Entrepreneur Hansoo Lee, MBA 10, Founder of Magoosh, Passes Away

Alumnus and entrepreneur Hansoo Lee, MBA 10, passed away March 4 after a 15-month battle with lung cancer. A memorial for Lee was held today in San Francisco, and classmates are currently setting up an entrepreneurship fellowship in his name.

Lee came to Berkeley-Haas knowing that he wanted to pursue a career in entrepreneurship. Once here, he encouraged prospective students to do the same by graciously participating in a Lester Center promotional video highlighting the entrepreneurial spirit at Berkeley-Haas.

During his time at Berkeley-Haas he co-founded Magoosh, an online education company focused on providing everyone with fun, convenient, effective ways to learn. Under Lee’s leadership, Magoosh grew from a business school idea to a funded, cash-flow-positive business that has helped thousands of students improve their test scores.

Magoosh went on to win second place in the Intel+UC Berkeley Technology Entrepreneurship Challenge in 2010.

“Hansoo was a visionary, a leader, and an integral part of the Haas community,” said Magoosh co-founder Bhavin Parikh, also MBA 10. “He had a pronounced impact on those around him, pushing them to make a tangible difference in the world.”

As a way to honor his memory, Parikh is joining with classmate Pejman Pour-Moezzi, MBA 10, and Lee’s fiancée, Wendy Lim, to create the Hansoo Lee Fellowship for Entrepreneurs. The fellowship will be awarded annually to support a first-year full-time Berkeley MBA student focused on pursuing an entrepreneurial venture. More information about how to donate to the fellowship will be available in the coming weeks.

To share a memory about Lee, visit facebook.com/HansoosCancer.

To give to the Hansoo Lee Fellowship for Entrepreneurs, visit givetocal.berkeley.edu/fund/?f=FM8331000.

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