Laura Good is the “Den Mother” of Sacramento Region Startup Ecosystem

If you’ve spent any time in Sacramento’s startup community, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve received an email (probably more than one) from Laura Good.

The Sacramento Business Journal recently named Laura one of its 2026 Inno Awards honorees, recognizing the people, organizations, and products helping drive innovation in our region. The Journal described Laura as the “Den mother of the Sacramento Startup scene.”

I think that description is fitting. I’ve worked alongside Laura through StartupSac and the broader Sacramento startup community for years. What people outside the ecosystem sometimes don’t see is just how much work happens behind the scenes to create a healthy startup community and Laura has worked tirelessly for us.

Startup Ecosystems Don’t Build Themselves

People often think a https://www.startupfolsom.org/startup ecosystem is made up of startups, investors, incubators, accelerators, and maybe a few universities. Those are the visible pieces. But there’s another layer that may be even more important: connectors.

Connectors are the people who know the founder with an idea, the investor looking for the next company, the mentor who has solved that exact problem before, and the organization willing to provide a room where they can all meet. Laura is the ultimate connector!

As co-founder and CEO of StartupSac, she has spent more than a decade connecting entrepreneurs with information, education, mentors, investors, and opportunities.

Sacramento Has Come a Long Way

I’ve been involved with Sacrament o’s startup community through Startup Grind, StartupSac, Startup Folsom, 1 Million Cups, MedStart and my own companies, and other regional efforts for a long time.

I remember when building a startup here often meant sending people to a Silicon Valley Accelerator. Fortunately, things have changed. Sacramento now has universities supporting entrepreneurship, active angel investors, accelerators, startup competitions, founder programs, meetups, and a much larger network of experienced entrepreneurs. That didn’t happen because of one organization or one person. Startup ecosystems require organizations to consistently work together.

But every successful ecosystem has people who keep showing up year after year, making introductions, organizing events, helping founders, and keeping the community connected. That’s Laura Good.

Congratulations to Laura on being named a 2026 Sacramento Business Journal Inno Awards honoree!