Tech world gravitates to City of Angels
Hopping onto the tech bandwagon is no easy feat these days. The competition that goes on in Silicon Valley for bright engineers and marketing superstars is fierce. But what about Silicon Beach, the SoCal counterpart to the bustling tech frontier up north?
Wired · Robert Lambert saw the need for an online resource and conference to bring together Angelenos involved in the tech world. – Photo Courtesy of Robert Lambert
Though it might not be home to massive corporations such as Apple or Intel, make no mistake –— Silicon Beach is making its own strides. And for students in the Los Angeles community, there are many opportunities to be had in sunny SoCal.
Robert Lambert, who serves as the founder of Silicon Beach LA, is a citizen of both the U.S. and Australia, founding startups in both countries.
“I started very early. … Our family has always been very entrepreneurial,” Lambert said.
Nearly seven years ago, Lambert was running his own company — an eBay for services, of sorts.
“I met a lot of folks and built my own resource for connections. From there, I worked in Sydney, Australia and established even more ties to the community there and in the States.”
These days, students and professionals alike use LinkedIn to connect with others. But Lambert was building a more personal and valuable network, one that he knew he had to share with others.
“In 2012, I came back to Los Angeles, and people were asking for introductions and requesting to use this resource,” he said. “A website was made and we were seeing anywhere from 150 to 250 emails every day.”
Lambert began to brainstorm and gave himself three months to start up and launch what is now Silicon Beach LA, an online community and resource that collects information about news, events and jobs in Silicon Beach.
The official Silicon Beach Fest, which is held biannually, is a conference-like event that brings together entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts and students for a weekend of discussions, collaborations and hackathons.
On June 15, Silicon Beach LA will also be hosting its Summer Hiring Blitz, a hiring event featuring 80 companies in Los Angeles’s tech and startup community.
“We realized that there wasn’t a real hiring event for those who wanted to get more involved with Silicon Beach and we thought this was what the community needed. One of the biggest concerns especially is letting local college students know that there are really exciting opportunities out there,” Lambert said.
Companies that will be at the Summer Hiring Blitz include Nasty Gal, a booming online retailer of women’s fashions; NextSpace, a co-working space located in startup accelerator Amplify LA’s campus; and Codewars, a company that gamifies and crowdsources code.
To impress companies such as these, Lambert recommends that attendees have in mind which companies to speak with on the day of the event.
“Look through different companies and see who they’re hiring. Be realistic in terms of which companies you decide to approach.”
For those who might not be feeling confident or qualified enough to pursue open positions at this event, there will also be ongoing panels and workshops that discuss topics such as “What I Look For When I’m Hiring” and “How to Improve the Internship Landscape.”
Even if the startup culture isn’t completely up your alley, it might still be worthwhile to get familiar with the tech ecosystem in Los Angeles.
“There’s never been a time like this [for Silicon Beach]. You are seeing people with different levels of experience jumping into the startup world,” Lambert said. “Los Angeles is known for being one of the most entrepreneurial places in the world. There are a lot of talented people here.”
And if you find your match at the Hiring Blitz, Lambert says that the Silicon Beach Fest, which takes place the following weekend, is your time to unwind and get better affiliated with the Silicon Beach community.
“Silicon Beach Fest is a phenomenal opportunity to get everybody together. When you secure your future employment, you can relax and mingle with people a week later. Get a job and go party.”
Sounds like a plan.
The Summer Hiring Blitz will be held at Loyola Marymount University on Sat., June 15. Tickets can be purchased online.