Four Hult Boston alumni startups to watch out for

This article was originally published on May 14, 2015, by Hult on BostInno, ‘Four Startups to Watch from Hult Boston Alumni’. What do HubSpot, Intelligent.ly, Mavrck, Yesware, and Clover Food Lab all have in common? They are all built by Boston-area alums. From student entrepreneurs and the VCs who fund them, this city was built and continues to be built on its ability to attract and retain talent. We owe that ability to the strength of our ever-evolving educational community which has positioned us as a hub of innovation with nothing but room for growth moving forward. The city’s major colleges, universities, and incubators are collaborating to formulate an entrepreneurship curriculum combining theory and hands-on practice to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. And the strength of our educational community’s student and alumni startup cluster is turning aspirational group projects into Boston-based companies. Hult Boston and its growing pool of entrepreneurs are contributing to Boston’s rise as a hub of innovation, and the institution’s ability to constantly reinvent itself to produce business leaders and entrepreneurs is a major reason for that. The Boston campus is an attractive destination for aspiring entrepreneurs, and the school’s position as a global institution has infused the city with talented international entrepreneurs bringing new ideas and business ventures. Here are four Hult Boston alumni who are contributing to the growth of our innovation ecosystem: Clara Arroyave, Co-founder of Trotter: As Boston continues to draw international entrepreneurs, Arroyave’s startup, Trotter, will prove an invaluable tool in helping them feel comfortable in a new environment. Trotter allows those moving to a new city to find and rent a place to live, stress-free. The platform’s interface allows transplants to browse housing options and connect with listing owners and real estate professionals to make relocating as simple as possible. The site was officially launched in March and there are already hundreds of users and 34 agents. Additionally, the company raised a seed round of $85,000 total from Colombian angel investors via Socialatom Ventures, including Grooveshark founder Andres Barreto. Q: What experience at Hult prepared you for the challenges of being an entrepreneur? A: Hult is a truly global environment. In order to achieve success as an entrepreneur, you need to think global and consider how your idea can truly have an impact or be implemented at a global scale. I was an entrepreneur before coming to Hult. But the school honed my skills and provided me with extra tools to take my ideas to the next level with more opportunities to succeed and introduced me to a global network of like-minded individuals from all sort of fields who I can rely on now and in the future. Purnima Thakre, COO of refine + focus: In her role as the chief operating officer at refine + focus, Thakre develops strategy and operational roadmaps for leading startups and established mobile, media, and college companies. The strategy and social marketing firm focuses on business growth consultancy using a reverse-engineering approach to drive revenue, cultivate new relationships and resources, and enrich reputation. Thakre received both an MBA and a Masters of Finance from Hult, and she is a strong advocate for helping to build the next generation of business leaders. She is a mentor for the Hult Prize Foundation and lectures at a number of universities. Q: Why did you choose Boston as the founding city for refine + focus? A: We selected Boston because of its access to talent, diversity, ideas, and culture. In its technological, academic, and innovation districts, Boston captured our minds. And in its history, beauty, and architecture, the city captured our hearts. Rahul Joshi, Co-founder of HultStartups.com: Joshi, who earned his MBA at Hult Boston, is working in collaboration with the school to create HultStartups.com. The website, which launched May 4th, provides a platform where Hult-bred startups are able to promote their business, seek support with testing, scaling and commercialization, post jobs, find funding, and provide internship opportunities for students. Joshi said the initiative behind the development of HultStartups.com is â€Å"to generate interaction, conversation, and outcomes within prospective students, current students, alumni, entrepreneurs, and investors.† In addition to his founding of HultStartups.com, Joshi is working with Shyam Velumani – his fellow co-founder at HultStartups.com – on a travel planner and experienced-based project called Inggray. The planner, which has an expected pilot date set for the end of June, will make road trips easier to plan and allow users to explore attractions on the go. Q: Why did you choose Boston as the founding city for HultStartups.com and Inggray? A: Boston has a vibe of innovation. I personally never imagined myself to be an entrepreneur but the city gave me an the experience indirectly by enclosing me with entrepreneurs, innovators, and startups. I joined a company at Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) in Kendall Square and bumped into an ocean of entrepreneurs. Not only at CIC, but at MassChallenge, Hult Prize, BREW, WorkBar, and Greenhorn Connect everyone seems to be talking about creating something new. This city is filled with inspiration to be an entrepreneur. Mario Berruti, CEO of CookRadar: Berruti, who holds an MBA from Hult Boston, is the CEO and one of the co-founders behind a Boston-based startup creating community through food. CookRadar is a social platform for connecting neighbors who love to eat with neighbors who love to cook. The Italy native and his team of international and multicultural colleagues have experienced different cultures and developed new friendships through food. The CookRadar model provides a space for home-based amateur cooks to connect with others who love food and share cultural experiences and interests in order to develop new communities within Boston-area neighborhoods. Q: Why did you choose Boston as the founding city for CookRadar? A: We chose Boston because it is a city that – due to its vibrant, young, diverse, rich, and experimental nature – represents the perfect place in which diversity coexists, and socio-cultural factors propaedeutic allow us to test the business feasibility of our concept and develop it further, welcoming students, workers, and businesses from different part of the U.S. and the world. Kickstart your career in this education and innovation hotspot by studying at Hults Boston business school. To find out more, take a look at our blog Third Culture Kid: Turning your story into a startup. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .