Welcome back to The Sunstone Way.
Finding ways to move stuff more efficiently has always been essential to economic growth. Sometimes we call it goods movement, supply chain management, or logistics. Simply put, it is getting people stuff that they need as quickly as possible so that they can make things, sell things, and use things they need in their daily lives.
Throughout history, civilizations that find ways to move information, goods, and people through new and innovative technologies including trains, planes, and automobiles, have been able to supercharge economic growth. Modernizing transportation through new and innovative technologies is a major priority of Sunstone and a major way to improve the economy, society, and then environment.
Modernizing Our Supply Chain
We’re back in Long Beach, preparing for two major events here next week. Both are aimed at modernizing transportation and goods movement through innovative technologies, one of the key pillars of Mayor Rex Richardson’s Grow Long Beach initiative and the Launch Beach: 100 Startups campaign. It’s also a segment of the Long Beach Venture Fund.
First up is the Mobilize Summit, Oct. 30-31 at The Westin in downtown Long Beach. It is targeted specifically to facilitate connections and collaborations while exploring emerging technologies, workforce training needs and the continuing evolution of the transportation industry. The summit is organized by the nonprofit Workforce Training Associates and boasts sponsorships from cities all over California and other western states.
As you know, the Port of Long Beach and its neighbor the Port of Los Angeles combine to be one of the largest cargo seaports in the world — moving tens of millions of cargo containers into America and throughout the nation on a daily basis. For more than two decades, Long Beach’s efforts to clean up the pollution associated with goods movement using ships, trains and trucks have earned it the moniker The Green Port, but more needs to be done to modernize these processes through the use of information technology, enterprise software, and Artificial Intelligence — all key focus areas of startups Sunstone Management supports through the Long Beach Accelerator and Lair East Labs.
Cutting-edge companies like Evolectric, one of the portfolio companies in funds sponsored by Sunstone Management and advised by Sunstone Advisors, LLC., are part of that solution. Evolectric converts polluting diesel trucks to run on electricity and continue to refine the process. You can bet it will be among the companies being discussed at the Mobility Summit as experts look for ways to make transportation and goods movement both more efficient and more environmentally friendly. It is a fertile field for entrepreneurial startups.
Technology Powering Economic Growth
Next Thursday, Nov. 2, the Long Beach Economic Partnership will present the annual economic forecast from the CSULB Office of Economic Research at its Accelerate Long Beach Economic Forum. Everyone interested in the area’s economy – experts, politicians, business owners – will be on hand, and Mayor Richardson will help the LBEP release a series of industry profiles across the sectors key to the Grow Long Beach initiative, including aerospace, transportation, healthcare, sustainability, and creative industries.
It should come as no surprise that those industry sectors parallel the components in the Long Beach Venture Fund. I am committed to connecting startups in those sectors to the capital investment they need through the Long Beach Venture Fund. It is our role as part of the Launch Beach: 100 Startups coalition.
Transportation – including the growing Space Beach group of companies working near the Long Beach Airport – will be a big part of the Economic Forum because it is a critical part of the Long Beach economy. Adding cutting-edge technology to all forms of transportation, logistics and goods movement will make Long Beach a leader in those fields and grow our community’s economy at the same time.
Long Beach is a Center of World Trade
I would like to remind you that Sunstone Management has a Long Beach office now, in the World Trade Center. We’re ready and willing to help you participate in the Grow Long Beach and 100 Startups campaigns.
That “you” includes accredited investors and entrepreneurs seeking to be Founders of new startupsAnd the “we” includes our coalition partners – the Long Beach Economic Partnership, Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion, Long Beach Accelerator, CSULB Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Imprint Venture Lab and Sunstone Community Fund.
I’m looking forward to hearing the economic forecast next week. I’m excited to be a part of the economic future of Long Beach going forward with the Long Beach Venture Fund and the Launch Beach: 100 Startups coalition. It will enrich our community.
And that’s The Sunstone Way!
As always, be a Sunstone!
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone Management, Inc.
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Note: This blog post is for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer to sell securities or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Such offers are made solely pursuant to formal offering and subscription documentation in an investment fund (“Fund”).
Interests in private funds such as the Long Beach Venture Fund are offered pursuant to an exemption from registration with the SEC and are therefore high-risk, illiquid investments. Those considering such investments should be able to afford losing some or all their money. For more information about the Long Beach Venture Fund, including a summary of risks, please request a Private Placement Memorandum from Sunstone Management, Inc.
More About Sunstone Management
Sunstone Management is a diversified private capital sponsor firm headquartered in Southern California that invests in diverse early-stage technology entrepreneurs who seek to build great companies. We believe in the aspirational power of the American economy to attract and inspire investors and entrepreneurs from throughout the world. We deliver new and exciting opportunities for economic growth through the creation of innovative public-private partnerships, and our unique experience across government, education, and private sectors. Identified by Financial Times as one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies three years in a row. In the second quarter of 2023, PitchBook ranked Sunstone the seventh most active early-stage venture capital firm in the country, and 18th overall.
© Sunstone Management Inc., 2023