Bruin Success

Joseph Vardner '06 is Director of Integrity Risk Management at Meta Platforms, Inc, where he leads a team focused on trust & safety product compliance. He is helping to set new standards for how trust & safety compliance is established and scaled across the globe. He is a current board member of the UCLA Alumni Board and the National LGBT Bar Association. Vardner graduated from UCLA with a degree in civil engineering and received his law degree from Harvard Law School. He has worked as an engineer, a DOJ attorney, at a law firm, and in-house at two companies. At the US DOJ Antitrust Division, he received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his work enforcing competition laws in the credit card industry.Follow for more stories of Bruin Success:IG: @bruinsuccesspodcastalumni.ucla.edu/bruin-success-podcast/The Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove '18 and Lily Rosenberg '18, and brought to you by the UCLA Alumni Association. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

In this episode, we interview Daedra Staten, J.D. '13, founder of SCG Diversity Consulting. Drawing from her background in law and international experiences, Daedra breaks down how organizations can move past performative gestures and commit to building anti-racist, equity-driven workplace cultures. Follow for more stories of Bruin Success:IG: @bruinsuccesspodcastalumni.ucla.edu/bruin-success-podcast/Follow Deadra Staten's work:https://www.statenconsulting.com/SCG Consulting IG: @scgdiversityconsultingPottery IG: unhinged_potteryThe Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove '18 and Lily Rosenberg '18, and brought to you by the UCLA Alumni Association. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Dan Kim, MBA ’06 is Executive Vice President of Media Distribution and International Strategy at the National Hockey League. From his days at UCLA Anderson to leading the NHL’s global media initiatives, he shares insights on navigating the landscape of sports media and the pivotal role his Bruin experience played in shaping his career. Tune in to hear how he combines strategic vision with a passion for storytelling to bring the excitement of hockey to fans worldwide.Follow for more stories of Bruin Success:IG: @bruinsuccesspodcastalumni.ucla.edu/bruin-success-podcast/The Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove '18 and Lily Rosenberg '18, and brought to you by the UCLA Alumni Association. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Senator Dean Florez's journey from UCLA to the California State Senate reflects a lifelong commitment to public service and policy innovation. A proud Bruin and champion of accountability, Senator Florez shares how his UCLA experience shaped his leadership values, the lessons he learned navigating the political landscape, and why bold ideas still begin in Westwood. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about civic impact, community advocacy, and leading with purpose.Follow for more stories of Bruin Success:IG: @bruinsuccesspodcastalumni.ucla.edu/bruin-success-podcast/The Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove '18 and Lily Rosenberg '18, and brought to you by the UCLA Alumni Association. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Dr. Yalda T. Uhls is the founder and CEO of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA, which is the only youth-centered organization to bridge the gap between social science research and media creation to help storytellers better reflect the lives of adolescents. She is an internationally recognized research scientist, educator, author, and expert on the science of media and adolescent development. Dr. Uhls’ career bridges the worlds of entertainment and psychological research. She was a movie executive at MGM and Sony who earned an MBA and Ph.D. from UCLA.Follow for more stories of Bruin Success:IG: @bruinsuccesspodcastalumni.ucla.edu/bruin-success-podcast/Learn more about Dr. Uhls' work:The Center for Storytellers and Scholars @ UCLA: www.scholarsandstorytellers.com/CSS latest research: ourAmerican Dream study.TeenSnapshot report highlights how important safety and kindness are forteens.  