Temecula center boosting startup companies, entrepreneurs
It’s hardly news that Temecula has too many commuters.
For more than 30 years now, the problem has been what to do about it.
The Temecula Valley Entrepreneur’s Exchange has been one way to help.
The former Temecula City Hall about a decade ago was converted into a place for startup companies to find their way while providing local jobs — a valuable commodity in these commuting parts.
Just ask Richard Zinn, who was previously leasing space in the Silicon Valley, traveling far from his home in Murrieta. And you thought your commute was bad.
Then he heard about a startup space much closer to home, the entrepreneur’s exchange, and the chance for a dramatically better commute was a no brainer.
Zinn said he got to contribute ideas to city officials on how best to run an innovation center, down to helping to select paint colors for the place to “keep it lively and vibrant for a startup community.”
Ten years later, the first tenant is still there. Now he’s leasing about 1,000 square feet for his seven employees, plus they have access to common areas such as workshop rooms, a kitchen and meeting places.
That’s the thing about such a home for startups, it’s a way to get going without the expense of a regular office.
Former Temecula City Councilmember Jeff Comerchero, who was on the panel from 1997 to 2018, remembers the frequent discussions.
“Bringing jobs to our city was and is an ongoing objective, but actually creating jobs was more challenging,” he said.
Comerchero heard about Ventura officials, who had taken an abandoned warehouse and turned it into a business incubator that did just that.
Temecula had its former city hall, at 43200 Business Park Drive, available. It was two stories, almost 29,000 square feet, basically empty and ready to go.
“It took a year or so to fill it with small businesses and startups,” Comerchero said. “Before long, we had a waiting list.”
Zinn’s company, NZN Labs, Inc., makes a personalized riding coach for a smartphone that helps athletes train and ride better using analytics.
“We all share a passion for these sports and make a product we want to use ourselves,” Zinn said.
“The Temecula incubator offers what it can and they offer it in an incredibly generous and inviting way,” he added. “I feel they really want us to succeed and have the patience to get us there.”
As part of its continuing support, the city is running a rent-waiver program. Temecula has allocated $80,000 to waive the monthly rent for existing and new tenants of the business incubator. The program is in effect until June 30, 2025, or until the funding is exhausted, said Mary Cervantes, the center’s manager.
Desks at the Temecula center rent for $100 a month and private offices fetch from $200 to $450 a month. Utilities, Wi-Fi and janitor services are included, she said.
Temecula’s support is also evident in the more than 400 small business training workshops that have been hosted by the incubator in the past 10 years, Cervantes said.
Not to be outdone, there is the Murrieta Innovation Center as well, located at 26442 Beckham Court in the former Murrieta City Hall. Twelve companies with 40 employees are housed there, said Dominique Samario, the city’s public information officer.
Once again, more local jobs.
Our creative employment centers are here to stay, creating jobs and keeping commuters off the congested freeways. “We’ll outgrow the space at some point,” Zinn said of the Temecula space. “But that hasn’t happened yet and in the meantime there’s no downside to being here.”