Rady School of Management
Rady Alumni Entrepreneurs Take Part in UC San Diego’s Founders' Pledge
Through this new initiative, entrepreneurs, equity holders, and early investors can dedicate a share of their future equity gains to UC San Diego, supporting efforts to solve some of the world’s most urgent challenges.
The Rady School’s entrepreneurial spirit can be found in every classroom, meeting space, student event and cohort discussion. And Rady alumni who graduated with the tools and drive to start their own ventures, take their responsibilities to give back to Rady, and UC San Diego as a whole, seriously.
Royan Kamyar, MBA '10, CEO of Owaves, Inc.
“I loved being part of a vision shared by founding faculty and staff, to create a new entrepreneurial gateway for the local life sciences and technology communities," said Rady MBA ‘10 alum Royan Kamyar. "It felt like we were charting new territory with every interaction and next step that we took.”
As CEO of Owaves, Inc., a holistic visual calendar that optimizes daily routines, Kamyar is excited to have signed the Founders' Pledge, and will split his pledge between UC San Diego and the Sullivan Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Rady School.
Those that sign the pledge can designate a percentage of their anticipated future gains to UC San Diego; there is no minimum gift requirement.
Upon taking the Founders’ Pledge, signers become members of the Founders’ Society, which hosts events and networking opportunities on an ongoing basis.
Sergey Sikora, MBA ’06, Biotech entrepreneur
Sergey Sikora, Rady MBA ’06, who was a member of the Rady School of Management’s inaugural class, led the way as the first individual to sign the Founders’ Pledge at UC San Diego.
“I always wanted to give, but as an entrepreneur, you have your money tied up in the company. You get shares, and you reinvest many back – it's always tied up,” said Sikora. “For an entrepreneur who wants to give something back, it’s great to be able to pledge the proceeds of the stock.”
After enrolling at the Rady School of Management while working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Sikora retained leadership roles and saw entrepreneurial successes in biotech. He has been working lately on the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
For Sikora, it feels like his impact is coming full circle. “This opportunity is quite remarkable because the Rady School was founded for entrepreneurs.”
Charles Zhang, MBA ‘10, Founder and CEO of Pikapika Inc.
Charles Zhang, Rady MBA ‘10, is the founder and CEO of Pikapika Inc., an innovative anime content platform in which generative-AI content can be created and shared among its worldwide users. Zhang is contributing through the Founders’ Pledge because he believes in leveraging entrepreneurial success as a way to make a meaningful impact on the world. “My time at Rady equipped me with the knowledge, skills and network to pursue my ambitions, and this program offers a valuable way to support Rady’s mission of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Zhang.
Zhang believes that the importance of the Founders' Pledge extends beyond individual contributions. “It represents a collective movement of like-minded leaders who are dedicated to using their success as a force for good. By participating, I hope to inspire others at Rady, and the entire UC San Diego alumni community, to consider the impact they can have, fostering a culture of generosity and social responsibility in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
Martin Sabarsky, MBA '06, CEO of Cellana, Inc.
Martin Sabarsky, Rady MBA '06, and CEO of Cellana, Inc., a leading developer of algae-based bioproducts, believes that supporting the Founders' Pledge will help Rady continue to grow and make an impact. “Given that the Rady School of Management is, in effect, still a “start-up,” programs like the Founders' Pledge can have an outsize positive impact on the school and its ability to continue to attract and retain top-notch talent at all levels," he said.
“I hope the entrepreneurial spirit never dies,” said Kamyar. “It’s risky and it’s scary, and most schools are inherently risk averse. What separates Rady apart is its entrepreneurial DNA, and the way it brings new ideas to life.”
There is no minimum gift size associated with the Founders’ Pledge and donors can direct their support to any area of campus they choose. To learn more about the UC San Diego Founders’ Pledge, please visit the website founderspledge.ucsd.edu or contact Henry Geng at hgeng@ucsd.edu.
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