I watch Apple announcements like they’re the Super Bowl. On Tuesday Apple is launching a new home screen product: HomeView. Friday begins the pre-orders for the iPhone Duo foldable. Then in a couple of weeks we’re reportedly getting touchscreen MacBooks. Best. October. Ever.
Today we’re profiling Kelly Stephens, whose local company helps real estate and construction companies build AI tools.
This week is LA Tech Week, and next week is OC Tech Week! That helps explain why this is an abnormally long edition. Lots to pack in!
👋 Hi, I’m Taylor, a SaaS founder in Dana Point. I started Tech:OC to follow the local tech scene after moving here from NYC. Reply with OC tech news, events, or with the name of an OC founder we should profile!
Today's sponsor
🗓️ Upcoming OC Tech Events
Tue, Oct 13 · Kickstarter launch: private AI hardware with CompanionCore (#LATechWeek)
7:30 pm - 11:00 pm · EvoNexus, Irvine
Wed, Oct 14 · TCVN workshop series: AI for business, strategy, customers, and growth
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm · Irvine
Thu, Oct 15 · Entrepreneurs' Organization OC breakfast and learn: bots, AI, and what's actually working (add Taylor Trusty in the who referred you field)
9:00 am - 11:00 am · EO House, Irvine
Thu, Oct 15 · OCUX Spookeasy: Halloween pumpkin carving and painting meetup for the OC UX community
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm · Mess Hall at FLIGHT, Tustin
Mon, Oct 19 · Construction + real estate coffee meet-up for OC Tech Week (Kelly Stephens, EyeOn Automations)
8:30 am - 10:00 am · Coffee Nature, Costa Mesa
Mon, Oct 19 · OC Tech Week opening ceremony at the Sunstone Stage
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm · Sunstone Venture and Innovation Center, Irvine
Tue, Oct 20 · Trust Identity Protocol for creators, journalists, authors, and researchers: launch and hands-on with The AI Lab (OC Tech Week)
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm · EvoNexus, Irvine
Tue, Oct 20 · OCXD Halloween meetup: design your worst nightmare, an AI and product design challenge
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm · 200 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine
Wed, Oct 21 · OC Tech Week innovation yacht reception with PeachScore: execs, VCs, and family offices, plus five startup pitches
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm · Newport Beach Harbor
Wed, Oct 21 · Founders at Sunset: OC founder roundtable with the Stripe Newport Beach community
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm · HanaHaus, Newport Beach
Thu, Oct 22 · From hype to real world: AI in manufacturing and enterprise panel (GABA x Orange County AI)
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm · Ticket 500, Newport Beach
Fri, Oct 23 · Founder Beach Walk: walk to the end of Newport Pier with rotating founder conversations (OC Tech Week)
9:30 am - 11:30 am · Ticket 500, Newport Beach
Fri, Oct 23 · Coast & Capital: OC Tech Week founders and funders mixer with Sunstone
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm · Orange County
Fri, Oct 23 · The women behind hypergrowth with Tech Coast Venture Network (OC Tech Week)
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm · EvoNexus, Irvine
👋 Tech:OC Profile: Kelly Stephens
Kelly Stephens · CEO, EyeOn Automations
Costa Mesa · LinkedIn
What do you do?
I help construction and real estate companies figure out where AI and better systems can save them time, then I train their teams or build the tools to make it happen.
What's something you've built, here or before, that you're proud of?
I'm proud of the UCI hackathon happening November 7. I pitched the idea to the UCI Center for Real Estate back in May, then brought in Anthropic and Habitat for Humanity OC, and now students will spend the day building tools around affordable homeownership in Orange County. Before EyeOn, I sat on the advisory board at Pulte when they built their internal scheduling system, which is where I first saw how much the right software changes a jobsite.
What would you never hand over to AI?
The relationship side. Sitting across from an owner, hearing what's actually going on in their business, and deciding what's worth fixing first is mine. AI can draft the proposal, but trust gets built in person.
Who/what in OC has been unusually helpful in building the business, and how?
The local Claude community has been a big one. I spoke at a Claude meetup in Newport Beach, and that group connected me with Anthropic's local team, which helped make the UCI hackathon happen.
Where do you meet other founders or tech people in OC?
The Founder Beach Walk is one of my favorites. You meet great people and you get to be outside while you do it. Most of my connections come through association groups like the BIA, CREW, and the industrial groups I'm part of.
What's a great spot in OC for a coffee or happy hour?
Coffee Nature in Costa Mesa. They just remodeled, I love it, and it's where I'm hosting the October 19 meetup.
Know an OC founder who should be next? Reply with their (or your!) name.
📡 OC Tech and Fun News
🚗 Worth the Drive
Tue, Oct 13 · Adobe and Greycroft present: who owns creativity now? Panel with Greycroft co-founder Dana Settle and Adobe VP of corporate development David Popowitz (#LATechWeek)
4:00 pm · Santa Monica
Wed, Oct 14 · The future of sports AI: building toward LA28 with Sunstone and Pepperdine Graziadio (#LATechWeek)
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm · 6100 Center Dr, Los Angeles
Wed, Oct 14 · The future of entertainment: first-look screening of Peacock and A24's Friday the 13th prequel Crystal Lake, plus a talk on tech's role in entertainment, with Comcast Ventures and Dentons (#LATechWeek)
3:30 pm - 6:30 pm · Universal City
Wed, Oct 14 · From wakeboats to workboats: Arc electric boat factory tour with CEO Mitch Lee (#LATechWeek)
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm · Arc, Torrance
Sat, Oct 17 · Cars and coffee with Vacant.com and Grid (#LATechWeek)
Starts 10:00 am · Signal Hill
Blu Dot surpasses 2,000% ROAS with self-serve CTV ads
Home furniture brand Blu Dot blew up on CTV with help from Roku Ads Manager. Here’s how:
After a test campaign reached 211,000 households and achieved 1,010% ROAS, the brand went all in to promote its annual sales event. It removed age and income constraints to expand reach and shifted budget to custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest.
The results speak for themselves. As Blu Dot increased their investment by 10x, ROAS jumped to 2,308% and more page-view conversions surpassed 50,000.
“For CTV campaigns, Roku has been a top performer,” said Claire Folkestad, Paid Media Strategist, Blu Dot. “Comping to our other platforms, we have seen really strong ROAS… and highly efficient CPMs, lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.”
Using Roku Ads Manager, the campaign moved from a pilot to a permanent performance engine for the brand.
Until next week,
Taylor Trusty @ Tech:OC