EA Conference

“Doing well to do good” – tag line or truth? This panel will explore the recent expansion of for-profit social enterprises and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

The assumptions around creating social impact have changed over the last decade as more and more social ventures have paired for-profit models with underlying social missions. This panel will explore the innovation around creating social impact and the recent trends and transitions from non-profit models to social enterprise and corporate social responsibility programs. As social missions and profits are combined the ethics of the business have changed. Join us as industry experts discuss the impact that these changes will have on how we “do good” in the future.

In-depth discussion with Fred Kayne, a serial entrepreneur in CPG and retail.

Fred Kayne is a leading serial entrepreneur in Southern California. He will be sharing his experiences from several successful ventures across a broad range of industries

Mr. Kayne is president of Fortune Financial Inc. a private small investment company located in Los Angeles, California. He is a significant owner and investor in several private companies that participate in a variety of industries that include apparel, light fixtures, retail shoes wine-making and investments. Some examples of companies that he is involved with are: Walking Company Holdings (210 store chain of national brand and private label comfort shoes), Paige Premium Denim, LLC (High end designer jeans brand that sells to boutiques & department stores), Visionaire Lighting LLC (A manufacturer of custom outdoor lighting fixtures), Fortune Swimwear LLC (A manufacturer of dresses and bathing suits for mass retailer department & specialty stores) and Terravant Wine Company (Custom wine crush, storage & bottling facility in Buellton, California).

Join a conversation between Tracy DiNunzio, Recycled Media/Recycled Bride’s founder, and Adam Lilling about Tracy’s experience building her startup and the lessons she has learned along the way.

Join a conversation between Tracy DiNunzio, Recycled Media/Recycled Bride’s founder, and Adam Lilling about Tracy’s experience building her startup and the lessons she has learned along the way.

Tracy DiNunzio is the founder of Recycled Media, a company that’s on a mission to turn every woman’s closet into a store. Recycled Media’s first property, RecycledBride.com, is the world’s largest wedding marketplace. Its next website, StyleTrader.com, is a place for women to buy, sell, and swap anything in their closets, and is slated to launch in May 2012. Investors and advisors include Dany Levy (founder of Daily Candy), Mark Suster, and Dave McClure.

Tracy began her career as an artist and discovered her passion for technology and media when she started Recycled Bride in 2009. She bootstrapped the company to profitability by renting out her bedroom on Airbnb and sleeping on her couch. She is now a sought-after speaker and media personality, as well as an SEO and customer acquisition expert and consultant.

Panel discussion with real estate investors on things to think about when starting a real estate investment fund.

The real estate panel will discuss entrepreneurial opportunities in real estate. The panel, moderated by professor Paul Habibi, features UCLA Anderson graduates that have successfully raised capital and formed active real estate investment companies. They will be discussing the lessons they learned as well as some of the challenges they faced.

Entrepreneurship in Healthcare

As health care evolves, technology plays a much bigger role in the industry. An important question now is: how does one commercialize technology in the healthcare industry? Come to join our Health care panel session with Dr Jason Poulos and 2010 Anderson Alum Sabarinath Saran, to learn the secrets of launching a business in healthcare industry. In our panel session, we will cover the topics from market analysis to product monetization to obtaining funding.

The importance of B2B as a business model can no longer be ignored. Come hear our expert panel of entrepreneurs talk about the ins and outs of launching and building successful B2B companies.

99% of startup workshops/panels/discussions are focused on business to consumer companies. What about those who market first and foremost to other businesses? What are the unique challenges and opportunities facing a B2B startup? Are B2B and B2C companies really all that different? With Salesforce unleashing the power of social networking inside organizations and B2B social media predicted to grow at 21% annual compound rate through 2013, the importance of B2B as a business model can no longer be ignored. Come hear our expert panel of entrepreneurs talk about the ins and outs of launching and building successful B2B companies.

In the first dot com bubble, incubators received part of the blame for pushing fledging startups out of the nest too early.  The model has since died down; however, recently, there has been a resurgence of incubators throughout California.

Today’s incubators are a new breed, ones that offer mentorship, resources, and office space, and often for a much smaller share of equity than their predecessors.  This panel will feature entrepreneurs discussing first-hand how incubators have added value to their companies. Join to get tips and tricks on getting your company into the incubator next door.

Fashion and eCommerce in Los Angeles’s tech scene

Los Angeles is home to a burgeoning technology scene. One of the great successes has been eCommerce and fashion start-ups. We will discuss the opportunities and challenges of eCommerce and fashion retail.

The panel will revolve around the future of eCommerce, utilization of social media and the role of fashion startups in Los Angeles’s tech scene.

Everyone seems to love food, and many are willing to make a career of it. With a tremendously high failure rate within 5 years (upwards of 95%), many young entrepreneurs are hesitant to test their hand at the food service craft. This panel will be assembled of restauranteurs of many forms that had no prior restaurant experience, to share their stories of success and failure, and provide lessons to those that may be considering the food space but are impeded by stories of failure and debt.