1 0:00:00,180 --> 0:00:01,904 Mark Haney: And now I am here with Monique Brown.

2 0:00:01,944 --> 0:00:04,450 Mark Haney: She is co-founder of GFX.

3 0:00:04,490 --> 0:00:16,404 Mark Haney: She is also the person that is doing the heavy lifting, the oversight, the leadership, the coordination of our annual event, gfx.

4 0:00:16,645 --> 0:00:17,868 Mark Haney: Welcome to the show, monique.

5 0:00:17,908 --> 0:00:19,032 Mark Haney: You've been on the show before.

6 0:00:19,240 --> 0:00:19,742 Monique Brown: Yeah, no.

7 0:00:19,802 --> 0:00:23,952 Monique Brown: Thanks for having me Excited to talk about this event to this way.

8 0:00:24,320 --> 0:00:29,144 Mark Haney: We're going to talk about our favorite stuff, which is us and what we are working on or at least that's for me.

9 0:00:29,746 --> 0:00:30,569 Mark Haney: And you know I was at.

10 0:00:30,810 --> 0:00:36,796 Mark Haney: I was speaking to a group of high school kids the other day and they were like Mark, what were you like in high school?

11 0:00:36,816 --> 0:00:38,845 Mark Haney: You don't want to know, but what did you want to be?

12 0:00:38,905 --> 0:00:39,809 Mark Haney: What did you want to do?

13 0:00:39,869 --> 0:00:44,786 Mark Haney: And you know, I don't know if I'd ever really had anybody ask me that specifically.

14 0:00:44,826 --> 0:00:59,329 Mark Haney: I don't even think my kids have asked me that, but I think what I wanted to do when I was a kid and I think it's true still today is like when I grow up, I want to be a contributing member of a great team.

15 0:00:59,650 --> 0:01:06,573 Mark Haney: Right, I want to be on a championship team and I just want to sort of play my my spot, play my role.

16 0:01:07,395 --> 0:01:13,209 Mark Haney: And so that's why I think in many cases I've been kind of a reluctant leader, like hey, I don't, can you guys leave?

17 0:01:13,229 --> 0:01:49,781 Mark Haney: But today I am fortunate because of you and Rick and Nikki and our leadership team it's I'm on a championship team and I feel that I guess for probably for the first time since we started our show is I am really part of this championship effort, and at the heart of it is really what we're working on to drive entrepreneurship outside of these four walls, and, you know, a big part of that is GFX, and so thank you for leading.

18 0:01:50,262 --> 0:01:56,494 Mark Haney: Thank you for as the reluctant leader, thank you for leading, but today I want to maybe.

19 0:01:56,861 --> 0:01:59,975 Mark Haney: I guess one of the things I want to do is talk about why we do what we do.

20 0:02:00,236 --> 0:02:05,257 Mark Haney: Maybe start, though, with what is GFX, just so people have an idea, in case they're like what is GFX, buddy?

21 0:02:05,458 --> 0:02:07,544 Monique Brown: Right, yeah, no good, good starting points.

22 0:02:07,624 --> 0:02:29,906 Monique Brown: So I think what we're what we're doing with GFX is it's a we're calling it a cross sector innovation conference and it's really about setting the table for all of the stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the greater Sacramento region to come together to learn, to connect, to have some fun and hopefully, to build really our backyard advantage.

23 0:02:30,828 --> 0:02:33,437 Monique Brown: And so it's our second year doing it.

24 0:02:33,979 --> 0:02:40,798 Monique Brown: Last year, your number one was our little beta test and it was a good event.

25 0:02:40,838 --> 0:02:49,403 Monique Brown: Last year we had about 600 people join us and a lot of startups presenting from stage and some really fantastic breakout sessions.

26 0:02:50,285 --> 0:02:54,936 Monique Brown: This year, we're taking it up a notch, so it's full day.

27 0:02:55,197 --> 0:02:55,638 Monique Brown: This year.

28 0:02:55,658 --> 0:02:59,230 Monique Brown: We have multiple events within the event.

29 0:02:59,290 --> 0:03:16,244 Monique Brown: We have two stages of content, breakout sessions, all sorts of great stuff and really, at the end of the day, the why behind it is to really get everybody together to showcase the work that is being done and to talk about the work yet to be done and figure out how we can work together.

30 0:03:16,626 --> 0:03:18,493 Mark Haney: Yeah, from my standpoint.

31 0:03:18,995 --> 0:03:20,160 Mark Haney: We'll talk about why in a second.

32 0:03:20,280 --> 0:03:24,233 Mark Haney: But you think about this conference.

33 0:03:24,253 --> 0:03:26,640 Mark Haney: So I was obviously at the last conference.

34 0:03:27,963 --> 0:03:31,310 Mark Haney: You know we all did a little bit of lifting to put the last conference on that.

35 0:03:31,350 --> 0:03:43,685 Mark Haney: You oversaw and really drove, but it was different and I think it was your idea or our collective team's idea to make it more.

36 0:03:44,086 --> 0:03:47,412 Mark Haney: I'll call hands on and like let's help each other.

37 0:03:47,633 --> 0:04:00,425 Mark Haney: It's always been that our attitudes is to show some love to our fellow Sacramento, our fellow entrepreneur, but to do it at a conference, oh that's interesting.

38 0:04:00,485 --> 0:04:14,772 Mark Haney: I thought you just go to a conference and you attend and you watch and you listen and maybe you meet some people and maybe you're inspired, but to actually feel like you have a specific role other than solo.

39 0:04:14,892 --> 0:04:22,321 Mark Haney: You're right, you're the slow, solo person that's coming to an event, or you and your team is coming to an event to get what you can out of it.

40 0:04:23,343 --> 0:04:38,142 Mark Haney: This is a little bit more of come with you and your team to see what you can give to it, which is, I think, really a switch that is really unique and last year was really special I think of.

41 0:04:38,182 --> 0:04:41,473 Mark Haney: When we talk about show and love to our fellow entrepreneur.

42 0:04:41,614 --> 0:04:48,798 Mark Haney: I mean, it begins with getting to know them, and so there's a big component of getting to know one another.

43 0:04:48,818 --> 0:04:50,222 Mark Haney: What are you working on?

44 0:04:50,483 --> 0:04:51,365 Mark Haney: How can I help?

45 0:04:51,425 --> 0:04:57,990 Mark Haney: And we begin to figure out ways to actually help one another right there during the conference.

46 0:04:58,632 --> 0:05:01,945 Mark Haney: And of course, we'll get into the details on what's going into the conference in a minute.

47 0:05:02,005 --> 0:05:10,480 Mark Haney: But, like, of course, there's, you know, a lot of the traditional things that are at a conference, but I, for me, the big difference is the approach to the conference.

48 0:05:10,640 --> 0:05:14,488 Mark Haney: The approach is what can I give, not just what can I get.

49 0:05:14,809 --> 0:05:21,479 Monique Brown: I 1000% agree with that and when we collected feedback from last year, it was the intangibles that made the difference.

50 0:05:21,559 --> 0:05:22,423 Monique Brown: It was that feeling.

51 0:05:22,503 --> 0:05:27,844 Monique Brown: It's a culture right At the end of the day, building a culture and providing great experiences.

52 0:05:28,004 --> 0:05:44,412 Monique Brown: And it's hard to put your finger on what exactly ignites that, but I think certainly your leadership and vision and around what kind of culture we can build here in Sacramento and what makes us special, what makes us region special, and it's really setting the tone.

53 0:05:44,532 --> 0:05:54,823 Monique Brown: For don't be a bystander, don't be a spectator, come, get involved, pull your sleeves up, and everybody can do that.

54 0:05:55,024 --> 0:06:00,445 Monique Brown: Even if you're just celebrating somebody else, that's an act of participating, right.

