As we adapt to new ways of engaging in commerce, the Alumni Association has introduced a multifaceted support system for business owners and consumers who are looking for opportunities to help the Bruin community.
One such business owner is Chris Arranaga ’82, MBA ’85, CEO and founder of Gorilla Marketing. When Arranaga saw the urgent need among front-line workers for personal protective equipment (PPE), he shifted his entire business operation to providing affordable, high quality face masks to employees of essential businesses. Even with slim profit margins, for every 100 masks purchased, 10 are being donated to essential workers, totaling more than 10,000 masks already donated.
Hundreds of businesses can be found in a new online directory, one of several timely initiatives of the Alumni Association that may help to ease the transition to this new normal for both business owners and consumers – especially those who want to do their part to help out other Bruins who have been hit hard by the effects of the economic shutdown.
Launched in March and housed on the alumni website, the Bruin Business Directory is a categorized listing of businesses founded, owned or managed by UCLA alumni. The listings indicate business name, location and website; those wanting to add their business to the directory can email businessdevelopment@alumni.ucla.edu.
While the alumni website’s Bruin Business Directory is compiled by UCLA Alumni Affairs staff, the new Business and Services feature on the alumni networking platform UCLA ONE is a self-service directory. Launched in April, it is populated by Bruin business owners and acts as more of an advertising space for their service offerings, featuring descriptions of the businesses, expanded contact information and maps. UCLA ONE is also a place where businesses can list job openings for the Bruin community. It is a directory of Bruins for Bruins, which features a Bruin Business group that is dedicated to business owners/operators.
If you’re a Bruin business owner, we encourage you to check out these portals and add your business to the growing list; if you’re a consumer looking for products or services with a strong Bruin connection, the Bruin Business Directory on the alumni website and the Business and Services group in UCLA ONE may be just what you’re looking for.
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