Since this site launched in October 2015, it has been a central hub of news and events about the Sacramento startup ecosystem. During the summer of 2016 the StartupSac team (Jeff Bennett, founder of StartupSac, Rich Foreman, CEO Apptology, and Laura Good of Laura Good Consulting) applied for RAILS grant from the City of Sacramento to enable further development to take StartupSac to the next level in catalyzing the startup community here in Sacramento. On Tuesday November 1, the Sacramento City Council approved 15 RAILS grants, including the StartupSac/Apptology grant.
The goals of the StartupSac/Apptology RAILS grant project include:
1) Expanding and enhancing the website to encompass the full range of information, services, and resources in the Capital Region, thereby making it easier for innovators and entrepreneurs to connect and engage with each other and help foster and grow the Sacramento startup ecosystem. My goal for StartupSac.com is for it to be the go-to resource of all the services available to entrepreneurs across the region, such as:
- A curated directory of area startups
- A job board
- Continued expansion of Sacramento Startup Ecosystem Circuit Board that visually shows the pieces of the Sacramento startup ecosystem
2) Extend the access to StartupSac.com, by developing a free native StartupSac iPhone / iPad and Android Apps.
3) Further catalyze the startup community by connecting organizations and people by curating a directory of
area startups, writing and publishing interviews with founders, funders, entrepreneurs, and other innovators, creating profiles of startups and others in the ecosystem, and providing event coverage, etc.
4) Through public relations and digital marketing activities, promote our startup ecosystem to the community which includes hosting a meetup group to feature events and promotion through digital advertising as well as pitching local startup stories to local media, writing blog posts, and features on social media.
5) Provide promotion, event management and organizational guidance to grassroots volunteer startup building organizations like Startup Weekend, Health 2.0, Startup Grind, and others, to keep these events (and the community they build) happening in our city.
6) Highlight female and minority entrepreneurs on a regular basis on the StartupSac website and app and at Startup Grind.
The StartupSac/Apptology team looks forward to extending the reach and impact of this website, working with other RAILS grant recipients and all members of the Sacramento community to catalyze and grow the Sacramento innovation economy.
