisor, a promotions and marketing firm, in order to continue expanding their product across San Diego, with the eventual goal of reaching all of California.

“We’re thrilled to be working with them, and in using their guidance in looking for new strategies and expand,” Gambhir said.

March 6, 2019 0 comment
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AlumniCareersMBAStartups

Expert Mentors Guide Rady Students to Entrepreneurial Success

written by Hallie Jacobs

The adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day” rings true in the startup ecosystem. Ask any entrepreneur about their journey from idea to flourishing company, and they’re sure to offer up a list of individuals who helped them along the way.

The Rady School of Management startup community has been developing a network of successful entrepreneurs for more than 15 years, launching more than 180 student and alumni-led companies in its short lifespan. Although the network has always been happy to help those looking to get their companies up and running, the School recently created a new mentorship program designed to connect budding entrepreneurs with seasoned industry experts to foster creativity and provide the students with a strong support system throughout the early stages of their startups.

Developing Rady Innovators and Entrepreneurs (DRIvE) is a donor driven initiative born out of a gift from UC San Diego alumnus Mark Waxman (B.A. Economics ’70). The program began last year by collecting a community of both Rady and out-of-network professionals looking to share their skills and knowledge of various industries. Then, students participating in the StartR Rady accelerator were hand selected to join the mentorship program. Once the student participants and mentors were chosen, pairs were formed based on mutual interests and needs identified by the students.

“The mentors were extremely involved from the very beginning – they wanted to get as much information they could about the students and their companies to see how they could help,” said Karen Jensen, Entrepreneur Advocate at the Rady School. “Their investment in our students has been crucial to the continued development of several startups launched here at Rady.”

Once the matches are made, mentors and mentees stay in touch by connecting in person or on the phone to stay involved with the entrepreneurs throughout their journey. The DRIvE program also hosts quarterly Monday morning events that facilitate in-person interactions between mentors and mentees through workshops, pitch presentations and networking.

“We start by working with students to identify their needs and interests, then we match them with mentors who have experience in those fields,” Jensen said.  “Each student can have up to three mentors with expertise in fields, such as finance, marketing and product development so the students have a strong network.”

The benefits of mentorship

The expectation for the program is for mentors to stay engaged for at least six months, but several mentor/mentee pairs have continued to stay involved after the official program is complete.

Mridu Sinha, co-founder of MelioLabs, participated in the initial cohort of the DRIvE program to take her microbial identification startup to the next level. MelioLabs created a microbial identification system that screens for newborns at risk for infection, making it easier to identify newborns who are at risk of sepsis – a condition that can be fatal for infants.

Sinha connected with June Chocheles, President of the Chocheles Consulting Group and Athena Foundation Board Member, who helped her learn the ropes of fundraising, marketing, branding and business scaling.

Due to the value of the program, she remains in contact with her mentor to this day. She credits the rapid success of her company to her mentor who has continued to support her throughout the development of her company.

“June has a lot of experience starting and running companies, so it has been a wonderful experience working with her,” she said. “

While the StartR Inclusion accelerator – formerly known as mystartupXX –helped initially launch MelioLabs, the DRIvE mentorship program has helped sustain and grow the startup.

“If you’re looking to take your company to the next level, the DRIvE program is a great way to help,” she said. “The mentors are extremely helpful and supportive and have the tools and experience you may not have yet. The strong Rady network connects you to a number of professionals who are willing and excited to help you.”

The next generation of innovators

The success of DRIvE has created a vast network of interested mentors eager to share their knowledge and skills with budding Rady entrepreneurs. The mentor network continues to grow to include more Rady alumni who know the potential Rady startup leaders have to offer.

“Entrepreneurship and innovation are essential aspects of the Rady School experience, and we’re doing whatever we can to expose our students to as many opportunities as possible,” Jensen said. “We’re so thrilled that students and mentors have been so actively engaged in the first DRIvE cohort, so we’re excited to continue to grow the program.”

February 27, 2019 0 comment
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Alumni

Never Stop Advancing: Melissa Fellner

written by Hallie Jacobs

What was it exactly that brought Melissa Fellner (MBA ’09) to the Rady School of Management in pursuit of an MBA? Was it because of her desire to continue her career in San Diego’s flourishing biotechnology industry? Maybe her devotion to UC San Diego – she holds both an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and a master’s degree in biology from the distinguished southern California UC. Perhaps it was the coveted Lab to Market accelerator that introduces entrepreneurial hopefuls to the ins and outs of launching a business? For Fellner, the choice of where to pursue her MBA was an easy one to make.

