Bruin Success

As a cultural storyteller, Samantha D'Souza specializes in developing communities of change through robust brand identities, dynamic communications strategies, and artful content. She is captivated by the “in-between” moments and delves into the intersection of industries such as entertainment and science, social impact and sport. In her journey thus far, she has worked around the world (and clock) from Australia to the US, Europe, the Middle East, and South Africa. As Managing Director of act.3 Australia, Samantha is expanding the company’s international portfolio and team of culture marketers who seek to make our world a happier place by shaping the future of brands through people, community, and culture. Prior to her time at act.3, Samantha’s early career saw her take stride in Los Angeles with core players Propper Daley, BECK Media, and Friends At Work. Her career development has always been accompanied by creative pursuits alongside trusted collaborators via the studio Mindful Ambition, and her company SPD Creative. Samantha is a passionate mentor and social enterprise advisor, and is a proud UCLA Alumni Association Board Member, former UCLA Student Alumni Association President, and involved Bruin Alumna.

Olympic bobsledder Carlo Valdes grew up playing almost every sport you can think of. He was on the football team for a year at UCLA and also competed on the track team during his four years, participating in decathlon and javelin. At the encouragement of his coach, he tried out for the USA bobsled team once he graduated. This led to an 8-year career, 2 Olympic appearances, 10 World Cup Medals, and 2 World Cup Overall titles. From there, he took his experiences and lessons as a professional athlete and transitioned into the business world. He has worked in financial services for 6 years and continues to leverage discipline and strategy as a financial advisor.

Mineh Badmagharian, OTD, OTR/L, received a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA in 2013 and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from USC in 2020. She is registered with the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy and has experience working with the pediatric population in a variety of settings such as schools, outpatient clinics, and homes. In 2020, Badmagharian joined Expper Technologies as the Clinical director, leading the product development and user experience of Robin the Robot which was recognized as one of the Best Inventions by Time Magazine in 2021. Currently, she is leading the creation of a mental health app focused on empowering children impacted by various chronic conditions. Badmagharian is devoted to providing care to pediatric patients by integrating technology with a personalized, human-centric approach. Hosted and Produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Marina Jurica is a passionate advocate for climate education as a meteorologist and climatologist for KCBS/KCAL Los Angeles. Previously, she spent four years with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and worked on many Earth missions there including SWOT, Sentinel-6, NISAR, and the landing of the Perseverance Mars rover. She has a master's degree in geosciences with an emphasis in meteorology from Mississippi State and is currently working on her Ph.D. in climate science. A true renaissance woman, she studied both sociology of mass communications and opera at UCLA and has performed the lead in many musical theater productions around the country, including her Broadway debut in a show about her life. Hosted & Produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Enrique Chiabra '09 is an Emmy, GLAAD and Ruben Salazar award-winning journalist currently serving as primetime news anchor for Telemundo 52 in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, his dedication to reporting on impactful stories within the Latino, immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities has been a central focus throughout his career. Tune in to learn more about his journey to UCLA and beyond. Hosted & Produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Ryan Dusick is an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist with an MA in Clinical Psychology and the founding drummer of the world’s most popular band, Maroon 5. As a boy, he dreamt of pitching for the Dodgers and writing adventure novels. Arm injuries sidelined his burgeoning baseball career, just as rock music became his new passion and purpose. Founding the band Kara’s Flowers in 1994 with fellow Brentwood High School students Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, and Adam Levine, Ryan worked tirelessly through his college years at UCLA before the band changed its name to Maroon 5 and finally had its first hit record, Songs About Jane. Multiple hit songs, two Grammy Awards, and 20 million albums sold later, Ryan found himself suffering and without direction as his career as a performer came to an end, just as it was taking off. Struggling with physical and mental health challenges, Ryan finally overcame his struggles in 2016, when he began his journey of recovery, culminating in a new life path full of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. Now working as a mental health professional at The Missing Peace Center for Anxiety in Agoura Hills, CA, Ryan is spreading the message that recovery is possible, and some astounding things can come with it.

