grad pad
Grad Pad is a Los Angeles-based SaaS platform that provides alumni networking, event management, mentorship pairing, and fundraising tools to educational institutions, professional organizations, and community groups on a freemium-to-subscription model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What grad pad does
Grad Pad Corp, founded in 2023 and headquartered in Los Angeles, operates an alumni networking platform for educational institutions, professional organizations, and community groups. The platform combines member profile management, event coordination with RSVP and payment processing, mentorship pairing, donation and scholarship campaigns, secure channels for elite members, and behavioral analytics within a single SaaS product. A mobile application for iOS and Android is announced for 2026 launch, and the company distributes primarily through a self-serve web portal with supplementary direct enterprise sales.
The company operates on a freemium model, offering six months of full feature access at no cost, with the intent of converting users to paid subscriptions. In 2024, revenue was primarily generated through event management services; in 2025, the company is shifting toward a recurring paid subscription model. Grad Pad is privately held by founder Rondale Davis, has 1-10 employees, and has been accepted into the Plug In Ventures Accelerator. Its named customers include UCLA Anderson School of Management, UMass Amherst, Boston Latin School, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, and Ehrlich Scholars (its first paid subscriber), with active negotiations underway with the National Society of Black Engineers Professional Los Angeles Chapter and an initial enterprise customer.
Grad Pad competes in the alumni and community management software space against established event platforms and CRM systems, positioning itself as a purpose-built vertical solution that consolidates networking, events, mentorship, and fundraising in one product. The company's technical architecture is a web-based SaaS platform with planned mobile extensions; the platform emphasizes usability and integration of community functions rather than disclosed AI capabilities.
grad pad firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- grad pad
- Legal name
- Grad Pad Corp
- Website
- https://gradpad.online
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Grad Pad is a Los Angeles-based SaaS platform that provides alumni networking, event management, mentorship pairing, and fundraising tools to educational institutions, professional organizations, and community groups on a freemium-to-subscription model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
grad pad industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Alumni Network Management Software
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student & Alumni Communities (BPAMABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Alumni Benefits, Membership & Affinity Programs (EDALAOAM)
Keywords
Where grad pad is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
grad pad business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Event Management Services: Primary revenue stream in 2024. The platform charges organizers for event management tools including registration, RSVP, and payment processing for alumni events, reunions, and conferences.
- Paid Subscriptions: New revenue stream launching in 2025. Premium subscription model providing users access to exclusive features and premium community opportunities. First paid subscriber acquired in 2024 (Ehrlich Scholars).
- Freemium/Trial Model: Platform offers 6 months of full feature access for free to acquire users, with the goal of converting them to paid subscribers. Cancel anytime during trial period.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | 6-month free trial with full features |
| Subscription | Monthly | Paid subscription (launching 2025) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
grad pad product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Grad Pad operates a SaaS alumni and community network management platform that combines member profile management, event coordination (RSVP, live updates, payment processing), intelligent mentorship pairing, donation and scholarship campaign tools, secure channels for elite members, and behavioral analytics in one product. The platform is sold primarily to educational institutions, alumni associations, professional organizations, and nonprofits to help them maintain year-round engagement with their communities. A mobile app and free trial version are scheduled for 2026 launch.
Product overview
Grad Pad is a unified alumni community platform that combines web and mobile access. The platform consists of a core product combining Alumni Network Management, Mentorship Pairing, and Event Management tools (covering School Reunions, Networking Events, Conferences, and Welcome Orientations), all unified in a single platform with a mobile app launching in 2026. The platform also supports donation and scholarship campaigns, exclusive secure channels for elite members, and analytical insights on user behavior.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Alumni Network Management Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully facilitated connections at UCLA Anderson Palooza event - enabled attendees to connect before the event and facilitated in-person meetups
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use grad pad
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
grad pad technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
grad pad partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Plug In Ventures AcceleratorcoreGrad Pad was accepted into the Plug In Ventures Accelerator, gaining access to mentorship and resources to accelerate growth and impact. This exclusive opportunity is described as a major breakthrough for the company, equipping them with guidance to take their vision to the next level.
