Orange County Startup Founder 101

Startup ecosystems don't fail because founders lack ideas; they fail because cities keep mistaking press releases for progress. This raises an intriguing thought exercise: If investors wouldn't fund your ecosystem as a startup, why would they fund your startups? This panel brings together three leading voices in economic development to tackle the uncomfortable truth about venture capital and entrepreneurship: money follows opportunity; it doesn't create it. We're going to cut through the theater and talk about what actually matters.

Expect a candid, sometimes provocative, conversation about the weakest links in economic development so that we can work together to overcome them for entrepreneurs and investors — exploring some programs and policies that can actually fix those challenges.

❯ What You'll Learn:

• How to stand up structured Startup Development Organizations rather than building more coworking spaces
• Distinguishing startups from small businesses in incentive design
• Publishing credible deal pipelines instead of celebrating ribbon cuttings
• Aligning infrastructure with targeted verticals that investors actually care about
• Professionalizing local capital so founders aren’t forever begging Sand Hill Road for attention

❯ Featured Experts:

To launch a great startup, it is critical to get feedback on your ideas from entrepreneurs who have been there and done that. On this live online event, we will gather several startup experts ready to provide feedback for entrepreneurs who aspire to be investor-ready. The event will start by providing guidelines to create a compelling elevator pitch, and then attendees will have the opportunity to share their pitch with other entrepreneurs, advisors, and investors at virtual tables for instant feedback. Even if you don't want to share your pitch, you can still join to hear other startup ideas and witness how the experts review a pitch.