The founders of 11 small businesses competed in Union Bank’s fourth startup pitch competition on May 27, and three were awarded a total of more than $15,000 in funding. All the entrepreneurs are recent graduates of a business accelerator program hosted by Connect All @ the Jacobs Center, which is dedicated to minority-owned companies. Contestants completed a four-month training program, and then had just five minutes to pitch their ideas in a video presentation to a panel of judges. (Full disclosure: I participated as a judge in this year’s program.)

The first-place winner was First Gen Scholars, a startup founded by Jonathan Burgos. First Gen Scholars’ mission is to help high school students who are the first person in their family to attend college—they not only assist with the college application process, but provide mentorship until the students graduate. Burgos won the $7,500 prize, and he also won this year’s Audience Choice award, which was decided by public vote through the Jacobs Center’s YouTube channel. 

“Jonathan Burgosdid an outstanding job showcasing the importance of First Gen Scholars and highlighting the market opportunity and the long-term vision for the company,” said Bruno Rodriguez, Union Bank branch manager for the El Cajon Valley location and a judge on the panel. “Union Bank is proud to support the future of business in San Diego through this competition.”

The second-place winner was Charbon Plus, founded by Lucien Eloundou, which produces skincare products for Black and brown skin. The unique ingredients for the charcoal mask are sourced from Cameroon. Eloundou won a prize of $5,000 to expand the line.

Taking third place this year was Hexagon Laser, a design and manufacturing company founded by Oscar Corral that specializes in artwork using laser engraving on wood. The company has created coasters and tap handles for local craft breweries such as Novo Brazil, and it also has a line of wall art and home decor. Corral won a prize of $2,500. 

Other companies that participated in this year’s pitch competition included Hola Swim, Girlie Garage, and Tabby Manor.

Connect All is a partnership between the city of San Diego, the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, and Connect with San Diego Venture Group.

Jonathan Burgos, Oscar Corral, and Lucien Eloundou won the fourth Union Bank Start-Up Pitching Competition. 

The post 3 Local Entrepreneurs Won a Startup Pitch Competition appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

For Beer Lovers

The Tech Behind the Beer

June 13, 4:30 p.m., 101 West Broadway Ste 800

Can you run a successful craft brewery in 2016 without solid tech integration? Find out what technology can do for San Diego beer at this Monday afternoon session.

Perfect Your Palate

June 16, 4:45 p.m., 550 West B Street 4th Floor

Are you new to beer, or just want to refine your taste? TapHunter’s panel of brew experts are here to help! This session is guaranteed to have you thirsting for a cold pint afterwards.

#CraftBeer: Building a Fan Base Through Social Media

June 15, 3:30 p.m., 101 West Broadway Ste 800

Many successful San Diego breweries are already utilizing social media to create brand buzz and drive sales. Here they’ll be sharing all their secrets.

For Designers

Love It or Kill It: A proven 4-step process to know if you’re creating a monster or building an empire

June 13, 9:30 a.m., 101 West Broadway Ste 800

There’s a fine line between genius and madness. This interactive session will help you identify that line.

From Idea to App with User-Centered Design Techniques

June 13, 1:30 p.m., 1 Columbia Place CR 300

There’s not an app for it yet? Learn how to turn your idea into a functioning app with Zipdev Co-Founder Mike Lenny.

Design Forward: A Designer<>Entrepreneur Mixer

June 16, 5:00 p.m., Broadway Pier Pavilion

Put on your networking pants and connect with some of San Diego’s most brilliant design and entrepreneur minds.

For Tech Geeks

TJ: Tequila, Tacos and Tech

June 13, 10:45 a.m., 707 Broadway Conference Room B1

Indulge in the three Ts during this panel focused on entrepreneurial opportunities across the border.

3D Printing: What´s all the Fuss about

June 13, 3:15 p.m., SD Library Innovation Center

It’s the future! Learn what 3D printing is really about, in terms you don’t need a PhD to understand.

Multi-Use Technology Symposium

June 15, 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., San Diego Central Library

This all-day event is focused on defense and cyber security, and includes a panel titled “Be the Next Tony Stark.”

For Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Hello, (Startup) World!

June 13, 9:30 a.m., 1 Columbia Place 24th Floor Room B

Come out sounding like a seasoned player in the startup game after this fun talk with Derric Hayne, CEO of SplashOPM.

Getting Started Guide – The Idea

June 13, 10:45 a.m., 1 Columbia Place 24th Floor Room B

Ideas are crucial for anyone looking to get into entrepreneurship, but not all ideas are good ideas. The Lean Brand author Jeremiah Gardner can help you identify the bad ones early.

Shit Startup Founders Don’t Talk About

June 15, 4:45 p.m., EvoNexus

If the title wasn’t enough to get you intrigued, this session will include honest conversation on “the good, bad and ugly” with some top San Diego startup founders.

San Diego Startup Week is June 13-17. View the full schedule of events here.

The Best Events at San Diego Startup Week 2016

San Diego Startup Week is June 13-17

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This is a big deal. Many children born with genetic conditions wait years for answers. Infants with acute conditions can die before being diagnosed. Sequencing a sick kid’s genome—finding the genetic variants hidden in DNA’s four billion bases and quickly determining the significance of those variants—could provide crucial diagnostic information and drive life-saving treatments.

