What better way for UCLA Anderson to celebrate 40 years of hosting The Gerald Loeb Awards than with food, drink and atmosphere provided by Anderson entrepreneurs? This year's reception for the Loeb Awards' preliminary judges was held at the UCLA Broad Art Center. Amid artwork by UCLA Department of Art MFA candidates, some 30 visiting journalists and editors from the nation's most prestigious media outlets connected with UCLA Anderson faculty and alumni for an evening of discussion and celebration.
Many of the Anderson entrepreneurs were on hand to showcase their ventures. Among the alumni were:
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Veggie Grill's T.K. Pillan, MBA '96
Tired of eating pizza during his years serving the tech world, T.K. Pillan and investment banker Kevin Boylan went looking for two things: great-tasting food and an approach that would be scalable in a “fast-casual” food format. “We wanted a product that would appeal to anyone who's looking for high-quality, wholesome food.”Dean and Loeb Awards judge Judy Olian with T.K. Pillan
The result: the popular West Coast restaurant concept known for craveable, plant-based food. With 13 very successful locations in California (18 on the West Coast), Pillan is looking to establish a national brand in the next few years. “Our number-one goal is to get people to try our food…and we got some great feedback from the attendees.” -
PubCakes' Misty Birchall, EBV '11
A former linguist with the U.S. Navy, Misty Birchall combined her passions for baking and craft beer to design beer-laced cupcakes. Originally available only by special order or at hip beer bars, PubCakes began as a delivery only business and eventually started sharing storefront space with San Diego-based Treehouse Coffee. Misty is currently moving the PubCakes business into catering, cake mix development and into new venues to sell her wares, such as farmers' markets.Misty Birchall“The positive response I received from everyone (including those attending The Gerald Loeb Awards reception) has been overwhelming. It's has helped inspire me to push my business and entrepreneurial goals further and expand my business from a local venture to a national one with my craft beer cake mix.”
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TheBouqs.com's John Tabis, MBA '06
Sometimes irritations lead to great things. TheBouqs.com owner, John Tabis, found his own experience ordering flowers for a loved one proved to be needlessly complex, convoluted and frustrating. “To top it off, what I ordered wasn't exactly what I wanted and didn't last very long. So, I decided to launch a company that would fix the problem.”
Vertically integrated back to the farm, flowers ordered one day are cut from the South American volcano the next day and delivered straight to the home. Between the use of sustainable farming practices, the ability to cut supply chain waste and implementing the company's own ‘hustle,' The Bouqs Company quadrupled its revenue growth in one month, between December 2012 and January 2013, selling out much of its inventory ahead of Valentine’s Day. “The contrast of the eco-friendly, all-natural Bouqs against the modern and edgy design of the reception space was a sight to see.”John Tabis (center) has a laugh with KNX 1070 Business News anchor Frank Mottek and UCLA Anderson media relations program manager Carla Collado
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Golden Road Brewing's Paul Burgis, FEMBA '12 (general manager hired by Golden Road owner Amy Gordon Yanow, FEMBA '12)
Here was the simple question: How can we give a city as energetic and vibrant as L.A. a craft brewing tradition to match its personality? Once Golden Road Brewing's owners landed on their craft beer recipes, found a location for production and rounded out their offerings with a pub, expansion was inevitable. Enter Paul Burgis, who left the world of stock brokerage and now maintains responsibility for the company's operations, finance, capital investment, quality assurance and production.Paul Burgis (right) with Golden Road’s Omar Douglas”Given that Golden Road Brewing was built on a foundation of knowledge learned at Anderson, it is was a real pleasure to be able to converse with so many intellectuals— and to do it at UCLA Anderson was icing on the cake.”
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Captûre Wines' Benjamin Sharp, MBA '99, was unable to attend the event, but sent an array of wines from the company's portfolio for all to enjoy.
What makes a great wine executive? For Benjamin Sharp, it's a combination of experiences that include his degree in literature, time spent in business development, global management and consulting, experience with a brokerage house and a deep appreciation for European-style wines. Sharp says that the wine industry combines the mix of creative and business challenges that appeal to him to help develop a successful portfolio of world-class Bordeaux-style wines for Captûre Wines.
About the Gerald Loeb Awards
The Gerald Loeb Awards were established in 1957 by the late Gerald Loeb, a founding partner of E.F. Hutton. His intention was to encourage reporting on business and finance that would inform and protect the private investor and the general public. As the most prestigious honor in business journalism, distinguished journalists and outlets nationwide submit entries to the competition. UCLA Anderson has been presenting The Gerald Loeb Awards since 1973 and the awards use a two-tier judging process comprising a preliminary round and final round. The awards banquet and celebration is held in New York City every June and is attended by the country's top business and financial publishers, editors, journalists, producers and celebrities. The Gerald Loeb Awards is a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization that operates primarily from sponsorship and private support. Follow The Gerald Loeb Awards on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LoebAwards.
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