After a successful career in clinical research, Fellner found herself looking for the next step in her career. While she was an expert in trial and development, her skillset lacked the business acumen necessary to push innovative products and procedures to the market.

“I had a lot of experience in research, but I wanted to learn more about the business side of things,” she said. “I was really interested in the biotech boom and was fascinated with all the early-stage biotech companies launching right across the road from the Rady School. Being a part of that movement became my next goal, and I knew that in order to pursue it, I needed an MBA.”

Fellner joined the FlexWeekend MBA cohort while working full-time for Vical, a biopharmaceutical drug development company. Between finding time for her work and balancing a challenging courseload, Fellner’s time management skills were put to the test. But succeeding in both her classes and in her job was the confidence boost she needed to take her career to the next level. 

“Despite the craziness, it was empowering to be able to juggle both work and school – it really proved to me how capable I was,” she said. “It wasn’t easy, but it showed that I could get things done – and I did.”

After graduating from the Rady School, Fellner accepted a job offer from fellow Rady alum at The Aequitas Group, a healthcare advisory firm. After spending a few years in the consulting industry, she made the move to pursue her passion in the biotech sphere, accepting a Manager Access Services Operations position at biopharmaceutical leader AstraZeneca in 2012.

In her initial position, Fellner was responsible for building out a new program designed for patients requiring specialty drugs for oncology and respiratory diseases. This task was outside of her comfort zone – a complete pivot from her clinical research experience. However, using the skills and tools she gained from her Rady MBA, Fellner was able to build a program called “Access 360” that is now a recognized leader in patient access support and being rolled out globally at AstraZeneca

“My time at Rady was exactly what I needed to be successful,” she said. “Not only did I learn valuable business lessons in how to implement processes, secure funding for projects and how to work with different teams to accomplish a common goal, it gave me the confidence to look at a problem and say, ‘I can figure this out.’”

Her success with the creation and implementation of the successful platform catapulted her career forward, moving up the AstraZeneca ranks. She recently accepted a new position at the company, where she is in charge of leading global consumer marketing strategies for respiratory biologics. Her current project is to build new capabilities and market a breakthrough treatment for severe asthma.

As she continues to thrive in the biotech space, Fellner credits the Rady School for helping her find her dream career trajectory.

“I’m able to think innovatively, and because of that, I’ve been able to set up new systems that support our patients,” she said. “I wanted a career that would give me the ability to help patients, and thanks to my time at Rady, I’ve found the perfect area that allows me to do just that every day.”  

January 30, 2019 0 comment
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AlumniMBA

The Trip of a Lifetime: Israel Immersion 2018

written by Vanessa Cabiling

“Is it possible to fall in love with a country you have not been to?”

This was the question I asked a friend who was part of the inaugural Israel Immersion Program in December 2012. My Flex Evening 2014 (FE14) cohort was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to not only be part of the first-ever US-Israel Center (USIC) Immersion Program, but to be given that same opportunity again the following year right before we graduated.

The Application

I’ve always admired classmates who find the balance between the rigorous demands of school while maintaining a full-time job, all the while never neglecting to squeeze in some fun and participating in various Rady activities in the process. I’ve never been one of those people, save for the occasional Home Plate shenanigans before, during, and after class. Somehow, however, I’ve always known that applying in the Israel Immersion Program was something I was going to try at some point in my life. And five years after taking my last final exam at Rady, here I am telling you all about the experience.

The Preparation

Learning that I was accepted in the USIC Immersion Program gave me the same ecstatic feeling I had when I found out I was going to be part of Rady’s FE14 cohort – so much so that after being assigned Startup Nation as a required reading for the trip, I’ve pre-immersed myself in various other books about Israel: Our Man in Damascus, Rise and Kill First, Son of Hamas, Israel: An Introduction, and Mossad. After the first briefing, I began hiking again to prepare for Masada. I may have gone overboard when I also started binge-watching Fauda, Mossad 101, and Hostages on Netflix. In doing so, I even managed to pick up a few Hebrew words. Finally, to obtain a more balanced perspective on the Israel-Palestine conflict, I borrowed the documentary 5 Broken Cameras from the library, which I made an effort to watch the evening before my flight.

The Obsession

My fascination with the country has a lot to do with being raised Catholic. It’s always been a dream of mine to do a pilgrimage in Israel and visit all the Christian sites in order to walk the same path as Jesus did. As I grew older, however, my curiosity turned into the country’s sophisticated national security and full-on espionage stratagem. Now that I am pursuing a career in Health Information Technology, my interest in Israel has evolved into knowing more about its high-tech industry and how it can be leveraged for the greater good. Simply put, Israel contains the trifecta of my favorite things: Tech + Jesus and a splash of the Mossad.