Natasha Case is the co-founder of Coolhaus Ice Cream. She created the company with Freya Estreller in 2009 because they did not feel represented by the ice cream brands on shelves and knew they could create higher quality and more unique ice cream with a more authentic story. They launched their ice cream sandwich company from a barely-drivable postal van at the Coachella Music Festival where the brand went viral. Since then, Coolhaus has scaled to a national fleet of trucks in LA and NYC, a flagship store and innovation center in Culver City, and a national grocery business of ice cream sammies, pints, cups, mini sammies, and cones in stores ranging from Whole Foods to Sprouts to Kroger. They launched a very successful dairy-free ice cream line (made from peas & brown rice!) in 2019. Natasha remained the CEO until Coolhaus was acquired by Perfect Day under their CPG umbrella company with a mission to make more sustainable products without compromise in December of 2021. Natasha took on a founding CEO role with Lunch Bunch in August of 2022. As a mom of a three and six year-old, she felt close to the systemic issues around feeding our kids and feeding them well. Lunch Bunch takes a holistic approach to tackling the problem by providing nutritious, balanced, and healthy meals along with offering culinary, gardening and food entrepreneurship enrichment classes. Essentially: the way we will treat our society is by including kids in the conversation and process of eating better, while we offer them wholesome food options. Lunch Bunch will give them inspiration around food they can pass on for generations to come. Natasha is devoted to transformational positive change by creating mission-led businesses. At Coolhaus, she devoted her work to the next generation of women and LGBTQ founders, entrepreneurs, and creators of diverse backgrounds to feel empowered to turn their dreams into realities in an equitable environment. Natasha partnered with Black Girl Ventures to create ice cream to raise funds for entrepreneurial grants, the Okra Foundation for Pride to create a flavor called EnjoyMINT for All, celebrating our differences through a top 8 allergen-free ice cream, and she is committed to teaching courses and frequent public speaking engagements to push the envelope for the next generation. At Lunch Bunch, core partners include National School Lunch subsidized programs for under-resourced schools and communities including Compton YAL, Roenne’s School and culinary and gardening enrichments at Camp Harmony for homeless and vulnerable children. Natasha has been named a Forbes 30 under 30 Food & Beverage, Zagat 30 Under 30, LinkedIn 10 under 35 for Food & Leisure, 10 Most Successful Women in Business by Leaders Globe, and UCLA’s LGBTQ+ 2019 Alum of the Year. She is a published author of the Coolhaus Ice Cream Book which came out in 2014 and was featured on Good Morning America and named as one of Martha Stewart’s favorites. She has been featured in many national publications and media outlets like Entrepreneur, LA Times, and Bon Appetit, and has judged Food Network’s Chopped, King of Cones, and Top Chef Jr. She co-hosted her own podcast, ‘Start to Sale’ through Eater/Vox Media. In 2019, she joined YPO in the Beverly Hills chapter. Natasha is a board member of UCLA Arts Dept, Larchmont Charter School, Startup UCLA, Naturally LA and a member of the Lyft Council (Los Angeles). In 2022 she completed the Victory Institute training for LGBTQ+ leaders of tomorrow.

Garin Hussenjian received her BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing from UCLA in 1996. In 1999, she completed her MFA in Film from Art Center College of Design and in 2000 her short film, Single Moments, was nominated for a Student Academy Award. Initially working in film production as an independent freelance producer and unit production manager, she branched out to work in a variety of fields. This included founding her own Japanese stationery importing company, managing an aerospace engineering company, and most recently, working for the City of Beverly Hills. Within the City of Beverly Hills, she’s held many roles including Public Information Coordinator, Community Outreach Manager, and Deputy Director of Special Projects. To every role, Garin brings some common threads – being an expert listener and communicator, bringing out the best in individuals so teams can achieve their goals.

Corey currently serves as a Vice President of Global Philanthropy with JPMorgan Chase & Co where he helps to manage a grant portfolio in Los Angeles that aligns with the strategic impact objectives of the company. He also plays a key role in building partnerships to bolster the company's overarching Corporate Responsibility initiatives in the region. Previously, Corey served as the Chief Operating Officer of Community Coalition - a permanent community-based institution in South Los Angeles - where he participated on the executive team to advance a robust policy agenda, direct operations, guide organization-wide strategic planning processes and launch key projects. He holds both a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Urban Education from UCLA and a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley.

Natalie is the president and CEO at Coro Southern California. Under Natalie’s leadership, Coro has developed a new strategic plan, expanded programs, partnerships and revenue, and cultivated a growing community of Coro alumni who are transforming communities across the country. Prior to embarking on her legal career, Natalie was a human capital consultant in Deloitte & Touche LLP's Public Sector practice where she led the firm's National Public Sector Human Capital Community of Practice Initiative. In addition to her UCLA degrees, Natalie earned her master of science at the Heinz School of Public Policy & Management at Carnegie Mellon University. Natalie currently serves on the Los Angeles City Commission for Human Rights and the Los Angeles County Economy and Efficiency Commission.

