Battle of the Ages: Gen Z vs Boomer

Description

Battle of the Ages: Gen Z vs Boomer
Starting a Business — You’re Never Too Young and You’re Never Too Old
Jessy — 22, bio-engineering entrepreneur whose company generated $2M last year
Kim — experienced 71 year old executive and entrepreneur launching a new sunscreen company
Short Marketing Statement:
Title: Never Too Early. Never Too Late. — Starting a Business at Any Age
Join two BEAM entrepreneurs from different generations for a practical conversation about starting a business. Jessy, a 22-year-old bio-engineering founder whose company generated $2M in revenue last year, and Kim, 71,  a seasoned entrepreneur launching a new sunscreen company, will share their experiences, lessons learned, and perspectives on building a business at very different stages of life.

If you’ve ever thought about starting a business — or are in the early stages — this discussion will provide real-world insights, encouragement, and practical takeaways.
Learn more and register: www.beamsb.com
 
Future needs: Marketing stmt with links to the workshop and registration for folks like WEV, Women Soar Higher, eWomen, Hispanic Chamber and potential sponsors.

- Start even before you feel ready, and get comfortable with hearing “No.”
- Know when to pivot and when to persevere. No “great” idea needs to be forced; it’s down to execution.
- Always keep learning, stay self-aware, and take feedback seriously. 
- There is no perfect age to start a business — success comes from execution, persistence, and learning as you go.
- Entrepreneurs at any stage face similar challenges — validating the idea, finding customers, and building something people will pay for
- Mentorship and community accelerate progress — surrounding yourself with experienced people dramatically improves your chances of success.
 
Presenters:
Jessy Gonzalez
 

Dryvera
jessygonzalez@ucsb.edu
 
Born and raised in San Jose, CA, Jessy is a recent UCSB alum with a background in biotechnology and extreme fungi. He bootstrapped his first business, a landscaping company, at 13 years old to avoid working in the strawberry/citrus fields. While in college, he co-founded and sold a biotech startup focused on cell-free protein manufacturing in 2023. He is now developing DampGuard, a new venture helping residents in San Jose and now the greater Santa Barbara area protect their properties against hidden fungi (like mold!).
 
BIO: Jessy is a researcher, and entrepreneur with a background in chemical engineering, particularly fungal biotechnologies. He has spent over five years working at the California NanoSystems Institute and NASA Ames Research Center. As a serial founder, he has built businesses in landscaping ($400K ARR) and biotech (~$1.5M in revenue to date). He is now building Dryvera, a new venture focused on helping residents protect their properties from hidden moisture-related fungi like mold.
 
- B.S. Chemical Engineering (UCSB)
- Published scientific author (specialized in microbial tech)
- 1st Place - Market Pull @ UCSB’s 2023 New Venture Competition
- 2x Research grant recepient (Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation; American Chemical Society)
 
 
Kim  E Cooper

Retired Corporate Executive, Founder of Solavida LLC

Solavida solavida.com

 
busdevsage@gmail.com  or  Kim@beamsb.com
805-448-1928
 
Short Bio:
 
During a 40+ year career in market services, I built and lead sales and business develop teams for leading global organizations. During that time, I personally lead winning new business initiatives with some of the world's largest retail and CPG brands, including Nike, Dial, Henkel, Bacardi, Safeway, Walmart, Dollar General, Amazon.com, Lowe's, Lidl U.S. and Rite Aid, as well as others.
 
Four years ago, at my retirement party in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a seed of an idea was planted that eventually lead my wife and I, as co-founders, to build a suncare products company called Solavida LLC. As of February, we officially launched the Solavida brand, with product now in market. 
 
Relevant Experience / Credentials:
 
A 40+ year corporate sales and business development career, focused on marketing services solutions, has resulted in my having extensive experience in talent acquisition, sales training, team building, business management, marketing services, brand development, contract negotiation, consumer packaging solutions, client services, and more.