As a senior consultant, Bill Waldo uses his years of expertise in entrepreneurship to help the next great startups find success.
Parents, teachers and leaders seem to share a universal piece of advice: treat others the way you want to be treated. Bill Waldo, senior consultant at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) @ UCI Beall Applied Innovation and membership chairman of Tech Coast Angels Orange County (TCA), is not one to shy away from this wisdom. He sees his job as an opportunity to help both new and experienced entrepreneurs reach the next step of their business journeys.
Waldo started his own entrepreneurial endeavor at the end of his college career. His business, a sales and marketing company for the food service industry, represented big names such as the Sara Lee Corporation, Nestlé and Tyson Foods, Inc. After 29 years as CEO, Waldo sold his company and went on to other projects – namely TCA and SBDC, where he has worked as an investor and consultant, respectively, for over a decade. 
Waldo’s role at TCA allows him to invest in promising startups and use what he observes from pitches to help his SBDC clients. For example, Waldo knows that investors look for product marketability and success in startups so he advises his clients to have customers before they seek investors.
At the SBDC, Waldo is the first point of contact for entrepreneurs. He evaluates the needs of incoming clients and pairs them with one of the SBDC’s six other consultants, or himself, often co-consulting alongside his colleagues. Regardless of their focus, if life science startups need to raise capital, Waldo helps them find the right source for investment. Through his personal experience as an entrepreneur, investor and consultant, Waldo understands startups and gives them advice that aids their economic and personal needs. And, as an added bonus, there is no cost to the client.
“Bill Waldo is the embodiment of the letter and spirit of the SBDC,” said Julie Cranston, director of SBDC @ UCI Beall Applied Innovation. “He is dedicated to his clients and always goes the extra mile to help them get their businesses across the finish line. He is an extremely experienced and successful entrepreneur in his own right and selflessly shares his expertise with the hundreds of clients he has consulted with since we opened our doors.”
Applied Innovation provides Waldo with the opportunity to work closely with Wayfinder teams like Kolkin and METAseismic. Waldo also appreciates Applied Innovation’s ample event space at the Cove, which the SBDC uses for Lunch & Learns and other startup-focused events.
Waldo’s greatest achievements are the successful companies that return with impressive investments or other significant milestones. He recalls a client who he helped grow from one person with grueling workdays in a tiny office, to a 100-person company with $50 million in revenue.
“It boils down to being able to have a positive impact on a client. It’s a big deal,” said Waldo. “That’s what I strive for every day. My goal, every day, is to have one, if not two, positive impacts on a client.”
Contact Bill Waldo about business consulting; visit sbdctech.com/contact.
Photos by: Rthura Cevallos