Daily Business Report — June 16, 2014
The Antengo team at work in in their corner of the EvoNexus space in Downtown San Diego. The tech incubator added nine new companies.
San Diego Tech Startup Incubator
Admits Nine New Companies
EvoNexus, San Diego’s startup incubator, is now housing 28 companies in its Downtown and UTC offices, including nine new companies. “Every application round typically brings in a wide range of startups. We found it interesting that of the nine companies we admitted in this round of 104 applicants, seven were digital health-related startups,” said Rory Moore, CEO of CommNexus & EvoNexus. “We’re excited to see this trend being followed with the startups. The smart phone, ubiquitous broadband wireless, mobile apps, wearables, advanced semiconductors and the sky-rocketing cost of health care are compelling elements to enable digital health to be an important new cluster in San Diego.”
The companies admitted in this round were AllSeq, Footprints Mobile Data, Hush Technologies, Koriist, Nanomedical Diagnostics, Omniome, PlayMotion, Skylit and Tab32. Information on each company can be found on the website: www.commnexus.org/evonexus.
While EvoNexus companies have occupied space in the UTC location since 2009, many companies are now based in the Downtown office at 101 West Broadway.
Downtown is also the home to “EvoStart,” a four-month framework designed to help startups validate product market-fit while being exposed to the CommNexus/ EvoNexus network.
“EvoNexus is a constantly evolving program and we’re always looking to make it better,” said Director of Programs & Operations Michele Yoshioka. “We have a dedicated, enthusiastic group of mentors that give their time to help these startups grow. We also hope to launch successful entrepreneurs who can remain part of and give back to the EvoNexus community.”
The next round of applications closes in August. EvoNexus expects the next round to draw another large pool of applicants.
For a full list of incubator companies and information about applying to EvoNexus, visit www.commnexus.org/incubator.
Latino Policymakers to Converge on San Diego
U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez will address the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials at its 31st annual conference June 26 at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort. The June 26-28 event is the largest gathering of Latino policymakers in the country. The keynote remarks will occur during the conference’s National Leadership Luncheon, which will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in the Commodore Ballroom of the hotel. The former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Perez was the first Latino to be confirmed to President Obama’s cabinet in his second term.
Conference participants will participate in panel discussions on national agenda issues, including immigration reform, education, health care, voting rights, Latina political leadership, U.S.-Mexico bi-national issues, water, pensions and an in-depth overview of the influence of Latinos on the upcoming midterm elections.
Former state Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny of Chula Vista will be recognized by the Government of Mexico with the Premio Ohtli, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual for service to Mexicans living abroad.
Council Takes Up Minimum Wage Increase
The proposal to place a minimum wage increase before San Diego voters in the November election is scheduled to go before the City Council for the first time this afternoon. If the plan by council President Todd Gloria makes it onto the ballot, voters would choose whether to incrementally hike the minimum wage to $13.09 an hour over the next three years. The proposal
A majority of the full City Council needs to approve the plan before it’s placed on the ballot. That kind of decision is not expected Monday.
Gloria contends that increasing the pay to the lowest workers will increase the earning power of 220,000 San Diegans and stimulate the economy.
Business groups and small business owners, who plan to rally outside City Hall before the meeting, counter that a higher pay rate would force them to reduce their employees’ hours or raise prices and that raising the city’s minimum wage above those of the state would put San Diego at a competitive disadvantage.
— City News Service
Defense Web Technologies Signs
$9.38 Million Office Space Lease
DefenseWeb Technologies has signed a 90-month, $9.38 million lease for 46,138 square feet of office space in Seaview Corporate Center at 10188 Telesis Court in San Diego. DefenseWeb makes software for government clients. The lessor is John Hancock Life Insurance Co. Cassidy Turley and James Crone & Associates brokered the transaction.
Seaview Corporate Center’s amenities include an on-site café and deli, recently remodeled fitness center, heated lap pool and tennis and basketball courts.
Top-Ranked Expert in Diabetes Named
Matthias von Herrath of the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology has been named by Expertscape as the world’s top-ranked expert in type 1 diabetes, also known as “juvenile diabetes.” Von Herrath is head of the Diabetes Research Center at the institute. He has made several scientific advances and has been recognized on numerous occasions for groundbreaking achievements. He is the recipient of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Scholar Award and in 2008 received the Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award from the American Diabetes Association.
Von Herrath joined the La Jolla Institute as a faculty member in the Division of Developmental Immunology in 2001. Due to his research on type 1 diabetes, he was appointed as head of a translational diabetes center that opened in 2012 in Seattle at Novo Nordisk, a global health care company focused on diabetes treatment.
County Supervisors to Assess Fire Resources
The weeklong firestorms in May destroyed at least 64 homes and cost $28.5 million to fight — and fire officials say it’s only going to get worse. To be better prepared for the battle, the county Board of Supervisors will re-examine the region’s fire resources on Tuesday. The board will review the aftermath of the fires and discuss recommendations from chairwoman Dianne Jacob.
PR and Branding Companies Partner
KCD Public Relations Inc., a public relations and marketing firm, and Diseño Communications, a brand communications and design firm, have become partners in a new office space in Little Italy in Downtown San Diego. They will offer complementary public relations, branding, marketing and design services to their respective client bases.
Novatel Wireless Appoints Interim CEO
Novatel Wireless Inc.’s board of directors has appointed Alex Mashinsky interim chief executive officer, replacing Peter Leparulo, who will continue to serve on the board. Mashinsky was appointed to the board in April 2014. An executive search firm was hired to evaluate candidates for a permanent CEO. The board also promoted Slim Souissi, CTO, to president and chief operating officer. Mashinsky, 48, has served since 2004 as managing partner of Governing Dynamics, an early stage investment and development company.
Wilson Turner Kosmo Adds Senior Counsel
Martina M. Nagle has joined the Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP law firm’s employment practice as senior counsel. Nagle represents employers in discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and other employment-related litigation matters in state and federal courts. She previously was a senior associate at Paul Plevin Sullivan & Connaughton LLP. Nagle received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Duke University.
Kawhi Leonard — MVP
San Diego State’s former basketball star, Kawhi Leonard not only won his first NBA championship last night but also was named the MVP of the Finals. There were some rumblings that he was leaving SDSU too early and he wasn’t ready, when he decided to go to the NBA. That seems to have been put to rest.
Tony Gwynn, ‘Mr. Padre, Dies at 54
Tony Gwynn, whose smile and swing defined baseball in San Diego for more than 30 years, has died. He was 54. Known as “Mr. Padre” during and after his Hall of Fame career, Gwynn was one of only 17 players to have played at least 20 seasons with one Major League Baseball club.
“One of the things I’m proudest about is that I played for one team,” Gwynn said to MLB.com in 2006. “My baseball card looks awesome because it has San Diego all the way down. I grew up in an environment where that kind of stuff was important.”
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007.
In recent years, Gwynn battled numerous health issues, including cancer of a salivary gland, which required the removal of both lymph nodes in his neck in 2010. In February 2012, surgeons removed a facial nerve inside his right cheek because it was intertwined with a tumor. A nerve from Gwynn’s neck was grafted in its place to help him eventually regain facial movement. Gwynn attributed his cancer to 30 years of dipping tobacco use.
A Long Beach native, Gywnn first came to San Diego in 1977 on a basketball scholarship to San Diego State University but became a two-sport star soon after a former high school teammate urged then-Aztec baseball coach Jim Dietz to give Gwynn a look.
