Luke Erickson
I help people turn an early idea into something real. Most days that means sitting with founders, asking sharper questions, and clearing whatever stands in the way.
Bringing Reagan’s story to life through a historic symphony under Air Force One.
“America 250 is about celebrating what we have built together. We set out to unite people around our shared values and history, in a place where you can truly feel the American spirit.”
Building in the open, for people at the very start.
I grew up in Hudson, Wisconsin, where I learned early what it looks like to build something and stand behind it. I went west for school, studied business management at the University of Utah, and kept getting pulled toward the same thing: helping new ventures get off the ground.
I founded and ran One Tap, a creator-economy fintech startup, before turning my focus to Startup Ventura — a nonprofit accelerator giving early founders in Ventura County a real place to begin. A community, a room to think out loud, and people who have done it before. The hard part is rarely the idea. It is momentum, honesty, and showing up. That is the part I care about most.
Currently Building a startup ecosystem in Ventura County.
Read my full storyBringing Ventura County's startup engine back.
Ventura County used to have a startup engine — a small incubator at City Hall that helped launch companies like The Trade Desk and GiddyUp. When it closed, the talent didn't leave. I founded Startup Ventura to bring it back, with early backing from city leaders like Doug Halter and Jim Duran.
We back the builders this coast actually produces — creators, gamers, and founders — and we go all in with them. Our companies build alongside partners like Passes, Fanfix, Cloud9, Moxy, and Karat Financial.
A few things I have built and led.
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Founder & Executive Director
Mar 2025 — PresentStartup Ventura · Ventura, CaliforniaFounded a nonprofit startup accelerator for Ventura County, backing creators, gamers, and founders. I set the strategy, stood up the programming, and assembled a board of operators whose companies carry billions in combined exit value — all to give early founders a real place to begin.
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Account Executive & Sr. Business Development
Nov 2024 — Mar 2026Popl · Ventura, CaliforniaSold into senior, multi-stakeholder accounts and helped scale the business-development org, roughly doubling the team through hiring and hands-on coaching. Generated $3.5M+ in qualified pipeline, closed $1M+, and repeatedly ranked the top individual contributor — including a record 81 booked demos in a single month.
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Founder & Chief Executive Officer
2022 — Mar 2025One Tap Inc. · Los Angeles, CaliforniaFounded and led a fintech platform for the creator economy, growing it to over $1M in waitlist revenue before exiting the business. I owned product, partnerships, and growth as a solo founder — and learned firsthand how completely a startup lives or dies on its people.
Talks on building, selling, and breaking in.
I speak to founders, sales teams, and rooms full of people figuring out their next move — direct, specific, and built from doing the work rather than theorizing about it.
Book me to speakTopics
- Building a startup ecosystem in a mid-size city
- Go-to-market strategy for startups
- In-person selling
- Event marketing
- How to break into working in tech
Recent stages
- Rotary Club of Ventura & Rotary Club of Moorpark
- Startup Ventura launch benefit · the Deputy Mayor's home
- Reagan Library reception · America 250 celebration
“I had the privilege to attend an inaugural event for Startup Ventura, meeting an impressive team led by Luke Erickson… a group so focused on benefiting the community, supporting entrepreneurs, and creating jobs in Ventura County.”
“Luke and the team are building something from the ground up — bringing together education, capital, entrepreneurs, and government to create the kind of community where founders can actually succeed.”
A few moments along the way.
Advice I find myself giving again and again.
How do I figure out which career path to go down?
Pick momentum over the perfect plan. I didn't map my way into tech — I followed the work that energized me and kept choosing roles where I'd learn the fastest. Find the direction that gives you the most reps, put yourself around people a few steps ahead, and let the path sharpen as you go. Most people overthink the decision and underinvest in simply starting.
How do I break into a new role in a tech job?
Sales is the side door into tech, and it's wide open. You don't need a computer-science degree — you need to prove you can create value and communicate it. Learn the product cold, get reps, and show up where the industry actually gathers. I broke in by out-working the room and making myself impossible to ignore.
How do I refine my sales pitch?
Fall in love with the product first, then become genuinely passionate about your customer. Figure out what they’re already used to hearing — and decide exactly how you’re going to be different. A pitch that sounds like everyone else’s is forgettable; one built around the customer’s world is the one that lands.
How do I handle objections?
Objections are information, not rejection. Most of the time they mean the person is still listening and just needs something resolved. Slow down, get curious about what’s really behind the objection, and answer the actual concern instead of the surface one. The reps teach you the patterns — after enough conversations, you’ve heard it all before.
Let's grab coffee.
No pitch required. I read every note — whether you're building something, talking through an idea, or just want to connect. I'm especially glad to hear from fellow founders, and I'm always open to board seats, speaking, and coaching.