Friday Coffee Meetup

Location: FoundrSpace, https://www.foundrspace.com

Note: Street parking is generally free until 11 AM; check street signs.

FRIDAY COFFEE MEETUP (FCM) is presented by Echo-Factory and Innovate Pasadena. FoundrSpace is our generous event host.

Raychel Espiritu - Build The Thing You Wish Existed

Join us for a talk as we discuss the challenges and victories encountered while navigating the world of startup companies and venture capital. We'll dive into the process of conception to realization. Learn how to navigate obstacles with resilience and innovation, turning setbacks into opportunities for growth.

Bio
Raychel Espiritu, a native of Los Angeles, has 16 years of diverse experience in Digital Marketing, Business Development, Venture Capital, and Startups. Her extensive background includes collaborations with prominent corporate brands, government bodies, marketing agencies, startup accelerators, and venture capital firms.

During her tenure as Venture Outreach Manager at The Alliance for SoCal Innovation, Raychel facilitated connections between early-stage startup founders and institutional investors, resulting in $18M capital deployment into the Southern California innovation ecosystem.

Raychel is also a co-founder of Women in Climate Investing and Finance, a community organization dedicated to fostering connections, community building, and empowerment for women in the climate investing and finance sectors.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Raychel finds solace in nature and practices mindful meditation.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/raychelespiritu/

Please Note: We are sorry we are no longer virtual hosting on Zoom. Please join our lively, fun and friendly in-person event in the comfortable environment of FoundrSpace!

You can also connect with Christy Conner to watch the LinkedIn livestream at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyconner/
starting at 8:30 AM, and ending after the Q&A ~9:30 AM.

Location: FoundrSpace, https://www.foundrspace.com

Note: Street parking is generally free until 11 AM; check street signs.

FRIDAY COFFEE MEETUP (FCM) is presented by Echo-Factory and Innovate Pasadena. FoundrSpace is our generous event host.

Lauren Dai & David Shechtman- Leading Through Whiplash

Times are challenging for founders right now. They have to think big, mobilize teams, and drive results—all while facing significant headwinds in the business ecosystem. But times like these are when great leaders are forged. This is the time for founders to shine.

Bio
Lauren Dai of Cocoon and her executive coach David Shechtman, will take you through a recent All Hands meeting in which Lauren acknowledged the challenges of 2023 and rallied the troops for a breakout 2024! This was a pivotal meeting for the company that can serve as a model for other founders who need to do the same.

Lauren is Co-founder at Cocoon, the platform that makes managing employee leave easy HR teams and employees alike. Prior to starting Cocoon, Lauren was integral to building the growth organization at Stripe. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude from Harvard University with a degree in Economics.

David Shechtman is a powerful coach who works with CEOs, high-potential leaders, and successful sales professionals on mastering Deep Change. He has an unparalleled ability to cut through the fog of complexity, confusion, and fear so that his clients can move forward with focus and confidence.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurendai/
https://twitter.com/laurenxindai
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidshechtman/

Please Note: We are sorry we are no longer virtual hosting on Zoom. Please join our lively, fun and friendly in-person event in the comfortable environment of FoundrSpace!

You can also connect with Christy Conner to watch the LinkedIn livestream at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyconner/
starting at 8:30 AM, and ending after the Q&A ~9:30 AM.

Location: FoundrSpace, https://www.foundrspace.com

Note: Street parking is generally free until 11 AM; check street signs.

FRIDAY COFFEE MEETUP (FCM) is presented by Echo-Factory and Innovate Pasadena. FoundrSpace is our generous event host.

Ashot Arzumanyan - Connecting the Dots: from Great Science to Great Companies

SmartGateVC partner Ashot Arzumanyan will talk about transforming lab science into a company, raising capital, making the hard choice of becoming a CEO vs. onboarding an external person and thinking about exit strategies.

Bio
Ashot Arzumanyan is co-founder and partner at SmartGateVC - a Glendale based pre-seed VC firm with proven experience of early investments in science driven companies since 2018. Biosim AI (computational drug discovery), Krisp (the world’s best noise cancellation technology), SuperAnnotate (the fastest annotation platform and services for training AI), along with spin-offs from Harvard and other universities, are among portfolio companies where SmartGateVC is a first investor. Sierra Ventures, Upfront Ventures, AI Fund, YC, and other high-profile VCs are among co- & follow-on investors in portfolio companies. Ashot and the team at SmartGateVC have solid experience spanning from pre-seed/seed investing to advising Fortune 500 companies.

https://www.smartgate.vc; https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartgate.vc; https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashotarzumanyan/; https://x.com/smartgatevc

Please Note: We are sorry we are no longer virtual hosting on Zoom. Please join our lively, fun and friendly in-person event in the comfortable environment of FoundrSpace!

You can also connect with Christy Conner to watch the LinkedIn livestream at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyconner/
starting at 8:30 AM, and ending after the Q&A ~9:30 AM.