Stephanie Moran Reed is a native Angeleno and proud Mexican-American Mompreneur. In 2020 she co-founded with her husband MiJa Books, a multicultural children's bookstore and online resource for diverse and inclusive books. Inspired by their biracial daughter, they created MiJa Books to amplify stories by and about people of color. Her store has received acclaim from the Los Angeles Times as one of the "65 Best Bookstores in Los Angeles," and has been featured in NBC 4's Today in LA, KTLA 5's LA Unscripted, Spectrum 1 News, 89.3 KPCC-LAist, and L.A. Parent Magazine. Links: Website: mijabooks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mijabooks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiJaBooks YouTube Channel for Kids: https://www.youtube.com/c/MiJaBooksStorytime Twitter: https://twitter.com/mijabooks TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mijabooks

Marques is a cyborg anthropologist, working at the nexus of Ancestral Wisdom, Modern Technology and Future Society. Seeking to be globally impactful, he created the World Education Foundation in 2009 traveling to over 83 countries, while earning his Master’s through the Adult Learning and Global Change program at Linkoøping University in Sweden. In 2017, Marques was selected to participate in the Global Solutions Program hosted by Singularity University and NASA, exploring the utilization of satellite technology, unique datasets and machine learning to quantify financial, social and climate impact of the built environment. Marques is an expert in the field of Cyborg Anthropology, where he has become a leading voice in synthesizing the intra-connections between humans, innovation and living systems. Currently, Marques is co-founder of Ism.Earth and a consultant for Earnst & Young’s Luminary Network. He’s considered a global thought leader, consultant and keynote speaker discussing topics spanning education, space, innovation, technology, climate change, blockchain, future of work, equity & racial justice, along with personal and organizational transformation. Most recently Marques and dev team won the Qualcomm SnapDragon track at the 2023 MIT Reality Hack for creating a human-centered platform to utilize cutting edge technologies such as AR, Mixed Reality, GISdata and Machine Learning to help the unhoused conceptualize, customize, and co-create their very own home. Website: MarquesAnderson.com Linkedin- https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquesanderson/ Twitter- @AncestralCyborg IG: @GlobalPoppaSmurf More information about The Bruin Promise: alumni.ucla.edu/bruin-promise/

Currently serving as Chief Tea Officer, Tina was inspired by Taiwanese bubble tea concept and British tea drinking culture to develop a delicious, well-balanced tea latte beverage. With her love for a quality cuppa and her desire to make a positive impact on society, Tina made a career switch from IT to just tea, and HumaniTea was born! A proud social enterprise, HumaniTea supports wellbeing and sustainability initiatives through wholesome tea. Spreading Me Time, Tea Time, Any Time, HumaniTea encourages people to take tea breaks to find mindfulness. Prior to HumaniTea, Tina worked as a Senior Analyst at Accenture. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from UCLA and an MBA focusing on Sustainability and Innovation from the Imperial College Business School. Website: https://humanitea.co.uk/ Ocado: https://www.ocado.com/search?entry=HumaniTea Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humaniteadrinks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HumaniTeaDrinks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HumaniTeaDrinks TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@humaniteadrinks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vegan-tea-lattes Google Reviews: https://g.page/humaniteadrinks As seen on BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56683783

Tiffany Duong '06 is an ocean explorer and storyteller. Inspired by an epic dive trip to the Galapagos, she left corporate law to campaign for our planet. Now she writes, speaks and hosts expeditions from dense jungles to remote oceans to the changing Arctic. Listen to learn how she gives voice to what's happening in the natural world in order to inspire meaningful action and lasting change. She holds degrees from UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, in International Development Studies and Environmental Law, respectively. She's also a trained climate organizer, member of The Explorers Club, and climate educator with the University of Miami Lifelong Learning Institute. Website: http://www.tiffanyduong.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiffanyduong Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffmakeswaves/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TiffMakesWaves LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanytvduong/

Los Angeles-based composer Jeff Kryka has been awarded by Turner Classic Movies, ASCAP, the RMALA, and the Henry Mancini Foundation. As both a composer and orchestrator, his work has been featured in major motion pictures, TV-shows, video games, and heard in concert halls across the globe. Jeff studied music composition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.M. 2006) and at the University of California-Los Angeles (M.A. 2008 & Ph.D. 2011). He has taught music theory, ear training, and composition at UCLA and the Colburn Conservatory of Music. In addition to his own composition work, he has collaborated with composers Michael Giacchino, Laura Karpman, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire, Nathan Johnson, Chris Tilton, Nami Melumad, Erran Baron Cohen, Morgan Kibby, James S. Levine, & Paul Chihara. Some of his recent credits include composing the score for the Disney+ original documentary series The Imagineering Story, and the documentary feature Traces of the Brush, as well as orchestrations on: Spider-Man: No Way Home, Jurassic World: Dominion, The Batman, Lightyear, Nightmare Alley, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Vivo, Lovecraft Country, What If…?, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Jojo Rabbit, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Incredibles 2, Coco, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Jurassic World, Star Trek Beyond, War for the Planet of the Apes, Inside Out, & Zootopia. For more information, and to listen to samples of Jeff’s music, please visit www.jeffkrykamusic.com.

