John Hanke, MBA 96, is the force behind Google Earth.
Full-time MBA Program
Successful Startups
Berkeley MBA students are well known as successful entrepreneurs, including these Haas alumni:
John Hanke, MBA 96, (pictured on the right) product director of Google Earth, put satellite imagery of the world at the fingertips of anyone with access to the Internet. He founded Keyhole in 2001, which delivered virtual models, including detailed satellite photographs, of nearly every square inch of the planet. The company was acquired by Google in 2004. Hanke previously founded Archetype Interactive and Big Network.
Greg Hildebrand, MBA 96, co-founded Volterra Semiconductor (Nasdaq: VLTR, www.volterra.com) and now serves as CFO. From a business plan written in an entrepreneurship course, Volterra completed a successful IPO in 2004. The company designs, develops, and markets high-performance analog and mixed-signal power management semiconductors.
James Hong, MBA 99, created the popular meeting website HOTorNOT, which has registered over seven million individuals as users of the site. Its success enabled him to create a philanthropy website, www.10over100.org, which encourages people to donate at least 10 percent of anything they earn over $100,000 annually.
Juan Mini and Scott Kucirek, MBAs 99, launched ZipRealty (Nasdaq: ZIPR, www.ZipRealty.com), the first national Internet-enabled full-service real estate agency, while at Haas. Based in California, ZipRealty now operates in over a dozen major metropolitan areas; the company went public in 2004.
Ricardo Guajardo, MBA 72, former Chairman and CEO of BBVA Bancomer, one of Mexico's largest banks, is one of many top executives who have spoken at the Haas School. He spoke on issues of economic development in Latin America.
Priya Haji, MBA 03 (Siddarth Sanghvi), co-founded World of Good (www.worldofgoodinc.com), a company that distributes a retail line of globally sourced fair trade gifts and accessories. The World of Good won first place at the Global Social Venture Business Plan Competition in 2005 and also took 2nd place at the Berkeley Business Plan Competition.
Kristen Tobey and Kristen Richmond-Groos, both MBA 06, recently co-founded Revolution Foods (http://revfoods.com), which won the grand prize at the Global Social Venture Business Plan Competition in 2006.
Sarah Takesh, MBA 03, drawing on her previous experience in production and design with apparel startups in New York, developed a business plan for Tarsian & Blinkley with several of her Haas classmates They entered their plan in the National Social Venture Competition in 2003 and took first place. Takesh pays local women above-market wages to sew, embroider, and bead the "European minimalist" women's clothing she designs using fabrics gathered from all over Asia. Currently, Tarsian & Blinkley designs are available via the Internet and select boutiques (http://www.tarsian.com).
