Sophomore Web Whiz Part of Elite List

A Harvard undergraduate made the ranks of Businessweek’s “Best Entrepreneurs under 25” list yesterday for his role in the creation of a Web site designed to help college students enter the workforce.

Allan P. Sahagun ’09 and his brother Aaron Sahagun, a University of California-Berkeley graduate, are the founders of alumwire.com, a “professional network with the mission to effectively consolidate important career resources,” according to the Web site.

The site, which is available to invitees and anyone with a college e-mail address, offers career advice forums, posts of interviews, and job search features. Like Facebook.com, MySpace.com, and other social networking sites, it also allows users to connect with online friends, although Alumwire allows networking with business leaders, said Allan.

“We wanted this to become a one-stop shop for career advice and resources,” said Allan, one of only two candidates on the Businessweek list not yet old enough to drink. “We’re targeting college students with ideas on resume building and honing interview skills.”

The Sahaguns created Alumwire in 2005, when both brothers were facing school-related transitional changes and realized that students in general needed more career guidance, according to their Web site.

They solicited multiple partnerships, seeking businesses that would be “a good fit in terms of job opportunities,” Allan said. They eventually decided on careerbuilder.com and The Wall Street Journal, which is trying to enter the college market with CollegeJournal.com.

Today, the Alumwire team consists of 14 people and is generating revenue from advertisements. Allan said that students have begun to explore the site’s possibilities, especially as entrepreneurship recently has seen an upward trend.

“After the success stories of Google and Facebook, entrepreneurship right now is really hot,” he said. After input from users, Alumwire is developing a “how-to guide on how to start your own business.”

The brothers are now looking at new markets and shopping potential investors, looking at which ones will provide the best growth opportunities.

Though the Businessweek coverage has brought an increase in traffic to the site, Allan said he does not intend Alumwire to become the next Facebook.

“We are becoming the place where people find jobs,” he said. “We’re trying to add value to users’ lives, by helping them out and providing them with a roadmap.”

This is Businessweek’s second year compiling the list. Nominations for the “most promising” young entrepreneurs were taken from Businessweek readers, with the magazine selecting the best 25. Readers are encouraged to vote for their favorite, who will be announced in November.