We hope your first week of school was fantastic and that you’re enjoying this not-so-California weather tonight! Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for an amazing first Weekly Night. We’re excited to see you all tomorrow! Don’t forget that board applications close this Saturday, October 9 at midnight!
Upcoming Events
WEEKLY NIGHTS
Tuesday, October 5th from 7 pm-8 pm | Covel Commons, West Coast Meeting Room
Intro to Ideation! Hear from our guest speaker, Amira Polack, and her journey starting Struct Club. Learn all about her ups and downs when starting a company, and maybe learn some tips for when you start yours!
Also, because you guys are SO amazing and we want to make sure there is room for everyone, we are requiring RSVPs from now on. Secure your spot now (if you haven’t already) at the link below!
Reminder if you did not attend the first Weekly Night and want to apply to Board, this week’s Weekly Night is required!
1000 PITCHES
To answer your question, yes! We are still accepting pitches for 1KP. Find us on Bruinwalk every day on Weeks 2-4 OR direct message @bruinentrepreneurs on Instagram if you’re avoiding all those other flyers (I am too).
Submit your 30-second pitch by October 21st and get the chance to pitch your idea to VC’s at Demo Day!
BOARD APPLICATIONS
Hopefully, you received our special edition newsletter, but if not, no worries! Applications close this Saturday, October 9th at midnight so you have plenty of time! Make sure to come out to at least one Weekly Night and the Meet The Board event (which is tomorrow)!
Opportunities & Events
BIG IDEAS SPEAKER SERIES - NURLABS
Please join us on Tuesday, October 12th at 5:30 pm for the first UCLA speaker in our Big Ideas Social Innovation Speaker Series, featuring Sumita Jonak, Founder & CEO, NurLabs which is developing novel methods for early-stage cancer diagnosis. The event will take place on zoom, please RSVP using the link below.
Attendees will receive an update on the Big Ideas Contest and will learn how they can access critical resources (funding, networks, mentorship, recognition) to help them build, launch, scale their early-stage social ventures. This is a great opportunity for you to get a head start on developing your Big Ideas application (deadline November 18!)
For any questions, please contact the UCLA Innovation Ambassador Paolo at paoloshamoon@g.ucla.edu
P.S: If you are interested in receiving updates on events like this at UCLA, sign up HERE.
XFUND x UCLA NEW VENTURES
On Friday, October 22nd, 2021, XFund will be joining UCLA New Ventures to host our Fall 2021 Pitch Day. XFund is looking for UCLA-affiliated startups in the consumer, enterprise, and digital health sectors, seeking to raise a pre-seed to Series A round will be selected to pitch their business to XFund.
Xfund is a pioneering partnership between some of the country’s most successful venture capital firms (NEA, Accel, and Breyer Capital) and some of the world’s best research universities in the United States and abroad. The firm is engineered to identify and support entrepreneurs coming out of the world’s best centers of learning.
Submit your application by Friday, October 8th, 2021. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the New Ventures team at mailto:sofia.ramos@tdg.ucla.edu.
BRUIN IMPACT CHALLENGE
The Bruin Impact Challenge invites all UCLA undergrad and graduate students to cultivate early-stage ideas that drive positive social impact. Over six months, students will have the opportunity to participate in skills workshops, mentorship sessions, and networking events – moving through three selection rounds and culminating in a pitch showcase for a chance to win from a cash prize pool totaling $10,000. Learn more and apply HERE! (bit.ly/3BjLf1i).
WATERTOWER VENTURES
Watertower Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund based in LA that invests in companies in the technology, consumer internet, digital media, and e-commerce industries. The Watertower Ventures Scholars Program offers candidates a unique opportunity to learn the business and workings of the VC industry, review investment opportunities as well as assist with the existing portfolio. They are seeking talented people for their next Ventureship cohort who might not otherwise have an opportunity to get a start in the venture capital industry. Please send interest and resume to Idan Levy (idan@watertowerventures.com).
Note: No previous venture or finance experience is required.
RED BULL BASEMENT - LA LAUNCHPAD
Date: Friday, October 15th, 4-6 PM
Red Bull Basement is a global collegiate pitch competition centered around “Tech Innovation for Good.” This Launchpad event on Friday, October 15th is taking place at Red Bull HQ. Kim Centeno, CMO at Surfline, will give a keynote address that discusses how to create a framework around incorporating social innovation into entrepreneurship. Undergraduate entrepreneurs from 10+ campuses will be invited to attend. After Kim’s keynote, an engaging networking activity will allow you to meet similarly passionate students from around the city.
VITA
VITA is a non-profit organization run by students at UCLA and offers free income tax filing assistance to the underserved communities of Los Angeles. It offers free training on income tax knowledge, networking opportunities and client-facing professional experiences for students who join as volunteers. Our goal is to help more people understand the process of income tax filing and boost financial literacy rate in the UCLA and the Los Angeles communities. Refer to the attached flyer or visit the link below for more details on the info session, application deadline, and how to connect with us.
ALINEA
Have you always wanted to invest but have been too overwhelmed to start? Download the Alinea app and you can start with as little as $1. Invest in what matters to you with stacks (bundles of stocks) - you can invest in clean energy, blockchain, or women-led companies. The best part? You can create your own stacks and share with friends! If you want to become an ambassador and join a super supportive community of new investors, fill out this form here!