On April 25, National DNA Day, Stephen Kingsmore, president and CEO of the Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine, along with collaborators from Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and San Diego-based Illumina and Edico Genome, celebrated their world record at Rady Children’s Hospital. But the achievement means far more than international bragging rights.

“Diagnosing acutely ill babies is a race against the clock, which is why it’s so essential for physicians to have access to technology that will provide answers faster and help set the course of treatment,” said Kingsmore a few days before the ceremony.

The project, which was conducted by Kingsmore at Children’s Mercy, bested the team’s previous record of 50 hours. To shave off those crucial hours, the group used an Illumina sequencing machine optimized to move faster (kind of like putting a Tesla in insane mode). From there, the gene reads were put through Edico’s DRAGEN platform, which is designed to analyze genomic data.

The whole process took 26 hours from blood sample to initial diagnosis, results that could have a big impact on sick infants. In the original study, 65 percent of the diagnoses improved care.

But this was only one study on a handful of kids. The next step for Kingsmore and colleagues is to scale up the process so that every hospital NICU can take advantage of fast sequencing.

“I look forward to collaborating with both parties (Illumina and Edico) to implement this approach at Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine and ultimately neonatal and pediatric intensive care units across the country,” said Kingsmore.

The World Record That Could Save Lives

Stephen Kingsmore is the president and CEO of the Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine

The post The World Record That Could Save Lives appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Follow the Money

A new report in The Atlantic CityLab by well-known urban studies guru Richard Florida puts San Diego at 7th on the list of Metro areas with the largest venture capital investment, ahead of Seattle. Topping the list are the obvious places such as San Francisco, San Jose, New York, and Boston. For San Diego, a town that is always lamenting the lack of venture funding, this may help dispel that thinking.

Move Over ComicCon, There Is a New “Game” in Town

Amazon-owned Twitch has just announced it is moving its annual gaming convention, TwitchCon, from the Marscone Center in San Francisco to more spacious digs at the San Diego Convention Center.

Twitch is the world’s leading social video platform and community for gamers. It boasts 100 million community members and 1.7+ million broadcasters per month, catering to the entire video game industry.

Last year’s convention—the inaugural event—brought 20,000 people to San Francisco. With an added day and the positive buzz surrounding the event and the move, they are expecting to top that number this year.

The event takes place September 30-October 2 and you can find the details here. Game on.

Hear Why One Startup CEO Moved His Business From SF to SD

Andrew Gazdecki, CEO and founder of Bizness Apps, penned this piece for TechCrunch about why he moved his San Francisco based mobile app builder business to San Diego. He makes a pretty good case. (Read a Q&A with Gazdecki here.)

Downtown, Things Will Be Great When You’re Downtown…

A new data-mining project out of the University of Trento in Italy might help shed some light on how to ensure a vibrant city. In her 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, urban sociologist Jane Jacobs identifies four conditions that are essential for a vibrant city. Overall she argues a physically diverse city will flourish. Specifically, she says cities need the following four characteristics. First, the city must serve more than two functions so it attracts people with different purposes at different times of the day. Second, she recommends small city blocks that give people a chance to interact with each other. Third, the buildings must also be diverse with old and new to attract diverse economic groups. Last, it’s all density—of people and buildings. Until now there has been no cost effective way to test these ideas.

The new research has used technology to create a faster, easier way to analyze a city. By using OpenStreetMap, census data, land use data, and Foursquare data, researchers were able to prove that Jacobs actually knew what she was talking about. For downtowns striving to stay vibrant centers, like San Diego, this new research could help identify areas for improvement. I would love to see some of our local open data minds (I’m looking at you, Ben Katz) take this on.

Pivots and Opportunities

• Reflexion Health, a digital health solution for physical therapy, has a new CEO. Replacing Spencer Hutchins who left in December is Dr. Joe Smith. Smith is moving to the streets of downtown from the Mesa, where he has been leading the health cost savings charge as the chief medical and science officer at West Health for the last several years. He recently stepped in as interim CEO at Reflexion and now has made it official. (Disclosure: this is my client.)

• Tech Coast Angels is recruiting analysts for their Spring Volunteer Analyst Training Program. Applications are due Thursday, April 14.

Be There or Be…

• 1 Million Cups: Pet Wireless
  Wednesday, April 6, 9 a.m.
  The VineSD, 101 West Broadway

• Startup San Diego hosts Startup Night at the Gulls Game
  Every company attending receives a scoreboard message, a free t-shirt and $2 beers
  Wednesday, April 6, 6 p.m.
  Valley View Casino Center

• Startup Grind San Diego hosts Steven Cox, Founder and CEO of Take Lessons
  Thursday, April 14, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
  101 West Broadway

Things Will Be Great When You’re Downtown

Amazon-owned Twitch is moving its annual gaming convention, TwitchCon, to the San Diego Convention Center | Photo by f11photo / Shutterstock.com

The post Things Will Be Great When You’re Downtown appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

#FOGM16 The closest I’ll ever be to George Church #legend pic.twitter.com/YB9DQTr9OI

— Hunter Ferrel (@hferrel08) March 3, 2016

The fan tweet seemed more fitting to Coachella than Scripps Pier. A selfie included a bearded man in the background: “The closest I’ll ever be to George Church #legend.”

