Daily Business Report-Feb. 24, 2017
Rep. Susan Davis (left) and Roxanne Govari of Pemberley Realty outside her University Heights business. (Photo by Chris Jennewein/Times of San Diego)
Immigration Supporters Say
Diversity Helps San Diego Economy
By the Times of San Diego
Rep. Susan Davis defended the economic value of a “diverse community” at a pro-immigration rally Thursday outside two University Heights businesses started by an Iranian family.
“Like many of you, I’ve been alarmed to hear President Trump’s rhetoric on immigration,” said the seven-term Congresswoman.
She said San Diego benefits economically from its immigrants and proximity to the Mexican border. “We know how fortunate we are to live in a diverse community,” she said.
The event took place outside Pemberley Realty and the Soltan Banoo restaurant, 4645 Park Blvd., businesses started by a family that immigrated from Iran in 1988.
“We are proud to be part of San Diego,” said Realtor Roxanne Govari. Her mother, Mahin Mofazeli, described America as the land of opportunity and pointed out that her restaurant employs 15 people.
“I work hard, and I pay pretty well the people who work for me,” Mofazeli said.
Mark Cafferty, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, said the business community “large and small” needs to speak out about the importance of immigration to innovation.
Paola Avila of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce noted that half of the Fortune 500 companies were started by immigrants or the children of immigrants. San Diego, she said has a “strong tradition of immigrant entrepreneurs.”
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From the Soltan Banoo website:
Established in 2003, before Soltan Banoo opened its doors, Mahin and her two daughters Roxanne and Sanam ran Cafe Caspian from 2000-2003 across the street. Cafe Caspian, a tiny tearoom came about through the encouragement of the community for Mahin to express her creativity and cooking. So it went that, the trio moved operations to a larger space and named the restaurant after Mahin’s grandmother, Soltan Banoo (King Lady). Today the three ladies work hard to create a warm place for all people to gather, see and taste a little of Iran (or Persia as it was at the time of Soltan Banoo) in University Heights and try Mahin’s healthy, creative and eclectic homecooking.
We are proud and honored to share our culture and home cooking with our community. With more than a decade in business, we strive to give our customers the very best by remembering our roots and original business purpose. We make and serve food with love. Persian food here is an eclectic reflection of our healthy kitchen and our open minds. We sincerely hope you enjoy dining with us.
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Amobee Expands Digital Marketing
Technology with Acquisition of Turn
Singtel subsidiary Amobee, which has an office in San Diego, has signed an agreement to pay $310 million to acquire Turn, a longtime competitor in the ad tech space. Redwood City-based Turn, founded in 2004, has more than 800 employees and 1,000 customers.
Singapore-based telecom company Singtel bought Amobee in 2012 to help the company expand further into online advertising. Since then, Foster City, Calif.-based Amobee has purchased four ad tech startups, including Gradient X, Adconion and Kontera.
The acquisition makes Amobee one of the largest independent buy-side marketing technology providers globally, according to Amobee CEO Kim Perell, who is based in San Diego, The deal is expected to close within the first half of this year.
Turn offers advanced data and analytics solutions through a data management platform, allowing marketers to better understand customer interactions across ad formats and devices. Turn also operates a demand-side platform that provides programmatic buying capabilities that automate the process of buying digital ads in real time across video, mobile and display for major brands including KraftHeinz, Toyota and L’Oréal USA.
Samba Natarajan, Singtel’s CEO of Group Digital Life, said, “With marketers increasingly shifting from traditional to digital media to engage consumers, global digital ad spend is expected to exceed $200 billion in 2017. The strategic acquisition of Turn strengthens Amobee’s technological edge in the rapidly evolving market of digital advertising and accelerates its growth into a significant global digital marketing player. It will also prime Amobee for expansion beyond the US and into the Asia Pacific, where the Singtel Group reaches some 640 million customers across 22 countries.”
Amobee’s Perell, said, “This acquisition makes Amobee one of the largest independent buy-side marketing technology providers globally, boosts our data analytics capabilities and understanding of consumers, and provides a strong foundation for our future growth.”
