The University of California (UC) is highlighting the achievements of its alumni who have turned their education into successful entrepreneurial ventures. UC has been recognized as a leading institution for innovation, consistently ranking first among universities worldwide for patents by the National Academy of Inventors since 2013. TIME magazine recently included 13 inventions from UC faculty or alumni in its list of the best inventions of 2025. According to Pitchbook, more companies have been started by UC alumni than those from other top universities such as Stanford, Harvard, and MIT.
This focus on entrepreneurship is part of a broader effort by UC to ensure that research and academic work lead to tangible benefits for society. The university supports students and faculty with resources like incubators, accelerators, commercialization experts, clubs, and curriculum programs designed to help move ideas from concept to market.
Three recent alumni illustrate how this support translates into real-world impact:
Dominic Milano graduated with an engineering degree from UC Merced and went on to found Milano Technical Group in 2014. His company focuses on developing automation solutions for agriculture in California’s Central Valley. “I didn’t come from a wealthy family. I figured if I stayed in Merced and built a successful company after graduation, then a couple years down the road somebody else who came from a background like mine would see us and think, ‘If they can do it, so can I,’” said Milano.
After working at Morning Star Company and learning about large-scale agricultural production across several states, Milano noticed a lack of local firms dedicated to agricultural innovation despite significant challenges facing growers. He explained: “That’s how I came to realize the massive gap between where California agriculture needs to be, in regards to technology innovation, and where it is.” His company has developed technologies such as robotic harvesters and automated packing systems. Milano credits his location in the Central Valley—and his connection with local growers—as key advantages over Silicon Valley-based competitors.
Milano also collaborates with the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), providing programming and professional development opportunities for students. Looking ahead, he hopes that more UC Merced graduates will remain in the region: “The best possible thing that could happen for the Central Valley is for people who are educated at UC Merced to stay here and build up the talent base and capital base,” he said.
Heather Hochrein earned her master’s degree from UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School before cofounding EVmatch in 2017—a peer-to-peer electric vehicle charging network aimed at improving access for renters without home charging options. “In retrospect, starting EVmatch was a risky move because the electric vehicle market was so new when I started the company. But I felt the industry needed more leadership, especially focused on charging equity and access, and I didn’t see that happening anywhere else. Starting a company was the best way I saw to change that,” Hochrein stated.
Hochrein identified major barriers holding back electric vehicle adoption during her studies—namely cost, battery range limitations, and inadequate charging infrastructure—and chose to address charging access through her business plan developed at Bren School. Today she leads a team focused on software solutions for shared chargers at multifamily housing developments.
She emphasized: “It’s important that the environmental sector consider jobs and job creation because frankly, economic development has been left out of the environmental conversation for decades,” adding that founding her own business allowed her greater influence over workplace culture.
JuJu Clark graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in data science and business before becoming CEO of TANDM Surf—a surfboard company featured on Shark Tank—and launching Daramel, which sells caramel syrup made from dates. Clark described her motivation: “I’m driven by wanting to bring the joy that I feel to others through what I create. Even though businesses do have to make money, the most rewarding thing to me is creating something new that didn’t exist in the world.”
Clark noted how experiences at Berkeley—including serving as president of a consulting club—prepared her both technically and personally: “My degrees from UC Berkeley prepared me not only with the technical skills needed to start and operate a business but also with confidence that I can learn new things as I go.”
These examples reflect broader trends showing increased entrepreneurial activity among University of California graduates compared with peers nationwide.
