This week, I had the chance to interview Willy Chu from the Haas School of Business. In addition to being a 2nd year MBA student Willy is a Co-Founder at WeFinance, a company trying to help people leverage their personal network to obtain loans at affordable interest rates. During our podcast, Willy and I talked about
- WeFinance, and how it’s helping students finance their educational pursuits
- Willy’s experience at Haas, specifically around how he’s found ways to manage a full-time job and full-time MBA workload
- Willy’s advice for current and future students regarding financing your MBA education
iTunes Link:Link
Direct Download: Link
Show Notes
- 1:22 – Willy gives his bio and background
- 2:45 – Willy explains why he chose Haas
- 4:42 – Willy explains WeFinance and what WeFinance does
- 7:43 – Willy talks about how he got involved with WeFinance and what his role is
- 9:57 – Willy shares how he met his CoFounder
- 11:12 – Willy shares some of the results from WeFinance’s beta test
- 14:17 – Will talks about how WeFinance convinced concerned customers about the benefits of WeFinance
- 16:15 – Willy talks about how his time at Haas has helped him in his role at WeFinance
- 18:21 – Willy talks about the resources for entrepreneurs at Haas
- 20:44 – Willy talks about how he manages a full-time job and being a full-time MBA student
- 23:53 – Willy talks about his most meaningful experience at Haas
- 26:11 – Willy gives advice for students who are trying to refinance their loans
- 27:47 – Willy shares advice for prospective MBA students about how they can finance their education
On the background of WeFinance: “WeFinance is a platform for crowd-founding loans. Instead of seeking donations for a particular cause or product, you’re actually seeking money for loans at a rate lower than a bank is offering. The reason why you’re able to access this lower rate is because you have people in your network who know you and trust you.”
On the entrepreneurial spirit at Haas: “It’s not a feeling of should I try something entrepreneurial, it’s when should I try something entrepreneurial”
Advice for current and prospective MBA students regarding loans:
- “Visit the rates you are paying and make sure you feel good about it. You can access much lower rates through us or someone else, definitely take a look at your options.”
- “Once you have a job, your whole picture changes. You should look less risky.”
- “Clever hacks like singing up for student loans while you have your jobs so you can report your earnings while you are working. Gotten access to great rates. Worked with their families to take out a home equity line of credit.”