Elevator Pitch: Spread the Wealth
Sabine Tejerina (MBA 2009) - Cofounder and COO, Upstreet
Concept: Launched in 2020, Upstreet makes it easier and more economical for companies to reward employees and customers with shares to improve engagement and loyalty.
The Why: Upstreet has a dual purpose. First, to help companies build loyalty with employees and customers and to introduce individuals to share ownership. In addition to receiving share rewards, Upstreet users can buy shares on the Australian and New York stock exchanges at a competitive fee through the app’s INVEST product.
Heard: “I do a lot of user-feedback calls. My favourite was with Amanda, an executive assistant who had received shares from her employer but initially preferred cash. After we chatted, she changed her mind and told me she’d always wanted to own shares but didn’t know how to go about it.
“We want to open pathways to ownership for a new generation of investors like Amanda.”
Status Update: More than 600 retail and service organizations have partnered with Upstreet to date, from eBay to the beloved Australian brand Maggie Beer. Building on a $5 million early fundraise, Upstreet has opened a funding round to build its employee share rewards program and begin expansion into the United States and Europe.
Find the Harvard Business School article here.