Early stage startups are cash incinerators.

That statement will not surprise experienced investors.  Startups have to navigate the choppy waters of raising capital, launching products and services, growing market presence, scaling operations, retaining and attracting the right talent, uplifting organizational capability, and establishing proper governance.

As part of UCLA Anderson’s Worldwide Welcome Weeks, Board Connections at Anderson (BCA) will be hosting an in-person event at Expert Dojo in Santa Monica on Wednesday Oct 23rd on the ins and outs of board advisory work for early stage companies.

Join us as Katherine Przygode (EMBA ‘09) moderates a panel discussion with Brian Mac Mahon, Min-Yi Shih (EMBA ‘21) and Vahag Karayan (MBA ‘13) on the ins and outs of advisory board service.   As part of a continuing series on early stage company advisory board work, you will learn:

• What are the distinctions and nuances to being a Board Advisor vs. a Board Member?

• What makes for a good board advisor to the early stage companies?

• What strategies can Advisors use to effectively manage multiple advisory roles?

• What CEOs need to know about finding and leveraging the right advisors.

• What makes for a good advisor / CEO relationship?

Schedule

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Check-in + Networking

6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Program and Q&A

7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Networking / Conclusion

Light appetizers and drinks will be provided

Register now for this in-person event hosted at the Expert Dojo startup accelerator in Santa Monica

Panelists

Brian Mac Mahon is the founder of Expert DOJO, one of the most active institutional investors in the world.  With over 300 startup investments Brian is uniquely positioned to speak to how startups grow from initial innovation to a world dominating brand.  Brian’s expertise is in the area of emotional resonance and how relationships can be built and sustained between those startups and their customers.  Expert DOJO improves the success rate of early-stage entrepreneurs with investment, foundation, showcasing, influence, and community. Being a startup business is a lonely and difficult path to navigate — Why do it alone?

Dr. Min-Yi Shih is a dynamic technologist and accomplished business executive with a background in Physics and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He also holds an EMBA from UCLA Anderson. With a wealth of experience as CTO and COO in various industries, including R&D, defense, medical, and communication equipment, Dr. Shih is now an angel investor and advisor to multiple startups and academic programs. He is dedicated to helping these organizations achieve their growth potential by raising funds, fostering innovation, and scaling operations. Dr. Shih has a successful track record of obtaining non-dilutive government funding, such as SBIR and various BAAs, and is an active member of several technical professional organizations, including the Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Honor Society. With 17 U.S. patents and numerous awards, Dr. Shih is a recognized industry leader and a valuable asset to the organizations he associates with.

Vahag Karayan is the Co-founder and CEO of BrandLens, a B2B SaaS company transforming video collection and co-creation. Crafting the future of customer-generated videos, Vahag is on a mission to help organizations and agencies innovate through video solutions.  A multidisciplinary innovator, Vahag bridges advanced research and entrepreneurship. His career began at HRL and JPL Laboratories, and he worked at a DARPA SBIR-funded AI missile defense startup. Vahag literally went from rocket science to brain surgery, leading advancements in implantable Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) devices at Abbott and Boston Scientific.  Currently, Vahag advises the doodooc startup and DataPoint Armenia which helps to produce top AI engineers and data scientists. He also co-founded CogniCoder, preparing kids for a tech-driven future.  A proud triple UCLA Bruin, Vahag holds a BS and MS in Computer Science & Engineering and an MBA.

Katherine Przygode is the founder and general partner of Venusberg Ventures and an active angel investor serving on the fund, pre-screening and executive committees of Tech Coast Angels.  Katherine’s investment thesis is focused on the enterprise SaaS and AI sectors. A Silicon Valley veteran with over 27 years of IT experience she is an exited tech entrepreneur who was the CEO and founder of Stratalux, one of the earliest AWS Consulting and Managed Services Providers that became Mission Cloud Services. Katherine additionally serves as a board advisor on various startups and is an active alumna, who currently serves as the President of Board Connections at Anderson, a UCLA Anderson alumni organization focused on corporate governance, and is on the board of the UCLA Anderson Alumni Association Network.

Parking & Directions

The venue will be at the Expert Dojo offices in the Santa Monica Place Mall at 395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Parking is available in the City’s eight public parking structures, including Structure 7 and Structure 8, immediately adjacent to Santa Monica Place. Structure 7 and Structure 8 operate 24 hours daily. The first 90 minutes are free. $2 for the next hour and between $2-3 for each additional 30 minutes. $20 daily maximum on weekdays.

Expert Dojo is on the third floor.

Worldwide Welcome Weeks

Worldwide Welcome Weeks (WWW) is an annual event series hosted every fall by the UCLA Anderson Alumni Network to welcome new graduates to their local Alumni Chapters & Groups.

Bringing our network together each year, WWW events offer all Anderson alumni exclusive lifelong learning and networking opportunities.