Month: April 2026
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Meet UCLA alum: Kian Nikzad, Founder Ancient Sun
Tell us about your company: Ancient Sun sells balanced beverages called date shakes at natural food retailers. They are made with simple ingredients: dates, nuts, and spices. Each of the three flavors is inspired from a different region of the world. What inspired you to start your business? I’ve always had an interest in ‘going…
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Meet UC Irvine and Loyola Marymount University alum: Staci DePatie, Founder GLUKI
Tell us about your company: GLUKI Inc., which is an AI companion MedTech app designed to support children and families living with type 1 diabetes. Through a gamified and engaging platform, GLUKI brings comfort, education, and connection into everyday life. The experience extends beyond the app with a companion plushie and additional comfort tools, all…
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Meet USC alum: Loren Castle, Founder Sweet Loren’s
Tell us about your company: Sweet Loren’s exists to challenge the status quo and transform the way people enjoy food, by crafting delicious, clean, and allergen-free treats that make everyone feel good inside and out. Infused with a trailblazing spirit, Sweet Loren’s transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, blending time-honored techniques with daring new and…
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Meet UC Berkeley alum: Luiza Villela, Founder unClassic
Tell us about your company: unClassic makes whole-food, mushrooms that are craveable, nutrient-dense, and scalable — like oyster mushroom nuggets and fillets of lion’s mane. Think: tofu, but mushrooms instead of soy. What inspired you to start your business? I grew up in Brazil, where meat was a way of life but I also saw…
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Meet UCSB alum: Nicole Slone, Founder Above Board Liqueurs
Tell us about your company: Above Board Liqueurs is a plant based low to no sugar liqueur line created to redefine what is possible behind the bar and at home. Made with plant-based sweeteners Monk fruit and Allulose, our liqueurs deliver the flavor and experience of traditional favorites without the heavy sugar load, offering a…
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Meet USC alum Zac Coughlin, Founder of Zac’s Sweet Shop
Tell us about your company: Zac’s Sweet Shop is a chocolate company making gourmet, innovative, and delicious bite-sized chocolate confections including truffles, cookies, pretzels, and chocolate bark. Zac is on the mission to reinvent the box of chocolates experience through purpose, passion, and innovative products. What inspired you to start your business? Ever since I…
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Meet USC alum Tanya Gonzalez, Founder EAUSO VERT
Tell us about your company: EAUSO VERT is a female and Latin-owned luxury fragrance brand developing clean yet complex perfumery for the next generation of scent enthusiasts—fragrance lovers seeking well-layered creations that are cruelty-free, transparent, and able to fit seamlessly into their collection regardless of gender. What inspired you to start your business? The lack…
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Meet USC alum Naecha Roberts, Founder of Barlou
Tell us about your company: BarLou is a self-care fragrance brand that celebrates who you are as you evolve in motion. Rooted in scent, sound, and storytelling, each product invites you to play, explore, and expand the definition of yourself. Inspired by my grandparents and my mother, BarLou was built with care, intention, and trust…
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Meet UCSB & UCLA alum: Ali Guthy, Founder of Buzzie
Tell us about your company: Buzzie is on a mission to redefine modern bug care, starting with our signature better-for-you, better-for-the-planet repellent solutions that smell great, feels great, and – wait for it – actually work! What inspired you to start your business? I’ve always had a passion for startups and CPG – having been…
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