Navigating the Lifecycle of a Startup: Panel, Pitches and Networking
Thu 9/18 • 5PM PDT
UCLA Anderson School of Management - Grand Salon in Marion Anderson Hall; 5th level • Los Angeles
Join **[UCLA Bruin Angels Investor Network](https://www.bruinangels.org/)** for Navigating the Lifecycle of a Startup: Panel, Pitches, and Networking. Our panel will feature a finance lawyer, an early-stage investor and a successful entrepreneur. They will discuss the thrills and challenges of evolving a nascent company from initial formation through sale or initial public offering. Following the panel will be a fast-pitch session, showcasing three real pitches competitively selected from Bruin-led startups at various development stages. Stay after for networking with Los Angeles’ lively venture capital and startup community.
**Date:** Thursday, September 18, 2025
5:00 - 8:00 p.m. PST
**Location:**
UCLA Anderson School of Management - Grand Salon in Marion Anderson Hall
110 Westwood Plaza, 5th Level
Los Angeles, CA 90095
### **Panelist Bios - Navigating the Lifecycle 2025**
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**Mira Chaurushiya, Ph.D. - Managing Director at Westlake Village BioPartners**
Dr. Mira Chaurushiya is a Managing Director at Westlake Village BioPartners. As a biologist who worked in industry research before entering the venture capital industry, she has a long and successful track record in both biological sciences and life-sciences investing.
Dr. Chaurushiya is a fellow of the Society of Kauffman Fellows. After a postdoctoral fellowship in physiological chemistry at Genentech, she joined 5AM Ventures as an associate and took on positions of increasing responsibility, culminating as a partner. During her tenure at 5AM Ventures, she invested in and served as director or observer on the boards of multiple organizations, including Precision Nanosystems (acquired by Danaher), Ideaya Biosciences (IDYA), Enliven Therapeutics, Escient Pharmaceuticals, Magnetic Insight, Novome Biotechnologies, Purigen Biosystems, NodThera and TMRW.
Dr. Chaurushiya received her Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of California, San Diego in conjunction with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where she was awarded the Martin Kamen Thesis Prize in Biochemistry. She received her bachelor's degree in biology from Carleton College. She serves on the board of Biotech Connection Bay Area, a non-profit that focuses on career development for academic scientists.
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**Phil Jung - Partner at Sovereign’s Capital**
Phil is a Partner at Sovereign’s Capital where he leads the venture capital team investing in Seed and Series A stage technology companies led by faith-driven entrepreneurs across the U.S. and Southeast Asia. Phil was previously the CFO and CPO at Mindoula, a healthtech company that serves populations with complex behavioral health, medical, and social challenges across the continuum of care. Prior, Phil was with the Maryland Venture Fund, Foundation Capital, and TDF Ventures, leading investments in early and growth stage technology companies. Phil began his career at KPMG’s Risk Consulting practice in Silicon Valley and co-founded the Jeremy Lin Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to serve at-risk youth through education and leadership development in underserved communities.
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**Dr. Yvonne Chen - Professor of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics at UCLA**
Dr. Yvonne Chen is a Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UCLA. She is also a faculty, by courtesy, in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Yvonne is the co-director of the Tumor Immunology program in the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, and a member researcher of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Dr. Chen received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. She received postdoctoral training at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, and in the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining UCLA in 2013, she was a Junior Fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows. The Chen Laboratory applies synthetic biology and biomolecular engineering techniques to the development of novel mammalian-cell systems for clinical use, and Dr. Chen led the first investigator-initiated clinical trial on CAR-T cell therapy at UCLA. The Chen Lab’s work on engineering next-generation T-cell therapies for cancer has been recognized by the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, the NSF CAREER Award, the Hellman Fellowship, the ACGT Young Investigator Award in Cell and Gene Therapy for Cancer, the Mark Foundation Emerging Leader Award, and the Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old STAR Award. Dr. Chen was also the co-founder of ImmPACT Bio, which is now part of Lyell Immunopharma.
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**Thomas Moon CFA - Investment Director at UCLA Investment Company**
Thomas Moon is an Investment Director at UCLA Investment Company and is responsible for the endowment’s venture capital portfolio.
Prior to joining UCLA, Thomas spent 5+ years at Sapphire Ventures as part of the Sapphire Partners team out of the Bay Area and London offices. Thomas played an integral role in sourcing, underwriting, and committing over $150M per year to early stage venture funds across the US, Europe, and Israel. As part of his role at Sapphire, Thomas spent two years in London as the sole Sapphire Partners investment team member playing a lead role in building and managing the firm’s European portfolio. Thomas was also a frequent contributor to #OpenLP, a community platform built to foster transparency and best practices for how GPs, LPs, and entrepreneurs interact. Thomas began his career as part of the investment team at Tufts University Investment Office underwriting a multitude of different investment strategies with a focus on private markets for the university’s endowment. Thomas earned a bachelor’s in economics with honors from Tufts University. Born in New York City, he has also lived and worked in Hong Kong, South Korea, Switzerland, and London. Thomas is a CFA Charterholder.
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