55 0:06:00,867 --> 0:06:04,942 Monique Brown: If you're elevating, if you're sharing hey, I just met this cool new company.

56 0:06:04,962 --> 0:06:10,241 Monique Brown: They're doing XYZ Just, you know, they're seen, they're supported, they're celebrated in that way.

57 0:06:10,321 --> 0:06:12,949 Monique Brown: It's not, it doesn't always have to be the big things.

58 0:06:12,989 --> 0:06:14,012 Monique Brown: Even the little things matter.

59 0:06:15,321 --> 0:06:20,121 Mark Haney: I think we're gonna have we're estimating about 1200 people double last year hopefully maybe more.

60 0:06:20,902 --> 0:06:22,947 Mark Haney: It's at the grounds in Roseville.

61 0:06:22,987 --> 0:06:33,025 Mark Haney: The venue is plenty big enough to hold more than that, but just in terms of where we're at today, that's kind of we're projecting out over 1000, maybe up to 1500.

62 0:06:34,350 --> 0:06:38,406 Mark Haney: But I was thinking about the different events, the different conferences I've been to in my life.

63 0:06:38,486 --> 0:06:38,627 Mark Haney: I've.

64 0:06:39,029 --> 0:06:43,186 Mark Haney: You know, I used to own video stores, so there was something called the Video Software Dealers Association.

65 0:06:43,487 --> 0:06:44,650 Mark Haney: We had a big event.

66 0:06:45,292 --> 0:06:49,524 Mark Haney: It was a broadcast national association, a broadcasters, a big event.

67 0:06:49,544 --> 0:07:11,200 Mark Haney: Right, these big Vegas events, security there's you know, ISC, international Security Conference and NASS and all these things, and they're all have a similar feel to them and you are just a small piece attending and this is, I agree.

68 0:07:11,300 --> 0:07:14,853 Mark Haney: I think this is something that's not like any of those conferences, right?

69 0:07:14,914 --> 0:07:16,640 Mark Haney: It's not that right.

70 0:07:16,780 --> 0:07:26,550 Mark Haney: So if for for anybody who's listening, whatever conference you have been to, it's not that okay, it's different, and I think part of the reason is because it's in Sacramento.

71 0:07:26,611 --> 0:07:41,134 Mark Haney: It's in Sacramento, so we all tend to know one another, like it's a community that has gone from three or four of us to 30 or 40 of us to, you know, 100 to now over a thousand, and people that get it.

72 0:07:41,800 --> 0:07:53,943 Mark Haney: They understand the power of entrepreneurship, they understand the love of our hometown and that they know that many hands make light work.

73 0:07:53,983 --> 0:07:55,044 Mark Haney: If we come together, we can.

74 0:07:55,965 --> 0:07:57,692 Mark Haney: We can work together to help each other.

75 0:07:58,046 --> 0:07:59,973 Mark Haney: It's very easy to do, especially in this.

76 0:08:00,485 --> 0:08:11,274 Mark Haney: We'll call this a smaller conference kind of environment, but also with the way it's been built, kind of like from the inside out, starting with love and then so the people that love each other and get it.

77 0:08:11,865 --> 0:08:13,312 Mark Haney: Now that group has expanded.

78 0:08:13,405 --> 0:08:17,211 Mark Haney: So if you're listening, you might, and this kind of thing sounds interesting.

79 0:08:18,025 --> 0:08:19,431 Mark Haney: You might want to be part of this group, right?

80 0:08:19,465 --> 0:08:28,729 Mark Haney: If you think this group might be for you, oh wow, I can relate to that group you might want to think about going to growthfactoryus and get yourself a ticket.

81 0:08:29,485 --> 0:08:32,515 Mark Haney: So, monique, I don't know if you want to comment on that.

82 0:08:32,805 --> 0:08:50,716 Monique Brown: Yeah, no, I think you're right and I think that, again, throughout the day, we'll have people certainly coming and going, and so it doesn't feel like you're one in a crowd, right, there's a lot of kind of curated experiences that are very approachable and that are very personal.

83 0:08:50,925 --> 0:09:11,511 Monique Brown: So it definitely, while we'll have a lot of people engaging, it won't I don't I anticipate that it will still feel like you're in your backyard, in your neighborhood, right, and a lot of different ways that you can engage throughout the day, just depending on who you're looking to connect with and what you're looking to learn.

84 0:09:12,325 --> 0:09:12,686 Mark Haney: Interesting.

85 0:09:12,726 --> 0:09:29,454 Mark Haney: So when I was growing up in my early 20s, and even as a kid growing up here in the Sacramento area, you used to be able to go to the video store or the grocery store and you run into somebody you know and you know I enjoyed that run.

86 0:09:29,505 --> 0:09:31,493 Mark Haney: Was it really necessarily hiding out to you know?

87 0:09:31,545 --> 0:09:33,092 Mark Haney: I don't want to run into anybody in the grocery store.

88 0:09:33,345 --> 0:09:42,011 Mark Haney: To me there was something special about the smallness of going to the grocery store and seeing somebody that lives across town, but you knew them.

89 0:09:42,666 --> 0:09:43,751 Mark Haney: This is going to be like that.

90 0:09:43,845 --> 0:09:47,448 Mark Haney: If you are in the Sacramento business community and you come to this.

91 0:09:47,589 --> 0:09:54,153 Mark Haney: It's going to be a little bit like back in the day when you go to the grocery store and you run into somebody you know, you will know somebody or some people here.

92 0:09:55,265 --> 0:09:58,909 Mark Haney: Many of what you might call the who's, who of Sacramento will be there.

93 0:09:59,225 --> 0:10:08,891 Mark Haney: The people that oversee some of these larger entities, the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, the different venture capitalists in town, the different banks in town.

94 0:10:09,786 --> 0:10:21,510 Mark Haney: The entrepreneurs organization will be there the law firms but the entrepreneurs right, the people that own the stores you go into that are independently owned.

95 0:10:22,325 --> 0:10:37,573 Monique Brown: Yeah, what I really like about this event actually speaking about that is, you know, we certainly at the growth factory, our fund is focused on venture backable companies, so high growth, scalable technology enabled our tech companies, right, and there is a heavy presence of those companies.

96 0:10:38,065 --> 0:10:58,889 Monique Brown: But this event, you know, I'm so excited to engage our buildup Rockland companies, our Roosevelt Rising companies and many of these are bricks and mortar businesses in our communities that are doing really cool stuff and, you know, engage in our community and receiving mentorship and support in one way or another and they'll be there.

97 0:10:59,049 --> 0:11:13,413 Monique Brown: You know, we just wrapped up the King's Capitalized Food Competition, which was a new program that they have launched this year, expanding the capitalized platform, and we have the great honor to work with them on that.

98 0:11:14,005 --> 0:11:30,131 Monique Brown: A couple of those finalists will be there and these are amazing innovative food companies in our backyard, right, and so this is, you know, certainly there is a lot of venture and venture backable startups, you know that are there and connecting throughout the day and there's a lot of content for them.

99 0:11:30,585 --> 0:11:42,752 Monique Brown: But it's not just for them, right, it's for the entrepreneurs in the region, it is for the Main Street businesses and the food and beverage entrepreneurs and the people who think like maybe I want to be an entrepreneur.

100 0:11:42,792 --> 0:11:53,790 Monique Brown: You know, we have a lot of students who are coming from our partners at Sierra College in Sac State and William Jessup, uc Davis, right, because they're asking the questions what do I want to be when I grow up?

101 0:11:54,445 --> 0:11:55,490 Monique Brown: How do I get involved?

102 0:11:56,825 --> 0:12:08,735 Monique Brown: We have a couple of our Roosevelt Rising for High School students that will be supporting and running our startup showcase this year, and so we have students involved in the programming as well.

103 0:12:08,835 --> 0:12:10,590 Mark Haney: So yeah, so much potential.