George Church, right?! You know, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and serial entrepreneur. He helped invent genomic sequencing in 1984, created the Personal Genome Project and The Brain Initiative, cloned a woolly mammoth, co-founded nine companies.

So maybe Church doesn’t normally get the Mick Jagger treatment, but at the annual Future of Genomic Medicine Conference, geeks are revered.

Handicapping Genomic Progress

Hosted by Eric Topol and the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), the conference was held on March 3 and 4 at Scripps Seaside Forum and offered a quick snapshot of genomic science: successes, shortcomings, ethical considerations and everything else. It’s about as inclusive as scientific conferences get. Researchers share the stage with MDs, entrepreneurs, policy wonks, technology gurus, journalists, and patients.

And there was plenty to discuss: the Cancer Moonshot; patient access to their own genetic data; incorporating genomic sequencing into daily care; crunching petabytes of data; and what to make of CRISPR, the revolutionary genomic editing technique that allows scientists to add or remove specific genes.

CRISPR was the cause célèbre at this year’s conference. The technique offers great promise and ethical pitfalls. Many rare diseases could be repaired with a single gene fix. On the other hand, the technique is a little Gattaca for some. One of the cool things about the conference is watching scientists work through these issues in real time.

Star Power

In addition to Church, the conference featured Biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, who recently announced Cancer MoonShot 2020; Anne Wojcicki, who co-founded consumer genomics company 23andMe; Andrew Conrad, CEO of Google Life Sciences and Atul Butte, who leads the UCSF Institute for Computational Health Sciences and slayed the standing-room audience with arcane medical code humor. Okay, you had to be there.

With head-high surf pounding in the background, Soon-Shiong detailed plans to embrace immunotherapy against cancer. Rather than targeting the cancer, he believes we must target the patient, giving the immune system new tools to wipe out the disease. The Moonshot is a massive collaboration between researchers, drug companies, government agencies and others to share data and develop groundbreaking therapies.

George Church discussed more in 20 minutes than some people do in a lifetime: disease prevention, age reversal, gene editing. The buzz for his presentation was especially intense as one of his companies, Veritas, had just announced full genome sequencing and genetic counseling for $999, a new low.

Fan Base

The enthusiastic crowd included MDs, corporate and academic researchers, curious consumers and a high school group from Reno. Each year, science teacher Laurie Bissonette brings some of her brightest Sage Ridge High School students to the conference and STSI comps the fee—good job STSI.

The students prepare by reading some of the presenters’ research and sharing with the group. These kids are no joke. Senior Elyse Olesinski has her fingers crossed for Harvard and wants to be an oncologist and a bench researcher—attacking the problem from both sides. Junior Hunter Ferrel is looking forward to studying biology—it was her George Church tweet.

“I met George Church; that was the highlight of my trip,” said Ferrel. “He’s a legend; he’s my absolute role model. The research he’s doing in gene editing, it’s just so cool.”

La Jolla’s Geek Woodstock

The Future of Genomic Medicine Conference was held on March 3 and 4 at Scripps Seaside Forum

The post La Jolla’s Geek Woodstock appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Last Chance on EvoNexus!

The post Last Chance on EvoNexus! appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Wild Rides

I love this profile in Surfer Magazine of local surfer and former person to watch Ryan Burch, who’s in the midst of an extended internship of sorts (Volcom sponsors him to basically just be his rad self) as he moves away from traditional competitive surfing and towards a career (more like an obsession) in designing and shaping next-generation surfboards. He experiments with lumps, bumps, square (yes, square) boards, and all kinds of weird, “radical” asymmetrical shapes, as an understudy of sorts to some of the founders of that style. The story is perfectly titled “No Template,” as the writer paints a neat picture of a guy who does a lot of engineering, but writes nothing down. The Encinitas ocean is his lab, and he lives in some storied old hotel-turned-creative-compound called The Derby House:

“Burch likes the flex that stringerless boards offer, but despises the jarring, chattery feel of EPS blanks, so he simply glasses stringerless polyurethane blanks and wraps the rails in carbon-fiber tape. The results are beautiful: narrow, black-and-white cruise missiles that look like the product of a number-crunching aeronautic engineer.

But that’s as far as the engineer comparison goes. Burch hardly writes anything down. If you ask him to make an exact duplicate of a board he’s already built, Burch can only get as close as his memory allows. He has no database of templates and dimensions on a computer. No tattered notebook full of catalogued shapes. If you arranged every board Burch has ever shaped in a row, chronologically, you’d have a physical timeline of every thought he’s ever had about how to make a better surfboard.”

It’s not curing diseases or coding the next big app, but there’s all kinds of innovation going on here.

Read the whole story in Surfer Magazine here.

The post Wild Rides appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Come sit by me…

Word is out. There’s a new headquarters in town—ProtoStarInc. Insider Scott Rieger popped by the BellaV to give me the latest. The new San Diego based company’s mission to improve the lives of people who need assistance with walking will address the rapidly growing $4 billion global market for medical mobility devices. Their first product coming to market this month? Introducing the LifeWalker Upright.