The People

Call me biased, but even our TAs said that FE14 was one of the best and most fun-loving cohorts Rady has ever had, so I was a bit skeptical when I found out none of my contemporaries would be part of the trip. After the first mandatory class, I knew that it might be asking a lot to find more Amy Gundersons or Matt Archers to spice up the immersion experience, especially since five years after graduation, this bunch is definitely going to be a lot younger than I am. Besides, the trip was only a week long, so I had no high hopes of meeting a new set of Gossip Girls to spend future milestones with.

But as with any startup success story, my trip began serendipitously. My proclivity for isolation has brought me to sit with Dipixa at lunch for the first meet and greet, and Ben during the Israel welcome dinner. It’s amazing how both of these unconscious decisions, driven mostly by my preference for more intimate social interactions, determined how fulfilling this trip would be. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the program as much had I not spent time gallivanting with these like-minded souls.

Dipixa said it best when she wrote that the most memorable part of the trip were the people. From sharing deep, dark secrets with the Assistant Dean, Christie, and Robert; bumming a drag from Diego and Erez; recognizing Leandro (the map) from Mauro (and failing to be his wingwoman); pulling a prank on Chris; embarrassing El Bryan, the El Presidente on Venmo with his BTP moment; rooming with Olesia and admiring her courageous travels; sitting on benches with Daniel; exchanging photos with Felix; singing Coldplay with Sahil; giving Jaden his third official call sign; harassing Sean in his bathrobe; working out with Katy; figuring out that Valerie IS Janzino; woman-crushing on Mimi; speaking Italian to Mauricio; singing happy birthday to Lijun; taking photos of Ming, the self-designated photographer; praying at Holy Sepulchre with Shashita; doing what I do best and making Jasleen, Juliana, and Rumpa a wee bit uncomfortable; spending long walks and heart-to-heart talks with Ben and Dipixa; and adoring Ayelet even more than I already did.

The Company Visits

When I was still in business school, corporate social responsibility was a “nice-to-have” when we evaluated companies. With the Israeli startups we visited, I was very pleased to learn that the social aspect was actually what a lot of the business models were based upon. Furthermore, this new set of Rady MBA candidates I went on the trip with always challenged the speakers with how the startups plan on giving back to society.

The two companies that are near and dear to my heart are BKind and Brainsway. As a Diversity and Inclusion Champion at work, I find BKind’s pay-it-forward gesture of spreading kindness as a way to be inclusive. Often times, people know to focus on diversity, but they overlook inclusion. BKind, in its own way of spreading kindness around the world in a tactile manner, eradicates our propensity to hide behind our screens. And with Brainsway, helping people achieve mental health is a fundamental initiative I will always want to be a part of any day.

The Culture

The pride that each speaker exuded as they explained how Israel is a startup nation was infective. Each provided different flavors of what it meant to them and their companies to be a startup nation. As for the overall Israel vibe, the cities were alive, no matter what time of day or night. Despite the negative news coverage we get stateside, I found comfort and security in walking the well-lit streets of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and Tel Aviv, even in solitude, as the cities were constantly bustling with seemingly happy people. I also felt very welcome in the Israeli-Arab community of the Bedouins with their tremendous hospitality. Most importantly, as an introverted (sometimes shy) individual, what I admired most about the culture was the Israeli chutzpah and is truly something I desperately want to emulate. Being direct without being rude, and accepting failure as a mere opportunity to try again, were great ingredients to creating successful startups – IMHO, these were the trip’s prized exposure that were extremely relevant for people seriously considering taking their Lab 2 Market ideas to the next level.

The Historical Sites

The Old City of Jerusalem was exactly how I imagined it to be and so much more. But there were a lot of unexpected and pleasant surprises I found along the way, such as the hotel’s proximity to the Dead Sea; the late night solo walks (I’m scared of everything, especially people); the visit to Nahalal and the Necropolis of Bet She’arim; and crawling inside what was purported to be Jesus’ tomb.

The Food

I’ve always found Mediterranean food to be too healthy. Yet, in Israel, I’ve never had such decadent and generous spread of courses, only to find that the amount of good food I ate were only appetizers. Both the welcome and farewell dinners were something I want to be able to find in San Diego. I’d even drive to LA or fly to San Francisco if I could find something up to par with the authentic Israeli dishes we had. There was never a shortage of food, even for vegetarians like Dipixa or people with food allergies, there was always a succulent dish to be had.