104 0:12:10,685 --> 0:12:17,692 Mark Haney: I mean, that's kind of the interesting piece of this whole thing is how do we tap into the potential of the people of our region?

105 0:12:18,706 --> 0:12:28,716 Mark Haney: And I like how you mentioned Main Street companies and companies that maybe view themselves as maybe not tech companies, but there'll be people that want to grow their company.

106 0:12:29,125 --> 0:12:29,567 Mark Haney: I think all of us.

107 0:12:29,587 --> 0:12:32,110 Mark Haney: When you get into business, if you're not growing, you're dying.

108 0:12:32,205 --> 0:12:38,514 Mark Haney: So one way or the other, we need to have a growth mindset, which means a certain amount of innovation needs to happen.

109 0:12:38,845 --> 0:12:56,085 Mark Haney: Even if you're not technically a tech company, you need to have an innovative mindset and by being around other people that are doing it a little bit different, doing it a little bit more innovatively, these light bulbs tend to click on and that it inspires us and maybe even you.

110 0:12:56,105 --> 0:12:58,611 Mark Haney: Take one good idea and it can be game changing for a company.

111 0:12:58,865 --> 0:13:00,873 Mark Haney: You think about quick quack car wash.

112 0:13:01,025 --> 0:13:03,489 Mark Haney: Interesting example of it's a car wash.

113 0:13:03,889 --> 0:13:07,115 Mark Haney: Okay, what's the big deal about a car wash?

114 0:13:07,236 --> 0:13:15,824 Mark Haney: Brick and mortar sounds like a main street company, but yet those guys are figured out Johnson Johnson's a rock star.

115 0:13:15,844 --> 0:13:16,387 Monique Brown: Yeah, are you?

116 0:13:16,427 --> 0:13:16,989 Mark Haney: kidding me?

117 0:13:17,009 --> 0:13:18,113 Mark Haney: Quick quacks everywhere.

118 0:13:18,174 --> 0:13:21,485 Mark Haney: Now They've got them around the country and they're based out of here.

119 0:13:22,770 --> 0:13:26,598 Mark Haney: It's a car wash, but they have an innovative business model.

120 0:13:26,678 --> 0:13:36,071 Mark Haney: So you don't have to think I, you know, I had the technology, technology to cure disease or, to you know, do something in artificial intelligence.

121 0:13:36,412 --> 0:13:39,258 Mark Haney: You could innovate your business model and scale it.

122 0:13:39,479 --> 0:13:40,241 Mark Haney: How do you do that?

123 0:13:40,982 --> 0:13:42,232 Mark Haney: Come to come to GFX.

124 0:13:42,292 --> 0:13:44,838 Monique Brown: Well, I think that's a great point and it's really.

125 0:13:45,239 --> 0:13:48,895 Monique Brown: I want to make sure we mention that we do have two stages this year.

126 0:13:49,076 --> 0:13:56,190 Monique Brown: One of the stages is called the growth stage, powered by the entrepreneurs organization, who have been fantastic partners in this effort.

127 0:13:57,072 --> 0:14:02,203 Monique Brown: They're leading a panel of EO members Again, a lot of different kinds of businesses.

128 0:14:03,311 --> 0:14:05,258 Monique Brown: You know that will be talking about.

129 0:14:05,599 --> 0:14:16,938 Monique Brown: You know their growth journeys and Jason will be on that stage with Kurt Rocha talking about quick quack and you know how innovation and a focus on customers helped him to succeed.

130 0:14:17,299 --> 0:14:21,031 Monique Brown: We also have another company, a new front, which is an insurance company.

131 0:14:21,119 --> 0:14:23,638 Monique Brown: Right, that has gone from a Y Combinator.

132 0:14:23,725 --> 0:14:41,096 Monique Brown: They're tech enabled insurance, you know so they have a technology component, went through Y Combinator, which is a global name brand accelerator, and I believe their last race, series B, has them valued at 2.5 billion I think was the valuation, and you know insurance company and insurance companies.

133 0:14:41,116 --> 0:14:44,232 Monique Brown: So so you know, I mean to your point.

134 0:14:44,472 --> 0:15:06,492 Monique Brown: It's like, and I want to also point out, we have a great panel led by Nikki Sims, our team member, on AI and how, how should businesses, all businesses, be thinking about AI and AI empowered growth and efficiencies for their businesses, and it's something that applies really to everyone.

135 0:15:06,553 --> 0:15:24,920 Mark Haney: So yeah, if you are not exposing your team or yourself to what's going on in the realm of driving efficiency for your business through artificial intelligence, we your, your competitors are, so you might want to rethink your strategy.

136 0:15:25,261 --> 0:15:31,077 Mark Haney: You need to be exposing yourself to those concepts so that you can get a step ahead.

137 0:15:31,378 --> 0:15:31,799 Mark Haney: It will.

138 0:15:33,001 --> 0:15:44,186 Mark Haney: It's going to drive a competitiveness for your company, it's going to drive competitiveness for Sacramento and I think it's going to drive competitiveness for America because America is well positioned to.

139 0:15:45,009 --> 0:15:52,344 Mark Haney: You know, with our tech, you know expertise and prowess and the way that venture is investing into these.

140 0:15:53,050 --> 0:15:54,874 Mark Haney: You know this, this area.

141 0:15:55,596 --> 0:15:57,640 Mark Haney: It is happening in Sacramento.

142 0:15:57,660 --> 0:16:01,598 Mark Haney: I think it's really well positioned within the, within America.

143 0:16:01,618 --> 0:16:07,257 Mark Haney: You know, right next to the, you know the Bay Area to really take advantage of some of those opportunities.

144 0:16:07,759 --> 0:16:16,770 Monique Brown: Yeah, I agree, I, you know we have multiple talks on that, taisa McDell also, ted Ted, talker on the on AI, will be there talking from main stage as well.

145 0:16:16,990 --> 0:16:56,802 Monique Brown: But I think the other piece I want to point out as you were thinking about competitiveness, both regionally, you know, statewide, and then nationally is is that we also collectively need to be partnering with our public sector leaders, and so that is why we look at this as a cross sector innovation conference and we have joining us, both as a part of the content, but also as attendees, many of our regional public sector leaders who have already taken, you know, big steps in investing in the future through the work that they're doing, you know, focused on innovation.

146 0:16:56,882 --> 0:17:09,892 Monique Brown: So we're fortunate to be joined by the person who leads innovation for the governor's office of business and innovation statewide, coming up from LA to join us and talk about how the state's thinking about that.

147 0:17:09,912 --> 0:17:30,197 Monique Brown: But we also have local leaders like Gloria Stearns and Hong Se from the city of Roosevelt, who will be joining us on the panel to talk about that as well, as we think about, like, again, together, how do we build a strong and healthy economy, as strong and vibrant and entrepreneurial ecosystem, and like really think about.

148 0:17:30,237 --> 0:17:35,615 Monique Brown: How is innovation, you know, going to ensure a better future for all of us?

149 0:17:35,775 --> 0:17:36,216 Mark Haney: Yeah, I.

150 0:17:37,158 --> 0:17:48,661 Mark Haney: There may be a listener or two out there that can think of the old Ronald Reagan, joe Kaye, the government knocks on your door and says hi, I'm here from the government, I'm here to help and you know so.

151 0:17:48,881 --> 0:17:53,781 Mark Haney: There is a group of entrepreneurs that may be thinking you know what do I?

152 0:17:54,503 --> 0:17:55,445 Mark Haney: Why do I need the government?

153 0:17:55,505 --> 0:17:58,112 Mark Haney: But you know they're in the way.

154 0:17:58,433 --> 0:18:07,117 Mark Haney: Well, I want to reframe that because I think that there are a lot of people within government that get it right.

