Sunstone Management - News, Press, Blog

Global group of founders to receive funding, mentorship support as part of Sunstone partner Lair East Labs, a cutting edge New York-based accelerator program for AI, SaaS, FinTech, eCommerce platforms.

October 12, 2022

Sunstone Management, Five Founders celebrate the innovative Southern California ecosystem

Sunstone Management, American Lending Center, Partake Collective, TrustCard, and Sunstone Trust Company hosted “The Five Founders” social event celebrating the innovative Southern California entrepreneurial ecosystem.

September 27, 2022

Founder Focus: Trevor Thoma & Aidan Pinter, Cofounders of Rideshine

Let’s chat with Trevor Thoma & Aidan Pinter, Cofounders of Rideshine: “The only subscription service that washes your car while you sleep.”

September 23, 2022

Founder Focus: Zarina Bahadur, CEO & Founder of 123 Baby Box

Zarina Bahadur has been featured in the likes of Forbes and Business Insider. Now it’s Sunstone’s turn to speak with the CEO and Founder of 123 Baby Box.

September 16, 2022

Founder Focus: Brynley Lee, CEO & Founder of Basilard BioTech

A Sunstone Founder Focus interview with Brynley Lee, CEO and Founder of Basilard BioTech.

September 9, 2022

Founder Focus: James Jones Jr., CEO & Co-Founder of Bump by Ownors

A chat with James Jones Jr. – Harvard alum, attorney, CEO, and co-founder of Bump by Ownors.

September 2, 2022

Sunstone Management Announces $100,000 Grant to the Long Beach Accelerator

Long Beach Accelerator Center of Excellence Grant will assist the development of new tech accelerator network.

August 29, 2022

Founder Focus: Ethan Glass, CEO & Co-Founder of Ocra

Ocra’s Ethan Glass on parking – an industry on the cusp of transformation.

August 26, 2022

Sunstone Management Announces $25,000 Grant to TiE SoCal

Funds will expand access to community-based accelerator programs for TiE members.

August 22, 2022

American Lending Center and Sunstone Management Rank on the 2022 Inc. 5000 Annual List of Fastest Growing Companies

Both companies rank on distinguished list for third consecutive year.

August 16, 2022

Sunstone Management Announces $75,000 California State University Community Building Grant to the California State University, Long Beach Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Funds will support entrepreneurship programs and activities at CSU campuses.

August 15, 2022

Founder Focus: Shira Yevin, CEO and Founder of Gritty In Pink

Gritty In Pink’s Shira Yevin on communicating, connecting and providing a market for talented women.

August 5, 2022

Founder Focus: Michael White, CEO and Founder of Zero Infinity One

A founder focused interview with Zero Infinity One CEO Michael White – musician, music producer, networker and visionary.

July 29, 2022

Founder Focus: Noveil

An interview with the founders of Noveil, an innovating dating platform for Gen Z college students and Grand Prize winner of the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition.

July 20, 2022

Founder Focus: Kurt Busch, CEO and Founder of Syntiant

Rising star Kurt Busch is the CEO and founder of AI and deep learning company, Syntiant.

July 19, 2022

Sunstone Management Welcomes Director of Economic Development Eric Romero

Former Business Development Officer for the City of Long Beach Economic Development Department to spearhead relationship building with local municipalities for early-stage business ventures, reaffirm company’s commitment to public/private partnership investments.

July 18, 2022

Long Beach Accelerator Announces Fourth Cohort

Sunstone corporate partner, the Long Beach Accelerator, announces their fourth cohort!

July 12, 2022

Founder Focus: Jakson Alvarez and Bill Beverley, Cofounders of Evolectric

Evolectric co-founders Jakson Alvarez and Bill Beverley turn their dream into reality with the involvement of Sunstone and the Long Beach Accelerator.

July 7, 2022

Founder Focus: Blue Aqua Food Tech

Sunstone sits down with Blue Aqua Food Tech, winner of the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition in Social Enterprise at the University of California, Irvine.

