Rick Bolander: Chegg for Good and Music Education

A Director on the Board for Chegg, a textbook rental and educational services company, Rick Bolander has advised the company in its efforts to attract college student clients. Along with providing tutoring assistance and an online marketplace, Chegg conducts community service and outreach under Chegg for Good.

In August of 2012, Chegg announced a contest for college students which offered the opportunity to win money for their music departments as well as a concert from singer Taylor Swift. The company encouraged participants to vote for their universities every day for a month to win the tally. The schools with the top five volumes of votes will each receive a $10,000 grant for their music departments. The winning institution earns the chance to host Taylor Swift.

In announcing the contest, Chegg cited the benefits of music education, including a stronger ability to communicate, a greater sense of camaraderie with classmates, and qualities of cooperation and self-confidence.

Kajeet and the Community: DC SCORES

By Rick Bolander

This past July, Kajeet continued its support of children in the local community by providing resources for free soccer and arts camps for children in the greater Washington, D.C., area through DC SCORES. The 2012 Couch to Camp program provided the opportunity for about 200 kids to play together, discover the value of teamwork, and get great exercise.

On one of the camp days, the Kajeet staff spent time with children and counselors involved with the program. The day began with an educational scavenger hunt around the National Gallery of Art, which taught participants about their cultural heritage and the future of art. Later, children, counselors, and Kajeet staff went to the National Mall for a game of pick-up soccer, which let the kids stretch their legs and enjoy the beauty of the nation’s capital.

DC SCORES works with schools throughout Washington, D.C., to teach children the value of cooperation and the importance of physical fitness while instilling a sense of community. Individuals can learn more about the organization at americascores.org.

About Rick Bolander: A member of the Kajeet board, Rick Bolander is the Managing Director of Gabriel Venture Partners. Outside of work, Mr. Bolander maintains a dedication to philanthropy and supports a range of worthy causes.

Chegg: Helping Students Lower Textbook Expenses By Rick Bolander

Rick Bolander, co-founder and Managing Partner of Northern California-based Gabriel Venture Partners, has assisted in funding and developing numerous start-up companies that have gone on to achieve success. Among these, Mr. Bolander invested in and sits on the board of Chegg Inc., a textbook rental company that translates commitment to education into action. Chegg has saved students significant amounts of money via its streamlined online operations.

Paying for college has become even more challenging now that publishers routinely include expensive material such as CD-ROMs, guides, and workbooks that professors may not even require. It is not uncommon for a single college-level textbook to cost well in excess of $100. Multiply that by several courses per semester, and it is understandable that students are actively seeking more cost-efficient strategies. Recent research has shown that a typical undergraduate at a private college spends more than $1,200 for textbooks alone.

Chegg’s rental program provides a highly effective alternative to the traditional practice of purchasing new textbooks at the beginning of a semester. Comparison shopping websites show that renting a book from Chegg often costs half as much as the cheapest new or used book from other sites. And similar to the popular Netflix DVD rental service, Chegg even provides a box for students to use when they return their books. For more information, visit Chegg.com.

Chegg for Good Visits Africa by Rick Bolander

Many know Chegg as the online portal that connects students with academic resources. However, aside from providing homework help, course information, textbook options, and scholarship connections, Chegg also gives students a way to make a difference. Through the company’s philanthropic arm, Chegg for Good, eight college students earned the opportunity to make an educational visit to South Africa and Zambia this past July.

Chegg For Good teamed up with rock superstar Bono’s international advocacy group, ONE, to help students learn firsthand about foreign aid, advocacy, and service. To investigate global health issues, agricultural challenges, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, the group met with student advocates, young local entrepreneurs and emerging leaders.

As they return to campus, these social entrepreneurs have pledged to use this new knowledge to foster awareness of these and other serious issues faced by millions of African students, such as extreme poverty and lack of access to first-rate educational institutions. These students are to be commended for their dedication to becoming catalysts for positive change.

About the Author: A member of Chegg’s Board of Directors, Rick Bolander consulted for the African Communications Group in Tanzania early in his career. Bolander is the Managing Director of Gabriel Venture Partners, based in Redwood Shores, California.

The Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan: The Power of Ideas

Created within the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering, the Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE) empowers both entrepreneurial spirit and the kind of inventions that change lives, grow the economy, and drive innovation. Among the many benefits of CFE are opportunities for students to consult with alumni in the start-up world, receive grants that allow them to pursue their ideas and concepts, and connect with the greater Michigan entrepreneurial network. In only four academic years, attendance in the entrepreneurship program managed by CFE has leapt from 14 students to 216, and nearly 100 companies have been founded within the program during that time.

The Advisory Board at CFE lends support by providing guidance, strategic advice, and tactical oversight for all of the Center’s activities. By enabling connections for the Center and supporting its fundraising efforts, the Board assures that CFE will give power to ideas for a long time to come.

About the Author: The co-founder and Managing Director of Gabriel Venture Partners, Rick Bolander holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Michigan. Today, he continues to maintain ties with the school as a member of the Advisory Board of the CFE.