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.
Jasmine Tsui (MFin ’19) graduated from the University of Oregon with bachelor’s degree in Accounting. After receiving her degree, she worked as a tax assistant associate for PwC in Hong Kong. After a year in this position, Tsui obtained an assurance associate position at EY Hong Kong for two years, where she was promoted to Senior Assurance Associate. She also worked as a general accountant in the United States where she realized her fascination with numbers, programming and finance. Her passion drove her to pursue a Master of Finance degree at the Rady School of Management.
In the days leading up to the trip, I wanted to make sure I was fully prepared and ready to put my best foot forward. I spent some time reading up about Facebook and LinkedIn and how they became the organizations that they are today. Doing my research beforehand gave me a better idea about what I could expect, and made me feel more confident and helped me think of questions that I could ask when I met them in person.
interacting with our peers and Rady alumni, and to see how their journey had been since they graduated from Rady.
Making the decision to pursue an MBA degree is no easy feat. There are a number of intricacies to consider before determining which program is worth the commitment. For Julian Ames (MBA ’20), his decision was made easy – it was a choice to continue his father’s legacy in his favorite city.
said. “If you’re aiming to secure a specific job title at a company you’ve had your eye on, Rady can help you with that as well.”