RevHubOC, Orange County’s first social enterprise incubator, is leading a new program for under-resourced entrepreneurs.
The program, dubbed NorthSTAR (Systems to Access Resources) OC Collaborative, launched two years ago after receiving an $8.5 million grant through the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) of the 29th district helped secure the funding and received Orange County Business Council’s (OCBC) Leadership in Public Service award last month for his support of the program.
“This will lead to a whole new generation of entrepreneurs, especially those who otherwise would not have made their way into business,” Newman told the Business Journal.
NorthSTAR has put the grant toward funding helpful initiatives for entrepreneurs, including the opening of the Center for Entrepreneurship at North Orange County Community College District.
Social Network
The NorthSTAR Collaborative is made up of a network of organizations such as OneOC, California State University, Fullerton and the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce that pools resources together for budding entrepreneurs.
NorthSTAR said it hosted 32 workshops centered around women and minority-owned businesses since launching.
“Their lived experience makes them resilient, resourceful and impact-minded, which proves to be incredibly desirable qualities in building social enterprises,” Stephan Erkelens, CEO of RevHub, told the Business Journal.
NorthSTAR will hold its first-ever Southern California Entrepreneurship Week in February, which will feature more than 200 exhibitors and workshops themed around startups.