Life on the Mesa: There’s a New Headquarters in Town

Introducing the LifeWalker Upright, the first medical mobility device launched by ProtoStar Inc., our newest headquarters in town

The LifeWalker Upright is pure genius. The outdated walker we are familiar with has not been redesigned for over forty years! This new technology helps combat the inefficiencies of the current walker—fall risk, slouching, and lack of user confidence and comfort. The LifeWalker Upright’s new high-tech metal frame is built for strength and stability, enabling users to “stand tall and look ahead.” Transforming, really, if you think about it. No longer crouched over following their walker, users stand upright and erect, eyes on the prize, confident, within their own footprint, creating a contained, safer environment. ProtoStar Inc. founder suggests the LifeWalker Upright is a “major advancement in assistive mobility” with the potential to restore not only confidence, but also “dignity.”

What is driving this growing market demand for medical mobility devices? ProtoStar Inc. cites our aging population and the falls connected to walkers and canes as one source. The costs associated with fall injuries is mind boggling. In 2013, the total cost was $34 billion and is expected to shoot up to $67.7 billion by the year 2020. More importantly, the LifeWalker Upright will help save lives. Globally, falls account for approximately 424,000 deaths a year.

ProtoStar Inc. also pin point rehab for joint replacement, spinal cord injuries, neurological, gait and orthopedic disorders, as well as obesity as reasons for the high demand for innovation within the medical mobility device market. Check out their website and see how inspiring the research around this new device is. Videos of individuals wheel chair bound since birth now able to stand and walk using this new San Diego based technology will make you tear up.

Have I mentioned who started the company? Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dave Purcell, came out of retirement when he saw his wife struggling with her outdated walker. It’s a love story really. Purcell is best known for the San Diego-based Encad, which was later acquired by Kodak.

This Board of Directors ain’t too shabby either. Seriously though, my jaw dropped when I read the list. Corporate attorney, VC and entrepreneur Craig S. Andrews, one of my favorite mavericks; the witty Founder and Chairman of the Board for ResMed, Peter C. Ferrell; Steven Garfin, distinguished Professor and chair of UC San Diego’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery; and managing Director of Enterprise Partners Venture Capital, Andrew Senyei.

It is so exciting to see the birth of this company happen right here and we are equally thrilled that they have decided to plant roots and make San Diego their home. This company and their new innovation will make such an immediate impact on the lives of so many. I am sure every one of us can think of someone we love that would benefit from the LifeWalker Upright. Just another example of success on the Miracle Coast No Boundaries. The LifeWalker Upright makes its debut at the Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, February 18-20, in Anaheim and then at MedTrade Spring, March 1-2, in Las Vegas. On a side note, I must confess, I’ve had the jingle and infomercial all worked out in my noggin’. It’s been stuck on repeat since this morning’s shower. Throw back, 80s style, Afrika Bambaataa. “Walk it, don’t stop it! Said walk it… don’t stop!” Inspiring and fun, no? It could happen.

Upcoming events on the Mesa (I’ll be at the fun table…)

• StartupSD Convergence 2016
  Happy birthday to the Basement, UC San Diego’s newest hub for innovation and entrepreneurism within the Triton ecosystem. They’ll be celebrating this Saturday with spiked punch and Vegas showgirls (just checking if anyone’s reading!). Leading up to the big birthday bash, we’ve got three days of fantastic events to help celebrate San Diego’s thriving entrepreneurial community. A local, grassroots, volunteer based group of entrepreneurs, mentors and investors, StartupSD is leading the way with their new platform to grow the greater San Diego startup community. In 2015 they brought us Startup Week. This year their StartupSD Convergence highlights two innovation nodes in our city—downtown and the Mesa. This three-day series kicks off Thursday evening at 101 W Broadway with an Ecosystem Orientation followed by Poker & Game night. Friday EvoNexus hosts Domain Expert hours from 5-6 p.m. and then there’s a “Downtown Startup Crawl.” Ooooh, now I’m game. Saturday the 6th, StartupSD Convergence shimmies up the coast to the Mesa. They’ve got a Startup panel, Intern Fair, Mentor Hours and the big finale, Demo Night. There’s a one-day or 3-day pass with student pricing as well. Love seeing groups like StartupSD connecting the dots and pulling our city together as one force to be reckoned with.
  February 4-6, Downtown San Diego and UCSD

• Lessons in Herding Cats – Business Development Basics for Life Science Companies
  Do we have any business development professionals out there? How about some management teams of life science startups? Sweet. JLabs brings their very own Senior Director of Transactions, Parth Chakrabarti, and Senior Counsel Scott Orchard to help us navigate through those oh-so-tempting strategic partnerships and other potential growth opportunities. Come listen and learn how to decide what will add true value to your company.
  February 9, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., JLABS @ Lab Central