Newsletter link: Sign up for the CSS newsletter tostay up to date on new research, releases, and events.CSS 2024Impact Report.Link to learn more about the YouthEngagement Network.Link to learn more about the Youth MediaRepresentation Program.The Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove '18 and Lily Rosenberg '18, and brought to you by the UCLA Alumni Association. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Jenny Vazquez-Newsum, Ed.D. '14 is redefining leadership. Inspired by her experiences in the nonprofit world, her organization, Untapped Leaders, is dedicated to empowering the voices of historically underrepresented professionals. Tune in to hear her insights on imposter syndrome, sustainable work practices and making an impact by embracing authenticity. Follow for more stories of Bruin Success:IG: @bruinsuccesspodcastalumni.ucla.edu/bruin-success-podcast/Learn about Untapped Leaders: https://www.untappedleaders.com/The Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove '18 and Lily Rosenberg '18, and brought to you by the UCLA Alumni Association. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Branden Brough '00, M.S. '03, Ph.D. '06 was drawn to big ideas and bringing people together long before his career as the Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO). In this episode, he reflects on his UCLA legacy, the lifelong relationships built as one of the founding members of The Den and the power of collaborative leadership.Follow for more stories of Bruin Success:IG: @bruinsuccesspodcastalumni.ucla.edu/bruin-success-podcast/About the NNCO:nano.govThe Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove '18 and Lily Rosenberg '18, and brought to you by the UCLA Alumni Association. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Jessica Warshal '23 reflects on how her lifelong love of dance transformed at UCLA, where she began exploring movement as an academic discipline and cultural practice. After training at the London School of Contemporary Dance and completing a residency in Cameroon, she speaks on navigating dance professionally and the bravery to choose joy. Follow for more stories of Bruin Success:IG: @bruinsuccesspodcastalumni.ucla.edu/bruin-success-podcast/Follow Jessica's journey:IG: @chiyeseedThe Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove '18 and Lily Rosenberg '18, and brought to you by the UCLA Alumni Association. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Evan Lovett '00 started his social media career with a newspaper and a TikTok – now he's LA famous. This self-described "relentlessly curious" Bruin created L.A. in a Minute, a platform that celebrates the dynamic and often lesser-known history of the city he's proud to call home. Tune in for a conversation about the evolution of storytelling journalism and fun facts about Los Angeles.Follow for more stories of Bruin Success:IG: @bruinsuccesspodcastalumni.ucla.edu/bruin-success-podcast/Follow Evan Lovett atIG: @lainaminuteYouTube: youtube.com/@lainaminuteFacebook: facebook.com/LAinaMinute/X: @LaInaMinuteThe Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove '18 and Lily Rosenberg '18, and brought to you by the UCLA Alumni Association. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Regina Wallace-Jones is the CEO and President of ActBlue, an organization established in 2004 that builds a fundraising platform for Democratic candidates, progressive organizations and the small-dollar donors that support them.   In her decades-long career in technology, Regina has held executive roles at Mindbody, Inc., Yahoo, eBay, Facebook, and LendStreet. She has built products and platforms that scale to meet the needs of small and large businesses and brings security and reliability expertise to deliver on the requirements of the largest companies — and campaigns — in the world. She began her career as an electrical engineer.   In addition to her technology career, Wallace-Jones has led a career in public service. She ran for local office in 2018 and was elected to her city council before going on to serve as mayor. She has also helped organize for political campaigns across the country.   Wallace-Jones holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Stanford University and a Master’s in Public Policy with an emphasis in technology policy from UCLA.

