Robert W. Price

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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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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Bloomberg said it best — San José is already the economic hub for AI and tech. Now, we’re using AI to make City Hall work smarter for residents — from red light and speed safety cameras to graffiti and pothole detection, to optimizing bus routes and beyond. Read here: https://lnkd.in/gJBtu5Ci

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🚀 Major Development Alert: UC Riverside Breaks Ground on $68M Innovation Hub University of California, Riverside just launched construction on the SoCal OASIS Park™—a 39,000 sq ft research and innovation facility that's redefining university-industry collaboration in Southern California. Why this matters for corporate partners and VCs: 🔬 Purpose-Built Infrastructure – Labs, maker spaces, flexible office environments, and collaborative workspaces designed specifically for industry partnerships and startups 💡 Proven Track Record – UCR's entrepreneurial programs have raised nearly $100M for startups over the past decade 🎯 Strategic Focus Areas: *Clean energy & climate tech *Next-generation sustainability solutions *Food security innovation *Health tech & public health solutions 🤝 Partnership Ecosystem – Direct access to world-class UCR researchers, emerging talent pipeline, and strategic location near the California Air Resources Board headquarters. 📍 Market Position – First major university facility in Inland SoCal built specifically for economic development, serving one of the fastest-growing regions in California. If you run corporate R&D/CVC or invest in climate/industrial/ag, DM me for a capabilities brief + intro. #Innovation #CleanTech #Sustainability #VentureCapital #CorporateInnovation #ResearchPartnerships #UCRiverside #OASISPark #Climatetech #SocialImpact

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So you want to become an angel investor? I’ve had dozens of conversations over the years that start the same way: “I’m interested in angel investing… I just don’t really know how to start.” That hesitation is real. Early-stage investing can feel opaque, relationship-driven, and insider-heavy. But it’s learnable. On March 6, SDSU is hosting San Diego Angel Academy - a session focused on what it actually means to be an angel investor: • How early-stage deals are evaluated • How risk works at pre-seed and seed • How to invest alongside others • What makes a thoughtful angel Education first. No pressure to deploy capital. If angel investing has been on your radar, this is a clean place to start. Only for accredited investors at this time. More info: https://sdac.sdsu.edu/

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Today’s conversation at the City of Irvine’s “From Startup to Scale” event (Hangar 244, OC Great Park) reinforced something I’ve experienced firsthand as a first-generation founder—and something I see many immigrant and first-generation entrepreneurs continue to face: access to capital too often depends on who you know, not just what you’re building. In my own community, you can see Irvine’s global talent everywhere—starting with our schools. In some classrooms, a majority of students come from immigrant families and diverse cultural backgrounds. That diversity is one of Irvine’s greatest strengths, and it’s a major reason the city has an opportunity to lead in innovation and economic growth. With nearly 39% of Irvine residents foreign-born, Irvine’s founder community includes many immigrants and first-generation entrepreneurs. Question for investors, ecosystem leaders, and institutions: What specific actions will your organization take to make investment access more inclusive—especially for founders who are newer to U.S. systems or lack traditional networks—and what measurable results will you commit to delivering in the next 12 months (e.g., number of first-time checks, new mentor/intros programs, office hours held, founders funded, dollars deployed)? As Founder & CEO of Need2Say (a safety, training, and compliance platform for frontline teams), I’m committed to building in Irvine—and I’m equally committed to ensuring Irvine builds an ecosystem where every capable founder has a real shot. #Irvine #Entrepreneurship #Startups #VentureCapital #EconomicDevelopment #Innovation #ImmigrantFounders #FirstGen #AngelInvesting #InclusiveInnovation City of Irvine Orange County OC Startup Council University of California, Irvine - The Paul Merage School of Business UCI ANTrepreneur Center

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