Who We Are

We are a dynamic community of UCLA alumni, faculty, and friends who support each other, the university, and its entrepreneurial ecosystem.

UCLA Ventures is a testament to the strength of UCLA’s alumni network. Our group was founded by a group of Bruin entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, who partnered with the University to establish the UCLA Venture Capital Fund in the late 1990s (Read more about our history). Through twists and turns in the economy, including the Internet bubble and the Great Recession, we’ve not only grown, but evolved into a dynamic community of UCLA alumni, faculty, students, and friends who support each other, the university, and its entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Thanks to the generous support of our members, who earmark equity to UCLA using a unique “cashless” pledge mechanism, we’ve built a vibrant portfolio of venture-backed equity. With the returns from our pledged portfolio, we foster UCLA’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through programming, volunteerism, and financial distributions to key initiatives on campus, such as Startup UCLA.

Click here to become a part of our growing network of Bruin founders, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.


Meet our Members

  • By connecting brilliant, talented and successful entrepreneurs and investors from within the UCLA community, I believe we can transform UCLA into the epicenter of the ever growing Los Angeles entrepreneurial community.
    Steven Sesar ('96)
    FreedomPop
  • There are few institutions possessing the diversity of talent to capitalize on this opportunity like UCLA, and I intend to be a catalyst for it. I'm thankful to be part of UCLA's legacy of empowering thought leaders and entrepreneurs.
    Mariah Lichtenstern-Walebowa
    DiverseCity Ventures
  • The network that came with an investment from UCLA Ventures helped to catalyze significant funding from major investors. My hope is to give back what UCLA and UCLA Ventures has given me.
    Eric Dy ('14)
    Bloomlife
  • The biggest thing our UCLA experience has given our team is an extensive network of dedicated mentors, entrepreneurial peers and investors—it’s tough to survive in the startup world without a good network.
    Susie Kim (’15)
    PlutoMoney
  • UCLA has supported my education, research and startup companies over the years in ways that I would never have expected. From incubating early stage startups to investing in later stage businesses, UCLA has always supported me both on campus and off.
    Eric Hoek ('96, '14)
    WaterPlanet, Nanosys
  • My studies at UCLA provided the foundation for my success. I am forever indebted to UCLA for its role in my professional and personal development. I joined UCLA Ventures to give back, pay forward, and support UCLA’s ability to continue transforming lives for the betterment of society.
    Robert E. Dansby, Ph.D. (’70)
    Copharix
  • The mentorship, networking, and capital assistance of UCLA Ventures is an ideal way to stimulate innovation with students and young graduates, who can learn so much from the alumni network.
    Joe Bono ('96)
    Swell Energy

Meet our Leadership Team

 

Brija Johnson

Headshot_Brija Johnson

Brija Johnson

Program Director

310.794.0936

Brija Johnson is currently the Program Director for UCLA Ventures. She joined UCLA TDG in April 2021 as the Technology Scouting Manager for the SCALE initiative. In her role, she works closely with the Starburst accelerator to recruit and support startups in the aerospace sector. Prior to joining TDG, Brija worked as a Program Manager for Springboard Enterprises and was a Scholar in Residence at Zane Venture Fund. Brija holds a BS in International Business and a BS in Marketing with a minor in Technology Entrepreneurship from the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
 

Meet our Executive Committee

Josh Green ('77, JD '80)

Chief Legal Officer, Carbon

Michael Howse ('89)

General Partner, Eleven Ventures

Keith Leonard ('84, MBA '95)

CEO, UNITY Biotechnology, Inc

Jeff Suto (JD '88)

Principal. Jeffrey Y. Suto, PC