Shirley Wang '90 is founder and CEO of Plastpro Inc., an award-winning fiberglass doors manufacturer which has been recognized for innovation by Construction Tech Review and Window and Door Magazine. In 2022, CIO Views listed Ms. Wang among the year’s most admired women business leaders. She was the first Asian American Woman chair for the UCLA Foundation and was on the UCLA Executive Campaign Committee raising 5.49 billion for UCLA.  Ms. Wang and her husband, Walter Wang, have supported numerous philanthropic initiatives from being the sponsors of the academy award documentary “Blood of Yingzhou” to supporting the naming of Cedars Sinai Emergency Treatment East rooms. Ms. Wang has been awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for her contributions to America.  She has also received China Institute Blue Cloud Award, the Asia Society Visionary Award and the Anti-Defamation League Humanitarian Award, amongst others. She currently serves as a trustee for Columbia University, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation, and the Harvard-Westlake School, as well as a director for the board of Douglas Emmett Inc. Prior to her entrepreneurial career, Ms. Wang earned her MBA from Columbia University and held executive and sales positions at Citicorp and J. Walter Thompson Advertising. The Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

LaMonica Peters '94 is a News Reporter for KTVU Fox 2, covering Silicon Valley and South Bay. Her work has been seen on CNN, ABC News Live, CBS News, Spectrum News Network and Fox Live Now. She was selected as a Knight Digital Media Center Fellow by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in 2011. In 2013, she was given the Mississippi Associated Press Award of Excellence for a 3-part series on breast cancer that described how the disease had affected her own family.  Peters was also chosen to be an inaugural class member for Ida B. Wells Society’s Investigative Reporter training. The organization was co-founded by Nicole Hannah-Jones, Investigative Reporter, and author of the 1619 Project. In 2017, she was nominated by the New York State Associated Press for Public Service Reporting.  Peters is an Asst. Journalism Professor, most recently at De Anza College and Palomar College. She’s also taught at Mississippi State University and Mississippi Valley State University. She’s a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Ida B. Wells Society. LaMonica also served as President of the UCLA Black Alumni Association from 2010 to 2012.   The Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Cinthia Flores ’10 is a Board Member of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. Prior to her appointment, she practiced immigration law with a focus on removal defense defending individuals from deportation. Cinthia has a background in labor law having previously represented public and private sector unions.   Currently, Cinthia serves as Vice President of Latinas Lead California, a Political Action Committee dedicated to electing Latinas. Cinthia is Past President of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Latinas in the legal profession. In 2022, the Hispanic National Bar Association recognized Cinthia as a “Top Lawyer Under 40.” Cinthia also serves on the UCLA Alumni Association Board of Directors.   Cinthia is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine School of Law. During law school, Cinthia served as a Regent on the University of California Board of Regent. In recognition of her academic record and public service, Cinthia was awarded numerous scholarships, including: the California Bar Foundation Diversity Scholarship, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund’s Earl Warren Scholarship, and the Mexican American Bar Foundation Law School Scholarship. Cinthia is a graduate of UCLA, where she served as the first Latina Student Body President in UCLA history. The Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Kevin Berson ’96 is the founder of Kinected Advisors, a Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Exit Planning Advisory firm. Kinected helps lower-middle market business owners (businesses generating $5M-$50M in annual revenue) navigate the process of selling their businesses for maximum value. Prior to founding Kinected in 2014, Berson spent 18 years with global firms Technicolor and Arthur Andersen. Berson frequently speaks about various M&A related topics and has addressed groups at Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Vistage, CalCPA, Exit Planning Institute, Strategic Advisory Board, Bruin Professionals, UCLA Anderson School Alumni, Aerospace & Defense Forum and ProVisors, among others. He has been named by the Los Angeles Business Journal as an Investment Banking Leader of Influence for 2021, 2022, and 2023 and is a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization M&A Source, ProVisors and Bruin Professionals. The Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

In partnership with UCLA Alumni Diversity Programs & Initiatives, the Bruin Success Podcast presents a collaboration episode: Out N About: Navigating Identity in the Workplace. Moderated by Cleve Wong ’10, featured speakers Devon Dickau ’07, MBA ’15 and Matt Kaczmarek ’05 share their insights, reflections, and strategies on navigating the professional world as a LGBTQ+ individual. They include valuable recommendations to aspiring and current LGBTQ+ professionals, allies, and organizations seeking to foster and engage in inclusive work environments where all staff feel respected and valued for who they are.  Cleve Wong '10 is an executive health coach and product strategist with over a decade of experience in Fortune 10 companies and non-profit organizations, including Google, UCLA Health, Disney, and the Aspen Institute. He designed the first science-based mindfulness mobile app for patients and clinicians worldwide, earning recognition from the New York Times and Mashable.  After a diagnosis of stress-induced facial paralysis, Cleve immersed himself in integrative medicine. He completed post-graduate training at UCLA Neuroscience and UC Irvine Health, and became a certified mindfulness teacher and a health and wellness coach. Today, Cleve takes joy in coaching leaders on stress management, burnout recovery, and helps clients design their journey toward holistic health and deeper fulfillment. Cleve is a board member of the UCLA Lambda Alumni and is committed to supporting underserved communities.  Matt Kaczmarek '05 is Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable Private Debt Investing, and Head of the Los Angeles office at BlackRock. Matt is also global chair of the firm’s Out & Allies LGBTQ+ employee network. Previously Matt held senior economic policy appointments in the Obama Administration at the White House and Departments of State and the Treasury. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the UCLA Alumni Association, the Campaign Board of the National LGBT Victory Fund, and is a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and the Council on Foreign Relations. He received his MA from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where he was editor-in-chief of the SAIS Review of International Affairs, and his BA from UCLA, where he served as President of the University of California Student Association. Devon Dickau ’07, M.B.A. ’15, also holds an M.Ed. in Technology, Innovation & Education from Harvard. While attending UCLA Anderson, Devon was a TED UCLA Campfire speaker on the topic of covering in the workplace and was named one of Poets & Quants “Favorite MBAs” of 2015 for giving voice to the LGBTQ+ community. He is now currently a Board Director for the UCLA Alumni Association. After a career spanning the nonprofit, entertainment, and education sectors, focused on using media and technology for social change, Devon is now the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Offerings Leader at Deloitte Consulting, where he is also an ESG and Social Impact Strategist.  Most importantly, he lives in Calabasas with his husband Peter and their twin toddlers, Rebel and Cosmo.  The Bruin Success Podcast is hosted and produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker. Thank you to our sustaining donors.

