Tag: business

Humboldt Startup Weekend

Have you ever had an idea for a business and want to find out how to start?

Humboldt Startup Weekend is your chance to create the dream business you always imagined. The 54-hour weekend event takes place from March 8 through 10 and is hosted by Humboldt State’s entrepreneurs club and sponsored by Google. People are put into teams where they create a start-up business plan that can be used in real life.

The weekend starts at 5 p.m. Friday, March 8. This is when the participants check in and meet each other. The first night is where ideas are pitched and teams are formed to start working on the business plans. Saturday from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. is when teams put together the bulk of their business plans.

Mentor Speaking at 2018 Humboldt Startup Weekend. | Photo courtesy Natalie Dubbel

Community entrepreneurs will serve as mentors to offer hands-on advice for successful businesses. Sunday is the final day where teams finalize their plans to be presented to a panel of community judges in a “Shark Tank”-style presentation. The weekend ends when the awards are handed out to the top three teams.

Nancy Vizenor is the adviser of Entrepreneur’s Club Institute for Entrepreneurship Education and one the lead coordinators of the event. She highlights the inspiration the event creates for students.

“Whether you come with a business idea or not, you get a team on Friday night and go from idea to near launch by Sunday,” Vizenor said. “It is absolutely a transformational experience. It’s definitely something our students look back on as being a highlight of their time at HSU.”

Startup Weekend is not just for HSU students, It’s open to anyone who has an idea they want to share. Natalie Dubbel is the president of the HSU Entrepreneur’s Club and the events student coordinator.

“Typically other majors have the best ideas,” Dubbel said.

Some of the ideas presented get turned into real businesses. Like Humbots, a company that uses drones to survey the forest. This started as an idea that students first pitched at the Humboldt Start-up weekend two years ago. Now, they are a real business that does surveying in Humboldt County.

Taken at Humboldt Startup Weekend 2018. | Photo courtesy Natalie Dubbel

Tickets start at $55 with food, a t-shirt and all materials being provided. This event takes place all over the world and gives people the opportunity and inspiration to turn their ideas into reality.

“It is absolutely a transformational experience where learning is at its highest because you are actually working to start a business,” Vizenor said.

For more information and tickets on how to be a part of Humboldt Startup Weekend visit http://communities.techstars.com/usa/humboldt-ca-usa/startup-weekend/14156

Wednesday, March 6, 2019
They mean business

Two former Humboldt State students run their own companies

Over the past year, two former Humboldt State University students Oscar Perez and Tex Keith created and manage their own Humboldt County based companies at the ages of just 23 and 21.

Perez and Keith started off as football players for the HSU Lumberjacks but then decided earlier in the year to take a break from enrolling in classes in order to pursue their careers. Though both men’s companies are vastly different, they both enjoyed the idea of being their own boss.

“Seeing the way my old boss ran his shop looked really fun, but I’ve never liked authority,” Perez said.

Oscar Perez, owner of The Speakeasy Hair Lounge on K street in Arcata gives client a haircut on Nov. 29. Photo by Amanda Schultz

Since freshman year of high school, Perez had always had a passion for cutting hair as a barber. He knew he wanted to one day open his own barber shop. It wasn’t until just a couple of months ago when Perez spontaneously decided to take a chance as he found a storefront available in a popular location in the middle of Arcata on K street. A month and a half later, The Speakeasy Hair Lounge opened up on Oct. 2.

“I’ve always dreamed of opening my own shop,” Perez said. “The opportunity came up quick. I saw the shop and just ran with it.”

As CEO of Inertial Media, Keith also manages a corporation within Humboldt. This business maven and marketing agency provides expert consulting, brand strategy, and social media management to help their clients. As Inertial Media grew larger Keith became more successful. Keith was awarded top 10 entrepreneurs and had his company featured in Entrepreneur Magazine.

“I’m using this as momentum to keep on growing and helping out other people,” Keith said.

As a college athlete, Keith had hopes of starting a career in the NFL. It wasn’t until after buying two laptops with extra financial aid money and discovering digital marketing did he make the decision to commit most of his time toward business.

Former HSU student Tex Keith is the new CEO of Inertial Media. Photo courtesy by Tex Keith

As Keith learned more about marketing, he was sought out by one of the most successful self-made entrepreneurs in America, Tai Lopez.Keith continued to learn and grow in Lopez’s program which ultimately landed him a spot in Tai Lopez’s Exclusive 300 Group which consists of his best students. Keith is also planning to teach in one of Lopez’s upcoming courses.

“Going from seeing his YouTube videos in 2015, to being in them is pretty cool,” Keith said.

Keith has strengthened his team at Inertial Media by hiring other young like-minded marketers and brokers to keep things running smoothly. Perez also hired like minded barbers with similar hair cutting styles.

“I have a barber from Florida, Central California, and Riverside,”Perez said. “I never actually met any of them. I hired them through Instagram and gave them my pitch.”