The Gneezys

The Gneezys always know how to do things right. Negotiations weekend was perhaps the most memorable part of my Rady experience, but Israel Immersion now takes the cake. Whether the class is with Ayelet or Uri, I somehow always come out far richer and more knowledgeable than I actually think I am. What they teach is beyond the concepts of the class – it is the overall experience that makes one feel whole. It’s as if prior to participating in their classes, you don’t even realize that something is missing from your life until you leave the class extremely fulfilled. I, for one, have learned invaluable social, professional, and life skills from both of them, which I carry with me wherever I go.

The Trip of a Lifetime

I do believe that students are terribly missing out if they leave Rady without participating in the USIC Israel Immersion Program. In hindsight, I probably would have enjoyed this trip a lot more had I shared this experience with Pete or Abby. As an alum, though, I’m fortunate to be given another chance. I am definitely grateful for the opportunity to relive the Rady experience and expand my network outside of my tight-knit FE14. The best part? I got to be nostalgic without having to worry about grades.

So is it possible to fall in love with a country you have not been to? As Ayelet said prior to the trip, I will be even more in love with Israel after I visit. She was not wrong. I’m already trying to find a way to convince my boss if I can work remotely for 3-6 months from Israel. Our VPN firewall rules do not allow network access outside of the U.S., so this will be challenging, but as I’ve learned from Uri, it does not hurt to negotiate and ask for anything. After all, I’m still קינדסומ תשפחמ.

As for my concerns that this group may not be as fun, I think Rady has a knack for putting together an eclectic mix of people. One is bound to find lifelong friends even in a short, week-long intensive period of time. Dipixa, Ben, and I have already maintained a group chat and are planning to hike and brunch regularly like basic sabiches. I can’t wait to be part of their future milestones just as I have with my Gossip Girls.

January 2, 2019 0 comment
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AdvancingAlumniMBA

From Scientist to Data Expert to UN Presenter

written by Hallie Jacobs

Earning an MBA from the Rady School of Management was another accomplishment on Mariana Melcón’s (MBA ’14) long list of academic and professional achievements. Boasting a resume that includes a Ph.D. in Animal Physiology, publications in top academic journals and research experience in world-renowned laboratories, Melcón is well-versed in what it means to be a dedicated scientist.

As an expert in bioacoustics, Melcón studies the way sounds affect underwater ecosystems. Though her academic career was thriving, she knew her impact in the field could be more significant with a background in business.

“I wanted to get an MBA to become more employable,” she said. “I was interested in learning more tools and skills that I hadn’t developed during my scientific studies. I was drawn to Rady because of the high numbers of scientists active in the program.”

Within her first few weeks at the Rady School, Melcón immersed herself in a number of activities and organizations during her time at the Rady School, taking advantage of the wealth of opportunities to learn and grow. She interned as a marketing consultant at a small digital marketing company, and served as a business development for Sense4Baby, an innovative fetal monitoring system for expecting mothers. She also took a teaching assistant role, assisting with the Quantitative Analysis, Operations Strategy and Architecture-Based Enterprise Systems Engineering courses offered at both the Rady School and Jacobs School of Engineering.

Despite diving head-first into the business world, Melcón couldn’t shake her passion for research, so she joined the Life Science Club. “I joined the Life Science Club because I figured it would be an excellent opportunity to combine my new-found interest for data-driven analytics with my love of science,” she said.

Change of plans

With a more generalized love for data analytics, Melcón decided to take on a new career path. She leveraged her Rady School network and was offered a Pricing Analytics Manager position HP Inc., and has been flourishing in her career ever since.

“Getting into data analytics was the perfect transition for me,” she said. “It took me quite some time to realize that breaking what you love doing into single units gives you more opportunities. A big passion of mine is playing detective with data and I apply this task in many different settings beyond biology. Understanding this led me to take my analytical science and critical thinking skills and transfer them into real-world business applications, while truly enjoying my job.”

Though her full-time job kept her busy, Melcón still found the time to volunteer her expertise serving as advisor and consultant for Argentina-based cetacean (whales and dolphins) conservation foundation Fundación Cethus.

This summer, her scientific and business worlds collided when she was invited to the United Nations to serve as a panelist for the Nineteenth meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. Serving as an expert on bioacoustics and underwater noise, Melcón was called to share her experience and knowledge on “Cooperation and coordination in addressing anthropogenic underwater noise”. In this session she shared her story on how she was able to start from scratch in a developing country to get equipment, train human resources and build an international network that made it possible to be leading bioacoustics research on cetaceans in South America, and addressing important issues such as impact of noise on these animals.

