“I learned a lot from the program and tried to put what I learned into action right away,” Wang said. “Even though it’s just a small business, I was able to apply these best practices. And it worked.”

Made possible by a $12 million gift split evenly between UCLA and UC Berkeley from professor, author and entrepreneur Scott Galloway, UC Excelerator was created to give non-traditional students access to the education that will provide the skills and resources they need to further their careers.

The first UCLA cohort concluded in March, and during their time in the program students were exposed to instructor-led live online courses in entrepreneurship and business, while also having an opportunity to visit the UCLA campus for in-person workshops and campus experiences.

Wang, a first-generation immigrant, has since registered the new business, set up a professional corporation entity and applied for a business license. He credits UC Excelerator with jumpstarting the new family business.

Joel Padilla came out of UC Excelerator with two new professional pathways. He used what he learned from the entrepreneurship class to help a friend revamp his supplement brand online. But even more importantly, taking part in Excelerator made Padilla aware of the UCLAxCareerBridge Program in Data Science – something that could be vital to landing his next job.

“While I did manage projects at my prior job, what has held me back is that I don’t have that certificate,” said the Los Angeles resident, who has worked in the financial sector for years. “People may look at my resume and see my experience, but I think not having that certificate is hindering me to moving forward and finding employment.”

Beyond the primary two classes, Excelerator students were also invited to attend workshops tackling the topics of personal branding, job searching, interviewing and how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. In the first workshop, instructor Lia Haberman worked on the cohort’s online presence, specifically on LinkedIn. Haberman has taught at UCLA Extension since 2018, and she has provided her expertise to companies like Google, Disney and Macy’s. Her classes focus on social media marketing and influencer marketing.

“I love the impact of a workshop, where you go in and spend one intense day together,” she said. “I feel like we got very hands on and tactical because the students had very specific things they wanted to achieve. The benefit of Extension is we can get in the weeds. At this point, personal branding is professional branding, and that’s become much more common and accepted.”

Students had lunch on campus, and after one workshop, they attended a UCLA Women’s Basketball game at Pauly Pavilion, where they received a special shout-out on the scoreboard .

“We wanted students to have some memorable social UCLA tie-in experiences to supplement the academic workshops,” said Sheila King, chief of staff and assistant dean of strategic initiatives at UCLA Extension. “This program is meant to widen and open access to a UCLA-caliber experience for those who otherwise would not have that opportunity. One course won’t give you everything you need to be an entrepreneur. But the students really get to test out their ideas about what they might want to be doing in terms of opening a small business or moving forward in their careers. They get to network with instructors and their fellow students. They can also consider stacking these courses toward a certificate.”

The inaugural Excelerator cohort included 34 students. The next cohort in summer will expand access and offer additional course options - entrepreneurship, data science, digital marketing, and accounting. The second quarter will bring all students together for project management coursework. The focus will remain on recruiting students with high school diploma and some college education or workforce training.

“UCLA has been the most applied to school in the country,” King said . “It’s hard to get into. You could be perfectly qualified, but with so many well-qualified students applying, it is a challenge. The UC experience for Scott Galloway was transformational, and he really wanted to fund something that would allow more people to have access and experience the UC and the top two universities in the system.”