P.J. Gunsagar (’95)
P.J. is co-founder & CEO of Kidaptive, a company whose mission is to empower learners of all ages, and their parents and teachers, by creating a vibrant ecosystem of personalized learning experiences.
UCLA is one of the world’s deepest and most competitive educational melting pots. It is easy to get lost and difficult to navigate through without being able to build relationships, thrive under pressure, and be empathetic. In the 21st century, leaders need these exact skills to build strong companies.
P.J. started his career in investment banking at UBS after graduating from UCLA with degrees in Business Economics and Political Science. He then moved on to the buy-side as an early-stage investor at Intel Capital where his passion for entrepreneurship took shape.
Since then, P.J. has worked in companies that he has founded. His current company, Kidaptive, has a mission of empowering learners of all ages, and their parents and teachers, by creating a vibrant ecosystem of personalized learning experiences.
“UCLA is undervalued in venture capital and entrepreneurship because our alumni network is largely disconnected. UCLA Ventures has the potential to galvanize our outstanding investors and entrepreneurs in impactful ways that can shine a brighter light on our extraordinary school.”
"Being a part of that impact and helping UCLA gain the respect it deserves are the main reasons I decided to join UCLA Ventures."
Before Kidaptive, P.J. served as Co-Founder and President of Prana Studios, a leading global 3D animation and visual effects studio with more than one thousand employees based between Los Angeles and Mumbai, India. Prana's filmography includes Transformers, TRON Legacy, TinkerBell, and Disney's Planes.
Prior to Prana, P.J. cofounded Ettache, an online account aggregation company that was acquired in 2001 by Adhesion Technologies.
“UCLA is one of the world’s deepest and most competitive educational melting pots. It is easy to get lost and difficult to navigate through without being able to build relationships, thrive under pressure, and be empathetic. In the 21st century, leaders need these exact skills to build strong companies."
Besides his degrees from UCLA, P.J. also earned a law degree from Stanford University. He currently lives in Los Altos, CA with his wife Ekta, and two daughters, Krisaana (12) and Arkya (10).
Since then, P.J. has worked in companies that he has founded. His current company, Kidaptive, has a mission of empowering learners of all ages, and their parents and teachers, by creating a vibrant ecosystem of personalized learning experiences.
“UCLA is undervalued in venture capital and entrepreneurship because our alumni network is largely disconnected. UCLA Ventures has the potential to galvanize our outstanding investors and entrepreneurs in impactful ways that can shine a brighter light on our extraordinary school.”
"Being a part of that impact and helping UCLA gain the respect it deserves are the main reasons I decided to join UCLA Ventures."
Before Kidaptive, P.J. served as Co-Founder and President of Prana Studios, a leading global 3D animation and visual effects studio with more than one thousand employees based between Los Angeles and Mumbai, India. Prana's filmography includes Transformers, TRON Legacy, TinkerBell, and Disney's Planes.
Prior to Prana, P.J. cofounded Ettache, an online account aggregation company that was acquired in 2001 by Adhesion Technologies.
“UCLA is one of the world’s deepest and most competitive educational melting pots. It is easy to get lost and difficult to navigate through without being able to build relationships, thrive under pressure, and be empathetic. In the 21st century, leaders need these exact skills to build strong companies."
Besides his degrees from UCLA, P.J. also earned a law degree from Stanford University. He currently lives in Los Altos, CA with his wife Ekta, and two daughters, Krisaana (12) and Arkya (10).