The Bruin Business 100 recognizes exceptional UCLA alumni entrepreneurs. These alumni are founders, owners and visionaries in business that have inspired innovation and expanded the Bruin network.
Eligibility:
To be eligible for the honor of Bruin Business 100, the primary nominee must be: (1) a UCLA degree holder or UCLA certificate holder (2) an owner/founder of a business or company.
Please note previous Bruin Business 100 honorees are able to reapply every other year. 2023 Bruin Business 100 honorees are now eligible to reapply for the 2025 cohort.
Please complete this application if you are self-nominating and are the owner/founder.
Nomination Deadline: Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 11:59 p.m.
The world of finance and investing has always been a beacon for those who have a keen interest in understanding the movement of money. It is a field that requires prudence, patience, and an ability to make informed decisions. If these characteristics resonate with you, we encourage you to apply for the Bruin Development Academy (BDA): Buy-Side Investing, co-sponsored by the Benjamin Graham Value Investing Program. The goal is to create awareness about buy-side investing careers, regardless of participants’ current career trajectories. We are fortunate to have the support of our alumni, professors, and investment firms in this endeavor.
This program is suitable for freshman & sophomores (non-econ majors welcome) eager to dive into the world of investment management. Prior experience is not required!
The Bruin Development Academy's Buy-Side Finance program, comprising of three workshops, one per quarter (Fall 2024, Winter 2025, and Spring 2025). Each workshop will last a whole day and will each feature the following components:
1. Buy-Side Career Awareness - In collaboration with local buy-side firms, we hope to offer a thorough insight into the intricacies of the investment industry at UCLA. These outreach sessions will navigate students through the fascinating world of buy-side investing while offering a glimpse into the diverse roles within the investment realm. Participants will gain an understanding of industry participants, the operational mechanics of various financial institutions, and the abundant career opportunities that this dynamic field presents. Past participating firms include Canyon Capital Partners, Oaktree Capital Management, and Ares Management.
2. Specialized Topics in Investing - Led by our Simon Fellows, a group of upperclassmen who have demonstrated exceptional interest and aptitude in the world of finance, will be sharing their specialized knowledge on various subfields in investing. This includes but is not limited to sessions on: venture capital, private equity, real estate, and hedge funds.
3. Mentorship Group - Each BDA participant will be paired with a mentor for the duration of the program. These mentors are valued participants in the Value Investing Program and will offer guidance on recruitment, resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, and more.
We invite you to submit your application and kindly ask for your commitment to the entire year, allowing you to fully benefit from the program. The dates and times for Fall, Winter, and Spring workshops will be established through a survey after the BDA cohort selection is complete.
Application Timeline:
- Application deadline: October 31st, 2024 @ 11:59PM
- Decisions Released: November 4th, 2024 @ 5:00PM
To apply, please submit an application below. If you have any questions or need further details, please do not hesitate to reach Humberto Merino-Hernandez ( Hmhernandez@econ.ucla.edu).
This is the application for Econ 173AX/BX, also known as the UCLA Social Enterprise Academy. This year will be our 14th Academy of this innovative program.
The application deadline is November 22 at 11:59 p.m. Decisions will be announced by Friday, December 6.
Students applying for the Academy are committing to attend every Tuesday evening from 6:15pm to 9:30pm in Winter and Spring Quarter. Attendance is in person. Students are permitted only one absence for the two quarters. Further absences are penalized.
You must submit your resume and a cover letter. Your name and student ID need to be on each page. You should combine both submissions in a single PDF file with your resume first and your cover letter second.
Your cover letter should discuss what strong points you would bring to a team of students working with a non-profit to develop a revenue generating venture to support the mission of the non-profit. Since we are looking to build strong teams of students with a diverse set of skills, we need to know what particular skills and experience you would bring to the Academy. Application decisions are made on the basis of our need to build balanced teams of students.
The UCLA Social Enterprise Academy (SEA) is a two-quarter experiential learning course. Over Winter and Spring quarters, students work directly with nonprofit organizations to develop earned income opportunities for the organization. Teams of five students are assigned to each nonprofit. Students will work closely with the leadership of one organization as consultants to develop the best enterprise idea, conduct market research, create a business plan, and pitch the venture to compete for cash and pro bono prizes.
The official course number is Economics 173AX/173BX: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship (Winter and Spring 2025). These courses count as two Economics Electives towards the Economics and Business Economics majors and might count toward the Minor in Entrepreneurship as well (Consult with the counselor for the Minor.). It is open to students in all majors.
Your Impact in this course:
Your role in this course has a direct impact on local nonprofit organizations including supporting their efforts to:
· Create a business plan for their organization to launch a new and sustainable social venture
· Gain expert training from faculty and potential investors
· Receive volunteer support to research, develop and launch new social ventures
Benefits for YOU:
· Gain consulting, teamwork, networking, public speaking skills, and nonprofit experience
· Directly apply content knowledge to build a revenue generating business plan
· Receive expert training from UCLA faculty, alumni and business leaders with experience in the social entrepreneurship
· Develop skills and experience in the venture initiation and pitching process including “pitching” a plan to potential investors at the UCLA Social Enterprise Venture Showcase
Application Requirements and Process:
Enrollment in Econ 173AX/173BX is by application only. The Social Enterprise Academy is a five-month (two quarter) program. This means that students enrolled in this course must enroll in both courses in the two-quarter sequence.
Eligibility: This program is open to current UCLA juniors and seniors from all majors.
You must be able to attend class sessions every week
Tuesdays from 6:15 to 9:15 PM both Winter and Spring Quarters.
That means that if you enroll in this course, you are committing to re-arrange your other commitments including those involving your role as an officer of a student organization to leave Tuesday evenings free. Do not attempt to enroll in this course if you cannot make this commitment.
You also must commit to enroll in both Winter and Spring Quarters. If you drop the course or do not enroll in Econ 173BX, you will not receive any units of credit for Econ 173AX or Econ 173BX.
In addition, you commit to attend the two rounds of our venture competition. The first round is currently scheduled for Friday May 16, 2025. This will likely run from 9am until 3:30pm. Please note this in your schedule. The second round is currently scheduled for the evening of Thursday May 29, 2025.