The First Asian-Inspired Hard Seltzer Is a Sell-Out
Beverage industry professional John Dalsey (’23) and music industry layoff casualty Jeremy Kim, with their friend Brando, an art director, co-founded 하드Nectar Hard Seltzer by scraping together $20,000 and incubating their company in UCLA Anderson’s Venture Accelerator. It was a trial-and-error, seat-of-their-pants enterprise that required soliciting another $100,000 from friends and family. They almost gave up in the face of more than 200 rejections from Los Angeles stores. In desperation, they posted their phone number and a compelling video, and sold out their initial stock before they knew it. Less than four years later, the Asian-inspired canned beverage is sold online and by major retailers in six states — giving the biggest brands a serious run for their money.
Three Days, 300,000 Views
How a trio of millennials started a hard seltzer brand while working full-time jobs
How One Asian Hard Seltzer Brand Took on White Claw
하드Nectar tapped a burgeoning market with lychee, yuzu and a compelling story
하드Nectar Hard Seltzer Almost Failed
It took 11 sleepless months and a viral video to launch the brand
UCLA Anderson FEMBA Student Embraces Culinary Diversity
Veggie Grill: Eats for the Planet
The Sharks Must Love It
UCLA Student Union Welcomes Asian Snack Vending Machines
From Custom to Customizable
B209
Join AMSA and EA for a panel discussion that will explore the current state of venture capital investing. This session will highlight the panelists’ journey in venture capital and explain where social impact and DEI initiatives fit in the investment decision making process.
Panelists:
Melody Hahm (Harlem Capital)
Wilson Kyi (Basis Set Ventures)
Jane Lee (RPS Ventures)
Gordon Tsui (Root and Shoot Ventures)
Danielle Zhang (Clocktower Ventures)
Francesca Whitehead (G2 Venture Partners)
For UCLA Engineering Alumnus, Pride Is Year-Round
Authentic and Open to New Ways of Working
Managing Entertainment Analytics at Google Was a Dream Job
What Exploring Mars Can Teach Us about Business and Ourselves
Award-Winning Realtor Accelerates His Business at Anderson
What Makes L.A. a Great Place to Earn an MBA?
Is Sexism in Medicine a Well-Kept Secret?
UCLA Anderson’s Master of Finance Edge
Welcome, New Faculty
Face-to-Face Meetings Improve Outcomes for Buyers
Banks Transmit Financial Shocks, Including from Natural Disasters
Trademark Filings Can Serve as Valuable Indicators for Investors
Professor Siew Hong Teoh found a missing link to higher future profits
What People of Asian Descent in America Face Now
Are You a Woman Applying for a Job? Choose Words Carefully
What Is the Fate of Same-Sex Marriage in China and Hong Kong?
When Horses Run Together, They Are Stronger
Joining Asian Identity Clubs Led to Appreciation
A Rebellious Spirit Challenges Stereotypes
Appreciation Lies in Accepting Cultural Contrasts
Why Don’t We Gamify Learning?
A Nepali American Is Inspired by Multi-Ethnic L.A.
Tell Them You’re Taiwanese
On a Path to Peace with His Korean American Identity
Even in California, Growing Up Multiracial Is Challenging
The Origins of a Rebellious Spirit
Proud AAPI Heritage and Leadership
Asian Management Student Association (AMSA)
Greater China Business Association (GCBA)
Japan America Business Association (JABA)
Korean Business Student Association (KBSA)
South Asian Business Association (SABA)
Southeast Asian Business Association (SEABA)
International Business Association (IBA)
Los Angeles Marks a Somber Anniversary
COVID-19 Adds New Risks in the California Housing Crisis
UCLA’s Paul Ong and Chhandara Pech develop the Owner Vulnerability Index
Why Successful Asian Americans Are Penalized in the Workplace
UCLA Distinguished Professor Chris Tang confronts implicit racial bias
Thousands March in Los Angeles to #StopAsianHate
Koreatown demonstrators demanded an end to anti-Asian racism and violence
Asian American Professors Worry about Safety
UCLA academics respond amid the rise in anti-Asian attacks
A Century of Asian American History
Surge in hate crimes in pandemic stems from a history of discrimination
SoCal University Leaders Challenge Systemic Racism Nationwide
UCLA’s Chancellor Block and others assume an “urgent obligation”
UCLA Faculty and Campus Leaders React to Atlanta Killings
The senseless act of hatred is rooted in both racism and sexism
America’s Diverse Asian Communities Unite against Hate
UCLA Law’s Jerry Kang says power in politics and media make a difference
UCLA Center Shares $1.4 million in State Funding to Combat Hate
Funds support new research into AAPI hate incidents related to COVID-19
The Forgotten History of the Purging of Chinese from America
Today’s anti-Asian violence is linked to the nation’s exclusionary past
Unity among Asian Americans Must Be the First Step
Los Angeles, CA
Shanghai, China
Seoul, Korea
Los Angeles, CA
Kota Uyeda (’19)
Consultant, Boston Consulting Group
I am a former health care fellow with the UCLA Technology Development Group, and I served as president of UCLA Anderson’s Healthcare Business Association.