155 0:18:07,157 --> 0:18:23,453 Mark Haney: They understand how public private partnerships can work together to drive outcomes for the private sector right For us, and it's us in the private sector that create the new jobs and, you know, figure out the way to change the world and all this economic growth.

156 0:18:23,493 --> 0:18:27,483 Mark Haney: I mean we built America through entrepreneurship and innovation.

157 0:18:28,670 --> 0:18:41,096 Mark Haney: And the government, many people within the government, realize that and they want to help create the playing field so that we can be successful here in Sacramento, so we can be here, successful here in California and in America.

158 0:18:41,517 --> 0:18:43,362 Mark Haney: And those people will be here, the ones that get it.

159 0:18:43,510 --> 0:19:22,401 Monique Brown: The ones that get it and I think increasingly and I see this nationally just got back from a conference in Indiana, as you know, and working and talking with you, know leaders from different states and working in different geographies and I think entrepreneurship is no longer a cute side hustle right, like I think you know, across the board, corporate, civic leaders are recognizing how critical it is to to sustainability, growth, competitiveness and it's got to be factored in to long term strategic plans.

160 0:19:22,461 --> 0:19:29,907 Mark Haney: It has to be invested in, yeah, so you mentioned civic leaders, including government and people that are in economic development.

161 0:19:29,927 --> 0:19:34,261 Mark Haney: Gsec, Greater Sacramento Economic Council, is obviously at the lead.

162 0:19:34,281 --> 0:19:35,345 Mark Haney: They're a partner in this.

163 0:19:35,646 --> 0:19:40,838 Mark Haney: Monet of Ventures is also a partner in this, and so there's an investor community.

164 0:19:41,459 --> 0:19:43,764 Mark Haney: That that is going to be very well.

165 0:19:44,611 --> 0:20:03,067 Mark Haney: You know they're going to be involved, and Monetta specifically, Five Star Bank, some of the other financial institutions in town, but you have Bay Area investors coming into our town too and it begins with a private accredited investor network that is open to accredited investors.

166 0:20:03,168 --> 0:20:12,122 Mark Haney: Obviously, you got to sign up and all that kind of stuff, but maybe just kind of walk us through the day, beginning with the accredited investor breakfast sponsored by Five Star Bank.

167 0:20:12,343 --> 0:20:39,084 Monique Brown: Yeah, no, five Star Bank has been doing their funders and founders kind of gatherings for a couple years and as this event took shape and we've partnered with them on that event multiple times historically as this event started take shape, I said to John you know what, if you know what, if we, what if we did a founders and funders you know at GFX and they were, you know, as they are great partners and game for some fun.

168 0:20:39,250 --> 0:20:47,892 Monique Brown: And so we decided to kick off the day with that, so starting at 30 doors open with breakfast by Mario's early toast.

169 0:20:47,932 --> 0:20:49,735 Mark Haney: So again show guest.

170 0:20:49,896 --> 0:20:56,675 Monique Brown: Yeah, some of our favorite local restaurants and you know we have a couple of.

171 0:20:57,217 --> 0:20:57,458 Monique Brown: We have.

172 0:20:57,559 --> 0:21:00,329 Monique Brown: Tyson is coming up from LA great scale ventures.

173 0:21:00,369 --> 0:21:01,293 Monique Brown: He'll be keynoting.

174 0:21:01,353 --> 0:21:11,823 Monique Brown: Rick's leading a panel that includes some of our local venture leaders Kwame Onku from Black Star Fund, sarah Letterman, three plus ventures and Marcus Fernandez from Fiat Ventures.

175 0:21:12,430 --> 0:21:19,693 Monique Brown: We'll be talking about emerging fund management and the opportunity that is exists with this group of fund managers.

176 0:21:20,616 --> 0:21:40,913 Monique Brown: And then we have an exciting new addition to the morning content, which is really around sports in Sacramento and you know, another investment opportunity, but one that really drives, you know, tremendous kind of again similar to our tech, like culture, engagement, vibrancy and economic opportunities.

177 0:21:41,114 --> 0:21:42,316 Mark Haney: So what I love about.

178 0:21:42,577 --> 0:21:49,424 Mark Haney: I mean, I love winning and one of the things that the Sacramento Kings have been successful in doing.

179 0:21:49,464 --> 0:22:02,280 Mark Haney: I think the Republic's been great at this too, and you know we've talked more recently in our previous podcast about having professional football here and I know some of those people will be speaking.

180 0:22:02,842 --> 0:22:08,966 Mark Haney: And one thing about professional sports it it's a little bit like entrepreneurship.

181 0:22:09,046 --> 0:22:27,782 Mark Haney: We tend to rally around the home team, so as we rally around our Kings and our Republic and our Sac State basketball team and football team and stuff, we rally, we like to pull for the locals and for whatever reason, we haven't done that around venture investing over the last you know, several decades.

182 0:22:27,842 --> 0:22:56,567 Mark Haney: It's more, like you know, we'll invest wherever the money goes, wherever my wealth management tells me to put the money, but there really is a way to own a piece of Sacramento, and this will expose that opportunity to a certain extent, because it'll we'll be talking about kind of a put your money with where your town is, philosophy that the growth factory certainly has, but that also other people have that same sort of mentality, and so so who should attend?

183 0:22:56,607 --> 0:22:58,973 Mark Haney: That Is that you said it's founders and funders.

184 0:22:59,354 --> 0:23:03,281 Monique Brown: So founders could come to that too, Invited founders.

185 0:23:03,361 --> 0:23:07,719 Mark Haney: So okay, so immediately you're interested, get yourself an invite, don't just show up.

186 0:23:08,080 --> 0:23:11,032 Monique Brown: Correct Immediately after the content.

187 0:23:11,132 --> 0:23:18,353 Monique Brown: Actually, we do have a curated, embedded group of founders that will be doing investor presentations.

188 0:23:18,433 --> 0:23:29,964 Monique Brown: So all of our funders attending the breakfast will have the opportunity, in very efficient fashion, to get an overview of some really high potential deal flow in the region.

189 0:23:30,711 --> 0:23:47,913 Monique Brown: So I think we have about 15 companies, a couple breakout rooms I think it's more than that actually but a couple breakout rooms of companies that will be doing kind of some rapid fire investment pitches and then we'll just, you know, leave them to network and connect with the founders that they are interested in.

190 0:23:48,014 --> 0:23:49,479 Monique Brown: So who should attend?

191 0:23:49,699 --> 0:24:00,615 Monique Brown: Any investors in the region you know, angel, micro, vc, vc, whatever that are interested in getting their finger on the pulse of deal flow in the region should be there.

192 0:24:01,178 --> 0:24:06,637 Monique Brown: And you know we have our founders that we've prepared for those presentations and they're invited as well.

193 0:24:07,039 --> 0:24:08,423 Monique Brown: So that's the morning.

194 0:24:09,005 --> 0:24:14,906 Mark Haney: Could somebody who hasn't really spent a lot of time doing angel investing but is curious about this asset class?

195 0:24:15,388 --> 0:24:21,215 Mark Haney: But they're accredited, they've got a high enough network, they make the amount of money you need to make their network's high enough.

196 0:24:21,777 --> 0:24:23,443 Monique Brown: If they want to get invited.

197 0:24:23,523 --> 0:24:24,727 Mark Haney: They can get invited.

198 0:24:24,747 --> 0:24:25,229 Monique Brown: They can come.

199 0:24:25,389 --> 0:24:26,232 Monique Brown: Yes, absolutely.

200 0:24:26,272 --> 0:24:28,238 Monique Brown: It's a great opportunity to learn.

201 0:24:28,539 --> 0:24:31,087 Monique Brown: Okay, yes, and so 100%.

202 0:24:31,227 --> 0:24:37,427 Mark Haney: Okay, all right, so that's the investor breakfast and that, and then that transitions into the backyard awards.