June 28, 2022

Industry Leader John Shen on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the White House

Sunstone founding partner John Shen shares his thoughts on the American Dream, AANHPI, and making California home.

June 27, 2022

Sunstone Partners with Lair East Labs on Startup Accelerator Program

Sunstone goes nationwide in new partnership with New York-based accelerator Lair East Labs.

June 23, 2022

Founder Focus: Dr. Yi Chao, CEO and Founder of Seatrec

Sunstone sits down with Dr. Yi Chao, CEO and founder of renewable “blue tech” startup Seatrec.

June 17, 2022

Innovation Leader John Shen Joins President Biden at White House Bill Signing

Innovation Leader and Sunstone Management founding partner John Shen joins President Biden at White House bill signing.

June 14, 2022

2022 Stella Zhang New Venture Competition

Finalists gathered at the University of California, Irvine to compete for $100,000 at the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition Grand Finale.

June 9, 2022

2022 CALED Annual Conference

CEO John Keisler invited to speak at CALED conference in Long Beach on accelerating entrepreneurship, public-private partnerships.

May 23, 2022

2022 Sunstone CSU Startup Launch

Twenty teams from six universities gathered at Cal State Long Beach for the inaugural Sunstone CSU Startup Launch.

May 9, 2022

Sunstone Management Announces New Chief Investment Officer Mike Stone

Finance and Startup Development Veteran Joins Sunstone as Top Advisor, Partner.

May 5, 2022

Sunstone Innovation Challenge Awards $25,000 to Winning Startups at CSULB

Sunstone Management presents top teams with startup seed funding and professional resources.

April 21, 2022

Sunstone and American Lending Center Recognized by The Financial Times in Fastest Growing Companies in the Americas for the Second Year in a Row

Sunstone ranks 222nd, ALC ranks 452nd.

April 11, 2022

Sunstone Management Welcomes New CEO John Keisler

Former Long Beach Economic Development Director Set to Spearhead Significant VC, P3 Growth.

February 22, 2022

Long Beach Accelerator Offers New $500K Direct Equity Investments for Startups

LBA creates the largest accelerator funding opportunity to date in the US.

February 17, 2022

American Lending Center and Sunstone Management Among Fastest Growing Companies

Inc. 5000 recognizes Sunstone Management for successful growth strategies two years in a row.

August 19, 2021

New Banking Institution Sunstone Trust Open for Business

Sister company Sunstone Trust approved as first de novo trust in California in nearly 14 years

August 2, 2021

Long Beach Accelerator Welcomes Second Round of Entrepreneurs

LBA congratulates the inaugural cohort on its completion of the program and greets a new class.

July 8, 2021

Sunstone and American Lending Center Recognized by The Financial Times in Fastest Growing Companies in the Americas

Sunstone ranks 59th, ALC ranks 390th on list of 500 for 2021.

April 13, 2021

Winning Startups Receive $25,000 through Sunstone Innovation Challenge at CSULB

Sunstone Management awards two innovative startups seed funding and professional resources at California State University, Long Beach.

April 8, 2021

Sunstone Management Ranks No. 65 on Inc. Magazine’s List of California’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

Companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 Regionals: California list had an average growth rate of 535 percent.

March 17, 2021

Long Beach Accelerator Welcomes Inaugural Cohort

Long Beach Accelerator announces new board members and the commencement of its first class of startups.

February 16, 2021

New Executive Director of Long Beach Accelerator Announces Opening of First Cohort Application

Andrea White-Kjoss brings over 20 years of business expertise and an extensive network of entrepreneurs to the Accelerator’s team.

November 12, 2020

Inc. 5000 Honoree Spotlight: Sunstone Management

Sunstone Management was not the first company founded by John Shen, a serial financial entrepreneur, but it could easily be the most efficient he has built in a short period of time.

October 27, 2020

Seatrec Raises $2M in Seed Funding to Commercialize Technology That Harvests Clean, Renewable Energy from the Ocean

Company expands initial market of research and defense to power Blue Economy including aquaculture and maritime transportation.

