Every founder gets stuck. Maybe you are trying to validate your business model, figure out your next growth strategy, prepare to approach investors, or decide what to prioritize next. Instead of trying to figure it out alone, founders across the Greater Sacramento region can get direct support through the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship’s free Office Hours.
The Carlsen Center at Sacramento State offers three virtual Office Hours opportunities each week, along with monthly in-person AI Startup Office Hours in Rancho Cordova. Founders can bring a specific challenge, ask questions, or simply join to listen and learn from the conversations happening in the room.
Free Support When You Need It
The Office Hours are designed to make it easy for entrepreneurs to get help without adding another barrier between them and the resources they need. There is no cost, and founders can connect directly with experienced operators, investors, and venture builders. Registration includes a few short questions that help the Entrepreneurs-in-Residence understand who will be attending and prepare for the session.
Whether you are an early stage founder working through your first business model or an entrepreneur facing a new challenge as your company grows, you can show up with a question or join to hear what other founders are working through.
Meet the Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Two of the weekly sessions give founders direct access to the Carlsen Center’s Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.
Dr. Brian Gladden | Mondays, 3 to 4 PM PT | Virtual
Dr. Brian Gladden works with founders on business models, strategy, and validation. He is CEO of the Strategy & Innovation Institute and brings decades of experience working with startups and Fortune 50 companies, including Intel, Cisco, and Verizon. His areas of expertise include business model innovation, strategic planning, Lean Startup methods, Blue Ocean Strategy, and the Entrepreneurial Operating System.
Mariah Lichtenstern | Wednesdays, 12:30 to 1:30 PM PT | Virtual
Mariah Lichtenstern helps founders navigate fundraising, investor readiness, and capital strategy. She is the Founding Partner of DiverseCity Ventures and works with accelerator and entrepreneurship programs including Berkeley SkyDeck, Founder Institute, and CalSEED. She also serves on the StartupSac board, giving her a strong connection to Sacramento’s startup community.
Learn more and schedule time with the EIRs here.
Get a Weekly Startup Reality Check
On Fridays at 12 PM, founders can join The Weekly Startup Reality Check, a live AMA hosted by Cameron Law and Josh David Miller through the Traction Lab.
Rather than focusing on one predetermined topic, founders can bring startup questions and work through them in real time using the Traction Thinking methodology. It is another opportunity to get practical input on the challenges that come with building a company.
Building an AI Startup? There Are Office Hours for That Too
The Carlsen Center also hosts monthly AI Startup Office Hours with the Human Machine Collaboration Institute in Rancho Cordova.
These in-person sessions are designed for founders building AI products or incorporating AI into their startups. The sessions are part of a larger effort involving Rancho Cordova, HMCI, and NVIDIA to develop a community-focused AI ecosystem in the region. Dates are posted each month on the Carlsen Center’s Luma calendar.
What Is the Carlsen Center?
The Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Sacramento State serves as a regional hub for entrepreneurial education, community, and support. Its mission is to make innovation and entrepreneurship pervasive throughout the Greater Sacramento region, while providing accessible resources that help startup founders from a variety of backgrounds explore, develop, and launch their businesses. Office Hours are one way the Center puts that mission into practice by giving founders regular access to people who understand the challenges of building, validating, funding, and growing a company.
Wrap-Up
You do not need to have everything figured out before attending Office Hours. That is the point. Bring the business model you are struggling with, the fundraising question you have been avoiding, the assumption you need to validate, or the challenge that has kept you stuck. You can also attend simply to listen and learn from the questions other founders bring.
All Office Hours opportunities, including the monthly AI Startup Office Hours, are listed on the Carlsen Center’s Luma calendar. Subscribe to the calendar to keep up with upcoming sessions and other opportunities.
Ready to get started? Register for an upcoming Office Hours session and bring the question that could help move your business forward.
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