Bixel Exchange is Los Angeles' Center for Innovation and Technology. We are hosted at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
We cultivate talent and empower entrepreneurs with the goal of creating a more prosperous Los Angeles.
We do this through our two core programs:
Tech Ed Partnerships serves a critical role as the business intermediary, connecting L.A.’s top tech employers to diverse, under-represented high school and community college students that are seeking access and exposure to technology careers.
The Startup Launch SBDC helps founders launch and scale sustainable companies through one-on-one mentorship, specialized workshops and access to our vetted entrepreneurial community.
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with:
Partner & Co-Founder, Map + Fire
I believe that anyone with enough courage and determination can make their own path through the world.
Though my academic training is in science and engineering (brain imaging), my real world education as an entrepreneur has always provided my biggest challenges and most meaningful rewards.
Since 2004 I’ve founded/co-founded numerous businesses in industries ranging from strategy consulting, to website design, to video storytelling, to (yes, even) professional comedy. While the topics have varied, I’ve always found satisfaction in building companies and helping others do the same.
In the process, I’ve collaborated with hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners, as well as big names like MIT, JDRF, Discover, Gregory Packs, Dreamworks, HBO, National Louis University, Vanderbilt and more.
I live in Los Angeles with my talented wife Katie and our amazing dog Piper. Before moving West, I lived in — and ate my way through — Chicago, Atlanta, Richmond, Nashville, and Memphis.
When I’m not working, you can find me hiking, playing video games, eating the hottest available hot wings, or trying to make the perfect Old Fashioned.
Partner & Co-Founder, Map + Fire
I’ve spent the last 15 years dreaming up and then bringing to life multiple startups as well as a wide range of digital projects. With every twist and turn of that journey there’s been a consistent thread of weaving together strategic problem solving, creative expression, and a curiosity to better understand people.
In the businesses I created or co-founded, my primary focus has always been on strategy and user experience. For others, I’ve worn lots of hats from Executive Producer, to Designer, to Copywriter, to Developer. I’ve also enjoyed an unofficial Account Services role where I carefully honed the craft of client therapy.
Over the years, I’ve collaborated with countless passionate small businesses along with several 800lb (friendly) gorillas including Google, Sony, Universal Pictures, Mattel, FOX, Dreamworks, CBS, A&E, Home Depot, Roland Keyboards, G4 TV, and the LA Times.
When not doing mental gymnastics, I like spending time with my amazing wife and son, hiking, surfing, and watching things that make me laugh.
Understanding Customer Motivation
No matter what kind of product or service you’re developing, your success hinges on helping your customers solve important problems in their lives.
The challenge is that it’s often not clear what your customers actually want. In fact, it’s so mysterious that sometimes the customers themselves don’t even know!
Fortunately, we don’t have to rely only on what customers say to understand what they care about.
In this workshop we’ll cover two important concepts that will help you understand your customers on a deeper level — Jobs to Be Done and Elements of Value — and we’ll show you how to apply them to your own business right away.
