If, Then: The Origins of Handshake
Today, Handshake is the career app of choice for every Fortune 500 company, every Ivy League school, and 92% of the nation’s top-ranked colleges and universities. Valued at $3.5 billion, the company is leading the revolution in connecting talent with employers in the artificial intelligence economy. Fifteen years ago, Handshake was just an idea that no one believed would work — no one except its three visionary founders, who were students at Michigan Tech.
Travel back to the days when the future Forbes 30 Under 30 company was a dream fueled by cheap pizza, marathon coding, and a trio of computer nerds willing to grind hard days one after another to sell an idea that forever changed how college grads get hired.
Explore the origins of Handshake in the 2026 Michigan Tech Magazine — and find out where the Husky-built tech start-up is headed next.