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1 Riverside Economic Development Committee February 19, 2026Rosibel Ochoa, PhDAssociate Vice Chancellor Technology PartnershipsAdjunct Faculty Chemical and Environmental University of California 10 YEARS SUPPORTING INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIPIN THE INLAND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
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2 one Integrated Platform to Supportour Region’s Entrepreneurs •Entrepreneurs-in-Residence•CEO-in-Residence•Proof of Concept•Venture Capital•Government Grants•Demonstration Funds•Contracts•NSF I-Corps•Blackstone Launchpad•Specialized Certificate Programs•Faculty Fellows•ExCITE Riverside•Life Sciences•SoCal OASIS® Park CONCEPT•Entrepreneurial Education⚬NSF I-corps⚬Undergraduate Ideation⚬ENG110⚬Start-Up Bootcamps•Certificates: Zero to Entrepreneur⚬Ag Tech⚬Sustainable Transportation⚬Semiconductor•Soft Landing•SME: BizTech Connect3-10 weeksVALIDATION•Path to market definition•Proof of Concept Studies•Customer Discovery•IP, Tech Transfer, Licensing Strategy•Company Incorporation and Team Formation•Tech Roadmap & Critical Milestones Definition6-12weeksGRADUATION & SCALE-UP•Specialized testbeds/ validation by customer•Talent Development•Customer/Market Development•Soft Landing Services•Regulatory Assistance•Access to Capital (seed plus)•Corporate Partnerships (OG)•Graduation Space•State and Local Incentives2-3 yearsResearchInvention DisclosurePersonalized & Specialized Mentorship Led by an Assigned EIRAssessmentProtectionMonitoringMarketingLicensingINCUBATION•Prototype Testing and Validation•Pitch Deck development•Pre-seed funding (VCs, Angels)•Grants (Catalyst, CEC Innovation Grant)•Talent Recruitment•Incubation/Co-working•(Excite and Life Science Incubator, OASIS Park)2-4 years Support for the entrepreneurial journey
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3 Seasoned Mentors that Support the Journey•Steve Flaim•Steve Sharp•Art Salyer•John Shearer•Philip Topham•Isabelle Bart•Jay Gilberg•Lada Rasochova•Gioia Messinger•Martin Kleckner•Ben Raju•Angelo FarooqLife SciencesTechnologyCleantech, EntertainmentDepartment of DefenseArtificial IntelligenceClean Tech, MarketingGeneralLife SciencesTechnology, IOTLife Sciences, SBIR/STTRAccess to CapitalSmall Business, Access to Capital•Galen Williams•Doug Kollmyer•Ken Gruys•Mario Diez•Mark Hatch•Scott Brovsky•Shomit Ghose•Tim Richardson•Kevin Meredith•Martin Sellers•Todd Lorenz•Peter CiullaAgriculture, Clean TechClean Tech, TransportationAg Biotech Wireless TechnologyEnergy StorageAccess to CapitalData, AIAccess to CapitalCircular EconomyLife SciencesLife SciencesClean Tech created or retained2,000 Jobsengaged 4,000= Studentsin capital raised$160 Millionin SBIR/STTR (35% success rate)$72 Million 620 startupssupported since 2016
Winners of the 2023 competitition shown with judges at SoCal OASIS® Pitch Challenge Finals 2/6/2026
4 Current Portfolio of Startupsas of 2/1/2026119 Startups as of 2/1/202694 Applications Geographical Distribution of Clients
566242222335N=620
2017-2025
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5 Incubation Facilities supported by OTP programs & Mentorship EPIC SBDCBuild 2 ScaleOpportunity Gateway
INNOVAR
UCR Life Science IncubatorSoCal OASIS®Park
ExCITE is a technology focused incubator that provides startups with:•Affordable space to develop and prototype their technology products (substantially subsidized by ExCITE’s partners)•Offices range from $300-$700, coworking is $100, and hot desks are $150 monthly •12 private light industrial offices, space for 30 co-working companies, and 12 hot desks•Training & event spaces, and shared conference & break rooms•Technology and business mentorship through UCR’s EPIC SBDC and scale-up support programs.
