Babson Graduates Among Forbes 30 Under 30
Alexander Debelov ’10, cofounder of Virool, and Polina Raygorodskaya ’08, cofounder of Wanderu, are among the members of the 2016 Forbes 30 under 30.
Alex Debelov
Alexander Debelov ’10, cofounder, Virool – Marketing & Advertising Category As a student at Babson College, Debelov cofounded the Kairos Society, the world’s largest student entrepreneurship organization. Two years after graduating, he started his second venture: Virool, a programmatic video marketing platform. Today, the startup has more than 30,000 customers worldwide and has raised $6.6 million in seed funding.
Polina Raygorodskaya ’08, cofounder, Wanderu – Consumer Tech Category
Polina Raygorodskaya’s website Wanderu helps people book North American bus and train travel. Based in Boston, the company has raised about $8 million and works like Kayak.com to offer a user to get from Point A to Point B using cheaper alternatives to flying. Raygorodskaya, a former model and Babson College grad, and her cofounder, Igor Bratnikov, a former Boston University law student, got the idea for their company while traveling cross-country for GreenXC, an organization that raises awareness for National Parks. Prior to launching Wanderu, CEO Raygorodskaya ran a fashion and lifestyle public relations firm.
Polina Raygorodskaya
According to Forbes, “From an initial screening list of more than 15,000 of the best of the best, the 600 women and men featured in the Forbes fifth annual 30 Under 30 are America’s most important young entrepreneurs, creative leaders and brightest stars. Name a business sector, social issue or essential institution, they are taking it on and changing the rules of the game– or creating entirely new playbooks.”
“In the past, youth was a handicap to professional success. Getting older meant more resources, more knowledge, more money. No more. Those who grew up in the tech age have way bigger ambitions — perfectly suited to the dynamic, entrepreneurial and impatient digital world they grew up in. If you want to change the world, being under 30 is now an advantage.”