Right to Start Announces Launch of California Starters Coalition
The Coalition Will Champion Entrepreneurship as a Civic Priority Statewide
Kansas City, MO – October 3, 2025 – Right to Start, the national nonprofit organization championing entrepreneurship as a civic priority, launched last night the California Starters Coalition, a statewide initiative to enhance the landscape of entrepreneurship. The coalition held an evening launch event – titled “Unlocking Entrepreneurial Opportunity for All” – at Connect Labs by Wexford in Sacramento, CA. Speaking at the launch event were Dr. Tara Lynn Gray, former Director of CalOSBA (California Office of the Small Business Advocate); Victor W. Hwang, Founder and CEO of Right to Start; and Clair Whitmer, Acting Director of CalOSBA.
The Coalition will advance entrepreneurship as a civic priority across the state: educating civic and government leaders about removing barriers to starting and growing businesses, increasing public awareness of how entrepreneurship drives economic growth, and fostering a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem through collaboration and connection.
The Coalition is composed of the following, initial, anchor member organizations: Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, ChicoStart, Connect Labs by Wexford (Sacramento), SBA Sacramento District Office, Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, 3STEPS4WARD/Twist of Fate Podcast, Extending a Helping Hand, RADZ Group, and DiverseCity Ventures. The growing Coalition looks to engage statewide partners like CalOSBA to expand entrepreneurial opportunity across California.
The Coalition will grow to include both organizational and individual members. Organizational members will include entrepreneur support organizations and other civic entities; individual members will include entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and other supporters of entrepreneurship.
Managing the growth of the coalition will be Cameron Law, California Coalition Manager for Right to Start, and a resident of Sacramento. He will be supported by Jamie Ross, Right to Start’s Advocate in California, and a resident of Auburn.
Right to Start has close ties to California. Victor Hwang lives in Greater Los Angeles and lived previously for many years in Silicon Valley. Right to Start’s Director of Client and Donor Relations Courtney Broom lives in Lemoore. Two of Right to Start’s Advisory Board Members live in California: Kim Folsom in San Diego, and Ade Mabogunje in Stanford. Right to Start also has two Ambassadors in California: Grace Belangia in Palo Alto, and Rohan Brown in Los Angeles.
“I became an entrepreneur in California,” said Victor Hwang, “and my lifelong commitment to championing entrepreneurship was greatly inspired by the supportive environment that I experienced in Silicon Valley at the time. As Right to Start advances entrepreneurship across the country, I’m especially pleased to see the California Starters Coalition emerge to enhance entrepreneurship as a priority statewide – and bring the benefits of entrepreneurship to every community in the state.”
“I’m excited to be championing entrepreneurship statewide through the California Starters Coalition,” said Cameron Law, California Coalition Manager for Right to Start. “California has long played a pivotal role in entrepreneurship nationally, but the benefits of entrepreneurship need to be extended to every community in the interest of all Californians.”
New and young businesses create virtually all net job growth in America. They are leading indicators of GDP growth, and they increase community wealth and goods and services.
Every new business per 100 people adds nearly $500 to average household income in a county, according to data from the GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab. Every 1% increase in entrepreneurial activity in a state correlates with a 2% decline in poverty.
Right to Start’s expanding presence in California is supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth through their Mastercard Strive USA program, which is funding similar work by Right to Start in three other states: Michigan, Missouri, and North Carolina. Mastercard Strive USA supports small business resilience and growth in a changing digital economy by unleashing the potential of small businesses as catalysts of inclusive growth.
For more information, contact Henry Miller at hmiller@highimpactpartnering.com or 917-921-8034.
Right to Start is a national nonpartisan movement to advance entrepreneurship as a civic priority throughout the United States. Entrepreneurship has long been viewed as a solitary endeavor – the lone starter in a basement or garage. Right to Start’s vision is to transform America so that all communities prioritize entrepreneurship, clearing away obstacles to ensure that every American has an equal right to start and a level playing field on which to embark.
About the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise, and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs, and empower a community of thinkers, leaders, and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth. For more information and to receive its latest insights, follow the Center on LinkedIn, Instagram and subscribe to its newsletter.
About Mastercard Strive
Mastercard Strive is a portfolio of philanthropic programs supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and funded by the Mastercard Impact Fund. With programs around the world, Mastercard Strive has reached more than 18 million small businesses to go digital, get capital, and access networks and know-how. Follow Mastercard Strive on LinkedIn and subscribe to its newsletter.