Bruin Success Podcast

Curious how Bruins turn their educational experiences into remarkable careers? Join hosts Sara Mosgrove ’18 and Lily Rosenberg ’18 as they dive into conversations with inspirational UCLA alumni from various industries. Whether Olympians, entrepreneurs, pioneering doctors or award-winning artists, their stories prove that success isn’t achieved overnight. Tune in to hear about their career journeys, the challenges they’ve overcome, and their valuable tips for achieving personal and professional success.
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Past Season Highlights

Notable Alumni


Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber, a member of the "Fierce Five" gymnastics team,

discusses her career and experiences at UCLA. She shares insights into her journey from being an elite athlete to becoming a coach, highlighting the challenges and triumphs she faced along the way. Wieber also talks about her role as a mentor and her passion for helping young gymnasts achieve their dreams.


As the first mother to travel to space, Anna Lee Fisher shares her experiences from her NASA mission

aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1984. She reflects on balancing her role as a mother with the demands of being an astronaut and offers an inspiring look at her contributions to space exploration and her trailblazing role for women in STEM.


Kal Penn shares insights from his multifaceted career as an actor, writer and former associate director

at the White House during the Obama administration. He reflects on his time at UCLA, his challenges breaking into Hollywood and his notable roles in productions like "Harold & Kumar" and "House." Additionally, Penn details his unexpected path to public service and how it has shaped his perspective on his career and life goals.

Jonathan Franklin '12

After a serious neck injury suddenly ended his promising professional football career, Johnathan Franklin

found a new purpose and passion in social justice. Currently, Franklin works with the Los Angeles Rams as the Director of Social Justice, where he focuses on community affairs and engagement, helping to create positive change off the field.


Enrique Chiabra shares his journey from his early childhood in Lima, Peru, to moving to California and

becoming a primetime news anchor at Telemundo 52 in Los Angeles. Chiabra discusses his dedication to covering impactful stories within the Latino, immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, shedding light on his journalistic process and commitment to making a difference through storytelling.


Career Changers

Ryan Dusick ’01

Ryan Dusick, the founding drummer of the band Maroon 5, traces his personal journey from a successful

music career to becoming an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. He opens up about the physical and mental health challenges that led him to leave the band, his struggles with addiction and his path to recovery. Dusick also shares lessons from his new career in therapy, emphasizing the importance of mental health and resilience.

Tina Chen '14

Inspired by Taiwanese bubble tea and British tea culture, Tina Chen left her career in IT to develop

HumaniTea, a plant-based and ethically sourced tea latte company. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship, including international trade missions and overcoming personal setbacks. Her story emphasizes the importance of passion and resilience in business and leveraging one's network to achieve success.

Tiffany Duong '06

After a transformative scuba diving trip to the Galapagos, Tiffany Duong left her legal career to dedicate

her life to ocean conservation. Now a passionate advocate, Duong discusses her mission as an explorer, speaker and climate educator to drive environmental change and protect our planet.

Stephanie Moran Reed ’10

Stephanie Moran Reed, founder of MiJa Books, discusses her varied career from studying gerontology

and working with the elderly, to opening a multicultural and diverse children’s bookstore. She highlights the inspiration behind MiJa Books, the importance of diverse representation in children's literature and her experiences as a mother and entrepreneur.


Careers You've Never Heard of

Jasmine Talei ’10

Licensed naturopathic doctor Jasmine Talei shares insights into holistic health, the skin-gut connection,

autoimmune conditions and mold-related illnesses. Discussing her approach to optimizing hormonal health and providing post-surgical care, her expertise offers a window into naturopathic practices and their benefits for overall health and wellness.

Jamal Madni, M.S. ’08, ’12

As the co-founder and CEO of Ingage, a company focused on integrating artificial intelligence with

human interaction, Jamal Madni leads the development of a behavioral signal analytics videoconferencing platform designed to improve virtual interactions. Madni also shares insights from his career at Boeing, where he contributed to significant technological advancements, and his work in social entrepreneurship, including initiatives to support STEM education for underrepresented students.

Izzah Khan '13

As a program manager in Amazon's Last Mile business, Izzah Khan discusses her contributions to

expanding the delivery network in the U.S. and Canada. Originally studying English, Khan pivoted to a data-intensive field in supply chain and capacity/topology planning, sharing how her diverse experiences led to adaptability in her career development.

Brandon Dang '16

Brandon Dang discusses his journey from UCLA to his current role as user acquisition manager at the

popular meditation app Headspace. He shares strategies used for user acquisition, the importance of data-driven decisions and continuous optimization to attract and retain users.


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