Location: FoundrSpace, https://www.foundrspace.com

Note: Street parking is generally free until 11 AM; check street signs.

FRIDAY COFFEE MEETUP (FCM) is presented by Echo-Factory and Innovate Pasadena. FoundrSpace is our generous event host.

Cho-Nan Tsai - How To Use AI To Grow Your Business

In the talk "How to Use AI to Grow Your Business," key strategies for leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance business growth are discussed. The presentation covers the basics of AI and its applications in various business sectors. It highlights the importance of data collection and analysis for personalized customer experiences and improved decision-making. The talk also explores the use of AI in automating routine tasks, enhancing efficiency, and reducing operational costs. Real-world examples demonstrate how AI tools can be integrated into marketing, customer service, and product development. The speaker emphasizes the need for continuous learning and adaptation to AI technologies, and concludes with a discussion on ethical considerations and future trends in AI. The talk aims to provide practical insights for businesses looking to adopt AI to gain a competitive edge and drive growth.

Bio
Cho-Nan Tsai is a seasoned technology entrepreneur in AI and Fintech. He is an expert in AI, machine learning and lending. Earlier in his career, he managed tech projects at Fortune 500 companies such as Sony, Ricoh, McKinsey & Company. He has in-depth experience across verticals such as data, digital advertising, and studio tech. More recently, he has bootstrapped and raised millions of dollars for a number of startups, growing these businesses quickly using technology and multiplying their revenues exponentially year over year. Currently, he is the founder at H Tech VIP, an AI consulting firm. He graduated with a B.S. degree in Computer Engineering from Columbia University and a M.S. degree in Computer Science from UCLA.

https://www.htech.vip/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/htechvip/
https://www.instagram.com/chonantsai
https://www.tiktok.com/@chonantsai
https://twitter.com/chonantsai
#aiconsultant #artificialintelligence #machinelearning #genai

Please Note: We are sorry we are no longer virtual hosting on Zoom. Please join our lively, fun and friendly in-person event in the comfortable environment of FoundrSpace!

You can also connect with Christy Conner to watch the LinkedIn livestream at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyconner/
starting at 8:30 AM, and ending after the Q&A ~9:30 AM.

Location: FoundrSpace, https://www.foundrspace.com

Note: Street parking is generally free until 11 AM; check street signs.

FRIDAY COFFEE MEETUP (FCM) is presented by Echo-Factory and Innovate Pasadena. FoundrSpace is our generous event host.

Howard Xu - LA BioSpace & BioStart: Regional Incubator & Entrepreneurship Program

Summary
California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) has long been recognized as an engine of economic and social mobility and was recently ranked the #1 university in the U.S. for the upward mobility of its students. Since 2015, Cal State LA has been a critical player in the Los Angeles region’s collective endeavor to elevate its ecosystem of bioscience innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization. Specifically, the university built a state-of-the-art wet-lab-focused incubator (LA BioSpace) facility, leveraging funding from local and federal government agencies and philanthropy. With 20,000 square feet of space, LA BioSpace is leading the university’s mission to promote an inclusive and thriving bioscience ecosystem in the heart of Los Angeles. Additionally, Cal State LA has developed a five-week intensive Bioscience Entrepreneurs Boot Camp (LA BioStart) program with funding from the Economic Development Administration. A programming component of LA BioSpace, the LA BioStart boot camp has trained and mentored six cohorts of 130 emerging bioscience entrepreneurs from the Los Angeles region.

Bio
Howard Xu has been a Professor of Microbiology at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) since 2004 after a seven-year career in the biotech industry. He has taught two dozen microbiology and biotechnology courses and developed and led biotech training programs at Cal State LA. Howard has mentored over 100 students in his microbiology/biotechnology research lab for over 19 years, with support from campus, state, and federal funding sources. Because of his achievements in biotech teaching, training, research, and services, Howard was awarded Wang Family Faculty Fellowship (2011-2012) by California State University, Andreoli Faculty Service Award (2011), and Faculty Research Award (2018) by California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology. More recently, Howard has led Cal State LA’s Bioscience Initiative, which is anchored by the Rongxiang Xu Bioscience Innovation Center, home of LA BioSpace. He also developed and has been running the LA BioStart Bioscience Entrepreneurs Boot Camp. He was nominated and awarded Outstanding Professor in 2019 and the President’s Distinguished Professor in 2023 at Cal State LA.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-xu-bb064a14/; https://twitter.com/ProfHowardXu; https://www.la-biospace.org/; https://www.linkedin.com/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/mycompany/verification/; #longla; #entrepreneurship; #bootcamp;

Please Note: We are sorry we are no longer virtual hosting on Zoom. Please join our lively, fun and friendly in-person event in the comfortable environment of FoundrSpace!

You can also connect with Christy Conner to watch the LinkedIn livestream at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyconner/
starting at 8:30 AM, and ending after the Q&A ~9:30 AM.