• Mark Bowles and Eric Otterson: How to leverage San Diego resources to launch successful companies
  Anyone else see a pic of this stud muffin on the front page of the business section in last October’s Union Tribune? Bowles, founder of ecoATM, has raised around $250 million for six different companies he’s built, and has sunk almost a million in his own personal finances into SD companies. When I read about Mark’s strict “San Diego philosophy,” I knew I had to meet him. He’s the poster boy for our Mesa Project. Quick call to my homeboy, and boom, money. Meeting set to talk entrepreneurship and plan world domination. Throw in the charming Eric Otterson, Managing Director at Silicon Valley Bank, and I am sold on this event. Otterson, when not leading his San Diego based banking team, moonlights as Board Member of EvoNexus and the San Diego Venture Group. If that’s not enough, he is also co-founder of Startup San Diego. Small world! First Cooley and now Silicon Valley, he continues the Otterson family legacy of building our San Diego startup ecosystem. MIT brings us another spectacular line up ladies and gents. Do come.
  February 10, 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Sanford Consortium

Food for thought…

When one door closes a window always opens. We are all bummed about Croce’s closing its doors. That downtown joint was an institution among the jazz scene. But if you count up all the music concerts I’ve hit up in the past several months here on the Mesa, I say Carpe Diem! Sure there are talks of making a theater district in downtown, but hey, we’ve got it going on up here too. Between Birch Aquarium’s Green Flash Concert Series, the Salk Music & Science Series and the Symphony at Salk, Mainly Mozart, Athenaeum’s Jazz Series at TSRI, UC San Diego music concerts, the Loft, RIMAC arena, Jame’s Place, my joint the Bella Vista Social Club & Caffé and our powerhouse theater, the La Jolla Playhouse, why can’t we claim the Mesa as the Mecca of San Diego music culture?

Life on the Mesa: There’s a New Headquarters in Town

Croce’s is closed, but there’s still live jazz on the Mesa | Photo by Luis Garcia

The post Life on the Mesa: There’s a New Headquarters in Town appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Come sit by me…

“Social media is all about influence”, explains Steve Todd to a room full of students and entrepreneurs at the Gordon Engineering Leadership Center last Friday afternoon. Todd, VP of Innovation at EMC, shared the pros and cons of writing one of the top innovation blogs. He recalls typing away in the balcony of Radio City Music Hall in New York, where he traveled to report on an innovation conference. “It was at this event that I really built a network outside of just engineering.” He linked up with another blogger and soon his work was being published on their site, increasing his readership exponentially. Todd’s blog and videos get hundreds of hits weekly. Already a world-renowned expert with two books under his belt, Todd’s blog has helped solidify his reputation as an expert on innovation by bringing it to an entirely new audience.

A brave student raises his hand to ask about a negative experience blogging. Todd candidly tells of the time he wrote about his company and got a major slap on the wrist. Woops. Scooping privileged info on the World Wide Web for a company you work for—not a good move. Although the story had already been released in a different publication, in the eyes of the company Todd had divulged too much. “Social media is a big stage and once you hit that publish button,” well, anyone in the world can read it. Spidey said it best, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

When it comes to putting yourself out there in the blog-o-sphere, it seems the pros clearly outnumber the pitfalls. Todd spoke to us about his journey and how he broke the mold. “Software engineers typically aren’t wired to be publicly visible,” yet Todd’s example proves a recipe for success where the opportunities and experiences around the globe are limitless. Just tap into the archives and see the places he has traveled and written about or view a few of the videos he has streaming on YouTube. My favorite DataCrunchers video? The one where he gets to push the button and blow up a Data Center to explain EMC’s V-Plex Product. The big take away Todd revealed for these emerging leaders? “My value has increased as my versatility increased.”

Todd started out as a software engineer. After “putting in his time” establishing a good reputation and earning the trust of his company leaders, he decided to push the boundaries a bit and add more layers to his skill set. On his CV, Todd has the following listed as his expertise: EMC Fellow, VP of Strategy & Innovation at EMC, Inventor/Intrapreneur, Collaborator, Writer. Yep, “intrapreneur”—it’s not a typo. What the heck is an intraprenuer? In essence, they are an innovative thinker within a corporation who gets to transform an idea or project into a profitable venture for their company. This intrapreneur leads, does not necessarily manage, and has the resources of his large corporation at his disposal. Shit, man. Sign me up (says the small business owner). Todd has clearly leveraged his entrepreneurial skills, business savvy, and appetite for adventure within his company to establish himself as an expert in so many mediums. Todd encourages the students and businessmen in the room to take a few years to establish rapport and accountability in a company. “And once that relationship is solid, carve out some time in your day to add new skills such as leveraging LinkedIn or social media.” Most importantly, “be sure that the skills that you are adding align with your company.” His advice? “Listen to what the execs are talking about at the office.”

Todd does not miss the mundane routines associated with engineering. He points that he enjoys the energy that comes with building and creating new products. But what really does it for him, what he truly loves, is delivering that product to the world. “Nothing compares to building a product with a team and having it be used in society somewhere.” An example of one of Todd’s triumphs is the CLARiiON product he helped to build at Data General. This product was ultimately acquired by EMC and resulted in billions of dollars in revenue.

Asked about the future, Todd would put all his chips on the economic value of Big Data. “Some believe wars will break out over this.” Yikes. But what’s any company’s biggest asset? Their Rolodex. Todd gives the case study of Caesar Palace’s bankruptcy. In the end, it was their Customer Loyalty Rewards database that was worth one billion.