Efrain Rosario is one of The Speakeasy’s barbers. Perez first saw Rosario’s barber skills as he posted pictures of his work on social media. After a few conversations, Rosario was convinced to stay in Humboldt County for a fresh start in the industry after moving from Florida.

“My experience working here so far has been pretty fruitful,” Rosario said.

Both companies have plans to expand and further their business along in the future. Perez and Keith have put in countless hours and given up many nights of sleep to get these companies to where they are today. The grit and determination of these two men have started to inspire others to also follow their dreams of starting up a business.

“Don’t hesitate,” Perez said. “Ride with the momentum and just go for it.”

Monday, December 3, 2018
Humboldt State hosts Startup Weekend

Humboldt State hosted Startup Weekend, which gave locals the opportunity to launch a business. The event was held in Founders Hall last weekend.

During Startup Weekend, each participant was given a minute to present a pitch, which is then voted on by the participants to become a group.

Then, groups have the entire weekend to create an ideal model for that business to work and all the costs that will go into the project.

Norman Antonio Campos is a former HSU student majoring in business administration. Campos was one of the 60 participants to come to Humboldt State for a chance to make their idea a potential business.

Campos was eager, like many participants, to have his pitch heard, and looked forward to working with a group of dedicated students.

This weekend was important to many participants, because they had the opportunity to have their ideas heard.

“There are students that really want to start a business,” Campos said, “There is a lot of opportunity.”

Seth Wasylyszyn, 23, was one of the participants at Startup Weekend whose pitch was chosen to become a group. Wasylyszyn’s pitch was Diamond Child Care, a service that offers parents a more secure and safe way to have their children cared for.

“It should be fun,” Wasylyszyn said. “Some contacts to have should be good.”

Another pitch that went on to become a group was RentEmber. RentEmber pitched to become a web-based app that rented out tools locally. The app helps regular people have access to tools at any time they wish. The app charges the person for the time they use the tool.

A group that came out of all the groups was Color. Color was a pitched makeup business that would help reach all skin shades, instead of only having about three shades. This group tackled the issue of the lack of beauty supply options for people of color.

Wesley McKee, 21, is a former College of the Redwoods student that participated in the event. McKee pitched an idea for a van repair service called Van Lyfe.

“This seemed like a good practice run,” McKee said. “I felt a little scared. I didn’t know what to expect.”

McKee’s pitch was changed into a new idea, which he called the Redwood Wrench Collective. The Redwood Wrench Collective was a business idea to bring a safe space for people who have an interest in cars to work on and fix up their cars.

The Redwood Wrench Collective aims to lower the costs of repairs by giving people access to the tools they need.

The Redwood Wrench Collective was the smallest group of the whole event. McKee led his small group to victory when, at the end of judging, it was announced they had won.

“I didn’t really expect to win,” McKee said. “Now I am running a business, like fuck.”

Friday, March 30, 2018
Keeping Corporation Businesses Limited

By | Onaja Waki

You just moved to Arcata, from some big city like San Francisco, or Los Angeles. New to town you start to acquaint yourself with local residents and stores. However, you begin to notice how places like Jamba Juice, In-N-Out, Gap, or Home Depot are non-existent. The only stores you find familiar may be the Safeway at the UnionTown Shopping Center, the Subway on G Street, or even the McDonalds on Giuntoli Lane. Why is this the case?

Arcata is a small town filled with a bunch of local businesses with the exception of only a few big corporate business throughout the town. According to Arcata City Councilmen Paul Pitino, in order to keep all of Arcata’s local businesses in business there can’t be an influx of corporations. “It’s a way of keeping control of the city and not exporting profit to corporations,” said Pitino.

It’s not impossible to have more corporate businesses in town but it takes an effort from either the local residents or the Arcata Economic Development Committee.

“It all depends on the aggressiveness [lobbying] of the committees who then advise City Council,” said Pitino.

It takes a process in order for new businesses to be put in town. According to Pitino, it takes three out of the five council members to vote on it. However, it is ultimately up to the city manager and mayor to set the agenda of the development.

A city ordinance passed in 2002 might also make the task of getting a Chipotle or Wingstop put in town more difficult.

“The ordinance limited the number of formula restaurants in our commercial and industrial zone districts to only nine,” said Pitino.

Ariana Cash, a 22-year-old business major at HSU, thinks having an In-N-Out Out in town would be a good idea but thinks Arcata Pizza Deli’s Out N’ About Burgers has more quality. “In-N-Out probably would give APD some competition because so many students would go there, but I don’t think it would put them out of business or anything,” said Cash. “APD is legendary here.”

Arcata isn’t anti-corporation. Rather it’s a town looking to keep the local stores flourishing and the town’s authenticity alive.

Photo of Ordinance 1333 | Onaja Waki

Wednesday, February 22, 2017