UC Berkeley Alumna and Former Course Coordinator Aria Yang Returns to SCET to Empower Future Founders

UC Berkeley Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET) recently welcomed Aria Yang, former SCET Product Management course coordinator and UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism alumna, for a special professional development session with student innovators. Aria’s journey—from Berkeley student to marketing leader and now mentor—embodies the spirit of giving back that defines the SCET community.

From Student to Course Coordinator

While pursuing her master’s in journalism at UC Berkeley, Aria enrolled in ENGIN 183D: Product Management course, where she developed a passion for innovation, design, and storytelling. Her creativity and analytical thinking made her a natural fit to later serve as a course coordinator for the same class—a vital role that supports faculty, serves in various capacities as student SCET leadership and ensures smooth course operations.

At the time, Aria shared how much she valued working alongside driven students, noting that “it’s incredibly fulfilling to observe the transformation of their initial ideas into tangible prototypes or fully functioning apps within just a few months.” Her enthusiasm for innovation and mentorship has been a consistent thread throughout her career.

Returning to SCET to Give Back

Aria currently serves as the head of marketing at YouLand, a Silicon Valley private credit and real estate lending platform. She has already built an impressive early career bridging journalism, technology, and brand strategy; her experience spans Business Insider, Evernote, and Y Combinator China, where she helped shape stories that connect ideas to impact.

In her return to SCET, Aria led a session titled “The Rise of Founder Marketing and Tech PR,” a professional development event for student founders who won the most recent Collider Cup, SCET’s semester-end venture showcase. The session was part of their prize package, giving top student teams direct access to expert mentorship from leaders like Aria.

“It’s always inspiring to be back at Berkeley—being inspired to inspire,” Aria shared. “I love that I can combine my unique experiences and give back to the SCET community. There’s nothing more rejuvenating than inspiring others to build and dream bigger.”

6 Insights From Aria’s Session: “The Rise of Founder Marketing and Tech PR“

1) Founder-Led Marketing: Own the Narrative, But Know Your Industry

“You are the best storyteller of your product.”

• Control the story. Younger audiences show low trust in big media; founders can publish directly and shape perception in real time. 

“But for our industry [real-estate]… founder-led marketing is not a really good channel, [because a corporate voice builds more trust in this case.]”

• Industry nuance. In consumer/B2B SaaS, founder visibility compounds brand growth. In regulated/finance categories, a corporate voice may build more trust than a “founder persona.” 

Try this: Decide where the brand should “speak” (founder vs. company) based on buyers’ trust cues, regulatory constraints, and deal cycles.

2) Before PR: Tighten Positioning, Then Pitch Like a Pro

• Editors are swamped. “I received like 100 emails per day.” Weak, generic pitches die on arrival.
• Make yes easy. Send a compact note with (a) a sharp angle, (b) 1–3 headline options, (c) a short bio, (d) quotable lines, (e) assets (logo, links). “Make it really easy for the person on the other side to say yes.”
• Respect the craft. Don’t ask to “approve the draft”; that violates editorial standards and hurts trust.
• Follow, don’t spam. Engage with journalists on LinkedIn/Twitter; persistent value beats rapid-fire follow-ups.

Try this: Build a “press-ready kit” and a 150-word expert source pitch you can tailor to timely stories (data, contrarian POV, or hard-won pattern recognition).

3) Multi-Channel Content: One Long Form → Many Tight Clips

• Repurpose with intent. Cut long videos into snackable clips for LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok; optimize framing/ratio and hooks for each channel.
• Use AI as an editor. Prompt ChatGPT to adapt tone (e.g., “write in X’s style”), tighten headlines, and keep voice consistent across platforms/newsletters.

Try this: As a messaging strategy, script 3–5 timeless takes + 1–2 contrarian takes, then pre-package as threads, clips, newsletter sections, and quotables.

4) Metrics & Channels: Match GTM to Your Buyer, Not Your Bias

• Price-sensitive, “less-tech” audiences (e.g., real estate investors): Cold calling + offline events convert; email needs strong hygiene (bounces, warm-up, deliverability). Track call conversion, open/reply rates, and event funnel drop-offs (e.g., via Luma).
• Content that wins press: Editors want soft-news expertise more than “we shipped X.” Bring timely data or an angle that clarifies the moment.

Try this: Build a simple dashboard: Channel → Metric → Learning → Next test. Example: “Event RSVPs from Meta Ads are high, but show-up rate is low → test reminder cadence + on-site ‘deal walkthrough’ segment.”

5) Networking That Actually Works

• Value first. Do a small, genuine favor; let response quality guide next steps. Be humble with senior execs; build mutual value loops with peers.
• Conference system. Pre-scan attendee lists/apps, send targeted notes, book coffees, and sort contacts into decision-makers vs. peers. Confirm the right follow-up channel on the spot.

Try this: Create a pre-conference spreadsheet: Target, Angle, Ask, Asset to Share, Meeting Slot, Follow-up Plan.

6) Event Design: Build for Their Evening, Not Yours

• What didn’t work: Gamified activities Aria designed (great for tech crowds) flopped with real estate investors who preferred unstructured networking.
• What worked: Casual social time + live deal walkthroughs (numbers, buy/sell, margins). Branded stickers/merch encouraged repeat attendance.

Try this: Run a 1-minute post-event survey on content vs. mingling ratio; iterate the agenda every cycle.

A Note on the Future of Media

Aria sees a shift toward independent journalists and personal media channels, with a caution: more reach doesn’t erase the need for fact-checking and editorial standards. Founders must hold both truths: authenticity travels farther and rigor sustains trust.

Gratitude & The Berkeley Loop

This workshop was offered as part of the Collider Cup winners’ professional-development package, one more way SCET connects rising builders with practitioners. We’re grateful to Aria for returning to campus, sharing hard-won lessons, and modeling what Berkeley alumni do best: turn experience into fuel for the next generation.