Bravo UC San Diego for always bringing top-notch speakers that help encourage our future engineering leaders to be well rounded individuals. And step aside Miss Bridget Jones. Intrapreneur, blogger, speaker, and host of DataCrunchers—Steve Todd, you are an inspiration and I’m your newest fan.

Upcoming events on the Mesa (I’ll be at the fun table…)

• Farmers Insurance Open PGA Golf Tournament at Torrey Pines
  Del Mar has the Races. On the Mesa, we’ve got the Farmers Insurance Open PGA tournament. Why do I picture the scene from Evita where they are all dressed to the nines, white gloves and hats, drinking tea while watching sport? Headed to Torrey Pines today to prove my crazy presumption a total misconception. Stay tuned for the insider scoop next week. Tournament runs through Sunday and Main/Grand Entrance to tourney is smack in front of the Sanford Consortium. Should be a fun weekend. Fore!
  January 27-31, Torrey Pines Golf Course

• An Entrepreneur’s Journey: Different Paths and Perspectives
  My homeboy Mark Dilorio, President and CEO of Magne Sensors Inc, will be headlining tonight’s TIE Southcoast event over at Janssen. Raj Krishnan, CEO Biological Dynamics, Yannis Papacounstantinou, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at UC San Diego, and Harvinder Sahota, Inventor of the Perfusion Balloon Angioplasty, round out the panel. Seems like everyone is talking about the different paths and colorful journey of an entrepreneur these days.
  January 28, 5:30-8:00 p.m., Janssen Research & Development, LLC

• JLABS Meet with… RCT Ventures
  Wanted to give you a heads up on this killer opportunity next week for some info and one-on-one face time with the big dogs. If you are pushing medical devices, therapeutics, platforms and tools in the area of Biomed, then be sure to check out the full scoop on JLABS upcoming Meet with RCT Ventures. One of RCT Ventures’ most successful exits includes Therapeutic Human Polyclonals acquired by Roche (oooh, I like their eye cream). $200 million baby in assets. Sign up now for the private meeting. Get ‘er done.
  February 4, 10.30 a.m.-1 p.m., JLABS San Diego

Just Mesa’n around…

One, two, ah ah ah ah… Jazz legend Victor Goines counted in his Quartet to a brilliant set at Sunday’s Salk Science & Music Series. Every performance thus far in the 2015-2016 Season has been exquisite. But I have to say… Sunday’s performance was utter perfection. And FUN! What a hoot watching the crowd slowly get into the music, letting go with each selection, tapping their feet, beginning to sway. This series pulls philanthropists together with the scientists and Mesa community in such a brilliant way. And I am now a believer. Music truly does open up the brain waves. I understood the science lecture given by Shrek in its entirety! Okay, maybe he dumbed it down a bit for us no-speak-science listeners sprinkled in the crowd. But seriously, Salk brings its scientists the very best here, combining research with the musical arts.

For a moment we thought the pianist, Helen Sung, who played one of the most jaw dropping solos I have ever heard at a jazz concert, stole the entire show. The crowd even got a bit rowdy with excitement for a second, they were so pumped. But then the graceful bass player, Emma Dayhuff, whom Goines joked is from Montana of all places, held her own with a commanding solo as well. Greg Arty Jr. on the drums threw out a few “yeahs” during her solo and then brought down the house when it was his turn to jam on the drum set. I snuck in my own “yeah” during the drum solo so I could feel the groove while not disturbing any neighbors. My personal favorites at this series were “Skylark” and Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm.” Goines is such a master at his craft and his rendition of “Skylark” hits you deep down in your soul. Closing with Gershwin, this musical theater junkie wanted nothing more than to leap out of her seat and dance across the stage. What torture. I think that everyone there by the end of the performance was ready to get up from their seats and boogie. There’s talk now of a possible after party jam session at the BellaV following any and all jazz concerts on the Mesa!

It’s important to note that Victor gave a huge shout-out to Karen Davis who not only created and found the funding to underwrite this series, but curates the talent and is an accomplished pianist in her own right. Davis played with the National Symphony Orchestra at the age of 12, attended The Juilliard School, has traveled the world performing and now produces concerts like the Science & Music Series at Salk.

Looking forward to meeting Salk’s new president, Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn, at the next concert slated for February 21. Blackburn was in Davos for the 2016 World Economic Forum with VP Joe Biden talking Cancer moonshots. Did run into Ellen Potter who was just featured in San Diego Magazine’s Big Ideas spread. Top scientists from Salk also came to jive, including Tony Hunter, Ron Evans, and Geoffrey Wahl. Got to snap some photos with the lovely Dr. Ursula Bellugi and did ask Irwin Jacobs if he’d be up for an interview. Fingers crossed, my friends. Sunday evening was a smashing success and I believe Jonas Salk would have loved the vibe.

