Chamber: Innovation/Entrepreneurship Summit focuses on success

November 12, 2014
Santa Paula News

You’ve got to start with an idea and ambition was the message given by a panel of cutting edge business owners at the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce Innovation/Entrepreneurship Summit held October 28.

Businesses showing innovation were also honored at the event held at the Limoneira Ranch Visitors Center where more than 100 business leaders, elected officials and those hoping to improve Santa Paula’s economic future gathered for the summit.

Chamber Board President John Chamberlain said the gathering was at the right place - Limoneira Ranch, headquarters of the agriculture industry leader - and at the right time, on the heels of the Great Recession.

Limoneira started in 1893 with a few partners and over the years has employed generations of workers; the company has branched out into land development/ real estate and retail sales. The Visitors Center used to be the company store when many of the workers lived on ranch property.

Chamberlain said with the economic downturn, there are many people who formerly worked in various industries now looking for new opportunities and linking ideas and innovation - the partnership of brains and necessity - to create success.

“The Chamber is in business to support business and our mission is to support business in our region,” said Chamberlain. “And today’s important topics are integral to a healthy business climate.”   

Entrepreneurs, he added, “Are vital to the economy,” creating new businesses, new jobs and intensifies competition while generating high levels of economic growth. 

Chamberlain noted studies show that there is a clear statistical link between innovation and gains in the standard of living. 

Moderated by Henry Dubroff, the editor/publisher of Pacific Coast Business Times, the panel included: Jim Butz, president SoCal Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Development (SoCal EED), focused on establishing regional entrepreneurial ecosystems that contribute to high tech job creation across Southern California; Justin Bellante, founder and CEO of BioIQ, using new web technologies and engineering principles to build “disruptive’ innovation for information tracking/delivery in the healthcare and wellness industries; Jim Rice, executive director Bell Arts Factory, energizing Ventura’s West Side through art and collaboration with a venture embraced by artists, residents and local leaders that is transforming a neglected area; Patrick Yonally, co-owner/creative director of Impact Entertainment, whose client list of business superstars utilize a one-stop creative image building shop that handles the entire production cycle, from shaping client communication objectives to post-production in various media.  

Bellante said an important thought when it came to creating his BiolQ company was “People were too lazy to stand in line at the video store... and I wanted to create the Netflix’s for healthcare,” a concept that led to a revolution in healthcare reporting for both providers and patients.

Butz said timing is everything including knowing when your time is up: first time entrepreneurs might find they face “an enormous learning curve... but if they can’t make it in 24 months,” it’s time to move onto another venture.

Although having a mentor would be beneficial Yonally said what is “most significant is having faith in yourself... “

With the changing world of corporations now people “Must make their own jobs,” and noted Rice, “You might as well follow your passion,” when it comes to the company you may no longer keep but now would rather create.

When asked how the entrepreneurs gauged their own progress, Yonally said it was bookkeeping: “Ever year since 1999 with only one exception,” Impact Entertainment has made a higher profit, “our benchmark... “

Regular “meet-ups” with other CEOs to share ideas is a good way Butz said to stay connected as well as gauge accomplishment. 

The value of chamber membership and working with municipal entities to launch a business were also discussed with Rice saying he now views the former as “less a pack and more a partner” with heightened collaboration. 

Yonally said he moved to Santa Paula after living in Ojai and Santa Barbara: “There’s lots of possibility and lots of excitement in Santa Paula and I look forward to being a part of that in the future... “





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