About Chelsea Moore: Born and raised in Los Angeles, Chelsea is the CEO and co-founder of BOXFOX. After graduating from UCLA, she and Jenni moved to Venice Beach where the idea for BOXFOX was born after spotting a gap in the lifestyle and service space for elevated and effortless gifting. She is the driving force behind BOXFOX’s creative and aesthetic vision, ensuring we stay true to our customers’ needs and our belief in well-presented and purposeful gifting. Chelsea graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in English from UCLA in 2013. Prior to starting BOXFOX, she worked in marketing and business development for Brandy Melville, Ogilvy & Mather, and David & Goliath. She was selected as a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 2019 class and helped secure BOXFOX's continued place on the Inc. 5000's Fastest Growing Companies. About Jenni Olivero: Hailing from Half Moon Bay, CA, Jenni co-founded BOXFOX in 2014 and runs operations as COO. Jenni works closely with data, inventory, buying, and finance, driving the development of simple consumer solutions through the lens of data trends. She also packs most of the boxes you see in BOXFOX photoshoots with her keen eye for details and overarching brand vision. Jenni graduated with a B.A. in International Development Studies and a Minor in Anthropology from UCLA in 2013. Prior to starting BOXFOX, she worked in sports marketing at Sports Studio, helping facilitate authentic sports scenes in movies, TV shows, and commercials. She was selected as a member of Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2019 at age 28.

Rod A. Ponce ’06 is Senior Account Executive with First Republic Bank. After graduating in 2006 with a B.A. in History from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), he started his career in financial services as a financial advisor with John Hancock. In 2009, he left the financial advising business to become a Licensed Personal Financial Representative for Washington Mutual Bank, where he began to focus primarily on residential and small business lending. When Washington Mutual was acquired by Chase Bank, Rod moved into a supervisory role, and was involved opening a brand new office in West Los Angeles. In 2012, Rod accepted an offer as an Assistant Vice President with Bank of the West (BNP Paribas Group), where he developed a niche in stand-alone home equity lines of credit, and was a consistent Circle of Excellence qualifier for several years standing. Rod joined First Republic Bank in 2019 and currently focuses on financing for professional service firms and their individual partners. From 2011-2017, Rod was involved with Toastmasters International as an Area Director, where he acted as an advisor to several clubs throughout the Los Angeles area. With regard to UCLA involvement, he currently sits on the board for the Silicon Beach Bruins regional network as their Professional Development Chair, he founded a Bruin Professionals Chapter in Silicon Beach, and he is the current President for the overarching Bruin Professionals organization. For personal hobbies, Rod enjoys snowboarding, camping, and taking long walks with his wife and dog, Maverick.

Nikhil Gupta is Associate General Counsel for the Golden State Warriors. In this role, he advises the organization on a wide range of commercial, litigation, regulatory and compliance matters. He previously served as Associate Counsel for the San Francisco 49ers for two years. Prior to that, he practiced corporate and transactional law at Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles. Nikhil received his JD from UCLA School of Law and his BBA from University of Michigan. Before law school, Nikhil did a year of service with City Year in Detroit public schools.

Emily Baxt, career coach and principal at Baxt Consulting, specializes in professional growth and development for teams and individuals in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. She has supported students and alumni at the University of San Diego (USD) Career Development Center for over 20 years. She particularly enjoys helping people find purpose and meaning in the workplace, and facilitating groups to promote increased self-awareness, team effectiveness, and workplace skills. An experienced presenter and facilitator, Emily enjoys working with groups of all sizes. As an adjunct faculty member in the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering at USD, she developed curriculum around NACE’s Career Readiness Competencies and teaches emerging engineers. She is a popular guest lecturer in departments across campus and organizations in the community. Emily received a Master of Arts in Counseling with an emphasis in Career Counseling from USD and a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from UCLA. She is a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® Master Practitioner, a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, and a California Licensed Clinical Counselor (LPCC 314).

Ruben Garcia is Co-Head of the Cultural Business Strategy Group at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). In addition, Garcia works within the CAA Foundation to advise and consult clients on their prosocial and philanthropic initiatives. Garcia collaborates with company leadership to execute company-wide strategies and implement inclusive business practices that maximize creative and business growth opportunities for the agency’s diverse clients. In addition, he manages a custom slate of programs and initiatives, including CAA Amplify, a platform designed by the agency to leverage the collective influence of cross-industry thought leaders and cultural changemakers of color to create transformational change across business and society. Garcia also oversees CAA’s corporate partnerships and liaises with clients, businesses and organizations interested in promoting and building philanthropic activities connected to diversity in business and creative fields. His clients include Kendrick Sampson, Anthony Ramos, Becky G, Laurence Fishburne, Edwards James Olmos, Connor Franta, Ricky Martin, and Karla Souza, among others. He currently leads the Industry Advisory Board for the Latino Film Institute and serves on the regional advisory board for the Friends of the Museum of the American Latino. Prior to joining CAA in 2011, Garcia worked at Paramount Pictures and The Walt Disney Company. A native of San Diego, he is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Sociology.