203 0:24:37,528 --> 0:24:44,072 Mark Haney: Yes, we're actually going to be recognizing the heroes of the American economy, of the Sacramento economy, right here at R&D.

204 0:24:44,313 --> 0:24:47,259 Monique Brown: Yes, yes, another exciting opportunity.

205 0:24:47,379 --> 0:24:55,490 Monique Brown: So partnering with Stolrieves, who, as you know, brought the Sac Region Innovation Awards to Sacramento back in 2016.

206 0:24:56,252 --> 0:25:04,355 Monique Brown: They launched that kind of program in multiple markets and ran it here over the years, and you know this.

207 0:25:04,737 --> 0:25:12,642 Monique Brown: Last year, we had an opportunity to talk with them about really embedding that in an event like GFX, where the ecosystem is already gathering.

208 0:25:12,662 --> 0:25:17,277 Monique Brown: We're already working hard to elevate the work that's being done in the region.

209 0:25:17,337 --> 0:25:23,253 Monique Brown: And how might we incorporate, you know, an awards section to the day?

210 0:25:23,513 --> 0:25:39,955 Monique Brown: And so we do have this backyard awards lunch phenomenal group of finalists across nine awards, nine award categories, and so everyone is invited to this lunch, and so we'll be announcing the winners.

211 0:25:39,996 --> 0:25:40,297 Monique Brown: So we have.

212 0:25:40,518 --> 0:25:49,652 Monique Brown: We have all the finalists already identified, but announcing the winners during the lunch, I'm really taking a moment just to again back when we started the growth factory.

213 0:25:49,672 --> 0:25:50,895 Monique Brown: What do we hear all the time?

214 0:25:50,935 --> 0:25:54,374 Monique Brown: There's not enough good companies in Sacramento, and you know what?

215 0:25:54,635 --> 0:26:03,225 Monique Brown: To this day, there's still some doubters, and so I think this is my favorite part of the day where I feel like we can say actually, you're wrong.

216 0:26:03,887 --> 0:26:08,177 Monique Brown: This is where we want to invite the doubters If you're a doubter, please come.

217 0:26:09,720 --> 0:26:16,216 Mark Haney: So, yeah, this is, I mean, I think it's really differentiated from the Innovation Awards.

218 0:26:16,256 --> 0:26:19,132 Mark Haney: I've been a judge on the Innovation Awards for the last several years.

219 0:26:19,153 --> 0:26:20,576 Mark Haney: I think you may have done that too.

220 0:26:21,258 --> 0:26:46,070 Mark Haney: It's great and we're recognizing recognizing innovative products for the most part, and the way you've adjusted to make it different and I think I think really special is we're recognizing people that are making a difference, that have companies in many cases, but it's these people that are doing more than a.

221 0:26:47,012 --> 0:26:55,699 Mark Haney: You know, this big invention right, it's not necessarily the specific invention, it's really you and the way you've brought it to our region.

222 0:26:56,060 --> 0:26:56,862 Monique Brown: Is that a first statement?

223 0:26:57,110 --> 0:26:59,336 Monique Brown: Yeah, I think it's really people centric.

224 0:26:59,677 --> 0:27:09,456 Monique Brown: There are a couple categories that are for organizations, but, truthfully, behind those organizations are the leaders that are making things happen and are you know.

225 0:27:09,576 --> 0:27:11,360 Monique Brown: So it'll be interesting to see who wins.

226 0:27:11,480 --> 0:27:34,637 Monique Brown: But we do have awards, like our Golden Gear Award, which is really recognizing founders who stand out, not just because they know how to build a company, but because they do it here, with always giving back, like just involved in so many other ways in the region, helping other founders, and we see this all the time in our growth factory community.

227 0:27:35,139 --> 0:27:43,634 Monique Brown: You know, the people who've had the most success quite often are the first ones to raise their hand when the next in line needs help, and you know.

228 0:27:43,753 --> 0:27:46,016 Monique Brown: So that's the kind of person we're looking for, yeah.

229 0:27:46,156 --> 0:27:47,519 Mark Haney: And it's that'll be a special.

230 0:27:47,680 --> 0:27:50,354 Mark Haney: Is this an invite only as well, or no?

231 0:27:50,474 --> 0:27:54,310 Monique Brown: No, everybody can come you can buy GFX plus lunch tickets on the website.

232 0:27:54,370 --> 0:27:55,493 Mark Haney: Oh, just buy plus lunch.

233 0:27:55,673 --> 0:28:02,236 Monique Brown: We would love, love, love, to have you there and get a sense for, for and the lunch is brought.

234 0:28:02,316 --> 0:28:07,175 Mark Haney: Rayleigh's right, rayleigh's is, but this is not the ham sandwich you buy at the deli counter?

235 0:28:07,316 --> 0:28:08,160 Monique Brown: No, it is not.

236 0:28:08,200 --> 0:28:15,585 Mark Haney: This is like this is Rayleigh's bringing on their catering division to railies Rayleigh's is fueling a good portion of this event.

237 0:28:16,207 --> 0:28:18,473 Monique Brown: Randy Peters is also going to be there.

238 0:28:18,593 --> 0:28:21,239 Monique Brown: So it is not a sit down served meal.

239 0:28:21,279 --> 0:28:22,522 Monique Brown: You will get your own food.

240 0:28:22,542 --> 0:28:26,458 Monique Brown: It is a buffet, but but lots of really great.

241 0:28:26,478 --> 0:28:27,921 Mark Haney: By the way, I didn't mean to interrupt.

242 0:28:27,941 --> 0:28:28,502 Mark Haney: Sorry to interrupt you.

243 0:28:29,071 --> 0:28:30,553 Mark Haney: Rayleigh's ham sandwich is good.

244 0:28:30,674 --> 0:28:35,623 Mark Haney: I was not trying to put that down, yeah, no, for sure there's.

245 0:28:36,030 --> 0:28:40,867 Monique Brown: it should be a good and one of my, one of our favorite new additions.

246 0:28:40,947 --> 0:28:50,677 Monique Brown: Again, speaking about Kings capitalize the winner, sugar coated cupcakes will be on hand with and I can tell you this because they've tasted them.

247 0:28:50,697 --> 0:28:54,733 Monique Brown: We had to taste them for the competition Best cupcakes I've ever in my life had.

248 0:28:55,314 --> 0:28:58,661 Monique Brown: Um, so she will be there at their low calorie no car.

249 0:28:58,822 --> 0:29:00,373 Monique Brown: No, I mean, they're so healthy.

250 0:29:00,574 --> 0:29:01,116 Monique Brown: I tell you no.

251 0:29:01,417 --> 0:29:02,120 Monique Brown: But you know what?

252 0:29:02,180 --> 0:29:08,145 Monique Brown: This is a great story because you know she has a vending machine cupcake vending machine in the Roosevelt Galleria.

253 0:29:08,266 --> 0:29:09,711 Mark Haney: Get out of here, no vending machine.

254 0:29:09,771 --> 0:29:13,600 Monique Brown: Vending machine which she fills daily with fresh baked cupcakes.

255 0:29:13,620 --> 0:29:17,035 Mark Haney: Where's it at I go in the mall, I get my wife's birthday too.

256 0:29:17,055 --> 0:29:22,118 Mark Haney: I got to get her, so you've got to get over by the Creighton barrel, okay, great.

257 0:29:22,299 --> 0:29:23,302 Monique Brown: And she's done some.

258 0:29:23,443 --> 0:29:28,019 Monique Brown: She's done some pretty fantastic volume through that vending machine this last year.

259 0:29:28,480 --> 0:29:32,475 Monique Brown: Really innovative business model with multiple channels, but the best cupcakes.

260 0:29:32,630 --> 0:29:38,894 Mark Haney: So would it be wrong of me to go buy my wife's birthday present from a vending machine?

261 0:29:39,095 --> 0:29:39,837 Mark Haney: Would that be no?