Life on the Mesa: Meet Intrapreneur Steve Todd

Jazz legend Victor Goines leads his Quartet Sunday for one of Salk’s most memorable Salk Science & Music Series. Pure perfection. | Photo by Joe Belcovson

The post Life on the Mesa: Meet Intrapreneur Steve Todd appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Come sit by me…

Almost every day I have the pleasure of meeting someone new who turns out to be a genius in their own right. But there are those times when you meet someone so extraordinary, that you need to take a step back and stew on it for a while. Two weeks ago I had a blast meeting this person for drinks, which segued into dinner down at the Shores. Uncertain of why I asked to meet up after a party at SIO, he was a bit perplexed and nervous. What’s her angle? Her hidden agenda? It’s simple. I meet fascinating people on the Mesa and want to learn who they are, apart from the science. So the pressure has been mounting as I put off writing about our colorful conversation, worried I would not do his story justice. Who is this intriguing mystery man I speak of? None other than the quirky yet legendary B. Greg Mitchell.

There is too much to take in about this genius mind. Peeling back the layers, I learn about his passions, projects and restless soul. Greg is an explorer, who travels the world studying algae. Trips to Antarctica and the Arctic and Central Pacific are the norm for this globetrotter and he has been known to practice his yoga headstand on a meter of Arctic sea ice. Dude even worked for NASA Headquarters as Ocean Biology Program Manager. Naturally I had to bring up the scene from Spies Like Us. “No Amanda, I didn’t do the G-force training.” Bummer. His current work is the study of microalgae photosynthesis from laboratory, to commercial, to global ocean scales. “Take a deep breath”, he says. “Microalgae in the ocean produce half the oxygen you breathe. Pretty important for ocean ecology but they are also so efficient we need to put them to work.” Therefore, he has spent twenty plus years preaching mass culture of algae to mitigate and wastewater nutrient loading, and believes algae is the solution for biomass CO2 for fuel and animal feed. Greg is thinking long-term solutions to save our planet. So why aren’t we listening? With oil prices crashing, it’s no wonder that many have gone back to their myopic views. But Greg points out that algae is for conserving water, and feeding the pigs, cows, and chickens, not just fuel. “Bring on the future of farming!”

Humble, Greg always diverts me to other scientist’s research, eager to share their discoveries and how they can play an integral role in solving our planet’s most pressing issues. Wait, you can turn sewage into potable water? Seriously? And the very scientist who discovered this now lives in San Diego! And what about a better system to capture rainwater and run off?

I ask Greg what made him want to be a scientist. He looks at me with his kind eyes and reveals it was an article he read in Surfer magazine about 1967. On the cover was Black’s Beach and the article said the marine biologists at Scripps were pioneering big wave surfing at Black’s. At the ripe age of 13 he set out to become a Marine Biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he could surf daily at Black’s. His story came full circle at the Moore’s Cancer Center Annual Luau & Legends of Surfing Invitational at the shores that he surfed in for the SIO team. When speaking of that very article to a former SIO student and world champion surfer Ricky Grigg, Ricky turned, smiled and replied, “I wrote that.” Gotta love life’s moments of serendipity. That article changed a boy’s life and perhaps will change our lives as he brings his passion of oceanography as a solution to a world running out of natural resources. Greg still loves to surf Black’s, where the morning crew refers to him as “the professor.”

This man has a mind that does not rest. Greg, how do you do it? How do you shut it down? Turns out, when not traveling the world or throwing rock ‘n’ roll shindigs at SIO, Greg found the time to write an entire musical based on the music of U2. A frickin’ musical? U2 sent him a cease and desist letter but that did not stop him. He went back and decided they’d write all original scores. Walking to our respective cars under the drizzle outside Piatti’s I yell to Greg… “You fascinate me!” These minds on the Mesa are a true wonder.

What’s come out of our memorable meet up? We are now on a mission to mindful and game changing discussions with our local scientists able to solve San Diego’s water crisis together. Last week I also ran into Imperial Beach mayor and surfer Serge Medina and he is all in. Something is definitely in the works for a rockstar event on Water up on the Mesa. There are also talks of exclusive soirees set on the terrace of the BellaV and Sanford Consortium. Guest list to include grad students and post docs from SCRM’s member institutes and SIO. Greg says it best, “Let’s gather, dance brainstorm, and change the future with a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll for inspiration!”

Upcoming events on the Mesa (I’ll be at the fun table…)

• San Diego Women in Finance: Economic Outlook 2016
  So. How about that 2016 Economy? Need an expert opinion to help you through your next dinner party? Why not learn from our local expert, Ryan Ratcliff? Ratcliff is Associate Professor of Economics at USD, specializing in forecasting, macroeconomics, and financial economics. Before making his way to San Diego, he was with the UCLA Anderson Forecast, spent time doing market research with the Franklin-Templeton family of mutual funds, worked as a market analyst for the U.S. Treasury’s Mexico Task Force, and at the Frankfurt Headquarters of Deutsche bank. Sprechen sie deutsch? Be sure to make it early to network a bit. If you don’t know a lick about Finance you can chat him up about world travel at the very least no? Discussion begins at 6 p.m. sharp. Sponsored by TriNet.
  January 21, 5:30-7:00 p.m., TriNet Group Inc