“My time at Rady was instrumental for my success addressing the world leaders at the United Nations,” she said. “My courses helped me prepare a compelling argument to influence the audience. Also during my studies at Rady, I learned to collaborate with a diverse group of students to accomplish a common goal that turned to be a stepping stone to many of my accomplishments.”

Presenting her research on the world’s stage was a dream come true for Melcón. In addition to sharing her research in bioacoustics, she was able to make a case for cross-country collaborations and the benefits of working with scientists from developing nations to accomplish global sustainability and nature preservation goals.

“Rady exposed me to paths and opportunities I never knew were available to me,” Melcón said. “My MBA experience helped me open my mind and see how different backgrounds and disciplines can work together to solve problems and devise new, innovative solutions.”

January 2, 2019 0 comment
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AlumniMBAMSBAStartup

Rady Team Wins Triton Innovation Challenge

written by Renan Sallai Iwayama

When I first stepped onto the Rady School of Management campus last year, the innovation and entrepreneurship was obvious – I could feel and see it happening around me. I was very excited with the conversations I had with students and faculty, and after attending the class “Research for Marketing Decisions” with Professor Anand Bodapati, I decided to apply to the Master of Science in Business Analytics program.

At the beginning of this year I was invited to join the third cohort of the MSBA program that started classes in August. I found it very demanding, but at the same time very fulfilling, because I could further develop my critical thinking skills and dive deeper into complex business issues.

However, I felt that just attending classes and completing my assignments wouldn’t be enough to be successful in my career. In fact, I quickly realized that the Rady School and University of California, San Diego had so much to offer that I had to take advantage of every possible opportunity!

On October 3, I attended StartR Demo Day. StartR is a free, six month-long acceleration program held twice a year on the Rady School’s campus, and at the conclusion of the program, StartR teams are given an opportunity to pitch to investors and industry experts during Demo Day.

This was an amazing experience and I learned so much about different innovative business models! At the end I connected with each of the startups representatives and because of my networking ability, I was able to start working with Kabir Gambhir (MBA ’10), a Rady alum who launched a business called Bevea.

Bevea, is a startup in the consumer and packaged goods industry that created a new drink made from the coffee fruit, also known as cascara. Unfortunately, cascara is often dumped into rivers or just left to rot in reaps which both brings harmful environmental impacts. Bevea is currently buying cascara from Costa Rica and producing a drink that is both healthy and delicious, while also preventing pollution and generating extra income to cascara farmers and their communities.

Encouraged by our advisor Lada Rasochova, we decided to join the Triton Innovation Challenge — a business competition focused on fostering creativity and bringing commercially promising, environmentally focused technologies generated by the finest minds at UC San Diego to the spotlight. Supported through the generosity of The William and Kathryn Scripps Family Foundation Inc., the program is presented through a partnership between the Rady School of Management, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Jacobs School of Engineering.

This was indeed a great challenge for me because I had to create a new pitch from scratch to properly address the competition’s criteria and connect to the audience to convey our company’s message. I had support from the organization because they provided us with the workshop “Art of the Pitch” led by Silvia Mah (MBA ’12), a successful Rady School alum and startup expert. Attending this workshop was a game-changer for me and Bevea.

We progressed through the Triton Innovation Challenge, competing in the initial pitch competition and making our way through the semifinals. I represented Bevea at the finals, competing against five other extraordinary startups: The BioEnergy project, Ocean Motion Tech, FreeGen Technologies, Khepra and CleanCoast – The Water Quality Sticker.

After watching six outstanding presentations from teams coming from diverse backgrounds and representing startups from different industries, the judges and the audience made their choices:

  • 1st prize – $10,000 (Bevea)
  • 2nd prize – $5,000 (Ocean Motion Tech)
  • 3rd prize – $2,500 (Khepra)
  • Audience Choice – $2,500 (Bevea)

My pitch won first place for Bevea and was also able to capture the audience support for our sustainable cause. This was a unique moment and an extraordinary personal achievement for me! I can still barely believe that I could balance everything ranging from my personal life to work and academics in the last several weeks. I was proud to represent Bevea and the Rady School at this prestigious business competition.

I am grateful for all the inspiration my fiancé, Cintia Kussuda, gave me and the support of my family and friends. Special thanks to Emily Dayton, Rady Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions, for encouraging me throughout the MSBA program and Kabir, Bevea CEO, for believing in my unlimited potential!

