Two San Diego State alumni have been named on Forbes Magazine’s annual “30 Under 30” list in the manufacturing and industry category.
Alumni Braydon Moreno ‘10 and Jacob Kabili ‘11, were included on the list for the success of their company, RoBo 3D, which manufactures 3D printers. The company earned $4.7 million dollars in its most recent fiscal year, according to Forbes’ website.
The “30 Under 30” list is highly selective, with an acceptance rate less than that of Harvard University, according to Forbes’ website.
Moreno and Kabili met at SDSU and co-founded RoBo 3D in 2012 with a Kickstarter campaign that raised $649,663. The product became available to consumers in 2013.
Moreno and Kabili said they were excited to be included in a list of people who are dedicated to the constant renewal of manufacturing and industry.
“So much of our success — and the recognition that comes with it — is really a testament to our friendship and history together as undergraduates at San Diego State University,” they said in a statement released by RoBo 3D. “More than an institution for learning, it was a tremendous opportunity to lay the foundation of what would eventually become Robo.”
Moreno and Kabili continue their relationship with SDSU through the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center, where Moreno serves as a mentor to future entrepreneurs, Lavin Center Executive Director Alex DeNoble said.
“We’re very proud of what Braydon and Coby are able to do and what they’ve accomplished and the fact that they continue to engage with us,” DeNoble said. “They’re Aztecs for life, and they take that to heart. They work with us in some very meaningful ways.”
DeNoble said that Moreno and Kabili are models to current Lavin Center students because of their perseverance while starting up a company.
“I’m really excited for them because when they got into it they were just three guys building something special on their kitchen table, and they had to learn so much and it didn’t come easy.” said DeNoble.”And they’ve become role models now. They’re so willing to engage with us here on the campus that now they’re helping us prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
Moreno and Kabili’s company is one of many successful companies founded by SDSU alumni. Other companies started by SDSU alumni, include Costco (Jim Sinegal, ’59), Jack in the Box (Jack Goodall, ‘60) and Rubio’s Restaurant’s Inc. (Ralph Rubio, ’78), according to the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center website.
The Lavin Center was recently recognized for its entrepreneurship program by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, which named SDSU as the National Model Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program for 2017.
“In our entrepreneur programs we want people to be aware of trends so that they can identify opportunities,” said DeNoble.
