The Riverside Angels Summit, led by UCC Riverside, is working with Riverside City and local community leaders to connect investors with high-quality, certified entrepreneurs throughout Southern California.
It seeks to simplify the equity investment process with experienced investors and business leaders who are guided by the angel’s investment process through training, best practices, and networking opportunities for interested angelic investors. Created by Citrus Seeds LLC, a special purpose vehicle led by Sean Warner, co-founder of Warner and Brandy Elsive Riverside, and Kevin Kelly, former CFO for Johnson Machinery, as fund manager; The Riverside Angels meeting gives first-time angel investors the opportunity to invest in teams and develop their investment skills and networks.
“We have seen how entrepreneurship changes communities. The Riverside community has worked for years to encourage local investment in growing businesses and find the right platform for entrepreneurs to stay in our community. The Riverside Angel Summit and Citrus seeds represent the most valuable opportunity to achieve the goals we have set so far. I am pleased to see that this forum has made a significant contribution to the ecosystem of entrepreneurship, ”said Varner.
Start-up participants will have the opportunity to compete in a two-month education program, due diligence process and Citrus Seeds LLC for a $ 100,000 investment.
The program officially kicked off on September 6 and will conclude on Thursday, November 4, 2021, with a hearing for the six start-up contestants.
The event will be co-hosted by Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson and UC Riverside Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox.
“With this initiative, our goal is to continue our drive to make Riverside an internationally recognized creative center,” said Lock Dawson. “As the co-chair of the Riverside Angels Summit, I look forward to strengthening Riverside’s entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports new innovations and innovations for global challenges.
The UCR Technology Partnership Office will coordinate the organization and delivery of the educational program through the EPP Small Business Development Center. The initiative is partly funded by the Regional Development Strategy Fund, or SFS. The SFS support for UCR is aimed at increasing capital access to Southern California.
“Capital access is essential for startups to grow and succeed as businesses,” said Rossibel Ochowa, vice president of UCC Riverside Technology Partnership. “Strong local investment community startups are critical to helping them grow and thrive where they can thrive. The Riverside Angels Conference raises funds and initiatives to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Domestic Empire Over the past five years, technology-focused entrepreneurship has grown exponentially. UCR has contributed more than $ 22 million in federal, state and private funding to strengthen the region’s creative ecosystem. The portfolio of entrepreneurship programs, including the EP Small Business Development Center, combined with more than 15 experiences, has helped entrepreneurs raise more than $ 70 million in individual capital and start more than 45 start-ups with most investments. Outside the region.
“UCR is proud of its continued commitment to world-class research, faculty and student talent,” said Wilcox. The Riverside Angels meeting will help build support for those scientists and scholars as they market their findings.
Riverside Angel Summit conducts a series of 13 workshops to help investors set up startups and increase equity capital. Visit riverideangelsummit.com for more information.
About Citrus Seeds LLC
Citrus Seeds LLC is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) fundraiser to date with a total of $ 130,000 by local angel investors. The funds are managed by Kevin Kelly, former CFO of Johnson Machinery, and by Riverside Warner and Brandy LLP. Click here for more information about the fund.
About UCR Technology Partnership Office
The UC Riverside Technology Partnership (OTP) facilitates community outreach to develop ideas and streamline business from UCR and the community. OTP provides a coordinated approach to the protection, verification and transfer of intellectual property to faculty, students and the community. Supporting corporate collaboration and industry-based research; Also get support for job creation education and start-up development. Visit techpartnerships.ucr.edu for more information.