Jenny Stojkovic

Sacramento Joins the "Tech Triangle" including San Francisco • Sacramento • San Jose with new $50M commitment from Meta! Historic news for California’s Capital Region — Sacramento is now stepping into its role as a technology and innovation hub alongside Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. Meta has just committed $50 million to support a transformative downtown California State University-Sacramento campus project, helping convert under-utilized state buildings on Capitol Mall into a vibrant mixed-use destination that will include: = Affordable student and faculty housing = A new School of Public Affairs = Room for cutting-edge academic programs and an AI Center = Cultural and community spaces contributing to downtown revitalization This landmark investment isn’t just about construction — it’s about AI innovation, investment, equity, workforce development, and economic revitalization. It positions Sacramento as a place where talent is cultivated and retained, not just trained and exported. 📍 Read more here: Meta pledges $50M to help build a new Sacramento State campus downtown — CBS Sacramento: https://lnkd.in/gkJNHZy9 This partnership between Meta, Sacramento State, and state leadership signals a new chapter for Sacramento’s role in the technology ecosystem — bridging academic excellence, innovation, and community prosperity. #Sacramento #Innovation #HigherEd #TechEcosystem #DowntownRevitalization #Meta #SacState #AI #EconomicGrowth Eric Ball, Saurabh Suri, Saurabh Ranjan, Vikas Datt, Jennifer Baker Khan, John Hooker, Aaron Mondell Anderson, Patrick Bumpus, Yatish Mishra, Sean Mishra, Dan Wadhwani, Brad Squires, Mihran Berejikian, Jackson Crawford, Jason A. Vita, Peyton Crawford

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Angela Ross introduces SoCal Voices, a podcast dedicated to sharing authentic stories that empower Southern Californians to thrive. The podcast aims to connect listeners with relatable experiences and practical insights from individuals across the region. It highlights the diverse perspectives and challenges faced by those living in Southern California. Tune in to discover inspiring narratives and actionable advice for personal and professional growth. #SoCalVoices #SouthernCalifornia #Podcast #AuthenticStories #Community

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Please share this incredible opportunity with community tech start-up leaders! FoundersBoost’s SoCal B2B Accelerator in Glendale is a curated program designed to help promising pre-seed / seed B2B technology startups in Southern California move toward Investment and Revenue Generation. In collaboration with the Alliance for SoCal Innovation and Hacker Fund, this FoundersBoost program leverages Southern California’s deep talent pool, thriving startup ecosystem, and mature business market to support scalable companies at the earliest stage. Over the course of six weeks, selected founders receive intensive one-on-one mentorship, pitch coaching, and strategic guidance from a global network of founders, investors, and industry experts. Startups in the program refine their product-market fit, strengthen their go-to-market strategies, and build the traction needed to raise capital — all with no equity taken and no fees charged, thanks to support of our partners and funds from a State Grant awarded through the City of Glendale Economic Development Division. Following the program, qualified alumni will gain access to the Alliance for SoCal Innovation’s Venture Pipeline, providing warm introductions to VCs actively investing in early-stage consumer tech startups aligned with their thesis. Apply today! https://lnkd.in/eZkXJMNE

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FoundersBoost, in collaboration with the Alliance for SoCal Innovation and Hacker Fund, is running the SoCal B2B Accelerator in Glendale. • For: Pre-seed and seed stage B2B technology startups in Southern California with initial customer traction. • Offer: A six-week, no-equity, no-fee accelerator providing one-on-one mentorship, pitch coaching, and strategic guidance. • Program Manager: Audrey Wu, Program Manager – SoCal B2B Accelerator. • Post-program: Qualified alumni gain access to The Alliance for SoCal Innovation’s Venture Pipeline for introductions to VCs. Why it matters: The program provides non-dilutive support for early-stage B2B startups to prepare for investment and revenue generation. More at: https://lnkd.in/eZkXJMNE #Startups #B2B #SoCal #Accelerator #Preseed #Funding

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Anne Descalzo ’12 and Rachel Zillner ’09 launched Clutch in 2019, and since then, they’ve built one of the fastest-growing companies in the Sacramento region. 🚀 From running COVID-19 response efforts to launching Sacramento’s first female-founded venture capital fund – and now owning a major ad agency – these #MadeAtSacState women are changing the game. 👏 Full story: https://lnkd.in/gbdM5C6J Runyon Saltzman, Inc. | The RADZ Group | Frequency Coworking & Events | MinervaVerse 🎥 Sacramento State/Phillip Altstatt

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If you're interested in learning about Angel investing in Sacramento region technology companies, listed to this podcast about NorCal AngelCon! In it's third year, it's both a training program for angel investors and a program that invests about $100K in a Sacramento region startup in November.