262 0:29:41,272 --> 0:29:43,439 Monique Brown: This is like you could tell her it's unique.

263 0:29:44,052 --> 0:29:44,374 Mark Haney: How many?

264 0:29:44,394 --> 0:29:45,138 Monique Brown: cupcake vending machine.

265 0:29:45,159 --> 0:29:46,104 Monique Brown: Cupcakes, have you had?

266 0:29:46,325 --> 0:29:49,220 Mark Haney: I think I could get away with that Lavender lemon.

267 0:29:49,502 --> 0:29:50,728 Mark Haney: You've had that one, the winning cupcake.

268 0:29:51,211 --> 0:29:51,311 Monique Brown: OK.

269 0:29:52,356 --> 0:29:52,737 Mark Haney: I love it.

270 0:29:52,870 --> 0:30:10,160 Mark Haney: Ok, so backyard awards is the launch, and then the kickoff is at one, and this is where probably even a larger group of people will roll in and begin to understand more about what this conference can really mean.

271 0:30:10,250 --> 0:30:11,295 Mark Haney: We put it on steroids.

272 0:30:11,710 --> 0:30:12,714 Mark Haney: We start helping one another.

273 0:30:12,794 --> 0:30:13,517 Mark Haney: Is that a fair statement?

274 0:30:13,670 --> 0:30:14,474 Monique Brown: I think that's right.

275 0:30:15,190 --> 0:30:18,036 Monique Brown: I think this is where the fun begins, or actually the whole day's fun.

276 0:30:18,150 --> 0:30:23,318 Monique Brown: But yeah, the chaos maybe, but no, we have kickoff on main stage at one.

277 0:30:24,570 --> 0:30:28,381 Monique Brown: We're excited for our team to share a little bit about what's been going on.

278 0:30:28,530 --> 0:30:35,537 Monique Brown: We have a wonderful keynote Ira Aaron Price, double bottom line partners, DBL partners.

279 0:30:35,617 --> 0:30:51,433 Monique Brown: Coming up from the Bay Area he's on the board of Tesla for 16 years and just tremendous experience in the venture space, but really looking at investing with that double bottom line and so how are we investing in innovations that can really change our world and do good in our world while making money?

280 0:30:51,594 --> 0:30:52,898 Monique Brown: So he'll be speaking.

281 0:30:53,030 --> 0:30:56,656 Mark Haney: OK, that's what double bottom line is Make money, but do good yeah.

282 0:30:57,098 --> 0:30:59,156 Monique Brown: Yeah, yeah, so he'll be speaking on that.

283 0:31:00,431 --> 0:31:03,253 Monique Brown: And then we have our ecosystem panel, led by Cameron Law.

284 0:31:03,353 --> 0:31:08,699 Monique Brown: That will really give a snapshot of some of the really great work that's being done across the region.

285 0:31:08,830 --> 0:31:23,634 Monique Brown: You see, davis, and we have Rashawn Davis joining us from Culture, wayne Wiley from City of Roosevelt, so representatives from across the region, cross sectors, who will talk a little bit about the ecosystem building work that's happening.

286 0:31:23,734 --> 0:31:26,717 Mark Haney: Yeah, so the day is filled.

287 0:31:27,190 --> 0:31:36,694 Mark Haney: The morning is filled with investors and awards, the afternoon is a series of inspirational educational speakers.

288 0:31:36,950 --> 0:31:39,178 Mark Haney: I understand that we have the two stages.

289 0:31:39,470 --> 0:31:45,675 Mark Haney: We have the main stage and the growth stage, so those sort of speak for themselves Maybe some of the key notes.

290 0:31:45,796 --> 0:31:48,389 Mark Haney: People that you is John Bissell speaking.

291 0:31:48,490 --> 0:31:52,339 Mark Haney: John Bissell from Origin Anybody else that we need to mention in terms of like a draw, that might be a speaker.

292 0:31:52,791 --> 0:31:56,774 Monique Brown: Yeah, I believe Azra Games, Michael Chang and Marco Taro will be joining us.

293 0:31:56,914 --> 0:31:59,335 Monique Brown: Yeah, so that'll be exciting.

294 0:32:00,850 --> 0:32:04,019 Monique Brown: I mean, just go to growthfactoryus.

295 0:32:04,039 --> 0:32:04,821 Monique Brown: Look at the agenda.

296 0:32:04,930 --> 0:32:07,659 Monique Brown: The lineup is really good across both stages.

297 0:32:07,810 --> 0:32:10,059 Monique Brown: I will say put your seatbelts on.

298 0:32:10,190 --> 0:32:15,280 Monique Brown: We have 30-minute sessions, so we don't want people sitting and snoozing.

299 0:32:15,370 --> 0:32:19,316 Monique Brown: These are content bites, so we're going to be snacking all day.

300 0:32:19,970 --> 0:32:22,959 Monique Brown: So go grab bites of content from different areas.

301 0:32:24,272 --> 0:32:27,073 Monique Brown: Just ignite your brain and make sure you meet people.

302 0:32:27,750 --> 0:32:33,018 Monique Brown: But it'll be rapid fire, but a great exposure to a lot in a short period of time.

303 0:32:33,430 --> 0:32:51,079 Mark Haney: And we have breakout rooms and I know one of the I want you to describe the breakout rooms, but one of the breakout rooms that I did not get to go to last year because I was I think I was working the main stage all day and but there was something called speed mentoring.

304 0:32:51,600 --> 0:32:52,282 Monique Brown: Mentor sprint.

305 0:32:52,450 --> 0:32:53,334 Monique Brown: Mentor sprint.

306 0:32:54,071 --> 0:32:58,362 Mark Haney: And that got, as we did all our survey afterwards, hey, what do you think?

307 0:32:58,751 --> 0:33:02,318 Mark Haney: And people loved the event, but that was one that got mentioned a lot.

308 0:33:02,599 --> 0:33:04,636 Monique Brown: Yeah, well, this is the participate part.

309 0:33:04,756 --> 0:33:05,178 Mark Haney: OK.

310 0:33:05,258 --> 0:33:28,638 Monique Brown: Right, and so this year that will actually be right on the Expo floor this year, again led by Cameron Law, Carlson Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Startup Sacks Laura Good the two of them are partners in crime on this and do a phenomenal job really connecting our startup founders with mentors in rapid fashion.

311 0:33:29,130 --> 0:33:43,379 Monique Brown: If you're interested as a startup or a mentor to get involved, there is information on the website for how you can sign up for that, and if you don't get the sign up done before the event, you show up at the event, just go tap Cameron on the shoulder.

312 0:33:43,470 --> 0:33:46,778 Monique Brown: He'll love me for saying this and I'm sure he can fit you in there somewhere.

313 0:33:47,010 --> 0:33:48,396 Monique Brown: But yeah, get involved.

314 0:33:48,717 --> 0:33:48,958 Mark Haney: All right.

315 0:33:49,110 --> 0:33:50,115 Mark Haney: What are the breakout rooms?

316 0:33:50,170 --> 0:33:51,716 Mark Haney: What happens there?

317 0:33:52,478 --> 0:34:00,260 Mark Haney: If you've never been to the grounds in the Roblin Roblin Center, it's the largest hardwood palace.

318 0:34:00,330 --> 0:34:02,579 Mark Haney: My granddaughter plays volleyball there, I think, in California.

319 0:34:02,650 --> 0:34:07,682 Mark Haney: So it's big, open building that can be broken up.

320 0:34:07,750 --> 0:34:15,682 Mark Haney: But then there's also these I'll call it offices that are smaller in size that we use as breakout rooms.

321 0:34:16,010 --> 0:34:16,974 Mark Haney: What happens in those?

322 0:34:17,275 --> 0:34:31,439 Monique Brown: Yeah, in one of those for most of the afternoon we have startup presentations, our startup showcase, and so we have, across the board, I think, just under 20 companies that will be presenting throughout the day.

