Everything you need to cover Luke.

Luke Erickson is the founder and executive director of Startup Ventura, a 501(c)(3) tech accelerator built to keep Ventura County’s most ambitious builders growing companies locally instead of leaving for San Francisco or Los Angeles. A ten-year sales and go-to-market operator, he previously built and exited the creator-economy fintech One Tap.

Luke Erickson is the founder and executive director of Startup Ventura, a 501(c)(3) tech accelerator built on a simple conviction: Ventura County raises ambitious, talented people, then loses them to bigger startup hubs because there was nowhere local to build. Startup Ventura gives founders mentorship, capital connections, and community — keeping the talent, the companies, and the jobs home. Under his leadership, the organization secured a founding investment from the City of Ventura and earned Candid’s Platinum Seal of Transparency. A ten-year sales and go-to-market operator, Erickson built and exited the creator-economy fintech One Tap and led business development at Popl. He serves on the New West Symphony board and mentors students at CSU Channel Islands.

Luke Erickson is the founder and executive director of Startup Ventura, a 501(c)(3) tech accelerator serving Ventura County, California. He founded the organization after watching a problem play out for years: the county raises ambitious, talented people, educates them at strong local universities, and then loses them to larger startup hubs because there was nowhere local to build — a gap even high-growth local companies like the logistics startup Curri have felt in the hunt for talent. Startup Ventura’s answer is mentorship, capital connections, and community that give founders a reason to stay: keep the talent, build the companies, and let jobs and investment follow.

Under his leadership, Startup Ventura earned its 501(c)(3) status, secured a founding investment from the City of Ventura, and was awarded Candid’s Platinum Seal of Transparency — the highest level, held by fewer than one percent of U.S. nonprofits. Its first annual benefit drew 75 supporters and raised funds toward an inaugural cohort of founders launching in spring 2027.

Erickson’s conviction comes from doing the work: he built and exited the creator-economy fintech One Tap and led the business development team at Popl, generating more than $11 million in career sales pipeline across ten years of carrying a quota. He is the youngest-ever board member of the New West Symphony — where he produced the first symphony concert held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library — mentors students at CSU Channel Islands, and works closely with the region’s civic and economic development organizations. Raised in Hudson, Wisconsin, and a former collegiate lacrosse player, he brings the same competitive discipline to building institutions that last.