This year, we had a very competitive field of applicants for the Hansoo Lee Fellowship. As we read through the applications, we were struck by their high caliber - many of the teams that we would have to cut early in this year’s process would have easily qualified for final round interviews last year. We believe this is a testament to both the supportive environment for entrepreneurship at Haas and the opportunity that the Fellowship provides for aspiring entrepreneurs.
After much discussion, we whittled the applicant pool down to four and had those companies join us at Haas for in-person pitches and interviews. Each of those four teams pitched their company to the selection committee. We saw so much passion, character, and progress in two of the teams that we decided to “break the rules” and choose two recipients, splitting the monetary award between them. In addition to a stipend, the Fellowship provides mentorship and access to a phenomenal network of entrepreneurs, and we wanted to give both companies the support and resources that would maximize their chances for success. The two winners are Teaman & Company (Alastair Trueger, MBA ‘15) and WeTravel (Johannes Koeppel MBA ‘15).
After much discussion, we whittled the applicant pool down to four and had those companies join us at Haas for in-person pitches and interviews. Each of those four teams pitched their company to the selection committee. We saw so much passion, character, and progress in two of the teams that we decided to “break the rules” and choose two recipients, splitting the monetary award between them. In addition to a stipend, the Fellowship provides mentorship and access to a phenomenal network of entrepreneurs, and we wanted to give both companies the support and resources that would maximize their chances for success. The two winners are Teaman & Company (Alastair Trueger, MBA ‘15) and WeTravel (Johannes Koeppel MBA ‘15).
Left to right: Andre Marquis, Bhavin Parikh, Alastair Trueger, Johannes Koeppel, Wendy Lim
Teaman & Company
Teaman & Company combines unique colored gemstones with settings from master designers around the world to create stunning engagement rings and custom jewelry. Their founding team includes a gemologist with a lifetime’s experience in fine jewelry, and Teaman is already profitable. They were also accepted into 500 Startups batch 9, one of the top startup incubators in the Bay Area.
Alastair said, “The Hansoo Lee Fellowship has already been vital to us. Thanks to the Fellowship, we’ve been able to bring on an intern and business development director over the summer to help us grow.”
WeTravel
WeTravel is an online marketplace connecting curious travelers to foreigners that live in the Bay area who organize trips to their home countries. They create the most authentic group trips for their customers. They plan to launch their fully-function beta product and their first public group trips this summer.
Johannes had begun working on WeTravel within just a few months of attending Haas. About the Fellowship, he said, “Startups are always challenging, but hearing on the first day of business school about the Hansoo Lee Fellowship motivated me to embrace the startup adventure.”
We’re excited to help both Teaman & Company and WeTravel with their journey. And thank you again for your support!
Teaman & Company combines unique colored gemstones with settings from master designers around the world to create stunning engagement rings and custom jewelry. Their founding team includes a gemologist with a lifetime’s experience in fine jewelry, and Teaman is already profitable. They were also accepted into 500 Startups batch 9, one of the top startup incubators in the Bay Area.
Alastair said, “The Hansoo Lee Fellowship has already been vital to us. Thanks to the Fellowship, we’ve been able to bring on an intern and business development director over the summer to help us grow.”
WeTravel
WeTravel is an online marketplace connecting curious travelers to foreigners that live in the Bay area who organize trips to their home countries. They create the most authentic group trips for their customers. They plan to launch their fully-function beta product and their first public group trips this summer.
Johannes had begun working on WeTravel within just a few months of attending Haas. About the Fellowship, he said, “Startups are always challenging, but hearing on the first day of business school about the Hansoo Lee Fellowship motivated me to embrace the startup adventure.”
We’re excited to help both Teaman & Company and WeTravel with their journey. And thank you again for your support!
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