Seedorina
StarNav
SuperFoam
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6 Direct Financial Support, Mentorship through EPIC SBDC, and Incubator Management$155kUCRiversideDirect Financial Support$75KCounty of Riverside Direct Financial Support$25KCity of Riverside Annual Partner Support in 2025
ExCITE by the Numbers since 2015
Globe Biomedical
Blue Social
Blue Social
Farmsense
Kids that CodeCapital Received$58.8M*Jobs Supported 260+Company Graduates5CompaniesSupported43Hours of mentorship3,328*reported by 19 companies 2/6/2026
7 OfficesHot Desk Lorna Reed
Co-working(2020)(2020)(2024)(2024)(2025)(2025)(2025)(2025) (2018)(2025)(2022)(2025)(2022)(2020)
(Year company joined ExCITE)
ExCITE Companies 2025
2026
2026
Path to graduation, looking to expand locally.
8 hrsEPIC Mentorship, Build 2 Scale + Opportunity Gateway 2025
2025
Signed major non-DoD customer, added 2 new employees, added 4thoffice to support scaling of manufacturing 39 hrsEPIC SBDC Mentorship + Build to Scale + Opportunity Gateway 2024
2024
Received $900k in sales, $4M in DoD/Air Force grant awards 40 hrsEPIC SBDC Mentorship + Build 2 Scale
2023
2023
SNAIR successfully tested on T-38C jet at Edward Airforce Base, added 3rdoffice space, hired 5 more employees. 23 hrsEPIC SBDC Mentorship
2022
2022
1stprototype of SNAIR test flight and received$2.9M in Grants, added 2ndoffice space, hired 3 additional engineers 120 hrsEPIC SBDC Mentorship
2021
2021
Received $1.39+M Grants, moved into 1st office space
31.5hrsEPIC SBDC Mentorship
2020
2020
Nov 2020 –3 co-founders joined ExCITE as a coworking company Joined EPIC SBDCCompany Milestones UCR OTP SupportCase Study: StarNav
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8 SCAN TO READ OUR REPORT
CURIOUS ABOUTOUR IMPACT?CHECK OUT OUR10-YEAR REPORTtechpartnerships.ucr.edu The OTP Team
Dr. Rosibel OchoaAssociate Vice Chancellor of Technology PartnershipsJudy SwinefordExecutive Analyst &Assistant to AVC OTPJessica PachecoAssistant Director of Program Finance & Operations Aimee KnudsonPrincipal Grant Finance AdministratorJennifer YturraldeDirector of Outreach and Incubation ActivitiesAileen LuibAssistant Director of Special Programs and OutreachMaricela ArguetaLife Sciences Incubator Laboratory ManagerBrian SuhSenior Executive Director of Technology Partnerships Grace YeeAssistant Director ofTechnology CommercializationJoyce PatronaLicensing OfficerRekha ChawlaSenior Licensing OfficerVenkata KrishnamurtySenior Licensing Officer Jennifer YturraldeDirector of Outreach and Incubation Activities Dr. Francisca ReyesDirector of Entrepreneurial Education & Blackstone LaunchPadDr. Jay GilbergInstructor andEntrepreneur-in-ResidenceKalista CombsProgram TrainingCoordinatorNicole ClearySoCal OASIS®Project ManagerScott BrovskyAssociate Director ofRegional EngagementTammy WhetterPrincipal Contracts &Grants OfficerDr. Martin KlecknerDirector of EPIC SBDC Nelson RiveraIP AnalystLuke KannikeSenior CorporateEngagement OfficerNilesh GuptaSenior CorporateEngagement OfficerMisty MaderoDirector of CorporateResearch and EngagementKen GruysSenior Advisor