As a cultural storyteller, Samantha D'Souza specializes in developing communities of change through robust brand identities, dynamic communications strategies, and artful content. She is captivated by the “in-between” moments and delves into the intersection of industries such as entertainment and science, social impact and sport.   In her journey thus far, she has worked around the world (and clock) from Australia to the US, Europe, the Middle East, and South Africa. As Managing Director of act.3 Australia, Samantha is expanding the company’s international portfolio and team of culture marketers who seek to make our world a happier place by shaping the future of brands through people, community, and culture.   Prior to her time at act.3, Samantha’s early career saw her take stride in Los Angeles with core players Propper Daley, BECK Media, and Friends At Work. Her career development has always been accompanied by creative pursuits alongside trusted collaborators via the studio Mindful Ambition, and her company SPD Creative.   Samantha is a passionate mentor and social enterprise advisor, and is a proud UCLA Alumni Association Board Member, former UCLA Student Alumni Association President, and involved Bruin Alumna.

Olympic bobsledder Carlo Valdes grew up playing almost every sport you can think of. He was on the football team for a year at UCLA and also competed on the track team during his four years, participating in decathlon and javelin. At the encouragement of his coach, he tried out for the USA bobsled team once he graduated. This led to an 8-year career, 2 Olympic appearances, 10 World Cup Medals, and 2 World Cup Overall titles. From there, he took his experiences and lessons as a professional athlete and transitioned into the business world. He has worked in financial services for 6 years and continues to leverage discipline and strategy as a financial advisor.    

Mineh Badmagharian, OTD, OTR/L, received a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA in 2013 and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from USC in 2020. She is registered with the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy and has experience working with the pediatric population in a variety of settings such as schools, outpatient clinics, and homes. In 2020, Badmagharian joined Expper Technologies as the Clinical director, leading the product development and user experience of Robin the Robot which was recognized as one of the Best Inventions by Time Magazine in 2021. Currently, she is leading the creation of a mental health app focused on empowering children impacted by various chronic conditions. Badmagharian is devoted to providing care to pediatric patients by integrating technology with a personalized, human-centric approach. Hosted and Produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Marina Jurica is a passionate advocate for climate education as a meteorologist and climatologist for KCBS/KCAL Los Angeles. Previously, she spent four years with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and worked on many Earth missions there including SWOT, Sentinel-6, NISAR, and the landing of the Perseverance Mars rover. She has a master's degree in geosciences with an emphasis in meteorology from Mississippi State and is currently working on her Ph.D. in climate science. A true renaissance woman, she studied both sociology of mass communications and opera at UCLA and has performed the lead in many musical theater productions around the country, including her Broadway debut in a show about her life. Hosted & Produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker Thank you to our sustaining donors.

Enrique Chiabra '09 is an Emmy, GLAAD and Ruben Salazar award-winning journalist currently serving as primetime news anchor for Telemundo 52 in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, his dedication to reporting on impactful stories within the Latino, immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities has been a central focus throughout his career. Tune in to learn more about his journey to UCLA and beyond. Hosted & Produced by Sara Mosgrove and Kelsey Beisecker Thank you to our sustaining donors.