Entrepreneur Showcase
1st Annual Entrepreneur Showcase
Come celebrate promising entrepreneurs from the Long Beach community, who will engage in a showcase event to share their story of becoming an entrepreneur and showcase their product, service and/or technology. All are welcome to attend this networking event, presented by CSULB’s Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Beach Pride Events.
Join us for a moderated Q&A panel with our special guest speakers starting at 1pm, followed by entrepreneur tabling and networking.
Special Guest Speakers
Maria Barannikova
Pizza Prophecy, Founder
Maria Barannikova is creating a fully sustainable wood-fired vegan pizza truck which runs on solar power, renewable diesel, and thermoelectric power. Her passion to support the sustainability effort stems from years in the restaurant industry, which is one of the largest producers of waste in the world, and her eye-opening experience in Silicon Valley in the operations field, where she witnessed the lack of interest in preserving our planet, despite the outward impression of just the opposite. Pizza Prophecy hopes to be a message for the future to build companies which take the extra step in preserving our Planet Earth and humankind, and at the same time building community and creating deep-rooted connections for future generations.
Ossie Cohen
Pickl, Founder
I feel it’s important to be part of something greater than oneself, and realize all components support each other, whether working autonomously or in participative culture. I believe in doing 1 thing really well. 1 hamburger. 1 Ice cream cone
After winning 16 awards in the Natural Products Industry supporting many #1 National Brands that make Premium Wellness, Beauty & Grocery products found in Whole Foods, Ralphs, Target & more - I decided to create a technology automating the support process for all 5000+ brands in the Natural Sector.
PICKL gives Instant Visibility to Brands & Retailers to see their products in grocery stores. Anything they want to see + any store, within 24hrs powered by grocery shoppers. Uber of Retail Visibility.
Shankar Ram
TiE SoCal Angels, Chair
Shankar is a serial entrepreneur, mentor and an angel investor. He has started multiple companies and has had 4 successful exits in the past 20 years. He has invested in over 25 start-ups and is active in angel investment groups.
He is on the Board of TiE Southern California, the second largest chapter of a global non-profit organization for entrepreneurs. He is the current Chair of TiE SoCal Angels, the angel investment arm of the chapter. He is also a member of Tech Coast Angels, OC chapter, one of the largest Angel Investor group in the country.
He is also passionate about his non-profits – he is on the Board of Food Finders, Inc., a Long Beach based Food Rescue Organization and is a Trustee of Guindy1975 Trust, an educational Trust based out of Southern India.
Entrepreneur Exhibitors
3 Women
3 Women is a women-owned and operated vintage clothing store and eco-friendly design house located in the East Village Arts District in Downtown Long Beach, California. We design sustainable garments from vintage rice, flour, and feed sack fabric. Contact us for your own custom-fit, made in Long Beach, 3 Women design.
Artemus Labs
Artemus Labs is a student-ran, start-up company founded by Calvin Leung & Rae Jillian Rivera in 2018. Our company currently focuses on creating prosthetic liners, and challenges the current industry by striving to integrate functionality with alluring designs. The prosthetic liner we are developing will have the technology and innovation that people deserve. What we value in our company in our customer. Ultimately, we want to make our customers feel confident & sexy.
BioPower Enterprises
BioPower Enterprises’ innovative household product, the ANDI, is a compact, automated, appliance that disposes of household food and pet waste quickly and easily with minimal cleanup. It also delivers a 99% pathogen-free organic fertilizer that is safe for lawns and gardens. The ANDI will provide the means for the average household to divert their food and pet waste from landfills, mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and slowing the progression of climate change. The ANDI saves as many GHG emissions as replacing a fossil fueled car with an electric car.
Localight
The Problem: Independent Merchants struggle to compete against Major Chains! Indie Merchants comprise 98% of the retail market, but only capture 54% of US sales. Major Chains win with high-level technology, strategies, and the Network Marketplace Effect (NME).
The Solution: Localight connects ALL indie merchants into a universal reward network that employs NME and disruptive retail tech. Indie merchants don't even need to sign up... it just works! The platform increases revenue for independent merchants with measurable results. Consumers receive rewards & offers at local merchants based on A.I. powered personalization. It is like "Amazon Prime for shopping local." The digital wallet supports all US banks, Mastercard and Visa debit cards, gift cards and crypto coins (Bitcoin, XRP, Ethereum & Litecoin). Become a Localight!
PeriDeals
PeriDeals is like the Groupon of grocery shopping. Stores regularly discount their overstocked meats up to 60% off and PeriDeals gives users free access to view these deals from their smartphone. 41% of students in the CSU system are food insecure. Unfortunately higher education creates a large financial burden for many students and food insecurity is a consequence of this burden. Our goal for PeriDeals is to make protein more affordable for students at CSULB and to promote a healthier and more equitable future of higher education. PeriDeals regularly includes deals from Vons, Food4Less, and Ralphs and if there is a store near campus that you would like to request deals from, let us know!
Power Panel Experts
Power Panel Experts is a unique SaaS marketing tool consisting of a series of Questions & Prerecorded AUDIO Answers. Drive leads and calls to action by engaging a wider online target audience in a measurable way – convey your insight and expertise, problem-solve, and provide thought-provoking content in your own voice. Be and build your own knowledge base without the effort and expense associated with podcasts, networking groups, conferences or seminars.
Sips Cold Brew
Sips Cold Brew is a CSULB based cold brew start-up company. Our services allow college students to purchase cold brew coffee and get it delivered straight to their dorm room. The cold brew will be delivered in a 32 oz growler which, for the average coffee drinker, should last up to a week. This will provide a more convenient and affordable way for students to purchase coffee on campus.
Sweet Peach Planning
Sweet Peach Planning is a boutique event planning firm that specializes in Weddings, Baby Showers, Community Events and Social Events for Corporate Clients. Their unique approach to planning helps not only the day of the event to be a success but the whole planning process to be as sweet as a peach. The company has been thriving in Long Beach for five years and is expanding to Los Angeles & Dallas in 2020 with plans to launch a subscription box in the near future.
