Welcome back to the Sunstone Way!
We start the fourth quarter of 2026 today, Oct. 1. It is the time when all the work done in 2026 comes to fruition – contacts turn into contracts, as I like to say.
It’s fitting that today also is the culmination of the third annual Long Beach Tech Week presented by the Long Beach Accelerator. The LBA and its amazing CEO, Vivian Shimoyama, have been working for more than a year to be able to unveil the new Long Beach Accelerator Tech Center during Tech Week, and it happened!
LBA Tech Center
Fueled by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the LBA Tech Center has a home at the site of the former Acres of Books on Long Beach Boulevard. Part of a much larger redevelopment project, the Tech Center is a space for investors, thought leaders, and emerging tech companies to come together.
It was particularly fitting that Long Beach Tech Week 2026 kicked off with a reception at the new LBA Tech Center on Sept. 28. Founders, investors, public and private leaders, support providers and more got the first look at what is designed to be Ground Zero for tech startups in Long Beach.
The LBA provides technical assistance through education forums and one-on-one business advisory services. Through building a foundation of growth the LBA gets founders to focus on their financial acumen, AI adoption for small businesses and workplace enhancement, and building a business that attracts debt and equity financing for an ROI for investors. The LBA is aligned with region and City verticals with a focus on goods movement, aerospace & space tech, health tech and energy & sustainability to complement the Port of Long Beach. To find out how to be a part of the excitement, visit the LBA website.
Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
When the Long Beach Accelerator was created in 2020, a key partner was the Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE) at California State University, Long Beach. Dr. Wade Martin, IIE director, was a founding board member.
Dr. Martin has been an economics professor at CSULB since 2002 and has shepherded many student founders in that time. He put together a strong agenda for yesterday, Sept. 30, starting with a morning called Capital Corner for all founders. I might be a bit biased – the morning panel discussions were moderated by two Sunstone experts. Jayro Sandoval, Sunstone Cities economic development manager, led the panel about non-dilutive funding while Jasmine Jiang, senior vice president of Sunstone Advisors, moderated a discussion about equity investment.
Then the afternoon was when the rubber really met the road – the CSU Demo Day! Founders had the chance to make their pitches to peers and investors, looking for feedback, partners and maybe even some backing.
Reaching the Summit
Today, the final day of Long Beach Tech Week 2026, is the 3rd Annual Long Beach Investors & Founders Summit. It starts with a luncheon to honor four innovative leaders – LBA Visionary of the Year Dr. Noel Hacegaba, CEO of the Port of Long Beach; LBA Trailblazer of the Year Carrie Marshal, CEO of Rebel Space Technologies; LBA Investor of the Year Joshua Lee, CEO of Gumshoe Venture; and LBA Founder of the Year Ethan Glass, CEO of OCRA.
If the last two years are any indication, the final event – a Visionary Investor Panel, where notable investors from the area will share insight on the global economy and navigating the equity landscape and growth opportunities. In my opinion, the free panel is a worth seeing.
A special added attraction this year is a preview of LA2028 Olympics opportunities. The world is coming to Los Angeles and Long Beach in summer 2028, and the preview will talk about potential business partnerships.
Why?
Providing support to entrepreneurs innovating in tech fields is core to the Sunstone Way, and is the primary reason the Long Beach Accelerator was created. We partner with the Long Beach Accelerator to organize Long Beach Tech Week, and continue to support LBA in multiple ways. Special thanks to the team at Sunstone Investment Group for their hands-on work on this event, and many others.
We participate in other Tech Weeks as well – Los Angeles, Glendale and Irvine Tech Day, to name a few. I think these events accomplish several vital functions. They impart information, they highlight resources and they provide venues to network, resulting in new partnerships and insights.
That should sound familiar. That’s because it is the Sunstone Way!
And remember, always be a Sunstone.
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone
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Sunstone Investment Group, headquartered in Southern California, is the holding company for the Sunstone family of entities, including: Sunstone Investment Management Services, responsible for administrative services; Sunstone Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser, which oversees Sunstone Venture Partners LLC, a private capital fund manager; Sunstone Cities, a government economic development consulting firm; and Sunstone Community Fund, a charitable organization that supports entrepreneurship. Sunstone is dedicated to enriching lives through investment, entrepreneurship, and community.
The information and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the Sunstone Investment Group and are provided for informational purposes only. This content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any security or financial product. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. Readers are encouraged to consult with their own legal, tax, and financial advisers before making any investment decisions.
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