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🎬 Top Film Locations Every Producer & Investor Should Know in 2025 California has huge film incentives — but you basically need $1M to qualify. 😳 For us indie filmmakers with $2–10K budgets, that feels impossible. We’ve funded two projects by stacking incentives, including one we wrapped in Montana using local credits and epic locations. Here is my list. 1️⃣ New Mexico • Refundable credit up to 25% on in-state spend • No strict minimum, stunning landscapes, indie-ready crews 2️⃣ Louisiana • 25–40% refundable; parish programs start at $50K • Extra credit for local hires & out-of-zone shoots 3️⃣ Oklahoma • Credits for projects $25K+ • Fast approvals, small towns, low costs 4️⃣ Montana • 20–35% credit on in-state labor + post-production • Epic nature for cinematic visuals 5️⃣ Michigan • 42% refundable for post-heavy or shorts • Flexible for socially impactful films ⸻ 🔑 My Tips • Stack incentives: city + state + grant program. • Post-production counts: editing, VFX, and sound can all qualify • Hire locally: boosts qualified spend and credit value • Cause-driven films: many states offer matching programs for socially impactful projects ⸻ 🔥Bonus Strategy Attach your film’s plot to a social cause — like mental health, education, or environmental awareness — and you unlock major incentives, matching programs, and fundraising opportunities. Companies like Microsoft, Boeing, and other corporate partners have programs to fund, sponsor, or collaborate on projects tied to a cause. • We’ve used this strategy to allocate development costs and effectively double the budget on micro-budget films. • Combine this with tax credits, local grants, and corporate partnerships, and even a $5–10K project can feel like $20K–$30K in production power. ⸻ 💡 Tiny budget ≠ tiny impact. Every producer & investor should know where incentives, talent, scenery, AND social impact intersect. That’s where your opportunity is. Happy filming 🎞️ #FilmFinance #IndependentFilm #TaxStrategy #Producers #Directors #Section181 #CreativeFunding #IncentiveStacking

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AMAZING free resource for technology startups in California brought to you by California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)! Check out the $100K grants, technical assistance, and resources available at 13 innovation accelerators across the State. Dr. Tara Lynn Gray Trelynd Bradley E. Kaina Pereira Vivian Shimoyama Wade Martin Sunstone Cities https://lnkd.in/g4QpPrhE

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Passing this along as a mentor; “The University of Southern California (USC) and Techstars University Catalyst pre-accelerator program is looking for USC faculty, staff, student and alumni founders that want to take their early-stage startup to the next level. This part-time, primarily virtual pre-accelerator program will run this fall from September to November 2025. Early-stage USC founders will gain access to virtual masterclasses with a focus on business development, pitch coaching and pitch deck design, 1:1 mentoring through the USC and Techstars network, and founder collaboration opportunities. This opportunity is intended for companies who have: - One or more founders affiliated with USC as a current student, faculty, staff or alumni - A founder located in the Greater Los Angeles area - Raised less than $1M  - For-profit status - No previous Techstars Founder Catalyst or Techstars Accelerator participation Encourage founders to apply before July 9th! Early applications are prioritized.” https://lnkd.in/e76Wf72Y

