Women's Business Center
Tech Team
Unlock your potential with the OC WBC Tech Team.
At the Orange County Women’s Business Center Tech Team, we are dedicated to empowering founders throughout every stage of their entrepreneurial journey. Our comprehensive 14-tier process is designed to accelerate your success, from ideation to exit strategy including guidance from former entrepreneurs, C-level executives and experts.
Tech Team Process
- Ideation: Shape your initial concept into a viable business idea.
- Customer Discovery: Understand your market and target audience.
- Seed Round: Provide assistance in securing initial funding to kickstart your venture.
- MVP (Minimum Viable Product): Develop and refine your product or service.
- Team Building: Source and assemble a skilled and motivated team.
- Beta Pilot: Test your product in a controlled environment.
- Customer Conversion: Turn early adopters into loyal customers.
- Proof of Concept: Validate your business model and product-market fit.
- Series A Preparation: Get ready to scale with strategic planning.
- Funding Acquisition: Access capital through tailored fundraising strategies.
- Team Expansion: Build a strong organizational structure.
- Revenue Generation: Establish consistent revenue streams.
- Business Development: Expand your market presence and partnerships.
- Exit Strategy: Plan for future growth or successful exit strategies.
Our Comprehensive Services
At the Orange County Women’s Business Center Tech Team, we provide a wide range of services tailored to empower female founders at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey:
Business Strategy
We specialize in refining business models and financial plans, helping you demonstrate traction in the market and validate your business concept. Whether you’re starting from scratch or aiming to pivot, our strategic guidance ensures clarity and growth.
Product Development Plan
From creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to conducting thorough customer discovery, we assist in crafting a detailed roadmap that aligns your product development efforts with market demands. Our approach focuses on iterative improvement and customer feedback integration.
Capital Raise
Navigating the complexities of fundraising is essential for scaling your business. We help you develop compelling narratives, design impactful pitch decks, enhance presentation skills, and gain a deeper understanding of investor perspectives. Our goal is to equip you with the tools and insights needed to secure the funding necessary for growth.
Go-to-Market and Growth
Launching your product or service effectively requires strategic planning across marketing, sales channels, and team development. We collaborate with you to develop robust go-to-market strategies that maximize visibility, drive customer acquisition, and establish a strong foundation for sustainable growth.
Resources
Understanding the legal and financial landscape is crucial for making informed decisions. We offer referral to resources to navigate legal structures, financing options, and business valuation. Additionally, we help refine your business proposition to articulate value propositions clearly and concisely.
OC WBC Stories
Women Founders Pitch Competition Event Summary
Fueling the Next Wave of Female Innovation
On November 7, 2024, the Orange County Women’s Business Center, in collaboration with the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network, hosted the Women Founders Pitch Competition at the Irvine Marriott. This empowering event was dedicated to spotlighting innovative female-led startups and providing them with opportunities to gain funding, feedback, and valuable connections within the entrepreneurial community.
The Women Founders Pitch Competition is a cornerstone initiative designed to champion female founders by bridging the gap between entrepreneurs and essential funding and networking opportunities. This event offers a supportive yet competitive platform where women founders can showcase their startups, refine their pitches, and gain constructive feedback from a panel of expert judges and potential investors. Our mission is to help female-led startups thrive while driving forward the diversity and innovation needed in today’s business landscape.
The road to the pitch competition began with a rigorous selection process in which applicants shared their business ideas, market potential, and vision for impact. Five finalists were chosen based on their innovation, scalability, and potential for social or economic impact. These selected entrepreneurs then took the stage at the Irvine Marriott to pitch live, presenting their business models and unique solutions to the audience and an esteemed panel of female investors and judges. Each finalist’s pitch was followed by a Q&A session, allowing the judges to dive deeper into the startup’s mission and potential.
The November 7th competition celebrated five exceptional founders:
- AIMerch – presented by Anna Vladymyrska: Revolutionizing retail with AI-driven merchandising and the winner of the $5,000 prize.
- Aleda – presented by Joy Sargis, Ph.D.: Redefining sports fundraising.
- BRALISSE – presented by Lana Sorokina: Innovating breast shapewear.
- GOALS2LIFE – presented by Wendee Close: Enhancing productivity and well-being.
- OliveBio – presented by Yuliana Mihaylova, Ph.D.: Creating affordable bioplastics through sustainable biomanufacturing.
In addition to the prize awarded to AIMerch, all finalists received invaluable feedback and networking opportunities to support their future growth. The event connected female founders with experienced investors, fostered community support, and empowered each participant to continue advancing their business goals.
This program is made possible through the support of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). We are also grateful for the collaboration of our esteemed judges and promotional partners, who contributed to making this event a success.
Looking Ahead
The Women Founders Pitch Competition is a vital step toward building an inclusive and innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem. Female founders looking to receive support in their ventures are encouraged to reach out to the OC Women’s Business Center at (800) 414-7108 or schedule an intake call here to be aligned with one of our experienced consultants
