Professional Development

goPuff founders donate $25K for Drexel student entrepreneur scholarship

"We put everything we had into our business while at Drexel," cofounder Rafael Ilishayev said.

Gopuff cofounders Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola in 2016. (Photo by Roberto Torres)

Delivery startup goPuff, recently in the news for reportedly taking a $750 million investment from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, is showing some support to its roots, establishing a $25,000 scholarship for an entrepreneurial Drexel University student.

Cofounders and co-CEOs Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola met during their freshman year at the University City-based school, and the following year started working on mockups of the business that would go on to become one of the most-watched local tech startups.

The company, which is headquartered in the Callowhill neighborhood and has more than 1,500 employees, announced plans for a 30,000-square-foot headquarters at 3rd and Spring Garden streets at the end of 2018 and operates in cities across the country such as Atlanta, Boston and Chicago.

“During our time at Drexel, Yakir and I met, conceptualized a business plan and launched goPuff on campus; so naturally, the university holds a special place in our hearts,” Ilishayey said in a statement. “We put everything we had into our business while at Drexel. Since then, we’ve sought to engage with other entrepreneurs and provide support whenever we can.”

The $25,000 will be administered though the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship and be awarded to one student with “financial need,” a goPuff spokesperson told Technical.ly. The school will select a student and the money will be distributed over the course of two years at the school.

“Six years into running goPuff, Rafael and I are passionate about supporting aspiring entrepreneurs and this scholarship is another way we can help the next generation of business leaders in Philadelphia,” Gola said.

The student chosen for the scholarship will also be able to apply for a co-op opportunity at goPuff during their second year, the company spokesperson said.

Companies: Gopuff / Drexel University

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

Trump may kill the CHIPS and Science Act. Here’s what that means for your community.

Election results: Live updates on presidential, Senate, House and PA races

A week before Election Day, some Philly city employees question unexpected website change

A Pennsylvania voter’s guide to tech policy on the ballot in the 2024 election

Technically Media