Startup UCLA launches first-ever summer accelerator program, receiving strong student response

A program that launched last fall to connect student entrepreneurs with mentors in the technology startup industry is introducing a summer accelerator that has attracted the interest of hundreds of UCLA students.

The organization, called Startup UCLA, was developed in the communications department following the input of UCLA alumni working in local startups to fund student entrepreneurs. These alumni felt there was need for a space where student entrepreneurs could connect with each other and the local startup market, said Tim Groeling, chair of the communications deparmtment, who helped launch the program.

UCLA alumnus Robert Jadon, who works in the Los Angeles startup scene, has worked personally with about 30 student teams over the last two weeks during office hour sessions to help them prepare their Startup UCLA Accelerator Program applications. Students could submit applications through today.

Undergraduate and graduate students apply in teams, and Groeling said he expects student companies will be at various stages of development. Competitive teams will show greater promise for turning out a developed product by the end of the session. At least 50 percent of a team’s founders must be current UCLA students or recent alumni.

Through the 10-week program, Jadon and other mentors will advise accepted entrepreneurs on developing their product and marketing skills.

Jadon and other alumni will also help connect students with mentors in the local startup community. These mentors will provide legal, workflow management and marketing advice to the team, or companies, Groeling said. Hosting services like server space for technical software and accounting advice will also be available, Jadon said.

Groeling said one of the program’s goals for the 10-week session is to help make the student companies attractive to investors or prepared to further develop their startups in local entrepreneurial support programs, called incubators.

These students can contribute to the local tech startup community in Los Angeles, he added.

Students need to develop necessary skills before graduating so they can start building their own successful startups, he said.

“We’re not necessarily trying to produce companies that will be the next Facebook,” Groeling said. “We’re trying to create students that will be like Mark Zuckerberg.”

Peter Szalontay, a fourth-year math economics student, was finishing his application for the program last weekend with his company Virtualle, which will provide an online apparel shopping service.

Szalontay said he was attracted to Startup UCLA for the valuable access to mentors and a community of entrepreneurs. Another key benefit of Startup UCLA is that the program does not claim any ownership stake in the companies, he said, as opposed to many local programs that support entrepreneurial companies.

Although he has already recruited students and faculty at UCLA for his company, he said he always wants to take advantage of networking opportunities, which are critical in business.

Melanie Gin, a recent UCLA graduate, is also applying to the program with her startup company Travelstrings, which provides a service for sharing travel stories online ““ a concept inspired by Gin’s study abroad experience.

Compared to local accelerator programs, Startup UCLA stands out for promoting a UCLA community of entrepreneurs, and for its network of entrepreneur mentors, Gin said. At Startup UCLA’s networking event in April, Gin said she recruited a student with programming experience who will contribute to her company’s needs.

As an investor, Jadon said he wants to work with companies that are well-rounded because they need different skill sets to be successful.

He has previously mentored teams with students coming from backgrounds as diverse as computer science, communications and medicine.

College students have a fresh perspective and enthusiasm, he said. He pointed out that Facebook and Microsoft were started by college students.

Jadon said he witnessed strong demand for entrepreneurial mentorship during his office hours with students.

The starting age of entrepreneurs in the web and digital media startup community keeps getting lower, Jadon said.

With free software widely available and private tech companies selling stock to the public, he said there are favorable conditions in the technology sector for entrepreneurs to launch startups right now.

“In my mind it’s never been a better time to start a company,” Jadon said.