Silicon Beach Rides Tech Wave

As tech-focused startups continue to be the darlings of the business and investment worlds, Santa Monica’s star continues to rise. Silicon Beach, as the city has been dubbed, is attracting more and more attention as ventures such as SnapChat (headquartered there) rise to the top of the startup heap. In fact, according to Fast Company, 35.9 percent of all Los Angeles startups are headquartered there.

Showing just how popular the tech scene is in Silicon Beach, the second annual Silicon Beach Fest brought in more than 3,000 attendees and more than 250 speakers on more than 60 panels in 17 themed tracks over four days, according to the organizers.

According to Bob Foster ('65, 100 Inspirational Alumni), who teaches High Technology Management at UCLA Anderson, the ocean is a big draw for hardworking entrepreneurs. "We have beaches and smart young people that enjoy surfing and the funky Santa Monica atmosphere," he explains.

And, Anderson alumni have heard the call. Kenny Berlin ('11) runs his business 12Twenty from a shared office space in Santa Monica. Berlin had thought of moving his company to the East Coast, but decided Silicon Beach was the place, both personally and professionally. "We talked about going back to the east coast, but here you've got talent and investors—and you can go surfing,” he says.

The fact that it’s not Silicon Valley or NYC’s Silicon Alley holds another bonus for young companies looking to make a splash. Ryan Cummins ('11), co-founder of a startup called Omaze, says, "The community here is still small enough that if you put in the effort to get out there and get to know people, you get a real sense of who the active participants are.”

For more on Silicon Beach, head to Assets Digital.