The Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, UCLA Anderson School of Management

🌟 UCLA: SoCal’s Innovation Hub, with UCLA Anderson School of Management and The Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, UCLA Anderson School of Management Leading the Way in Entrepreneurship! 🌟 The 2024 UCLA Draper Innovation Showcase was a powerhouse event, showcasing UCLA’s role as Southern California’s 🚀 innovation engine and Anderson’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of entrepreneurship. From bold ideas to building SoCal’s ecosystem, the excitement was truly electric! ⚡️ https://lnkd.in/gyr6bymz Please check out all 10 outstanding startups 🚀 Huge shoutout to Trish Halamandaris at the Price Center 🎉—your dedication made this showcase shine! Your energy and drive are the MVPs of the night! (Dodgers spirit in full swing! ⚾️) Major kudos to Tim Draper, Jesse Draper, Adam Draper ⏻, and the amazing Draper family. As Prof. Terry Kramer (Easton Technology Management Center) and Prof. Olav Sorenson emphasized, the real magic happens with cross-campus collaboration. ✨ Imagine the strength if all UCLA’s schools and resources—from Engineering 🔧 and UCLA Health 🏥 to Law ⚖️, Arts 🎨, and beyond—joined forces to drive innovation. Such cross-disciplinary teamwork brings exponential impact (1+1 > 2). Bringing together insights from every field allows us to solve challenges and create groundbreaking solutions to address REAL and impactful needs. And to truly elevate UCLA’s role as SoCal’s innovation hub, let’s rally our alumni 💙 and community partners 🤝! By tapping into resources like TCA Venture Group, TCA Los Angeles, and local venture groups and harnessing our alumni network’s passion to give back, the possibilities are endless. 🌐 With UCLA at the helm, Anderson’s entrepreneurial spirit, and SoCal’s vibrant startup energy, we’re not just talking about innovation; we’re actively building the future. 🌍💡 #UCLAAnderson #InnovationShowcase #Entrepreneurship #CrossCampusMagic ✨ #SoCalInnovation #UCLAAlumni 💪 #innovation #startup #ecosystem #SoCal #Leadership

Reflecting on a few behind the scenes photos from yesterday and still buzzing from the UCLA Draper Innovation Showcase! 🎉 Couldn’t be prouder of what this means for Hamilton Perkins Collection [Techstars '24] and our mission to redefine waste as a valuable resource. This investment fuels our next chapter, bringing us closer to a future where circular solutions are the norm. Grateful to UCLA Anderson School of Management and everyone who made this possible, including Annie Carrasco for championing our story. Shoutout to Nikki Lin, Trish Halamandaris, Claire Marsden, Fallon Coleman, and Eric Cazenave – we couldn’t have done it without your support! A huge thank you to the Draper family – Tim Draper, Jesse Draper, Adam Draper ⏻ Eleanor Draper Vaughn – for seeing our vision and backing the circular revolution! 🌍♻️

Join the 2024 UCLA Draper Innovation Showcase LIVESTREAM, hosted by the Venture Accelerator at UCLA Anderson and the Draper Foundation—led by Tim Draper (Draper Associates), Jesse Draper (B.A. ’06, Halogen Ventures), Billy Draper (B.A. ’11, Path Ventures) and Adam Draper ⏻ (B.A. ’09, Boost VC), and Eleanor Draper Vaughan.   Watch as 10 of UCLA’s top early-stage companies pitch for a chance to secure $250,000 in investments from the Draper Foundation. Plus, enjoy a distinguished panel discussion, Developing Transformative Leaders: Balancing Ideology & Innovation, moderated by Julia Boorstin of CNBC, and featuring Baron Davis, Valorie Kondos Field (B.A. ’87), and Michael Jeter. UCLA Anderson School of Management UCLA Alumni Association #uclaentrepenerus #pitchcompetition #startupjourney

POV: You are a purpose-driven founder. This past Monday, I had the privilege of co-hosting a pitch competition with UCLA Anderson School of Management for TECH WEEK by a16z, and it was nothing short of inspiring. After months of planning, seeing everything come to life was a surreal moment. The energy in the room was incredible as we watched founders, each with their own unique vision, stand in front of the judges—Arthur Wang, Sienna Jackson, MBA, MS, and Kate Aveline Edwards—and share their passion, drive, and purpose. These entrepreneurs weren’t just pitching businesses; they were pitching solutions to real-world problems. From innovative tech to social impact initiatives, every presentation reminded me why I started my own journey. It’s about more than business; it’s about creating lasting change and building something greater than ourselves. I want to shout out all the founders who pitched, as well as our three alternates who still showed up ready to pitch. Finalists:  Jane Lim (1st place winner) Bren Kugamoorthy (2nd place winner) Sasha Mitchell-Fuller (3rd place winner) Flo Ye Azrin Khan Courtney W. Jorge Munoz Carlos Moreno   Alternates: Shelley Tanner (she/her) Shaun Dennis Covington Martha Gamboa Special thanks to our incredible judges for their insights and time, and the team behind the scenes who helped make this event a success, Roy Quinto, MBA, Ed.D, Trish Halamandaris, The Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, UCLA Anderson School of Management and The Gathering Spot. Here’s to continuing the journey with purpose and making an impact, one pitch at a time. #TechWeek #Entrepreneurship #PurposeDriven #PitchCompetition #a16z #UCLAAnderson

🚨Venture Accelerator Applications Open Today🚨 The Venture Accelerator's Winter Accelerate Program offers a curated & immersive five-month experience customized by vertical for early-stage startups. Apply now at https://lnkd.in/g7wd-3c8. Who can apply? UCLA students, UCLA Alumni Association, and members of the Los Angeles community. Deadline: October 25th #uclaentrepreneurs #startupjourney #longla UCLA Anderson School of Management