Like a lot of entrepreneurs, Kelly Wheeler (’23) spent years in the corporate world, where she gradually began to notice something: She didn’t really have the right tool to do her job as efficiently and effectively as she would like. So she decided to build it herself.
As partner at a civil engineering firm, Wheeler has spent more than two decades helping to oversee major projects like bridges, mass transit and utilities. Problem is, as you’d imagine, giant infrastructure projects have a lot of moving parts — without a one-stop shop for coordinating all the contracts and documents that come with them. Her construction-management software platform, BridgeDoc, seeks to change that.
“I’m passionate about improving efficiencies on these projects because they are the facilities that make our collective communities great — water, sewer, roads, public transit — and we all pay for them with our tax dollars,” Wheeler says. “Plus, I just love building things.”
BridgeDoc is one of 40 taking part in this summer’s Activate program at the Venture Accelerator at UCLA Anderson. These startups, both pre- and post-launch, hail from industries as varied as health tech, food and beverage, sustainable swimwear and beyond. Over the next two months, they will take part in ongoing workshops and networking events, have access to a 24/7 workspace and breakout rooms, and meet regularly with advisors and mentors in specialty fields.
For Wheeler, an executive MBA student, the opportunity to join the Venture Accelerator was one she wanted to jump on after participating in Anderson’s Knapp Venture Competition in May, where BridgeDoc placed second and received $30,000 in startup capital, sponsored by the Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
“I entered just to practice pitching, since I’ve never done it, and met the Accelerator team at the finals,” Wheeler says. “They were so positive and encouraging, and it’s a great opportunity to focus what I’m learning at Anderson specifically on my venture.”
This summer’s Activate cohort includes 40 total companies with 30% focused in health care tech. Sixty-four percent of the founders belong to underrepresented communities, with 51% of companies led by women and 49% by men. Finally, 76% of the founders are either current Anderson students or alumni, and another 11% are from schools across the UCLA campus.
“It is rewarding to see each cohort advance as the programs evolve and become better known to Anderson students and alumni, along with founders across campus and in the L.A. ecosystem,” says Trish Halamandaris (’92), director of the Venture Accelerator. “This next generation of entrepreneurs is tackling significant issues in real time, which gives me hope. To contribute at the early stage of their journey is gratifying as the companies succeed. Since we started our program in 2018, we have seen seven exits, with 85% of the companies continuing to operate independently after exiting the Accelerator. Onward and upward.”
Business journalist and media advisor Rod Kurtz is entrepreneur-in-residence at the Venture Accelerator at UCLA Anderson.