After moving back to the Antelope Valley this summer, Joseph Haecker went looking for the area’s tech startup network.
When living in Orange County he could attend tech-related networking events from one to 12 times a week. The Antelope Valley, however, was a different story even though he signed up for meetup groups and attended chamber meetings.
“I was looking for the tech community and what I found is that it’s here but it is not a community,” Haecker said. “It’s fragmented.”
So Haecker decided to do on his own what was needed to foster a tech startup ecosystem.
He has started with an Antelope Valley chapter of One Million Cups, a national weekly pitch competition started in Kansas City in 2012 by the Kauffman Foundation. The organization now has more than 100 communities in the U.S.
The Antelope Valley chapter meets Wednesday mornings at America’s Job Center of California, 38510 Sierra Highway in Palmdale. At the meetings, the startups have six minutes to present their business concept to an audience made up of local business people, entrepreneurs and, said Haecker, maybe, possibly some investors. The audience then has 20 minutes for feedback and questions.
“It is taking the idea in your head, taking it to the next step and starting to refine the business concept,” Haecker said.
The first meeting of One Million Cups on Sept. 13 featured presentations by local startups Kitty Hunk, a ride-share platform, and Beat Quence. Stephanie Howard, of ComfortArm Cosmetics, gave the presentation at the Sept. 20 meeting.
One Million Cups, however, is just the start of Hacker’s ambitious plans to get a tech ecosystem going. He also will start a local chapter of Tech Coast Angels, the largest angel investor group in the U.S., start a SCORE program of business mentors and bring a center of innovation to downtown Lancaster.
Additionally, Haecker said he plans to launch a happy hour program that would bring venture capitalists to the Antelope Valley to discuss how venture investments work and to judge a fast-pitch competition.
“I want to paint a picture for the venture capitalists,” Haecker said. “I want them to get this vision in their heads of how the AV has startup ideas and there is an ecosystem here.”
Haecker grew up in the Antelope Valley and moved back in June from the Irvine area as way to cut overhead as he gets his own startup, Dezignwall, on solid financial footing.
Dezignwall is a social media site for design and architecture professionals. Haecker said he is at the point of generating revenue and considering going after a $3 million funding round. To this point, he has not accepted any outside money for his startup, he added.
Haecker is looking to connect with others in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys involved with their own tech startup communities. That way a circuit can be created in which startups can move around giving their pitches and improving in their speaking skills to potential investors, he said.
“With enough practice and enough feedback when they are sitting in front of that guy who can sign that $10 million check, it is not the first time they have pitched,” Haecker said. “They understand their business and they can land that $10 million check.”
Staff Reconfiguration
Media technology consulting firm National TeleConsulants has made additions and promotions to its management team and staff.
The Glendale firm has brought on Laurie Morse as its head of corporate strategy. In that position Morse will oversee NTC’s business and marketing efforts.
“Laurie’s technical knowledge and sales and marketing experience will serve NTC well as the industry faces rapid, dramatic changes in technology and operations requirements,” Managing Partner Eliot Graham said in a prepared statement.
Morse has more than 30 years’ experience in the media and information technology industries. She previously served in executive positions with Apple Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Brightcove Inc.
NTC also promoted five people on staff.
Karen Reeser is now the director of IT operations. William Hooper has been upped to principal consultant. John Scandurra was promoted to senior project director and leads the team responsible for an ongoing portfolio of projects for a major multichannel video programming distributor. Blair Pettyjohn is now a project director. Alejandro Cerda was promoted to project engineer.
National TeleConsultants provides technology consulting, engineering design, software development and systems integration services. Clients include DirecTV, Warner Bros. Entertainment, NASA and PBS.
Staff Reporter Mark R. Madler can be reached at [email protected] or
(818) 316-3126.