What’s your one-sentence definition of success?
Success is living a life of purpose and having a positive impact on those around you.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
I wanted to add to my business skill set and learn from classmates with a wide range of experiences ― to understand the different lenses through which people see the world. It is important to understand our unconscious biases and work across differences in morality, culture and individual experiences.
What will you remember most fondly about your UCLA Anderson experience?
One of my fondest moments at Anderson was traveling to Chile for our capstone field study project. My team and I learned first hand how complex and nuanced the grape industry is. We all brought different skills and backgrounds to the table, which helped us produce a comprehensive recommendation to our client. We also had a blast visiting vineyards, stargazing in the desert and eating traditional Chilean BBQ.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
Stay curious. Develop a growth mindset and broaden your thinking, whether through continued education or deep conversations with friends. Become a better manager by caring and being curious about the people you work with.
What do you think is the most exciting new opportunity in the business of health care?
The potential of personalized medicine. With continued progress in understanding the human genome, diagnostics and the social determinants of health, the treatment and prevention of illnesses will rapidly improve ― particularly where traditional interventions tailored to developed countries are too generic to effectively solve medical problems in underrepresented communities. I am excited to see how advances in technology will accelerate the growth and reach of personalized health care solutions domestically and globally.
Jasmine X. Guo (’19)
Program Manager, Facebook
I’m a talent acquisition professional with a volunteer spirit. The philosophy that guides where I want to invest my time and energy is based on Gandhi’s mantra, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
What’s your one-sentence definition of success?
Success is knowing you did your best, while being your best self, to achieve any goal you’ve set, while remembering to spread love and positivity along the way.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
The MBA is a personal investment to grow as a compassionate and self-aware leader, as well as develop the business acumen and strength to exercise my voice at the table. In these two golden years I established relationships with such strong, humbling, intellectually curious and authentic individuals.
Why did you want to serve in the Anderson Student Association?
Serving as president of the Asian Management Student Association was a highlight of my Anderson experience! AMSA is the largest and oldest identity organization at Anderson — it was incredibly fulfilling to use this platform to create a network of engaged students, alumni and prominent business leaders who are interested in initiatives that affect Asian-Americans in business as well as the cultural community.
What was the most valuable aspect of serving as a Riordan Programs mentor?
The Riordan MBA Fellows Program shed light on the importance of starting mentorship initiatives early. By spending high-quality time together, understanding my mentee’s mindset and goals, and sharing my relevant experiences, encouragement and insights, I was able to offer motivation to help her see that the world is her oyster.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
I admire and respect LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner’s philosophy of leading with compassion. When I worked at LinkedIn, he taught me that while a manager tells you what to do, a leader inspires you to do it. We need successful leaders who can say, “That’s the mountain we’re going to climb together, this is the reason we’re climbing it, this is why it’s never been done, and this is why we’re going to be successful.”
Van T. Nguyen (FEMBA ’19)
Co-Founder, U-Defi
A biotech entrepreneur and former project manager, I co-founded U-Defi, an award-winning personalized skin care product scientifically formulated to an individual’s unique skin biomarker.
What’s your one-sentence definition of entrepreneurship?
When someone has the courage to go outside defined boundaries, whether in an established company or in a garage, to come up with new and innovative solutions to real-world problems.
What three things have you learned in the UCLA Anderson Venture Accelerator that have been most helpful to incubating your company?
The UCLA Anderson Venture Accelerator helped our company to sharpen our business pitches, marketing strategy and business model. It enabled us to leverage UCLA-wide resources such as the Magnify Lab. And the Accelerator introduced us to the broader startup ecosystem in Southern California.