My mentor, Dr. Daisaku Ikeda once said: “This lifetime will never come again; it is precious and irreplaceable. To live without regret, we must have a concrete purpose, continually setting goals and challenges for ourselves. And we need to keep moving toward those specific targets steadily and tenaciously, one step at a time.”

Bevea is now one step closer to becoming a successful product enjoyed by the masses and I look forward to the next goals and challenges that I am going to achieve during the winter quarter.

Renan Sallai Iwayama is an MSBA candidate at the Rady School of Management.

 

 

 

 

 

December 11, 2018 0 comment
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AlumniMBAStartup

Alumni Spotlight — Robin Clough

written by Hallie Jacobs

Robin Clough (MBA ’14) is the co-founder and CEO of Tequila Enemigo, a luxury tequila company that has won 5x Double Gold Awards across three continents within one year, and is now served at some of the world’s best venues, including The Ritz Hotel and Annabel’s.

“We initially launched in London in September 2017 to surprising critical acclaim  — earning accolades from Forbes, Business Insider and CNN — culminating in our launch in NYC in November,” Clough said.

Enemigo’s award-winning Tequilas are now available in store in NYC at the prestigious Park Avenue Liquor and online nationwide at www.parkaveliquor.com. The company also released an exclusive first edition bottle only available in the United States.

Clough was part of the Rady Full-Time class 2014, and while at Rady he was part of the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital clubs.

1) What impact has Rady had on your career progression?

First and foremost, I met my co-founder Sebastian Gonzalez (MBA ’14) at Rady, and together we built what Tequila Enemigo is today. For me, Rady was a slightly different experience to most. I arrived as a 23-year-old straight after graduating from college in London. I left Rady jumping straight into a product management role at Hewlett Packard leading an eight person software development team and with the foundation of a future successful luxury company already in motion.

2) Has your Rady MBA enabled you to change industries or functional areas or even achieve a promotion? 

I decided to pursue an MBA at Rady because I knew that starting my own company was what I wanted to do and it felt like the best way to develop the cross-functional foundational skills needed. I quickly realized that product management at a tech company was the perfect next step toward entrepreneurship while our Tequilas would be aging. My class had other students who were directly looking for similar roles and as most were years ahead of me, I had an instant step up in knowledge seeing how they went about developing their skills.

3) What event or realization served as a ‘turning point’ for you during your Rady School and/or professional career?

The biggest moment happened a few years after graduating from Rady where I took a step back from product management and worked out what drove me. By this time Enemigo had already begun and our Tequilas were about to come out of the barrel, I quickly confirmed that Tequila Enemigo was my full next step and that I was finally ready.

4) Tell us a fun fact about you, or something people may not know about you.

I am the youngest founder of an international luxury liquor brand. I got accepted into Rady five days before term started, after completing my full GMAT prep and test in the 3 weeks prior.

5) What is the most memorable moment from your Rady School experience?

From a professional standpoint, it has to be the first term progression. Still jet-lagged, I naively walked into the class on day one surrounded by experienced, mostly mature classmates, leagues ahead of me career-wise, and left at the end of the first semester 100-times ahead of where I started. From a personal standpoint, I have worked with many of my classmates and close friends after Rady. Peter Butler (MBA ’14) and I were product managers at HP on the same team, which was run by Rady alum Aron Tremble (MBA ’07), and Sebastian is my co-founder for Enemigo. All the times we had brainstorming different projects, trips to Mexico and skiing in Tahoe enjoyed with a glass of Enemigo — those are the best moments.

6) How have you applied your studies to your career?

The biggest things I still reflect back on are the case studies — I still draw on scenarios from On Amir’s marketing class, Operations, Accounting, and Corporate Finance.

7) What advice do you have for prospective students?

Often times at business school, there is extreme pressure to be involved with every part of what’s going on, be in as many clubs etc — I would argue that your number one goal is to work out what you want to do after you graduate, and then really focus in on what the school and clubs can do to help you achieve that. There is at times a lot of class work, but also a lot of free time too — the most successful people in our class now were the ones who used their free time wisely.

 

 

November 28, 2018 0 comment
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Alumni

Building Businesses and Communities

written by Hallie Jacobs

Building and developing is in Keegan McNamara’s (MBA ’10) nature – whether it be in real estate ventures or supporting community-based initiatives. As the principal of a real estate company, with more than 20 years of experience in the business, McNamara is well-versed on how to build a project from the ground-up. But his newest project goes beyond acquisitions, entitlements, and construction – it’s about leveraging his success in the industry to support a flourishing nonprofit.

