Written in Partnership with Amir BakianEntrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Yet, that does not stop some from taking the leap to work for themselves. As of May 2022, there were over 4 million small businesses in the state of California. Each one is a testament to the dedication of someone with a dream made manifest through dedication, perseverance, and passion.
The top entrepreneurs in California work in various industries and have brought different innovative ideas to the market. From roadside assistance on-demand to a mission to increase political participation, California’s top entrepreneurs — and the businesses they’ve created — are actively building the state’s future.
1. Zeitgeist Design & Production
Zeitgeist Design & Production is an award-winning experience, design, and production studio located in the epicenter of the historically-themed entertainment design community of Pasadena/Glendale/Burbank, California. It’s here that nearly every major theme park and attraction has been conceived and designed since 1952.
Zeitgeist creates world-class out-of-home experiences around the world for owner/operators (Disney, Universal, Chimelong), brands (BBC, Dolly Parton, Hersheypark), and developers looking to design and build UX-IRL (User eXperiences In Real Life) for their guests and customers. Life is an experience, and since 1987, Ryan Harmon and his team of seasoned industry pros have been making it a memorable one for millions of families worldwide.
2. SmartBlocks
Mark Fidelman — founder of SmartBlocks — hopes to educate and inspire crypto enthusiasts about the innovative DeFi projects being brought to the market. A prolific entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in technology sales and marketing, his goal is to give investors the tools they need to make cryptocurrency easy and accessible. Fidelman wants to help those who are disenfranchised, unbanked, and want to take control of their finances.
Earlier this year, SmartBlocks announced that Tetraguard, the first decentralized, fee-producing basket of coins deployed on the Ethereum blockchain, hit the market. “We’re very excited to see the Tetraguard decentralized ETF because now you can trade a basket of stocks and earn rewards just by holding them, or you can trade them like you can any other tokens. We’re pretty excited about that,” says Fidelman.
3. Roadr
Roadr is a technology company specializing in building solutions for the roadside industry. Their mission is to create a marketplace where drivers receive efficient and quality services from service specialists through a safe and intuitive app. Upon receiving a roadside assistance request, the closest Roadr certified specialist can accept or refuse the job. If the service is accepted, the client has all the necessary info and assurance that he will be attended to quickly. If rejected, a relay system passes the job request to the nearest Roadr certified specialist.
In addition, Roadr offers a prepaid, cashless billing system. By downloading the app, users will have access to instant pricing, time of arrival, and live updates of their Roadside Specialist through geolocation.
Roadr offers — for the first time — free market roadside assistance for tire changes, gas, battery jumps, and vehicle unlock services. Anyone can sign up, train, and get certified to offer this service with the opportunity for both independent and big companies to equally provide assistance without having to pay ads.
4. Castle Funds
Castle Funds is an investment firm offering secure, liquid, and low-cost access to managing funds invested in Bitcoin and other digital currencies since 2017, managing active portfolios across spot, futures, and options markets. Castle Funds also develops proprietary software systems that handle all aspects of its fund operations.
Castle Funds’ mission is to prove that digital currencies are an essential part of any diversified portfolio. The firm also aims to preserve profits without incurring significant losses and to navigate digital investing safely by applying empirical analysis and sound risk management policies to a highly opportunistic, albeit volatile investment space.
Castle Funds is on its way to becoming a trusted gateway to digital currency investments for Californians looking to dip their toes into the crypto waters.
5. BattlePACS
Born amid a contentious political climate, BattlePACs is a technology platform that will transform how citizens engage in politics and civil discourse. BattlePACs believes in empowering the voices of all citizens and all political affiliations, especially those who have been left out of the current political process. The company believes participation and conversations are critical to moving America toward a future that works for everyone.
BattlePACs is a gamified political contest and proving ground for real-world elections. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents compete multiple times a year in online “battle campaigns” that can earn millions in real-world, tax-deductible donations for their respective parties. Participants cast their “ballots” by purchasing digital political collectibles featuring key heroes and moments in history from their chosen party.
BattlePACS also supports new leaders by offering students the chance to earn up to a year’s worth of college tuition through the Voices of America Scholarship program, specifically for those who show a passion for politics and critical social issues in the US.
With the incredible ideas coming out of the state of California, everything from politics to design is being rethought, reinvented, and disrupted. These chosen few entrepreneurs are proving that there are still fantastic opportunities for innovative creations brought to the market by pioneering minds.
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