The Californer - Legendary N.W.A. CoFounder & Tech Visionary OG Arabian Prince Joins Tech Coast Venture Network Board

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OG Arabian Prince and Tony Crisp at Survivor XI

Bridging culture, innovation, and capital to empower the next generation of underrepresented founders

IRVINE, Calif. - Californer -- Tech Coast Venture Network (TCVN), Southern California's longest-standing founder-first startup organization, proudly announces the appointment of OG Arabian Prince — founding member of the iconic group N.W.A., tech futurist, and venture partner at INOV8 Capital — to its Board.

From revolutionizing hip-hop culture to pioneering innovation in esports, gaming, and digital health, Arabian Prince has built a legacy rooted in creativity, disruption, and inclusion. Today, he serves as Founder of INOV8 Next Open Labs and a General Partner at INOV8 Capital, which recently launched a $150M WYA Fund focused on early-stage investments in underrepresented founders, future of work, healthtech, and entertainment IP.

"Founders don't just need money — they need belief, mentorship, and someone who knows how to build something out of nothing," said Arabian Prince. "That's what TCVN is all about, and that's why I'm here. I want to help create a culture where innovation is accessible, funding is equitable, and creativity is respected as currency."

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As a TCVN board member, Arabian Prince will champion initiatives that connect underestimated founders to capital, community, and collaboration. His background in entertainment, product design, and venture funding will help TCVN deepen its cultural relevance and broaden its reach into industries where tech and creativity intersect. He will play an active role in expanding TCVN's flagship programs like Survivor™, InvestorReady™, and Fund a Founder™ initiatives — especially those focused on first-time and underrepresented founders.

"Arabian brings a one-of-a-kind mix of street smarts, startup insight, and vision for what innovation can look like when the doors are truly open," said Tony Crisp, TCVN interim President. "We're beyond excited to welcome him to the board as we build a more powerful startup ecosystem in Southern California and beyond."

About TCVN
Founded in 1984, Tech Coast Venture Network (TCVN) is a nonprofit organization on a mission to helping early-stage entrepreneurs become fundable. Hosting signature events: PitchPolish™ workshops, InvestorReady™ workshops, Survivor™ pitch event, Investor Dating Game™, Wingz™ become an angel investor program, and Rocky™ founders choice awards. TCVN's core values: founders first, relationships over transactions, and community over competition, guide everything it does. Join our mission and become a lifetime member at www.tcvn.org/join.

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TCVN is Proudly Sponsored by Reed Smith LLP
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. With an inclusive culture and innovative mindset, we deliver smarter, more creative legal services that drive better outcomes for our clients. Our deep industry knowledge, long-standing relationships and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for complex disputes, transactions and regulatory matters. Our team of 3,000 people (including more than 1,600 lawyers) operate across more than 30 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to drive progress for our clients, for ourselves and for our communities. Our Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice is a trusted partner for innovators at every stage of the venture life cycle, and we partner with founders, start-ups, and investors to help build the next generation of market leaders. Learn more at www.reedsmith.com.