McNamara came to the Rady School during a pivotal moment in the United States’ economic history. Three days after beginning his MBA program, the 2008 stock market crash hit, decimating the economy.

“Three days before my first day at Rady, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, and that was really the first domino in the entire meltdown of the economy,” he said. “Throughout my journey at Rady, it seemed like things were getting worse in the economy every day. Every Friday the FDIC would announce a new list of banks that they were closing down. It was surreal.”

Initially, McNamara was uncertain of the value of obtaining an MBA or not in an increasingly uncertain job market, but the crash reaffirmed his decision.

“Because I was a real estate person, I was kind of on the fence about going back to school,” he said. “I wanted to get an MBA – it was a goal of mine. But once the subprime market hit a year before the 2008 recession, I thought, ‘Now’s a really good time to get another degree.’”

When it came to selecting an MBA program, the choice was easy for McNamara. With a focus on entrepreneurship and an innovative approach to curriculum, McNamara knew the Rady School would arm him with an arsenal of skills and tools to succeed in all aspects of business.

“The reason I went with Rady’s MBA program is that I wanted a broad business background,” he said. “I didn’t want a real estate specific MBA. I also wanted to go to the best school in town.”

With an already thriving professional resume, McNamara pursued an MBA to help him acquire the tricks of the entrepreneurial trade to help him launch his own business. After graduating from Rady, he launched McNamara Ventures – a real estate development and investment company focused on residential and mixed-use properties.

Giving back by paying it forward

Through the success of his business, McNamara has found that the best part of his career has been giving back to the community. During his time at the Rady School, a classmate introduced him to the Barrio Logan College Institute, an afterschool program designed to help students in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego succeed. After attending a fundraiser event, he was hooked.

Initially, McNamara used his skills and real estate ties to help the organization find a new and improved facility to operate in. But once he learned more about the organization’s incredible reach and influence – such as boasting a 100 percent high school graduation rate of program participants, with 100 percent of students choosing to attend college – McNamara decided to get more involved with Barrio Logan College Institute. He now serves on the Board of Directors and has various roles on Executive Leadership committees.

“It’s such an inspiring organization – 100 percent of the kids go to college!  And they are usually the first in their family to graduate from high school, let alone attend college.  The more I give to this organization, the more I get back,” he said. “I’ve met so many incredible people from the community and the kids are extremely driven and motivated. It’s inspiring to see them succeed and pursue their passions and dreams.”

In addition to helping BLCI locate the perfect permanent home, McNamara’s team has pledged to donate to the organization. His team recently completed the construction of a townhome project, Guild on 30th, and with the help of key consultants on the team and an anonymous donor, the combined efforts raised $30,000 to support the BLCI mission.

Lessons learned

One of the most important lessons McNamara learned during his time at the Rady School? Networking and building relationships.

“The relationships I’ve built over the years with classmates, alumni and the professors have been invaluable,” he said. “The Rady network is constantly growing – there are so many events and opportunities to meet with business experts and venture capitalists. I have a much broader network of folks who are outside of the real estate industry, in the tech field, the science world, and so many friends who are extremely successful.”

McNamara also feels compelled to give back to the school and program that has given him so much. He recently joined the Rady Alumni Board and is working to increase communication and engagement to ensure alumni stay connected to campus. He also presents in Rady classes, and emphasizes the importance of getting involved with socially-responsible ventures like Barrio Logan College Institute.

Becoming more connected to Rady helped McNamara get even more involved with his altruistic side. This summer, his worlds collided when he fostered his connections and brought Launchpad – a Rady program that introduces high school students to Rady School entrepreneurial resources and the startup community – to the kids of the BLCI.   The weeklong program gave the future entrepreneurs a chance to foster business ideas and even pitch their companies to a panel at the end of the week.

Finding a balance between personal and professional life is a difficult one to achieve, but McNamara’s connections to his community and alma mater have made the transition from one to the other seamless.

“It’s easy for most of us to get stuck in our day-to-day routines because we’re so busy at work and it’s hard to imagine taking time to give back,” he said. “But giving back is an essential part of being a balanced person and the rewards are so tremendous.”

Next Steps

McNamara’s plate is full, but he sees his busy schedule as a privilege and a calling. He and his BLCI team are working to expand the program, both in scope and location.

“Right now we are in negotiations for a long-term lease for an incredible property that we hope will be the forever-home for BLCI,” he said. “Our current lease is expiring in a year, so we need to move again.  I love urban infill and community revitalization, and this will be a tremendous opportunity for an adaptive re-use of two buildings that have served the community of Barrio Logan for two generations already.  The owners are incredible people who have the vision to see their properties creating an even longer-term legacy in the community.  I’m so honored to play a small role in helping the organization grow and move into new space.”

