Glendale is making moves to amp up its tech game with a tasty offer on the table for heavy hitters in the startup world. The city is searching for qualified gurus to take the reins of a new tech accelerator, incubator, or startup studio programs. They're putting their money where their mouth is with a cool $1 million grant snagged by Senator Anthony Portantino from the state's coffers, all aimed at injecting energy into the local tech scene. Get those proposals ready, because one or maybe two top applicants will walk away with the cash.
With a nod to their earlier successes, Glendale is not new to this rodeo. Founded on the Glendale Tech Strategy rooted back in 2017, the latest initiative was made possible thanks to a generous $1 million grant from the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, as per an official release. Bradley Calvert, Director of Community Development, remarked, "This RFP is a powerful opportunity to attract more high growth startups to Glendale." Having already nurtured the likes of Hero House and KidsX, the city means business when it comes to scaling its tech landscape.
David Crawley Delgado, the city’s Senior Economic Development Coordinator, laid it out plain and simple in a statement obtained by the official City of Glendale website. "Hero House and KidsX have successfully nurtured a pipeline of startups in the region. They have set the stage for what we can accomplish with this new level of funding." Look no further than June 28, 2024, which is the deadline for those planning to strut their stuff and submit a proposal.
But the buck doesn’t stop there. Soua Vang, Deputy Director of Economic Development, added that there's more than just accelerators on this growth train. Touting the ripple effect, he said, "The success of our City’s Tech Strategy will ensure a vibrant local business community, amplify the City’s contribution to SoCal’s reputation as a tech hub, and highlight Glendale as an attractive home for tech companies and talent."
And let's not forget the big dogs already strutting their stuff in Glendale. LegalZoom, Age of Learning, on to the entertainment behemoths like the Walt Disney Company and DreamWorks. They're all part of the city’s business concoction. With Glendale cooking up events like Tech on Tap and partnerships in initiatives like Upstart Valley, it’s clear they're gunning to be a linchpin in SoCal’s tech boom. More deets on their master plan can be found here.
