I’m working with some folks on an online startup called THE LATEST (thelatest.com), so I have my antennae finely tuned to pick up signals about what’s new in the worlds of tech, startups, investing and the like.
By now you’ve likely heard the term “Silicon Beach,†which refers to the explosion in tech companies that hug the coast from Santa Monica down through Venice, the Marina and Playa Vista.
The area now boasts Hulu, Viddy, Google, Microsoft, BeachMint, YouTube, Yahoo, Demand Media, Electronic Arts and many others.
Those are just some of the biggies you’ve likely heard of. There are tons of smaller startups you haven’t heard of – at least not yet.
The Silicon Beach startup community is being spawned, in part, by new types of real estate ventures that specialize in providing an environment that kickstarts creative interactions.
Cross Campus is an “accelerator†located at 820 Broadway in Santa Monica. At 11,000 square feet, it’s smaller than ROC – but possibly more intimate. Different companies (and solo operators) gather under one roof and then the magic begins. Tenants get very cool settings they can plunk down into, without having to worry about buying furniture, printers and the like. It’s all there already.
It’s not unusual for young staffers working on the next Twitter to keep unusual hours, and Cross Campus brings in speakers – and prospective investors – to keep the creative juices flowing, night and day.
This new generation loves to combine business and socializing all in one setting. Since they’re already in a cool place, there’s little incentive to leave. And if they stay right there at Cross Campus, maybe they’ll put in another hour or two, post-party.
The guy who runs Cross Campus, Dan Dato, says it’s all about the “creative collisions†that take place there. He was kind enough to introduce me to a “rock star†programmer, John Shiple, who gave me some good input on my project, thelatest.com. Who knows, maybe that introduction will lead to something – I hope so!
To learn more about Cross Campus, go to www.crosscamp.us.
At the 44,000 square-foot Real Office Centers (ROC) in Santa Monica people work in open spaces, smaller enclosed cubicles and bigger office settings. The entire facility, formerly occupied by Google, has been completely revamped, it’s really quite something.
There is a coffee bar and a cafeteria, conference rooms and other gathering places – and a rooftop setting for watching sunsets (cocktail in hand).
As young creatives bump into one another, says CEO Ron McElroy, such serendipitous meetups can lead to extraordinary collaborations. With as many as 200 small companies that can fit inside the place, that’s a lot of potential for collaboration.
Size has its advantages, says McElroy: A fast-growth company has room to grow at ROC. Moving is in and of itself disruptive, he says. At ROC, a company can stay there for a while before growing out of the place.
McElroy says as tenants get to know one another, it’s not unusual for one company to walk down the hall in order to check out the services of another company. If “XYZ Company†is building a mobile app but needs help with getting access to video content, it’s possible there’s video startup that can help somewhere in the building.
Startups are difficult under the best of circumstances, adds McElroy. “We want to provide every advantage possible to survive and flourish.â€
ROC is located at 604 Arizona. To learn more, go to: http://realofficecenters.com/location-details/roc-santa-monica/
City National Bank, which has a branch in Brentwood, is also getting in on the act. City National recently sponsored an event called InsightOne20, largely dedicated to the new economy and startups. Several speakers talked about crowd funding, social media and other building blocks of the new economy. I had the privilege of interviewing City National Bank CEO Russell Goldsmith. That interview can be found at: http://youtu.be/xTZtTb27tJs.
Last but not least, Digital Hollywood returns to the Ritz-Carlton in the Marina for four days of very intense seminars and networking. I’ve attended several years in a row; it’s well worth it for anyone in show biz, startups and/or tech to attend. Victor Harwood, the organizer, does a phenomenal job; the place is a beehive of activity for four days running.
Brentwood residents Lauren Cole (a digital media consultant), Andy Howard (of Shamrock Capital Advisors) and Steve Hollander (a prospective investor looking for deals), are known to hang out at Digital Hollywood.
This year’s program runs from Monday, April 30 to Thursday, May 2nd. To learn more or sign up, go to:
http://www.digitalhollywood.com/WomensBoardSp13.html
Something’s going on over there at Silicon Beach. And it’s all so close to Brentwood.
See you at Digital Hollywood?