 

 

November 2, 2018 0 comment
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AlumniStartupStudents

StartR Demo Day Showcases Rady Innovation

written by Hallie Jacobs

Entrepreneurship is a fundamental aspect of the Rady School of Management educational experience. Whether students are pursuing an MBA, Master of Finance or Master of Science in Business Analytics degree, students have the opportunity to take an idea and transform it into a company at the Rady School. The StartR Accelerator – a free six-month long acceleration program open to all Rady School students and alumni – sets the stage for students to get businesses running through educational seminars, access to funding, mentorship connection and more. Recently, the StartR Spring Class of 2018 gathered to present their pitches to Rady School students, faculty, alumni and the San Diego business community.

Robert Sullivan, Dean of the Rady School of Management, kicked off the event by celebrating the success of the StartR program.

“Since its inception in 2013, the accelerator program has launched 61 companies,” Sullivan said. “Twelve of these teams have been accepted into the prestigious EvoNexus accelerator, and 60 percent of the teams that have been launched are still operational. StartR teams have generated more than $40 million in capital.”

A successful graduate of the StartR program returned to campus to speak about his company, CB Therapeutics. Sher Ali Butt (MBA ’16) entered the Rady School with an idea – to create cannabinoids without the use of marijuana plants. These compounds are not psychoactive. They do not produce a “high” or have potential for abuse and are already sold in the market similar to supplements. Since graduating from the Rady School, CB Therapeutics has been accepted into EvoNexus and Y Combinator, raised millions of dollars in funding and was recently selected as a finalist in a TechCrunch pitch competition in San Francisco.

“Rady was the best thing that happened to me and my business,” Butt said. “I came with an idea and left with a business. As a scientist, I was comfortable with creating the product, but I had no idea where to begin with the business side of things. CB Therapeutics would not have been possible without the Rady School.”

Here’s a look at the companies that were pitched at StartR Demo Day.

TrySpree

If you’re a fan of free stuff, TrySpree is for you. Developed by Ben Koonse (MBA ‘19), the website scrapes the internet to search for products offering free samples. The user is able to select free samples they’re interested in testing and choose to try them risk-free. TrySpree is then able to offer custom-selected samples to the customer based on their selections and interests. The company has created the most revenue out of any company actively involved with StartR, currently generating $1 million in revenue annually.

Hylite

Traditional shopping malls are struggling to meet the demands of dedicated online shoppers, but Rady School student Chuan He (MBA ‘18) is developing a solution to help both malls and customers improve their shopping experiences. Hylite is a precise marketing system that uses LED lights to identify preciswe shoppers’ location within a shopping mall. Shoppers are able to navigate better within a mall and can receive product offers from businesses in the location. Hylite plans to launch in China where almost 1,000 new malls were built last year alone.

AnalytixHub

Modern businesses have more data than they know what to do with in order to make informed decisions. AnalytixHub – launched by current student Fay Mehr (MBA ’19) – created a company that connects data scientists and analytics experts with companies and research institutions. The platform is also moving toward creating a database that provides advanced data analysis services and consultations on demand.

Bevea

Sugar-packed sodas are out and healthy beverage options are in! Bevea, created by Kabir Gambhir (MBA ‘10) creates beverages from a nutrient-dense coffee cherry byproduct. The beverage Cascaraa provides a solution for the 23 million tons of byproduct created annually while creating a low calorie, low sugar and delicious sparkling beverage. The drink comes in five flavors – original, mint basil, lavender, hibiscus, and rose chili.

Evolution Smart Bag

The average American woman owns 13 purses and handbags from seven different brands. To cut down on the clutter, Rady School graduate Suvi Tanninen (MBA ’18) created a smart bag designed to fit the needs of women on the go. The modular, washable and customizable bags come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes and are equipped with pockets that provide wireless charging.

In addition to the pitch presentations, Herb Meistrich was presented with the Guru Award in recognition of his mentoring support of students in the StartR program. The audience also voted on their favorite pitch and selected Koonse of TrySpree to receive a $500 check for his company.

Due to the success of their startups, each five teams have chosen to continue building their companies after graduating from StartR.

“It’s inspiring to see these teams succeeding and contributing to the local and national economy,” Sullivan said. “The Rady School community is proud of their efforts and we are looking forward to watching them continue to grow.”

October 4, 2018 0 comment
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