Just a few months after completing StartUp UCLA’s intensive 10-week summer program for entrepreneurial students and recent graduates, Ann Wang stood in front of a panel of judges in a packed ballroom at the inaugural Forbes Pressure Cooker competition, held Oct. 21 in Philadelphia as part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit.

One of five finalists chosen out of a pool of roughly 100 entrepreneurs, Wang, a 2013 UCLA graduate, had to convince the judges that her company, Enrou, was deserving of the top prize, valued at $400,000. Enrou, the online marketplace founded by Wang and fellow alumna Jessica Willison less than two years ago, connects socially conscious consumers with products created in developing communities as a way to increase employment there and reduce poverty.

Wang knew that she had to be clear and concise when explaining Enrou’s organizational goals and unique selling proposition, be persuasive with her pitch and be prepared to answer any questions that came her way.

Applying the lessons and advice she was given at StartUp UCLA, Wang nailed her presentation and took home the prize.

“We are still completely shocked and trying our best to capitalize on the momentum and build opportunity,” said Wang.

Wang credits StartUp UCLA with giving the new business owners the push and confidence they needed to take their company to the next level. They believe the program, and its growing resources, including the introduction of a new Blackstone LaunchPad at UCLA, is a tremendous campus resource for aspiring student entrepreneurs.

“Being part of a community like StartUp UCLA really helped us refine our value proposition and our business model, and helped in terms of presentation and pitching skills,” said Wang, who was recently in front of Blackstone executives at the first annual Blackstone LaunchPad Demo Day in New York. “It also gave us great introductions to people in L.A. and the Silicon Valley, including business leaders and investors we would have never had a chance to have conversations with.”

Wang shared her success story with guests at an event held Nov. 10 to celebrate the opening of StartUp UCLA’s Blackstone Launchpad, UCLA’s first year-round, interdisciplinary, cross-campus entrepreneurship program.  Blackstone, a global finance and advisory firm, supports student entrepreneurship by way of its charitable foundation and its Blackstone LaunchPad program.

In February, the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced Blackstone LaunchPad’s expansion into the L.A. area, with a three-year $3.5 million grant to establish a partnership between UCLA, UC Irvine, USC and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. This partnership will provide more than 110,000 local university students with a network of venture coaches and an entrepreneurial support system.  Blackstone LaunchPad is currently available to more than 350,000 undergraduate and graduate students, alumni and faculty at 15 colleges and universities across the country.

The program is designed to introduce entrepreneurship as a viable career path and foster entrepreneurial skills through individualized coaching, mentoring and business development. The partnership between UCLA and Blackstone signifies their long-standing commitment to develop the next generation of leaders and innovators.

“As one of the nation’s top research universities, and one with a very public mission, UCLA has a vital role in promoting entrepreneurship in the communities we serve,” said Chancellor Gene Block.

Housed in Room 203 of Covel Commons, the Blackstone Launchpad complements StartUp UCLA’s successful summer accelerator program for students and intensifies campus efforts to support entrepreneurship by offering year-round coaching, networking opportunities and events for undergraduates.

This fall, StartUp UCLA moved from the UCLA College’s Division of Social Sciences to its Division of Undergraduate Education, a shift that allows StartUp UCLA to expand its reach to students from across disciplines.

Founded in 2012, StartUp UCLA has already helped close to 100 students launch companies.  Among them is Ship Mate, a mobile cruise app, helps travelers plan their trips by providing reviews, ratings, suggestions and tips about all cruise ships and ports as well as chat rooms for fellow cruisers. It was acquired in 2013 by Cruiseline.  An example of another success story, the Smartest K-12 is an educational startup focused on transforming K-12 classroom interactions by utilizing technology to improve student achievement.  It has already received more than $500,000 from investors.

Students who are interested in applying for the Blackstone LaunchPad at UCLA are encouraged to apply online.