About LCV

Lost Coast Ventures (“LCV”) is a non-profit, public benefit organization founded by John Ballard ‘80 and Dan Phillips ‘91 to support and enable entrepreneurial activities at Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods. LCV provides sustained mentoring and seed capital to commercialize promising business concepts that have potential to scale and provide jobs & economic growth on the North Coast. All proceeds from LCV liquidity events will ultimately be donated to Cal Poly Humboldt and/or College of the Redwoods.

John modeled Lost Coast Ventures after Angeli Parvi, a highly successful and similar organization that his father started at Dartmouth College in 2001. Using Angeli Parvi as a template, John partnered with fellow Humboldt grad Dan Phillips to form LCV and jointly provide LCV’s initial funding. John and Dan will leverage their 30 years of business experience in multiple industries and in differing capacities to grow early-stage entrepreneurial activities at both institutions.

        With the transformation of HSU into Northern California’s first Polytechnical University and the historic partnership between Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods, it is clear the need exists and the timing is right for the creation of Lost Coast Ventures. LCV is a small but important catalyst in a broader ecosystem that will fuel innovation, advance education, and expand the economy on the North Coast. Tailoring the LCV framework to meet the unique needs of Cal Poly Humboldt, College of the Redwoods, and the North Coast in general, John and Dan met with Cal Poly Humboldt’s President, Dr. Tom Jackson and with College of the Redwoods President, Dr. Keith Flamer in the fall of 2021. Receiving enthusiastic support from both presidents and others from both institutions, they set their sights on launching LCV in the first half of 2022.

To assist in this endeavor, John and Dan recruited three accomplished individuals to round out LCV’s Board of Directors. With the help of President Jackson and President Flamer and after meeting with many talented individuals willing to donate their time to LCV, Shawna Young EdD, Chris Gains, and Matthew Cendejas were selected because of their relevant experience and strong campus connections to join John Ballard and Dan Phillips as board members of Lost Coast Ventures.

Meet the Team

  • Dan Phillips

    Dan Phillips served as Hulu’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) through its hyper growth from 2018 to 2021 as Hulu became a premier streaming media service and the largest OTT Live Service in the US. Dan oversaw all aspects of product strategy, development, delivery, and operations including product management, user experience, engineering, IT, security, and operations. Prior to Hulu, Dan served as the Chief Operations Officer at TiVo as well as the EVP of Operations and Engineer through its merger and integration with Rovi/Xperi. Earlier in his career he held leadership positions at several technology companies including SVP of Engineering, Product & Service at Trados and VP of Engineering & VP Product Management at CrossWorlds until its acquisition by IBM. Dan started his business and technical career by co-founding MetaSystems in Arcata, CA following graduation from Cal Poly Humboldt. Dan currently serves as the Chair of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Boldly Rising campaign & cabinet focused on the University’s transition in becoming California’s third Polytech University and fundraising to advance University programs and student scholarships. Dan also serves as Co-Chair for the President’s Council at College of the Redwoods focused on advancing the college's master plan and elevating K-14 education on the California North Coast.

  • John Ballard

    John earned his B.A. degree from Humboldt State University in 1980 and his Master’s Degree from Colorado State University in 1982. John spent the first 15 years of his career in increasingly responsible finance, operations and project management roles at TCI which led to him being appointed its CFO and ultimately its CEO prior to selling the business to SPX Corporation in 2001. John spent the last 20 years of his career working for SPX Corporation as a Business Unit President of numerous businesses in diversified technology and industrial verticals, most recently leading the global operations of SPX’s Communication Technologies and Aids to Navigation platforms. Following retirement from SPX in March of 2021, John serves as Treasurer and board member of New Way Homes, an affordable housing development company, supports Santa Cruz Greenway and is a founder of Lost Coast Ventures.

  • Shawna Young

    Shawna graduated from California State University, Stanislaus, where she majored in physical education and competed in cross country and track. She went to Boise State University for grad school, where she earned a Master’s in Exercise and Sport Studies and a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a Cognate in Exercise Science, and where she trained with the Bronco Wrestling Club and qualified for the Women’s Freestyle U.S. World Team Trials. Returning to Stanislaus State as a faculty member, she was focused on providing hands-on practical field experiences for preservice teachers and coaches, and involving students in her applied research. As an administrator at Stanislaus State, both as the Interim Director of Research and Sponsored Programs and then as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, and now as Dean at Cal Poly Humboldt, she has focused on securing funding and providing opportunities for students to be hired to work alongside faculty on their research, scholarship, and creative activity endeavors – giving students phenomenal applied experiences, helping them to be job- and career-ready, and well-positioned for grad school.

  • Matthew Cendejas

    Matthew received his B.A. degree in Recreation Administration in 2017 and earned his Masters of Business Administration in 2019. Matthew is a Humboldt native who has founded various businesses living on the North Coast. He spent five years building an international nonprofit that supervised volunteer trips to Uganda and Peru. He has been a Rotary member since 2015 and held a position on the board of directors of Lost Coast Rotaract since 2016. He has hosted over 30 fundraisers in northern Humboldt, raising money for local and global causes. After buying a school, facilitating over 30 volunteers and kickstarting a small business in Uganda, Matthew began starting more businesses in Humboldt. He owns an environmentally-friendly product distribution company (Lost Coast Plastics) and a blockchain consulting firm (Humboldt Blockchain Advising).

  • Chris Gaines

    Chris earned a B.A. in Communications and M.B.A. from Humboldt State University. Chris has dedicated much of his professional career to teaching, business development, and community service. Serving as Professor of Business at College of the Redwoods and Lecturer in the School of Business at Cal Poly Humboldt, Chris is passionate about working with students to explore possibilities that unlock potential in themselves, their businesses, and society as a whole. As a serial entrepreneur, Chris has founded and advised many businesses over the years, including serving as President of Flatiron Venture Group since 2004. A true believer in the potential of the North Coast, Chris has supported and volunteered for local initiatives such as Humboldt Made, Get Ready Humboldt, Economic Fuel and many other efforts aimed at supporting students and our community. Chris is proud to be part of the Lost Coast Ventures team.