Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

I am fired up about the 100+ students that have come together this Friday to compete in the Hornet Hacks 2.0! We have had 20+ teams form around four categories: #Education, #Finance, #Healthcare, and #Sustainability. I have enjoyed working with Ajaydeep Singh and Harmanjot Singh (President and Vice President of ACM Sacramento Chapter). I want to thank them both for all of their leadership in bringing this event to fruition. Also wanted to shoutout, our mentors Monique Brown, James Frasher, Jagan Chidella, and J.P. Morgan who joined to guide our student teams in the right direction! Be sure to stay posted about their progress and development when they pitch next week for cash prizes and other in-kind support. Thank you, Arlene J. Miranda, for supporting in making the environment perfect to innovate and build! #HornetHacks #Hackathon #SacState #Build #hackers California State University-Sacramento Sacramento State College of Engineering and Computer Science SMUD App Orchid Inc Human Machine Collaboration Institute Dale Carlsen Lokesh Sikaria J. Luke Wood, PhD Kevan Shafizadeh, Ph.D., P.E. Troy Topping Amir Salahi - S. Michelle Willard Jennifer Morita Jeannie Wong Dr. Jenni Murphy, Ed.D. Lisa Hammersley Rafael A.C.D. Gacel-Sinclair Milica Markovi? Nathan (Nam Kyoon) Kim Cheng Wang Cheng Hong Kristen Tudor, Ed.D. Julie Jackson, MBA Thomas Whitcher Behnam Arad Franklin Burris, MPA Sadie St. Lawrence

What would it look like to stop talking about your idea and actually take action toward bringing it to reality? Join us on March 21st through 23rd for the Startup Challenge where you will be in an environment that will support you in having a bias towards action. The Startup Challenge is all about gaining traction with real customers. The time is now and sign up for this experience that will help you grow and learn startups by actually building one. Learn More and Register Here: https://lnkd.in/gc9zuEbn #StartupChallenge #startups #entrepreneurship #traction #customers StartupSac Traction Lab Venture Accelerator Zero to Traction Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy Veteran Entrepreneur Tribe of Sacramento (VETS) Sacramento State College of Business Sacramento State College of Engineering and Computer Science The Right Box Laura Good Josh David Miller Arlene J. Miranda Cameron R. Law

Most founders rush to build an MVP to test their idea — but that’s building before testing. The faster, smarter way? Rapid prototypes — quick, cheap, disposable experiments that test your riskiest assumptions before you spend time, money, or energy building something no one wants. A sketch, a landing page, or even a fake interaction can give you the signals you need. Josh David Miller, co-founder of the Traction Lab, breaks it all down in his latest article — a must-read for any founder looking to find traction faster (without the burnout). Check it out! ?? Check out blog here: https://lnkd.in/gH4QcUDN #startups #productdevelopment #prototyping #MVP #innovation #traction Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship StartupSac Zero to Traction

We are excited to see Gabriel Sigala and Splash Technologies in the Top 8 of the Sacramento Kings Capitalize startup competition! We have loved working with him through The Lean Innovator progam our Innovation Lab on campus. Keep an eye out for this up and coming startup! California State University-Sacramento Sacramento State College of Business

We love seeing our portfolio out there doing great work and sharing their story to support other founders. Recently, one of the Traction Lab co-founders, Josh David Miller sat down with Marc Krichman, CEO and co-founder of 811spotter, a construction technology platform, revolutionizing underground infrastructure management on the StartupSac podcast. They had an insightful conversation about: - The power and opportunity of uncovering hidden B2B problems - Bringing in an innovation/technology into an industry that still uses 50 year old processes - Traction and growth and specifically their current traction of 59 customers in 13 states and more than a half a million ARR Check out the episode here: https://lnkd.in/gRkGnFt4 #TractionLab #venturebuilding #startups #Sacramento #SacramentoProud

We are proud to be a sponsor of "the biggest regular tech event in Sacramento" #SacTechSocial! Be sure to plug in andlearn about tech, meet new friends, start collaborations and maybe even find a job or hire a new dev!

This evening, please consider joining us for SacTech Social, the biggest regular tech event in Sacramento. We are honored to be sponsored by the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship which is the hub for startups in the region. They are providing food to fuel all the wonderful networking and engagement we’ll be up to tonight! Please also take a look at all of the wonderful events hosted at the Carlsen Center by Cameron R. Law for the region’s founders and small business leaders. https://lnkd.in/gePTbCUP #events #tech #sacramento

Hanging today at Folsom Tech Week . The first panel this morning was totally my jam! Unlocking Northern California for Entrepreneurs featuring David Lichtman , Eva L. Shepherd-Nicoll , Rick Spencer , Oscar "OG" Garcia, Cameron R. Law . Sacramento Business Journal ChicoSTART Growth Factory California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship #entrepreneurship #innovation #folsomtechweek

Attending the Folsom Tech Week panel on Unlocking Northern California for Entrepreneurs! Cameron R. Law and Rick Spencer are deeply engaged in the startup ecosystem, and their insights are both practical and strategic. One quote from Rick Spencer stands out: “You’re building a business, not a pitch deck.” This is a critical mindset for founders. A compelling pitch is important, but long-term success is built on real traction—customers, revenue, and sustainable growth. Investors don’t just back great slides; they back strong #founders & businesses with solid fundamentals. Looking forward to the discussion and connecting with fellow #entrepreneurs. BarronKent Ventures David Peregrine Robert Rodriguez Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Growth Factory

We are fired up to announce the first Founder Forum of the Traction Lab! This awesome group of startups joining our portfolio have great promise, and we are geared up to support them in making tangible progress toward their next pivotal milestones. The Traction Lab methodology is all about milestone-based progression, and we are rolling up our sleeves and working with each of them in making a massive click forward. Startups in the Forum: 811spotter – Transforming underground utility detection to prevent costly damages and enhance safety. (Marc Krichman) LogRx – Revolutionizing the way pharmaceuticals are tracked and managed in real time. (Clive Savacool and Kristen Simoes) Strived.io – Shaping the future of education with data (Shweta Gandhi and Saumya Garg) Resolv – Streamlining rebate programs to maximize efficiency and consumer participation. (Sam Ruderman) Demotu – A super assistant changing the way you approach movement through deep insights into human performance (Evan Ledahl, @Praj Vedula, John Mohr) If you are interested in plugging in to the Traction Lab, feel free to comment below or DM the Lab’s founders, JDM and Cameron. This effort is funding in part by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA)'s Accelerate CA Hub program and the City of Sacramento Innovation Accelerator Grant. Let’s do big things! #TractionLab #founders #portfolio #startups #venturebuilding