Lots happened in the L.A. tech and startup community this week. dot.LA chief host and correspondent Kelly O'Grady takes you through the key stories:
- Sports: Women's Soccer Team Angel City Comes to L.A., Dodger Stadium Gets a Tech Makeover
- Biotech: Curative Seeks to Expand Testing Beyond Drive-Thrus, Quantgene Aims to Cure Cancer with Data
- Media: Snap Outperforms Investor Expectations, TikTok Makes Goodwill Gesture Towards Music Publishers and Creators
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<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Weekly Recap:</small>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrK7H_J_gtU&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
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</p><p><br></p><ul class="ee-ul"></ul><p><em>Watch to stay smart on what is happening, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dotla/?hl=en" target="_blank">follow us on Instagram</a> for daily video content.</em><br></p>
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- Los Angeles' Tech and Startup Scene is Growing. - dot.LA ›
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Ten companies. Three months. One Demo Day. But what makes the Techstars L.A. experience so transformative? And how will that translate to the current remote world? In this installment of dot.LA Dives In, we talk with Anna Barber, managing director of Techstars L.A., for a behind the scenes look at what the Class of 2020 can expect from the accelerator experience.
Meet the Techstars L.A. Class of 2020
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cc070c5f773d48cb69efaccc58bc5a90"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NaOLE9iIWSI?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>"We have had a (Techstars) that is all virtual for a few years now, so we had some precedent. Essentially what we are trying to do is bring that community, that connection, and all the learning and the value of mentorship, but just do it in a virtual environment with the same level of effectiveness," says Barber</p><p>Since the inception of Techstars L.A., Barber has been cultivating supportive environments for startups to grow. </p>
<p>Some of her favorite stories are the "before and after" transformations where, by the end of its journey, the company is almost unrecognizable. Many of the accelerator participants go on to raise seed rounds after an intense three months of iteration.</p><p>"The reason people are successful fundraising coming out of the program is because they do the work of understanding the drivers of their business and moving them so that investors can see they are building on a strong foundation, and therefore their business becomes investable," says Barber. "It's not because they build a fancy powerpoint or rehearse their pitch a lot. It's because they did the work."<br/></p><p><span></span>Barber <a href="https://dot.la/heres-the-one-thing-techstars-anna-barber-looks-for-in-founders-2646414750/particle-2" target="_blank">looks for a certain type of founder</a> that can undergo such a transformation. Each member of the Techstars L.A. 2020 class is there because Barber could envision herself working for their company. But what is it specifically that makes her say yes to a founder? Passion and an open mind.<br/></p><p>"I'm looking for that founder who literally can't be doing anything else because they can't rest until this thing that they've envisioned exists in the world," says Barber. "Then you couple that determination with a really open-minded viewpoint of how you get there. And a willingness to learn, and a willingness to be wrong."</p><p>In addition to her role at Techstars, Barber serves as a coach and strategic consultant to founders, as well as a partner at The Fund, an early stage venture capital fund made up of local founders and operators that <a href="https://dot.la/the-fund-los-angles-venture-capital-2645878184.html" target="_blank">expanded to L.A. this year</a>. With so much engagement in the local tech and startup community, it is no surprise that Barber has a specific vision for L.A. tech's future. Five to ten years down the line, she hopes for a Los Angeles that is contributing to the sustainability of our planet and for a community where diversity, equity and inclusion have become core components - and she plans to help make that vision a reality.</p><p>"I think, 'what is the change I want to see in the world and have L.A. be a leader?' I would love to see advances in sustainability, which I think is the pressing issue of our time," says Barber. "And I would love to see a Los Angeles where we have made meaningful progress on diversity, equity and inclusion — both on the funding side and the founding side."</p><p>Watch the full interview to learn more - in this conversation, we dive deep into how Techstars empowers startups to create impact, what it is about a founder that makes Barber say yes! and what she envisions for the future of L.A. tech. Get ready for an intriguing look at the L.A. startup scene from the woman uniquely positioned to help bring about that future.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
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<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Anna Barber: Techstars and the Future of L.A. Tech</small>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrBrZxf_7Aw&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a></small>
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<em>Kelly O'Grady runs video and serves as the chief host & correspondent for dot.LA. Find her on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kfogrady" target="_blank">@kfogrady</a> and email her at <a href="mailto:mailto:kelly@dot.LA">kelly@dot.LA</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Techstars' Advice to LA Entrepreneurs - dot.LA ›
- Meet the 10 Startups in This Year's Techstars LA Program - dot.LA ›
- What Techstars' Anna Barber Looks for in Founders - dot.LA ›
- Meet Techstars LA 2020 Class - dot.LA ›
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Lots happened in the L.A. tech and startup community this week. dot.LA chief host and correspondent Kelly O'Grady takes you through the key stories:
- Startups: Techstars LA 2020 Class Launches, Rental App Pocketlist Launches, OpenPath Seeks End of Key Cards
- Media: Peacock Launches Everywhere, 'Going Public' Fuses IPOs & Reality TV
- Investing: Fisker to Go Public, Wavemaker Raises Oversubscribed Round, Fewer L.A. Startup Deals Getting Done
Weekly Recap: Techstars L.A. 2020 Launches Remote, NBC Launches Peacock & Startup Deal Volume is Low www.youtube.com
Watch to stay smart on what is happening, and follow us on Instagram for daily video content.
From Your Site Articles
- Los Angeles' Tech and Startup Scene is Growing. - dot.LA ›
- Catch Up With This Week's Startup News in Our Weekly Video Recap ›
- Catch Up With This Week's Startup News in Our Weekly Video Recap ›
Related Articles Around the Web