October 27, 2020

Sunstone Management Named One of 100 Best Places to Work in Los Angeles

Sunstone recognized by Built in LA, additionally under “50 Best Small Companies to Work For in Los Angeles” and “50 Companies with the Best Benefits in Los Angeles.”

September 2, 2020

Sunstone Management in Top 10% of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America Ranking by Inc. 5000

Sunstone recognized for supporting growth and job creation in US Economy.

August 12, 2020

Syntiant Completes $35M Series C Raise with Support of Sunstone Venture Capital

Sunstone investment in Series A and B supports Syntiant’s continued growth.

August 10, 2020

Sunstone Innovation Challenge Awards $25,000 to Two Startups

Sunstone Management founding partner John Shen presents winning teams at CSULB Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

May 12, 2020

American Lending Center and Sunstone Management Raise Money for A Perfect Love Foundation

Proceeds will support American families who have adopted Chinese infants with disabilities.

March 10, 2020

Sunstone Management and American Lending Center Spearhead Medical Donations and Support to Help Fight Coronavirus

American Lending Center and Sunstone Management implement long-term donation plan to distribute direly needed medical supplies to hospitals throughout China.

February 6, 2020

Sunstone Management Engages with Tech Leaders at IM DATA Conference

Sunstone leadership talks AI, big data, and startup investing.

December 19, 2019

Blog

What is the Sunstone Way, and why should you follow it?

By John Keisler

Welcome to The Sunstone Way, a new blog from John Keisler, the CEO at Sunstone Management. Come back here every week as we explore how Sunstone is helping enrich companies, communities and lives through investment. It’s our goal with this blog to explain how we are working here at Sunstone to enrich the world by helping startup founders turn a dream into a viable business, create valuable and interesting jobs, and improve the community by providing a needed service or product.

By John Keisler

Yesterday, while sitting on stage at TiEcon Southwest, I was asked to answer the most difficult question facing all early-stage venture capital investors: “What information do you use to identify great startups?” This is such a difficult question to answer because there is so little information available to forecast the potential for future success. At Sunstone Management, we believe in creating partnerships to identify, engage, and support the growth of early-stage Founders. Here are five strategies that we use to identify great startups.

By John Keisler

Almost every city in America—large and small, rural and urban, coastal and inland—is looking for new and creative ways to attract and grow new small businesses in their communities. Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and provide several critical resources to the health of a city including job creation, revenues to pay for city services, and creating a high quality of life through quality goods and services. But small businesses need support to survive and thrive; and, most cities are failing to provide the key support services that are needed to grow their local small business economy.

By John Keisler

We often hear that “government should run more like a business”. Typically, this statement is meant to imply that the private sector is more innovative, creative, and efficient—that the American economy would grow more if only government would get out of the way. This is a common assumption in American business culture that limits economic growth and shows a lack of understanding about how the public sector supports economic growth through economic development. Real economic growth requires a partnership between government and business.

By John Keisler

Sunstone Management announced the launch of our most recent investment in early-stage entrepreneurs with Sunstone University, a monthly education series that brings university-based startup Founders together to share resources and support one another. Sunstone has emerged as a Statewide leader among early-stage venture capital firms in supporting university-based entrepreneurship.

By John Keisler

This week, Sunstone Management announced its exciting nationwide expansion into New York City through a new partnership with early-stage startup accelerator Lair East Labs (LEL), one of the Top 100 Accelerators Worldwide. This is a big investment for two organizations located on separate sides of the continent over 2,780 miles apart. How can this big investment result in benefits to Founders of early-stage technology startups located in such different regions of the country?

By John Keisler

Earlier this month, Sunstone Management distributed approximately $1 million in Simple Agreements for Equity (SAFE) to 10 early-stage technology startups with the hope that these diverse entrepreneurs would become partners in the creative, complex, and challenging journey of risking it all to realize their entrepreneurial dream.