MSIV Hosts 3rd Annual North Bay NEXT
On Wednesday, May 1, MSIV’s 2024 North Bay NEXT conference gathered over 330 leaders from the local startup community at College of Marin’s Jonas Center. The attendees of the dynamic conference saw over 35 entrepreneurs take the stage to share their stories of building innovative ventures.
Keynotes and Conversations
The conference theme, ‘Build it Here,’ was brought to life through the keynote speakers, all of whom have founded and scaled their successful ventures in the North Bay.
The 2024 NEXT agenda included keynotes from Helen Russell (Equator Coffees), Lily Kanter (Serena & Lily), Tina Sharkey (USC Lecturer), Jordan Kivelstadt (Free Flow Wines), Mike Miskovsky (Ojjo), Zachary Kushel (MSIV), and Brett Martinez (Redwood Credit Union). The speakers highlighted the advantages and economic necessity of building companies across Marin + Sonoma.
The dynamic keynotes provided guidance and inspiration for early-stage entrepreneurs and emphasized the importance of community and mentorship. They encouraged us to build locally, rely on each other, and take responsibility to make positive change in the world.
North Bay Startup Showcase
The NEXT Startup Showcase provided an intriguing snapshot into the next generation of entrepreneurs actively building their early-stage companies in the North Bay.
The twenty showcase founders were given a maximum of five minutes and five slides to give the audience a TED-esque talk on their company. This year’s cohort of entrepreneurs represented a large cross-section of industries building in the North Bay, including SaaS, AI, Consumer Packaged Goods, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Care Services, and Automotive Technology.
Lunch and Learns with Industry Experts
MSIV’s Executive Network of tenured, successful startup entrepreneurs and operators hosted topic lunches for interested community members. These small groups allowed for closer connection and deeper dives into entrepreneurial themes and industries.
Thank You!
The 2024 NEXT conference was the best one yet! Thank you to the members of the growing MSIV community of founders, mentors, and investors for your engagement in our movement to create a robust local startup ecosystem across Marin + Sonoma.
Thank you to our generous sponsors for their support: Co-host, College of Marin, our 2024 MSIV Community Platinum Sponsors LePage Center for Global Innovation at Dominican University and Tri Counties Bank, Gold Sponsors Redwood Credit Union, Cerity Partners, Bank of America, North River Company and MarinHealth, and WiFi Sponsor Cartelligent.