- UCLA Anderson School of ManagementflagshipTop-tier MBA program using Grad Pad for alumni network management. The platform is used to build bridges and break down silos, which is key to their success. Featured prominently in customer testimonials and logo placement.
- UMass AmherstcoreUniversity alumni community actively using Grad Pad for events and engagement. Notable success with Reunion Remix events described as 'phenomenal' by Snowflake Director Robert Desrosiers.
- Boston Latin SchoolcoreHistoric Boston secondary school featured on investor relations page as a partner organization. Successfully hosted Reunion Remix alternative to traditional high school reunions.
- National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)flagshipNSBE Professional Los Angeles Chapter in final stages of negotiation to become a customer. Featured on investor relations page logo section. Represents significant enterprise customer opportunity.
- Ehrlich ScholarsflagshipFirst paid subscriber achieved through an MBA consultant who became an investor and is now Grad Pad's first official client. The Norma J. Ehrlich Alumni Scholarship supports young women exemplifying community commitment and academic excellence.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
grad pad competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hivebrite: All-in-one community management and alumni engagement platform with networking, events, mentorship, and fundraising features — directly competitive with Grad Pad across higher education, nonprofits, and professional associations.
- Graduway: Alumni networking and mentoring platform purpose-built for educational institutions; competes head-to-head with Grad Pad for university alumni engagement budgets and event workflows.
- Alumnify: Mobile-first alumni engagement platform for schools and universities offering networking, mentorship, and event tools — overlapping Grad Pad's core alumni use cases with a more mature mobile experience.
- PeopleGrove: Alumni and student mentorship/networking platform serving higher education institutions; directly comparable to Grad Pad's mentorship pairing and alumni network management modules.
- Enterprise Alumni: Corporate and university alumni platform focused on enterprise-grade alumni programs; comparable to Grad Pad's enterprise GTM motion targeting NSBE and large institutional clients.
Broad incumbents
- Mighty Networks: Established community platform serving creators, professional groups, and brands with networking and events; broader than Grad Pad but competes for the same 'community-led' use cases among professional organizations.
- Blackbaud: Incumbent education and nonprofit software suite with alumni/CRM, fundraising, and donor management modules; competes with Grad Pad for institution-wide alumni and development budgets.
- Anthology (Campus Management): Enterprise SIS and student success platform acquired by Anthology; represents the institutional incumbent Grad Pad must displace for deeper alumni and engagement integrations within universities.
Emerging players
- Bevy: Community-led growth platform with strong event-management capabilities serving tech and enterprise customers; overlaps with Grad Pad's event RSVP, payment processing, and community engagement features.
- Hubilo: Events and virtual community platform with networking features; partial overlap with Grad Pad's event management and live-update capabilities, especially for conferences and professional gatherings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
grad pad social profiles
Digital presencegrad pad financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
grad pad leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
grad pad funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
grad pad M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about grad pad
What does grad pad do?
Grad Pad operates a SaaS alumni and community network management platform that combines member profile management, event coordination (RSVP, live updates, payment processing), intelligent mentorship pairing, donation and scholarship campaign tools, secure channels for elite members, and behavioral analytics in one product. The platform is sold primarily to educational institutions, alumni associations, professional organizations, and nonprofits to help them maintain year-round engagement with their communities. A mobile app and free trial version are scheduled for 2026 launch.
Is grad pad a public or private company?
grad pad is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was grad pad founded?
grad pad was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is grad pad based?
grad pad is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does grad pad make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Event Management Services are the primary driver. The others are paid Subscriptions and freemium/Trial Model.
Who are grad pad's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hivebrite, Graduway, Alumnify, PeopleGrove and Enterprise Alumni. Broad incumbents are Mighty Networks, Blackbaud and Anthology (Campus Management). Emerging players are Bevy and Hubilo.
Does grad pad have an API?
No public API is recorded for grad pad.
What industry is grad pad in?
grad pad's product category is Alumni Network Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMABAK, Student & Alumni Communities, with a secondary code of EDALAOAM, Alumni Benefits, Membership & Affinity Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 7372.