From Real Estate to AI: How One Leeds Grad Student Has Built a Smarter Way to Study
After more than a decade in the workforce, Alex Corren (MRelEst’26) returned to college to pursue his master’s in real estate—and in the process he has built Lobe, an AI-powered, real-time learning assistant.
Alex Corren (MRelEst’26) came to Leeds for his master’s in real estate, but his pursuits took a surprising turn last semester when he invented , an AI-powered tool designed to maximize studying. Using himself as the platform’s first test case, the results were clear: Corren earned a 4.0 GPA last semester. A “Get Seed Funding” micro-grant from the Deming Center helped him dive further into development—and validated that his concept had real potential.
Next steps? Corren hopes to test the platform with a substantial number of users (know anyone at Leeds who wants to improve their grades?). He also hopes to tap into students’ marketing expertise to raise awareness through social media and other channels.
From necessity to invention
The proverb “necessity is the mother of invention” held true for Corren as he entered his master’s program at Leeds after more than a decade away from college. The timing coincided with the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence—something he found impossible to ignore.
“The AI coding tools were really starting to get good enough where people were talking about them,” he said. “I've been attracted to frontier technologies my whole life, and this felt like a very significant moment with a very disruptive technology. I made a conscious decision that I could either sit on the sidelines or start experimenting and get my hands on these tools.”
While Corren never considered himself a programmer, building has long been a theme in his life—whether developing professional projects, expanding his skillset, or even constructing his own home. Not knowing how to code always nagged at him. As an “idea guy,” he could envision countless digital products and services.
“I've been attracted to frontier technologies my whole life, and this felt like a very significant moment with a very disruptive technology. I made a conscious decision that I could either sit on the sidelines or start experimenting and get my hands on these tools.”
Alex Corren (MRelEst’26)
“Although I was very comfortable with technical things, I never learned to code. And that always felt like a blocker for me. Programming isn’t something you can casually pick up—it’s a pretty big commitment.” But when coding in plain English emerged, a light bulb turned on.
“It was like, oh wow, this is almost made for people like me … Now I can action and iterate and prototype these ideas really quickly.”
Corren spent all of 2025 experimenting and building. Lobe wasn’t necessarily his initial goal—it evolved naturally as he looked for ways to better manage his coursework. He was juggling Canvas assignments, downloading course documents, and experimenting with a patchwork of tools from his professional life, such as Otter, Notion and Granola.
“Since I had been in the career world before coming back to school, and through my previous entrepreneurship efforts, I had been really into digital systems, organization, productivity, workflow management, and personal knowledge management,” he said.
“It occurred to me that there had to be a better way.” Lobe was the answer. The breakthrough was realizing that he had access to open APIs—just like traditional developers—to make it all possible.
“So much of this infrastructure is widely accessible,” he said. A bit of sleuthing later, he had built the prototype. Securing the Deming Center micro-grant gave him the confidence to keep going—and positive feedback that his approach was viable.
Turning a prototype into a practical tool
The Lowdown on Lobe
Lobe is Corren’s vision of an always available teaching assistant—one that understands your classes, your professor’s examples, your materials, and even lectures as they are happening in real time.
Here’s a summary of Lobe’s features.
~ Live lecture transcription
Lobe “sits in” on class, transcribing every word and turning lectures into polished notes. Students can even ask mid-class, “What was that example the professor just gave?” because Lobe hears it in the moment.
~Concept extraction and the Study Hub
The system identifies key ideas from each lecture and compiles them into a dynamic Study Hub—an evolving map of concepts rather than static flashcards.
~Spaced repetition learning
Lobe resurfaces concepts at optimized intervals, similar to memory tools like Duolingo or Quizlet, reinforcing longterm retention.
~Document and resource uploads
Students can upload PDFs, slides and course materials, which Lobe incorporates into its context for more accurate help.
~Conversational studying
A built-in chat lets students practice material in multiple formats—multiple choice, open-ended, or through explanations. “It’s not static,” Corren said. “You can say, ‘Give me another question,’ or, ‘Explain that differently—I didn’t get it.’”
~A longterm archive of your education
Corren said one of his realizations while building Lobe was just how much learning gets lost once a semester ends. “College is expensive, and the knowledge you gain is really valuable,” he said. “I didn’t want any of it disappearing.”
His own experience drove the point home. “My undergrad notebooks are probably still sitting in a box at my mom’s house in New Jersey,” he said. “I don’t have access to any of that now. With Lobe, you keep what you learn—forever.”
Of course, obstacles remain. For example, while Canvas—the platform Boulder uses for course management—has an API, permission requirements may pose a challenge. Corren is in conversation with ’s IT team to explore solutions.
He’s also aware of the broader debate surrounding AI in education. But for him, Lobe has enhanced his learning, not hindered it. AI transcription, for example, allows him to stay fully present in lectures.
“It’s helped me be super present and lock in. I don’t have to worry about taking manual notes because I know that Lobe is capturing every word.”
He’s found that many students still use AI in scattered, inefficient ways—dabbling without integrating their work into a cohesive system. And while some observers warn that AI may undermine genuine learning, Corren sees a fuller spectrum.
“A hammer can be used to bash something, or you can use it to build a house,” he quipped. “It’s the same with AI tools. You can outsource your thinking and fake your way through to a certain degree. Or you can use it to deepen your learning, deepen your understanding, and pay more attention.”
The bigger divide, he argues, will come from differences in adoption.
“The divide people talk about in the workforce isn’t ‘AI is going to take your job.’ It’s ‘Somebody using AI effectively is going to take your job.’ I think that starts in school.”
He also noted that exams—remote or in person—still require real comprehension. “You can’t fake your way through.”
What’s next for Lobe?
Corren’s immediate priority is connecting with marketing savvy interns.
“The reality is, I'm a 33-year-old dude who's never been on TikTok,” he said with a laugh. “I know there are people who are TikTok natives who could do a really good job marketing this. It's OK if I ask for help—I don’t have to do everything myself.”
He is also applying to the New Venture Challenge as he enters the next phase of testing.
His graduation dream? “Lobe is big enough that I can go full-time working for myself.”
At the same time, Corren hasn’t abandoned his passion for real estate and regenerative communities—a field he entered Leeds to pursue, taking advantage of the resources available through the Klump Center for Real Estate and Leeds' other Centers of Excellence. His own sustainably built home was just the start.
“I’m not banking on Lobe and putting aside the real estate opportunities. But working for oneself and the capacity for growth is promising.” Apps like Lobe can scale quickly, he said, making it an attractive option over other career pathways. He also sees Lobe as a strong portfolio piece. “Going into any career, people are looking at AI skills.”
Corren knows the technological landscape is evolving quickly.
“Software is fundamentally changed forever. There’s a window of time right now. Whether it lasts 12 months, 18 months, three years … who knows? For large incumbent technology companies, the purely technical moat is disappearing … these companies are actively under attack by indie hackers like me.”
In the end, he believes distribution and taste will matter most.
“If we’re inundated with AI slop, what’s going to stand out is high-quality, tasteful products.” Corren hopes Lobe will be one of them.