323 0:34:31,970 --> 0:34:37,076 Monique Brown: So, again, a great place to go and meet founders who are building their businesses here.

324 0:34:37,530 --> 0:34:39,057 Monique Brown: Get a sense for what's happening.

325 0:34:39,130 --> 0:34:48,658 Monique Brown: You don't have to sit through all of them, go stop in, watch a couple and just see how you can help, because in that room, because it's a public.

326 0:34:48,890 --> 0:34:50,817 Monique Brown: So the morning pitches are investor pitches.

327 0:34:51,350 --> 0:34:52,896 Monique Brown: They're targeted towards fundraising.

328 0:34:53,250 --> 0:34:55,659 Monique Brown: The afternoon pitches, everybody's welcome to attend.

329 0:34:55,710 --> 0:35:00,437 Monique Brown: We will have venture investors in there providing feedback to our founders.

330 0:35:00,530 --> 0:35:06,276 Monique Brown: So there will be investors in the room, but the asks are really community asks, so they're not fundraising asks.

331 0:35:06,370 --> 0:35:09,496 Monique Brown: So there is something that you can do to help one of those companies.

332 0:35:09,550 --> 0:35:11,096 Monique Brown: So definitely stop in there.

333 0:35:11,750 --> 0:35:17,701 Monique Brown: The other two breakouts are opportunities for more specific content and conversations.

334 0:35:17,830 --> 0:35:22,542 Monique Brown: So we have topics like Food and Ag Innovation.

335 0:35:22,582 --> 0:35:29,534 Monique Brown: John Selleb, agstart, it's doing incredible work in Woodland, incredible work with UC Davis.

336 0:35:29,850 --> 0:35:31,817 Monique Brown: He's just such a leader in the Food and Ag space.

337 0:35:32,310 --> 0:35:35,514 Monique Brown: He's going to be leading a conversation on Food and Ag Innovation.

338 0:35:36,810 --> 0:35:41,338 Monique Brown: We have a panel on the government's role in innovation with some of the people I'd mentioned before.

339 0:35:42,530 --> 0:35:43,555 Mark Haney: I'm trying to think what else?

340 0:35:43,770 --> 0:36:11,962 Monique Brown: Oh, david Bland, our friend David Bland, who's the author of Testing Business Ideas a phenomenal resource, really great guy is leading a live workshop, so walking through testing business assumptions and assumptions mapping, which I'll tell you what is a super powerful tool for any business and go in and have a free live workshop with someone.

341 0:36:12,190 --> 0:36:16,074 Monique Brown: And we have some books for those that attend, a little giveaway.

342 0:36:16,590 --> 0:36:24,862 Monique Brown: And then, finally, I'll mention our workforce panel Lisa Thie, who Ted Talker, ai expert, entrepreneur.

343 0:36:25,570 --> 0:36:42,400 Monique Brown: She'll be keynoting on Main Stage in the afternoon, but she's also on a panel around workforce alongside some other amazing leaders Louis Stewart from NVIDIA, carmen Marsh, donna and our Donna will be on that panel also talking about eSports.

344 0:36:42,530 --> 0:36:56,319 Monique Brown: But Lisa just published her book Go Reboot your Career in 90 Days and it's really looking at workforce and AI and stuff, and so she'll also be giving her books away and signing books in that breakout.

345 0:36:56,410 --> 0:36:59,972 Monique Brown: So those are some of the kinds of things that are happening there and there'll be.

346 0:37:00,172 --> 0:37:07,796 Mark Haney: There's a trade show area in the middle, kind of in the open space between the two stages, where people will set up.

347 0:37:09,190 --> 0:37:12,160 Mark Haney: These are people that are helpful to the founders.

348 0:37:12,250 --> 0:37:14,057 Mark Haney: There may be some founders set up in there.

349 0:37:14,410 --> 0:37:18,876 Mark Haney: There'll be kind of an area that's let's call it people won't be talking at you.

350 0:37:18,970 --> 0:37:22,761 Mark Haney: You can kind of walk down the aisles and meet people and shake hands.

351 0:37:22,910 --> 0:37:25,239 Mark Haney: Entrepreneurs' organization will have a table there.

352 0:37:25,330 --> 0:37:33,693 Mark Haney: People like that within this community will have a table, and to me that's kind of an interesting place to meet people when you're doing that.

353 0:37:34,175 --> 0:37:39,481 Mark Haney: It's a place outside of somebody speaking where you can actually socialize.

354 0:37:39,550 --> 0:37:47,113 Mark Haney: And the other one that we're going to have like that is there's a lounge and I believe there's a meet and greet with politicians, which is kind of an interesting.

355 0:37:47,153 --> 0:37:58,736 Mark Haney: Plaster County Association of Realtors has helped us bring together not just politicians from Plaster County but to kind of help drive this.

356 0:37:59,237 --> 0:38:04,901 Mark Haney: Bring in some of the politicians that really want our feedback on how to drive business.

357 0:38:05,030 --> 0:38:07,158 Mark Haney: They want the real, the boots on the ground.

358 0:38:07,230 --> 0:38:08,355 Mark Haney: Let's call this the boots on the ground.

359 0:38:08,630 --> 0:38:09,635 Mark Haney: They want to interact with us.

360 0:38:09,690 --> 0:38:15,312 Mark Haney: That's a value to them and so they're going to be here to listen and then answer questions.

361 0:38:16,276 --> 0:38:17,099 Mark Haney: That should be really helpful.

362 0:38:17,130 --> 0:38:27,013 Mark Haney: There's not that many places where you can go meet a bunch of people that are, and again, when you're thinking about a lot of us turn on the news and it's like all this national divisiveness around politics.

363 0:38:27,976 --> 0:38:29,460 Mark Haney: That's not what you have at the local level.

364 0:38:29,530 --> 0:38:36,360 Mark Haney: At the local level, for the most part, the Democrat, republican thing kind of goes away.

365 0:38:36,430 --> 0:38:42,175 Mark Haney: It's like wait, how do we roll up our sleeves and help make good decisions so that we have a nice community, good school stuff like that.

366 0:38:42,490 --> 0:38:43,836 Monique Brown: Yeah, no, I think that's true.

367 0:38:43,890 --> 0:38:45,275 Monique Brown: The Expo floor is going to be great.

368 0:38:46,891 --> 0:38:51,238 Monique Brown: There are so many entrepreneurial support organizations that will be there.

369 0:38:51,750 --> 0:38:53,856 Monique Brown: We're super excited to be hosting them.

370 0:38:54,330 --> 0:38:59,111 Monique Brown: These are, these are the workhorses of this effort.

371 0:38:59,191 --> 0:39:03,869 Monique Brown: Right A day in and day out, they're out there trying to help our entrepreneurs.

372 0:39:04,000 --> 0:39:30,590 Monique Brown: So, again, organizations like Startup Sack and the Carlson Center, ag Start, clean Start, alchemist Kitchen, alchemist Incubator, sbdc, medro Chamber, hispanic Chamber, all the organizations and we have a lot of our business resource partners that will be there, like Montpac, who will have, you know, and they're great partners that help so many of our founders with their financials and stuff like that.

373 0:39:31,041 --> 0:40:01,571 Monique Brown: And then, most definitely, our founders and this is a great place to go again learn about what people are working on, and I just challenge everybody to come into the event, you know, with maybe a couple asks in mind and to come into the event with the intention to walk away from the event with like five ways you can help somebody else you know, and so these are the places where those conversations can happen, and you know we can set the table, but you know we can't make the relationships.

374 0:40:01,660 --> 0:40:03,106 Monique Brown: That's everybody else's job right.

375 0:40:03,320 --> 0:40:12,126 Monique Brown: And so I see like so many people come up to me from last year and said, hey, we met at GFX last year and this is what we've done since, and that makes me so happy, you know.

