Since 2008 (and the recession) a lot has changed in higher education as well. Tuition continues to soar and the cost of living for students has increased substantially. This is a major issue for college students and threatens college life at the core. Students deserve a break and a chance to enjoy their collegiate years while pursuing their education. CollegeBudget.com is meant to do just that.

CollegeBudget is a student-only network where students can access exclusive deals and student discounts. By helping students save money collectively, my goal is to help students save thousands of dollars on the cost of their college years. Hope you enjoy this website and join the cause!

Saving Students Money, Collectively

HBS Emblem

Back in December, I was very humbled by my acceptance to Harvard Business School. I consider it a tremendous honor to be invited to the program. So I’m off to check out the program during the admit events this week. Will update on where this takes me.

Spotlight: LA Tech; Thursday 11/18 6:30pm; Korn Hall

It’s time for the first UCLA Startup Event: “Spotlight: LA Tech”, a tech startup showcase event this Thursday, November 18th from 6:30-9:30pm in Korn Hall.  Six companies are presenting their products in 5-minute demos during this event.

“Spotlight: LA Tech” is a great way for MBA students to interact with successful entrepreneurs and technologists in the LA startup community.  After the session, the EA will be hosting a networking session over refreshments where students and presenters can interact. If you are interested in technology and possess passion for entrepreneurship, don’t miss this event!

The event is free for students with RSVP.  Participants can sign up at http://tzspotlight-autohome.eventbrite.com/event/944935327 with discount code “UCLAGrad”.
Company Descriptions:
1. Zugara is an augmented-reality technology company with an immersive
application that allows shoppers to virtually try on clothes before
they purchase.

2. Social Annex creates widgets for eCommerce destinations that turn
influential visitors into active marketers for the site.

3. TekTrak has an iPhone app that ensures you’ll never lose your phone
again.

4. Callfire lets businesses build pay-as-you-go toll-free phone
systems in the cloud.

5. Geni is creating a family tree for the world.

6. Distribber.com allows indie films to earn instant revenue on
digital sales platforms such as iTunes, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and
Cable VOD.

2010 Businessweek Winner

No. 1: The winning company, with 2,106 readers’ votes, was CampusBuddy. The Los Angeles-based site sells subscription access to grading data at public colleges that CampusBuddy compiles through public records requests. Founder Mike Moradian says the five-employee company’s database draws on more than 100 million grades from schools across America. A business economics major who graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2007, Moradian used his earnings from working at accounting firm KPMG to launch the business in 2008.

Read the Full  Businessweek Story Here.

Vote for CampusBuddy Here

Beverly Hills Real Estate is about to get turned on its head...

Now Live is the new Beverly Hills Real Estate Blog, covering all there is to know about homes for sale in the 90210. If you know my cousin Iman, then you know he is a prodigy in the market. He’s going to be covering the inside scoop on hot Beverly Hills homes, good deals, price reductions, foreclosures and more.

If you are interested in this space, I would highly recommend following the BH Real Estate Blog at: http://bhrealestateblog.com/

Mike Moradian if the Founder of CampusBuddy, a network for students around the country to stay connected and get information about their schools, classes & classmates.  In this interview, Mike talked about how his team spent a year and half gathering data from universities around the country to prepare for their site launch, how his team effectively uses Facebook to gain rapid traction with thousand of new users signing up everyday when they launched their first beta and how he managed the workload in first year of his startup while holding a day job.   Mike also openly shared about why data from his site was, surprisingly, not viral, and how they pivoted and get to a revenue model that put them at cash flow positive.

Check out Mike’s response to the question that I often ask other startup entrepreneurs “do you sleep?”

What is CampusBuddy? Well, it’s a social academic platform. What is that exactly? The industry is shaping up, haha– but simply, it helps students succeed by connecting them with classmates & other students around the world to learn together and  share information.

CampusBuddy has had a few accolades since inception- It is currently the largest College-related Facebook application, and is ranked as a top “Way to pick a college using Social Media” by Mashable, the leading social media website.

I love the fact that CampusBuddy really helps students. It feels good to make a business that helps people expand their knowledge, learn, and ultimately– succeed.