Sunstone Management Names Zhen Wang as Founder Community Manager
New addition to spearhead efforts providing startup founders with necessary resources to reach development goals.
November 28, 2022
News | Blog | Press
Entrepreneurship
University of California System Hosting 2nd Annual “Born in California®” Demo Day
40 startups representing ten University of California campuses to pitch at Sunstone-sponsored investor event.
November 16, 2022
Founder Focus: Dovran Amanov, CEO & Founder of NeuronSpike
Sunstone sits down with Dovran Amanov, CEO and Founder of Neuronspike.
October 28, 2022
California State University System Hosting Demo Day Powered by Sunstone
Diverse set of founders representing all 23 CSUs pitch at entrepreneurial event.
October 21, 2022
Founder Focus: Michelle Wang & Jie Li, Cofounders of Lair East Labs
Meet the founders of one of the best accelerators in the world, Lair East Labs.
October 20, 2022
Lair East Labs Announces 2022 Startup Accelerator Cohort
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
Opportunities for Entrepreneurs in 2023 and Beyond
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.
Founder Focused Economic Development: 5 Keys to Small Business Success
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.
What Is Economic Development? How Government & Business Work Together to Grow the 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.
Sunstone Management Expands its Investment in University Partnerships: How Universities are the Foundation of the Startup Economy
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.
Sunstone Management Expands Accelerator Partnerships Nationwide: How Does a National Startup Network Benefit the American Dream?
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?
Early-Stage Venture Capital Investment: Can It Save the American Dream?
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.