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SDSU Study Shows Women Slowly
Receiving More Major Roles in Films
By the SDSU News Team
In 2016, women comprised 29 percent of protagonists in the top 100 grossing films, according to the It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World report released by Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. This figure represents an increase of seven percentage points from 2015 and a recent historical high.
In other roles, females were better represented, accounting for 37 percent of major characters, up three percentage points from 2015. The percentage of female characters in speaking roles fell one percentage point from 2015 to 32 percent.
“While audiences were still more than twice as likely to see male characters as female characters in top grossing movies, females fared better as protagonists and major characters in 2016,” Lauzen said.
Regarding race and ethnicity, 76 percent of all female characters were Caucasian, 14 percent were black, three percent were Asian, three percent were Latina, and one percent were other.
“The findings for race and ethnicity were a mixed bag,” said Lauzen. “The percentage of Asian female characters doubled in 2016, and the percentage of black female characters increased slightly, but the percentage of Latina characters decreased slightly.”
Films with at least one woman director or writer featured higher percentages of female protagonists, major female characters, and females in speaking roles than films with exclusively male directors and writers. In some cases, the differences were dramatic. For example, in films with at least one woman director or writer, females comprised 57 percent of protagonists, while in of protagonists, while in writers, females accounted for just 18 percent of protagonists.
Earlier this year, Lauzen released the 19th annual Celluloid Ceiling report, which showed that women comprised just 7 percent of all directors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films in 2016. This figure represents a decline from nine percent in 2015 and is two percent below the level achieved in 1998.
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PR Agency Hired to Promote Need
For Work on Dangerous Intersections
Circulate San Diego, a regional nonprofit organization, has hired J. Walcher Communications to develop a media campaign around the need for improvements to San Diego’s most dangerous intersections.
Circulate San Diego focuses on creating great mobility choices, more walkable and bikeable neighborhoods, and land uses that promote sustainable growth.
- Walcher Communications will support Circulate San Diego’s media relations and planning efforts for its “Fatal Fifteen” campaign, an initiative to urge the city to fund improvements at the 15 most dangerous intersections in San Diego that will make streets safer for people walking and biking. The campaign was launched at a Feb. 1 press conference at University and Marlborough Avenues in City Heights – one of the deadliest of the “Fatal Fifteen.”
The campaign supports Circulate San Diego’s Vision Zero plan, an effort to end all traffic fatalities and serious injuries in the City of San Diego by 2025. For more information, visit www.circulatesd.org/fatal15sd.
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Online Dating Scams and How to Avoid Them:
A Presentation by a Deputy District Attorney
San Diego County Credit Union will present “Romance Scams and Love Fraud,” a free educational seminar on scams in online dating, on March 1 with Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood. It will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, in Downtown San Diego.
The program is part of SDCCU Financial Wellness Wednesdays, launched in partnership with the San Diego County Library in support of Live Well San Diego.
Online dating has become increasingly popular among single men and women searching for love. But unfortunately, this popularity has also piqued the interest of scam artists, and many times one’s quest for love may find fraud instead. During the seminar, Greenwood will cover current scams, romance scams and ways to protect yourself. Lunch will be provided for attendees. Seating is limited and reservations are required. To register, visit, sdccu.com/seminar.
With more than 25 years of experience and having been involved in the prosecution of over 600 felony cases of elder and dependent adult abuse, Greenwood is a renowned, award-winning prosecutor. He’s been head of the Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit since 1996 and is currently co-chair of the California District Attorney Elder Abuse Committee.
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Personnel Announcements
Cavignac & Associates Adds
Stephen Watson to Staff
Cavignac å Associates has hired Stephen Watson as junior account executive. Watson’s principle area of focus will be on professional liability. Initially he will be trained by senior management to service existing professional liability clients, educate them on areas of exposure and risk preventative measures, and recommend appropriate insurance coverage.
Watson previously was assistant manager of Walmart in Benner Pike Mall, located in State College, Pa.
Prior career experience includes having served two years as an administrative assistant for Levitzacks, Certified Public Accountants, located in Downtown San Diego. He also completed a one-year internship as tournament coordinator for Future Champions Golf in San Diego.