In the life of your startup so far, what is the most encouraging milestone and what is the most challenging setback?
The most encouraging milestone was winning the 2018 Knapp Venture Competition . It helped to validate our business plan, draw attention to our efforts and access resources that have propelled us forward. The challenge was not having lab space early on, which delayed our efforts to launch the beta test and product trial. If we were a software startup, we could have prototyped our product in a garage. As a science-based startup, we needed access to a lab to run samples and refine our algorithm.
What is the most important skill that we should be teaching our students today?
Self-awareness. MBAs step into the business world equipped with skill sets to solve business challenges but, without being self-aware, we can’t know the areas in which we still need to grow and might need help.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
Throughout my career, I’ve received sometimes conflicting advice on how to solve problems and what opportunities to take advantage of. The best piece of advice I’ve received is to choose which of those pieces of advice to take because, at the end of the day, I’m the person who knows my circumstances best.
Major, U.S. Army
Andrew Chan (B.S. ’05, ’13)
Manager, Deloitte Digital
A former U.S. Army officer with expertise in digital transformation and strategy.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
Getting an MBA was a part of my plan to transition from active military service to pursue a career aligned with technology. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in mechanical engineering, was stationed in Korea and deployed to Iraq. At Anderson, I was able to combine my technology undergraduate training with my military leadership and management experience, while gaining an underlying business foundation.
What is the most important skill we should be teaching our students today?
Being part of the Deloitte Digital team has allowed me to see how pervasive the digital world is. More than ever, students should be acutely aware that their name will be their brand, especially in the business world. Personal brand management and the management of your professional brand as you engage with diverse audiences worldwide is a key skill Anderson should be teaching today.
What three things did you learn at Anderson that have been most helpful to you in your career?
- How to identify my career goals and achieve them through structured and formalized networking
- A solid understanding of business fundamentals, including finance, marketing and operations
- The importance of brand management as we embarked on our careers
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever gotten?
Never stop learning. I see it every day as the digital world evolves and inspires new possibilities. Continuing education is essential in challenging your point of view and expanding your mind. I grow through industry updates, Twitter and even courses like the Command and General Staff course that the military provides. Always seek to learn and grow through continuing education.
How did your experience as a veteran help you in your journey at UCLA Anderson?
In the army I had the opportunity to lead more than 200 troops. I learned that when time is limited, it’s better to move forward with 80 percent of the information than to wait for all of it and possibly miss critical deadlines. That lesson directly translated to success in group projects and presentations. Being in the military gave me the confidence to take action. That was definitely helpful when working through case studies and group leadership opportunities.
Lieutenant Junior Grade, U.S. Navy
Bo Cross (’16)
Operations Lead, MedArrive
Former Lieutenant Junior Grade, U.S. Navy, with operations expertise in a range of fields.
What’s your one-sentence definition of success?
Success is being happy with the delta between where you started and where you are now.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
After the Navy, I wanted to build a good foundation of business knowledge to tie in with my leadership experience I gained in the military. I wanted to be as confident in my business skills as I was with my people skills and my Anderson experience helped me achieve that goal. In fact, I can honestly say that, without my MBA, I wouldn’t be able to do my job. Every day I use tools that I learned in class, and it has allowed me to personally contribute to the growth of Lyft, which is really gratifying!
What is the most important class/topic/skill that we should be teaching our students today?
Every day, people are asked to make decisions in scenarios where there’s lots of data and facts that may actually be irrelevant. A skill that students today can certainly utilize is the ability to sift through this noise. Don’t be too quick to make a judgement, simply based on what you initially see or hear. Make sure you understand the scenario, the people you are interacting with, the entire picture before making a judgment at first glance.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever gotten?
If you get knocked down, get back up. In the military, you are judged by the outcome, so it’s important to finish what you start, even if you encounter obstacles along the way. At Officer Candidate School I learned that, no matter how difficult things got, it was only temporary. I now know that with persistence you can push through any barrier to achieve the outcome you desire.
Tell us how your experience as a veteran helped you in your journey at UCLA Anderson.
My experience as a veteran encouraged me to be fearless when it came to challenging myself by putting myself in uncomfortable situations. During orientation week, I found other veterans and built a connection based on our common experiences. In addition to that welcome camaraderie, my military experience gave me an overall confidence to share my point of view in class, to speak in front of groups, and to stay calm during the routine homework and final exam "fire drills".