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In the hyper-competitive Southern California aerospace ecosystem, traditional text-based job boards are no longer enough to attract elite talent. In this episode, we explore the "Inbound Talent Mandate"—a strategic shift toward long-form employer branding that turns visionary leadership into a magnet for top-tier engineers. We take a deep dive into the challenges faced by companies like Voyager Technologies as they scale operations in Long Beach. With a goal of hiring 200 elite professionals by year-end, the pressure is on to move beyond passive recruiting and build a high-retention content funnel that showcases the human faces behind civil and national security missions. The Recruitment Power Play: Beyond Passive Listings: Why top-tier talent ignores standard job boards and how video marketing creates necessary "pull" for elite hires. The Authority Engine: Using video podcast marketing to unpack complex projects—from lunar missions to AI-enabled software and next-gen propulsion. The 30X Advantage: How Voxel Micro Video Labs’ extraction process turns a single one-hour podcast into 30 days of high-impact micro-content for LinkedIn and YouTube Shorts. Frictionless Production: Why extreme proximity to the South Bay’s industrial hubs eliminates logistical delays and accelerates time-to-market. The Voxel Micro Video Labs Impact This video serves as a hypothetical example of what Voxel Micro Video Labs can do for small brands, local entrepreneurs, and growing aerospace firms. Our high-density workflows allow you to deploy a full-scale recruitment marketing campaign without the overhead of an internal media team. Looking to build your authority and attract the best minds? Visit our San Pedro studio for the most specialized podcast studio rental in the South Bay. 🚀 Elevate your recruitment: https://lnkd.in/gzmZM9AC 🏢 Aerospace & Commercial Real Estate Strategy: https://lnkd.in/gpR6Y7bv 🛍️ Support Local: https://lnkd.in/gzbsqCim #VoyagerTechnologies #AerospaceHiring #LongBeachBusiness #VoxelMicroVideoLabs #VideoMarketing #SouthBayJobs #EmployerBranding #SpaceIndustry #PodcastStudioRental #TechRecruitment

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🚀 The Future Is Now: Youth Entrepreneurship California’s next generation of innovators is already making waves! 🌟 The Future Is Now video series spotlights young founders who are driving creativity, innovation, and community impact across the state. 🎬 Coming Soon: Don’t miss the next episode featuring Christophe Davis and her inspiring projects! 📺 Catch up on previous episodes and get inspired: https://lnkd.in/gPC3M9Ra ✨ Know a youth entrepreneur or program that should be featured? Email us at thefutureisnow@gobiz.ca.gov. #CalOSBA #YouthEntrepreneurship #FutureIsNow #CaliforniaInnovators #NextGenEntrepreneurs #SmallBizCA

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I had a powerful conversation with Michael Sawitz, someone who has mentored hundreds of founders and helped shape one of Southern California’s strongest startup communities. What started as a discussion on Lean Startup thinking turned into a deep exploration of why mentorship is often the missing link in founder success. We spoke about what real mentorship looks like, why most founders get it wrong, the traits mentors immediately notice in winning founders, and how a structured mentorship ecosystem can change the entire trajectory of a startup. If you are building, scaling, or looking for guidance you can trust, this is a conversation worth watching. Full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gX67BTVg __________________ Every founder needs a mirror that tells the truth. If your pitch, valuation, or GTM can’t hold up under investor scrutiny, let’s fix that before they walk away. Get real-time, no-fluff feedback in one focused session: https://lnkd.in/gJvqg4H7 💬 Drop your toughest startup question in the comments. ♻ Repost to help more founders avoid blind spots. 🔔 Follow Anshuman Sinha for unfiltered startup clarity.

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7 Key Benefits of Startup Consulting in California for New Entrepreneurs Starting a business is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. As a new entrepreneur, you’re likely juggling multiple responsibilities, from planning and funding to marketing and operations. This is where startup consulting comes in. At Illumination Consulting, we specialize in helping new entrepreneurs in California turn their ideas into successful businesses. Whether you’re looking for startup consultants, a marketing consultant in the USA, or online business consultants, our team is here to guide you every step of the way. Read More: https://lnkd.in/eFgK4jNF #Startup #BusinessConsulting #Entrepreneurship #CaliforniaBusiness #LAStartup #IlluminationConsulting

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San Diego-based Manifold (AI Detection and Response platform) has raised $8 million in seed funding; lead backer Costanoa Ventures, along with several institutional investors including Cherry Ventures, Rain Capital, Modern Technical Fund, and angel investors.

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MoFo’s Brian P. Sylvester recently spoke with Fi Global Insights about California's legislation to phase out certain ultra-processed foods (UPFs) from school meals over the next decade.   The new law, Assembly Bill 1264, provides a statutory definition for UPFs and requires schools to remove "UPFs of concern" by 2035, with phased restrictions beginning in 2029 and is expected to influence broader food industry practices. Learn more: https://bit.ly/42XptQZ

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