376 0:40:12,660 --> 0:40:15,449 Monique Brown: So I'm hoping we can have that happen again this year.

377 0:40:15,680 --> 0:40:17,808 Mark Haney: Yes, and at the end of the day there is happy hour.

378 0:40:17,960 --> 0:40:21,266 Mark Haney: So for anybody who's wondering, you don't have to leave early.

379 0:40:21,520 --> 0:40:24,981 Mark Haney: It's a great place to get some of those deeper conversations going.

380 0:40:25,021 --> 0:40:28,725 Mark Haney: Sometimes is during happy hour where people are.

381 0:40:29,006 --> 0:40:32,547 Mark Haney: You know, at the end of the day you relax a little bit more typically.

382 0:40:33,740 --> 0:40:44,448 Mark Haney: But one of the things that I'm reminded of in the way that you described the mood and the atmosphere is you, Rick, and myself.

383 0:40:44,789 --> 0:40:53,706 Mark Haney: We were in my office up here, kind of over there near where Scott is right now, and we're getting ready to start the growth factory, and we knew we were gonna do it.

384 0:40:53,820 --> 0:41:03,725 Mark Haney: We had made the decision, but we wanted some feedback and so we decided who are the three people that we should call first.

385 0:41:03,846 --> 0:41:07,510 Mark Haney: Right, well, who should the first three calls be to?

386 0:41:08,800 --> 0:41:14,446 Mark Haney: To kind of get that initial, you know, put our foot in the water, as we, you know, come out of the four walls of these offices.

387 0:41:15,441 --> 0:41:20,947 Mark Haney: And the first call we made was to Dale Carlson, carlson Center sleep train.

388 0:41:21,060 --> 0:41:27,867 Mark Haney: A lot of people know Dale, very philanthropic, wise man, and he said what are you working on, Mark?

389 0:41:28,580 --> 0:41:29,183 Mark Haney: How can I help?

390 0:41:30,964 --> 0:41:32,569 Mark Haney: And I was like, oh man, that, what a great attitude, right.

391 0:41:32,840 --> 0:41:35,609 Mark Haney: Next call we made was to Barry Broom.

392 0:41:35,780 --> 0:41:40,723 Mark Haney: He runs the Greater Sacramento Economic Council and he said the same thing what are you working on?

393 0:41:41,840 --> 0:41:42,644 Mark Haney: How can I help?

394 0:41:43,240 --> 0:41:50,087 Mark Haney: And then we decided to call the third person and financial guy that we all respect for, moneta Ventures, loca, chikaria.

395 0:41:51,540 --> 0:41:52,505 Mark Haney: What are you working on?

396 0:41:52,640 --> 0:41:55,624 Mark Haney: Again, the same thing gets the call what are you working on?

397 0:41:56,100 --> 0:41:57,145 Mark Haney: How can I help?

398 0:41:57,360 --> 0:42:13,445 Mark Haney: And I think it's that spirit that I know is going to exude itself in GFX and it's cause a lot of us are a little bit shy about how do I help somebody?

399 0:42:13,505 --> 0:42:14,188 Mark Haney: I don't know what to do.

400 0:42:14,380 --> 0:42:17,186 Mark Haney: I'm coming to this conference, mark, you're telling me to show some love.

401 0:42:17,260 --> 0:42:18,947 Mark Haney: You're telling me to help people.

402 0:42:19,100 --> 0:42:19,803 Mark Haney: How do I do that?

403 0:42:20,560 --> 0:42:24,843 Mark Haney: You just have to ask one little thing, same as those three what are you working on?

404 0:42:25,185 --> 0:42:25,968 Mark Haney: How can I help?

405 0:42:26,140 --> 0:42:40,626 Mark Haney: And if you stop and listen, the idea is your imagination will go through the roof and the collective imagination of Sacramento's entrepreneurial ecosystem, the leaders, the people that get it.

406 0:42:41,080 --> 0:42:53,448 Mark Haney: We start tapping into the collective imagination instead of just Mark and Rick and Monique's imagination and Locash and Dale and Barry Now we've got all the rest and all of you.

407 0:42:54,600 --> 0:42:59,667 Mark Haney: It's like the collective imagination is so powerful on how we grow our businesses.

408 0:43:00,140 --> 0:43:06,988 Monique Brown: Yeah, I can't agree more, and I think the one kind of sentence that goes through my mind as you're talking is that you belong here.

409 0:43:09,760 --> 0:43:13,925 Monique Brown: I think the other question sometimes people think is this for me, do I belong?

410 0:43:15,181 --> 0:43:21,423 Monique Brown: And the answer is yes, if you can come with that mindset and that heart, then you belong here.

411 0:43:22,040 --> 0:43:23,787 Mark Haney: All right, so it is GFX.

412 0:43:24,421 --> 0:43:27,925 Mark Haney: It's all about love, it's all about helping each other, all that touchy-feely stuff.

413 0:43:28,180 --> 0:43:29,265 Mark Haney: You're going, mark, are you sure?

414 0:43:29,840 --> 0:43:31,487 Mark Haney: Yes, it's gonna be okay.

415 0:43:32,680 --> 0:43:33,523 Mark Haney: It's October 5th.

416 0:43:34,545 --> 0:43:38,548 Mark Haney: At the grounds, great place, plenty of parking.

417 0:43:38,700 --> 0:43:41,521 Monique Brown: You don't have to pay to park, free parking Goodness.

418 0:43:42,540 --> 0:43:45,428 Mark Haney: You get your tickets on growthfactoryus.

419 0:43:46,270 --> 0:43:46,711 Mark Haney: That's fine.

420 0:43:47,140 --> 0:43:48,204 Mark Haney: Anything else they need to know.

421 0:43:48,285 --> 0:43:48,907 Mark Haney: Tele-friend.

422 0:43:49,120 --> 0:43:50,546 Monique Brown: Tele-friend, come join us.

423 0:43:51,440 --> 0:43:56,147 Monique Brown: The only last thing I'll say is that this day for happy hour comment you have to.

424 0:43:56,600 --> 0:44:05,715 Monique Brown: You have to because the food and beverage once again I'm just super excited about our food and beverage entrepreneurs is gonna be so good yeah so stay Is the taco guy gonna be there.

425 0:44:06,361 --> 0:44:07,285 Mark Haney: The taco guy is coming.

426 0:44:07,660 --> 0:44:11,783 Monique Brown: We have our bow buns from the capitalized finalists for bow buns.

427 0:44:12,560 --> 0:44:16,085 Mark Haney: I don't even know what those are, so good they're coming to the golf tournament too.

428 0:44:16,527 --> 0:44:18,260 Mark Haney: Oh okay, hated this golf tournament coming up in a week.

429 0:44:18,340 --> 0:44:20,227 Mark Haney: You can do plenty of time to say that that might be over, who knows.

430 0:44:21,923 --> 0:44:23,468 Mark Haney: But anyway, thanks for joining me on the show.

431 0:44:24,040 --> 0:44:25,607 Mark Haney: Thanks for putting on GFX.

432 0:44:25,780 --> 0:44:26,222 Mark Haney: It's where the.

433 0:44:26,704 --> 0:44:29,106 Mark Haney: You know we're talking about branding Sacramento.

434 0:44:29,420 --> 0:44:32,565 Mark Haney: You know there's a whole discussion around how do you brand Sacramento.

435 0:44:32,720 --> 0:44:43,947 Mark Haney: I think we should brand it around the love that the backyard advantage represents and the way Sacramento is uniquely positioned to sort of bring that love to me.

436 0:44:44,540 --> 0:44:51,829 Mark Haney: We're on the forefront of how to change the brand image of Sacramento Absolutely.

437 0:44:52,181 --> 0:44:52,424 Mark Haney: Thank you.