Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes, Lost Coast Ventures supports and invests in ventures emanating from Cal Poly Humboldt or College of the Redwoods with their HQ based on the North Coast. goes here

  • No, LCV invests in ventures that are founded by aspiring entrepreneurs at either Cal Poly Humboldt or College of the Redwoods. These ventures will typically be started by faculty, staff, or students who are associated with these institutions.

  • LCV provides seed capital to scalable business ventures in all disciplines with a priority in Engineering, Marine Biology/Aquaculture, CIS & Data Sciences, Water and Energy, Specialty Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, and Manufacturing & Construction.

  • Yes, LCV is a non-profit, Public Benefit corporation supporting both Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods.

  • Yes. In consideration for its investment coupled with its advisory and mentoring services, LCV will assume a small ownership stake in the venture when the investment is made.

  • The ultimate beneficiaries of LCV are Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods. The proceeds from a liquidation event such as an acquisition, merger, or public offering will either be retained within LCV to fund future investments or be returned to the institutions.

  • John Ballard and Dan Phillips are jointly providing the initial funding for LCV. LCV will also accept donations from individuals wishing to support LCV’s mission.

  • Yes, LCV accepts additional funding donations from other individuals or entities for use in LCV’s capital deployment plans.

  • While individual members of the LCV team will provide mentoring and advisory services to aspiring entrepreneurs and assess the investment opportunity with specific ventures, the LCV Board as a whole will make all investment decisions.

  • LCV is an independent organization but has a close partnership with both Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods. The LCV board is composed of Alumni, faculty and staff from both institutions. We work with faculty, staff, and students with the objective of enhancing the educational experience while incubating and launching novel business concepts that have the potential to transition into successful business enterprises.

  • No. All LCV provided services are offered at no cost other than the equity taken in the enterprises it funds.

  • Item descriptionNo, LCV does not offer courses. LCV is part of a broader ecosystem where other entities provide courses and other support for entrepreneurial activities, leaving LCV to focus on identifying and cultivating new ventures for investment and operations.

  • Typically, LCV provides initial seed capital to commercialize well grounded concepts that are normally found in the very early growth phase of a new business. When necessary, LCV will use its network of connections to help secure suitable capital sources to support continued growth after initial LCV funding commitments are exhausted.

  • You can contact LCV by emailing us at lostcoastventures@gmail.com or on the contact page on this website.