Los Angeles is home to thousands of graduate students in the life sciences. However, to most, it’s not a permanent home. Many graduate students leave the area for job opportunities in big biotech hubs like the Bay Area, San Diego, or Boston. In 2014 Biotech Connection Los Angeles (BCLA) was founded by two University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) postdoctoral fellows, Stefanie Volland and Katrina Choe, to retain local talent and strengthen the synergy between academia and industry. They believe that Los Angeles, which is producing top talent and exciting innovations, should become the next big biotech hub.