Here’s a Really Expensive Way to Start Your Own Business

When Sarah Rumbaugh enrolled at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in 2013, she planned to launch her own business soon after graduation. The MBA, she figured, would provide her with the skills to help her do that and build a network of contacts. Darden’s program, which includes an incubator for student-run startups, venture capital workshops, and design courses, appealed to her. “If someone taught you how to play basketball from a textbook, you wouldn’t learn to play basketball,” she says.

Rumbaugh followed through on her plan a year before completing the program. In 2014 she co-founded RelishCareers.com, a recruiting platform that matches graduate degree recipients with employers. Over the past three years the venture has received $1.2 million in funding—she declines to name the investors—and has landed several big clients, including American Express, L’Oréal, and Under Armour.