Join an existing startup in LA - they are out there, just harder to find than up north. The relationships you develop will be great resources for the future. I recently joined a startup here and it quickly became apparent, at least in this group, that a lot of the people worked together at past startups (successful ones). Not only that, but they are also connected to the other people doing startups.
As an aside, one of my colleagues noted that "a failed startup is the best way to build your network." When a startup goes bust people scatter to different endeavors and then, when it comes time to hire, reach out to the guys they worked with at the last startup they were at. This is also true of successful startups - they get acquired/go public and after a while the culture changes and the initial group disburses to start other things.
Regarding technical schools - you should reach out to CalTech.