Next Stella Zhang New Venture Competition Kicks Off With Well-Attended Event
Sponsorship Agreement Extended Another Five Years
IRVINE – More than 400 people attended the 2024-25 kickoff for the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business.
Professor Larry Wilk, director of the Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said Wednesday that energy was high at the kickoff. Professor Wilk spoke at the Sunstone Symposium: Unlocking the Power of Public-Private Collaborations, at Sunstone’s Irvine headquarters.
“We are thrilled to see the continued interest in this great program,” Wilk said. “Last year, we had 152 concept papers (the first stage in the competition) and more than 50 semi-final pitches.”
This will be the 21st annual New Venture Competition and the fourth with Stella Zhang as the title sponsor. It was announced Tuesday that Ms. Zhang has renewed her 5-year contract with UCI, extending her sponsorship of the competition through 2031.
Ms. Zhang has an MBA from the UCI Paul Merage School of Business, Class of 2005. She is a cofounder and partner at Sunstone Management Inc. and American Lending Center (where she is COO), both headquartered in Irvine.
“It is a privilege to be able to give back to the program that meant so much to me,” Ms. Zhang said. “I hope the NVC inspires young entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into successful businesses.”
Thanks to Ms. Zhang’s sponsorship, the competition distributes $100,000 in prize money next spring. In addition to the students, the competition includes adult coaches and judges from the community.
American Lending Center’s involvement with UCI and the Paul Merage School continues Friday, when ALC participates in the Merage Fall In-Person Talent Expo. ALC representatives will be on hand to talk to business students about potential openings and internships.
The Talent Expo is from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday in the Merage Courtyard. It is open to current Merage students only.
About American Lending Center: A Financial Times (FT) Americas’ Fastest Growing Company
American Lending Center (ALC) is a mission based non-bank lending institution nationally recognized as a leader in job-creation lending. Since its inception in 2009, ALC has proudly provided over $2.2 billion in loans and investments to thousands of companies of all sizes, empowering them to grow and thrive.
During the COVID years, ALC participated in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and provided direct assistance to nearly 30,000 companies in all 50 states, and Washington, DC. Through the years, ALC has helped create and/or retain more than 140,000 jobs. Follow American Lending Center on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
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