• Steve Todd at the Engineering Leadership Forum
  You had me at multiple… career paths. Steve Todd, VP of Strategy and Innovation at Boston’s EMC, will be speaking Friday at the Engineering Leadership Forum. One of his topics will touch on his success navigating through multiple career paths. Any entrepreneur out there will be able to relate. Todd is the author of Innovate with Influence, Innovate with Global Influence, is a Top 10 Innovational blogger, VP of Innovation, and an active participant in EMC’s Innovation Conference… Man, we should drink every time I write the word “innovate.” Bottom line, you wanna meet this guy. RSVP and let them know you’re coming. I’ll bring the flask.
  January 22, 12-1 p.m., Gordon Engineering Leadership Center, UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering

• Salk’s Science & Music Series
  Couldn’t be more excited about Salk’s upcoming Science & Music Series this Sunday the 24th. A little jazz at Salk will be a fun twist and the slated speaker is one of my favorite usual suspects during lunch at the BellaV. I’ll never forget the time Sreekanth and his colleague were at my register and his friend ordered the Bella Vista in “Omelette format.” Format? Classic. Gotta love me some scientists. Sreekanth (also known up here on the Mesa as “Shrek”), is Assistant Professor of the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory. His lab is studying nematode C. elegans, that’s a fancy word for worms. Studying these invertebrate organisms allows his team to better understand how neural circuits in the brain “transform environmental stimuli into appropriate behavioral outputs.” In other words, they are studying a worm, with a much simpler nervous system than humans, to understand the difference between a healthy brain and a brain afflicted by diseases, such as autism or depression. This will be a fascinating talk paired with some swanky saxophone and clarinet. Sunday… at the Salk.
  January 24, Salk Institure

• “South China Sea: What is the Future?” and The China Lymphoma Project Global Conference
  Double header on China this Tuesday. First up, the School of Global Policy and Strategy’s Panel on the future of the South China Sea. Donald Emmerson (Stanford University), Susan Shirk (China expert and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State), and Stephan Haggard (Director Korea-Pacific Program) will lead the discussion on how impactful the sea spanning from the Malacca Strait to the Taiwan Strait is to that region’s dynamics. Second batter up that is going to hit it out of the park, the China Lymphoma Project. Researchers from across the globe come together with the community to discuss China’s current cancer crisis. Organizer, cancer survivor, and patient advocate Jamie Reno is taking his mission global. This conference is the first of its kind and will help strengthen the ties of friendship with China while helping save lives.
  “South China Sea: What is the Future?”: January 26, School of Global Policy and Strategy
  China Lymphoma Project Global Conference: January 26 at the Sanford Consortium

Food for thought…

“Racism has always played a role in the debate on modern immigration. They just won’t admit it,” claimed Ruben Navarrette Jr. at last week’s San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. Mmhmm, straight talk! Navarrette, a Harvard grad, wrote for our local Union Tribune before moving on to appear as guest host for CNN, CNBC, Fox, PBS NewsHour with Lehrer. He also provides regular commentary on NPR’s Morning Edition and tours the country giving talks. The Chamber snagged our San Diego local for this luncheon surrounding the upcoming elections on both side of the border and how it will influence on cross-border commerce. More often than not you see people sneaking away to network some more in the halls or immersed in the latest tweet on their cell phones rather than the conversation on stage. That was not the case last Thursday. You could hear a pin drop in the Presidential Ballroom of the US Grant.

Navarrette kept the entire room engaged with his prodding/provoking opinions about what is wrong with the current immigration crisis. He also shared thoughts on the most talked about candidate since Palin, good old Trump. Navarrette pointed out that Trump isn’t building a wall and denying access. Trump is the one who acknowledges that immigrant workers are the best and hardest workers in our country. As a businessman, Trump understands their value. Navarrette also added later in his talk that “Mexican Americans did not have a strong a work ethic as immigrant Mexicans.” This man is not afraid of sharing his opinion. “A ‘phsycological wall’ already exists” so even if Trump wanted to build one, there is no need. Funny, just a few days later my six-year old asked why we can’t just go through the door to get back and forth through Mexico. It is so indoctrinated in our culture we don’t event realize it. There needs to be a paradigm shift.

Navarrette said it best. The US and Mexico are interdependent. We are married. Divorce is not an option. We keep blaming each other but what we really need is a good marriage counselor to help us solve these problems. We need to accept responsibility for our respective actions in order to move forward. Names that he offered as possible counselors, former Mexican presidents Felipe Calderon or Vicente Fox.

“Let’s call out those demagogues trying to undermine our marriage.” When asked about how close we are to solving this issue on a federal level, Navarrette suggested at the very least twenty years. Ouch! SD Regional Chamber’s Power Woman and VP of International Business Affairs Paola Avila followed up with a strong point, suggesting that in the end, the solution would need to be piecemealed. Looks like the San Diego Regional Chamber is just the right group to lead the way on a local level. Our cross border mega region Cali-Baja Miracle Coast No Boundaries is perfectly poised to pave the way for our nation. Wouldn’t it be grand if San Diego serves as the shining beacon for others to follow suit?

Life on the Mesa: Saving the World With Algae

Talking surf, science and soirees with local SIO marine biologist, B. Greg Mitchell

The post Life on the Mesa: Saving the World With Algae appeared first on San Diego Magazine.