Congrats on finishing the first two days of school!
We have a lot of exciting things happening at BE (for example, these new newsletters!) and a fall quarter filled with virtual events. Come out to our very first Weekly Night, where weâll be talking about all things BE and how you can get involved by joining our board or general membership community.
ICYMI (Some Current Events)
Airbnb IPO Plans
Airbnb plans to add its name to the list of prominent tech companies looking to raise money. As the travel industry finds ways to recover from the pandemic, the company aims to raise upwards of $3 million in its upcoming initial public offering and achieve a valuation of at least $30 million. Check out this article to learn more about Airbnbâs IPO.
Potential Quibi Sale
Quibi, the streaming platform designed for smartphones, is currently exploring strategic options such as sales, mergers, or even an IPO. Designed for people on the go, the service has struggled to get traction as the pandemic has confined people to their homes, where they are more likely to use their TV or computer for entertainment. Read here for more info on how Quibi can rebound!
Upcoming Events
1000 Pitches
Letâs go pitches!
1000 Pitches by Bruin Entrepreneurs is our annual event designed to boost entrepreneurial thinking on campus. During the four-week long campaign, UCLA students can pitch their crazy startup ideas via video, powerpoint, or any other online format. The top pitches will have the opportunity to present their ideas in front of a panel of VC judges and compete for prizes. This is YOUR golden opportunity to think outside the box and shoot for the stars. Submit your idea today!
This year we are also placing an emphasis on funny/wild ideas. There will be a special prize for the pitch that is the craziest/wildest/funniest, etc. So, even if you donât have a million dollar idea, give it a shot and try to make us laugh! You can find more details about pitching and previous years on our website.
BE Board Recruitment
Interested in organizing BE events and programs? Apply to board today!
We're looking for students to join our Marketing, Design, Operations, and Tech teams to expand our scope and presence on campus! Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates! Check out our Weekly Night on Tuesday (10/6) to get all of your recruitment questions answered and meet the diverse group of people that make it all possible!
Deadline: October 17th at 11:59 PM (End of Week 2)
Startup Labs
Want to turn your idea into a product? Join the Startup Labs cohort!
Startup Labs is Bruin Entrepreneursâ in-house accelerator, where we connect student founders with resources, mentors, and a curriculum-based program to cultivate their ideas. Learn from successful entrepreneurs and meet a talented group of like-minded individuals who want to create something special!
Jobs & Internships
Contrary Capital
It's recruiting season again, which means Contrary is looking for new venture partners at UCLA! Contrary is a venture fund that identifies the worldâs top early-career engineers, designers, and product minds, connects them with a close-knit, career-long support community, and invests in companies they start or join. Weâre backed by the founders of Tesla, Reddit, Twitch, and many more companies. If investing in student startups and meeting smart people at universities across the nation sounds interesting to you, apply at contrarycap.com/join. Apps are due end of today! If you have any questions, feel free to email anita@contrarycap.com.
Palgorithms
Palgorithms, a friendship-matching app that uses both personality types and interests to find students their most compatible matches, is looking for a designer to join their team! Right now, they are working on promoting and advertising their app to fellow undergraduate students, particularly incoming freshmen and transfers, to help them find friends during this difficult time. Please email the founder at youngghee@gmail.com if this is something youâre interested in! Learn more here.
Covid-19 Relief Organizations
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai Health System is a hospital network centered in New York City, where their healthcare workers are fighting in the frontlines against the COVID-19 pandemic. They are in need of donations to support their doctors, nurses, and researchers working on developing vaccines, as they face an unprecedented surge in their number of patients. Click here to donate.Â
Mask Force
Mask Force is a nonprofit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts that is donating FDA approved and CE compliant PPE to hospitals and first responders. They've currently raised enough money to sponsor 3000 masks to local hospitals and have already made mask shipments to hospitals at the University of Michigan as well as Carney Hospital on Easter Sunday! You can find two ways to donate here, either by GoFundMe (their main fundraising platform) or through PayPal. They provide documentation of their donations on their website, which you can access here, if you'd like.Â
Feeding America
Feeding America is a domestic hunger-relief organization that is a network of over 200 food banks that provide support to millions of people. They are working to reduce hunger and food insecurity caused by the economic fallout of COVID-19. If you're willing, you can donate to their COVID-19 Response Fund here to help them purchase food and fund local food banks during this crisis.Â
See you soon!
Bruin Entrepreneurs đ