Daily Business Report-Sept. 6, 2019
The Center for Novel Therapeutics
BioMed Realty and UC San Diego celebrate
opening of the Center for Novel Therapeutics
BioMed Realty and the University of California San Diego celebrate the grand opening today of the Center for Novel Therapeutics on the UC San Diego Science Research Park campus. The new 137,500-square-foot research hub leverages the strength of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center with private sector companies looking to translate research into helping cancer patients throughout the world. The development represents a $92 million investment by BioMed Realty, a global leader in life science real estate.
“The Center for Novel Therapeutics partnership with BioMed Realty is going to change the face of patient care by bringing new therapies from research to market more efficiently than ever before,” said Pradeep K. Khosla, Chancellor of UC San Diego. “These types of forward-thinking partnerships help UC San Diego move closer to its goal of becoming a preferred destination for students, researchers, patients and the community.”
CNT will stand as San Diego’s newest dedicated oncology research center, with best-in-class facilities to advance life-changing treatments for cancer patients. Additionally, CNT includes the first academic-industry drug discovery incubator site in San Diego.
“We are thrilled to announce the grand opening of the Center for Novel Therapeutics, a cutting-edge research building that will foster one of the nation’s most vibrant life science communities in California,” said Tim Schoen, president and CEO of BioMed Realty.
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Google and tech industry allies make lobbying
push to water down state’s data-privacy law
Dan Morain |CALmatters
Google and tech industry allies are making a late lobbying push to water down California’s data-privacy law by seeking to carve out exemptions for digital advertising, Bloomberg Law reports.
Bloomberg’s report comes as Google agreed to pay $170 million to settleFederal Trade Commission and New York state complaints that it collected personal information from children who used YouTube, and targeted ads at those children.
In Sacramento, tech company lobbyists and online advertisers have intensified efforts to alter the California Consumer Privacy Act, which was approved last year and is scheduled to take full effect Jan. 1, 2020.
With legislators scheduled to leave for the year next week, Bloomberg’s Kartikay Mehrotra, Laura Mahoney and Daniel Stoller reported that the tech companies are seeking “legislative approval to continue collecting user data for targeted advertising, and in some cases, the right to do so even if users opt out.”
Bloomberg: California’s new law is widely viewed as the benchmark other states will use for their own data-privacy regulations. The [privacy act] may also be a template for a future federal law. In Congress, lawmakers are already discussing language for possible nationwide legislation that would supersede California’s law.
Money matters: Tech giants Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft have contributed $2.8 million to California politicians and political causes since 2018, by my count.
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SDSU study: on-screen, behind-the-scenes
television jobs at record highs for women
By SDSU News Team
Across all television platforms, the percentages of female characters experienced historic highs in 2018-19, according to this year’s “Boxed In: Women On Screen and Behind the Scenes in Television” report, released by Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.
Overall, female characters became more visible in 2018-19, comprising 45 percent of all speaking characters on comedies, dramas, and reality programs featured on broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms, up from 40 percent in 2017-18. Major female characters experienced a similar shift from 40 percent in 2017-18 to 45 percent in 2018-19.
Behind the scenes, women accounted for 31 percent of all creators, directors, writers, executive producers, producers, editors, and directors of photography working on programs across platforms, besting the previous high of 28 percent achieved in 2016-17.
“It is heartening to see moderate but widespread gains for female characters and women working behind the scenes this year, but we need to consider the numbers within the larger context of women’s employment in television,” said Lauzen. “In 2018-19, women comprised 26 percent of directors, a historic high up from 17 percent in 2017-18. However, men continue to direct the vast majority of programs. In this context, ‘historic high’ still means that men outnumber women 3 to 1 in this role.”
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Digital Operative and 85SIXTY
announce strategic partnership
Digital Operative, a digital commerce agency for direct-to-consumer brands, announced a strategic partnership with 85SIXTY, a North American agency leader in enterprise digital media and data science. The alliance offers brands a streamlined multi-agency approach to confidently develop/execute cross-channel strategies, according to a press announcement.
“85SIXTY’s creativity and data management skills have been sought after by established and emerging brands for years,” said BJ Cook, CEO and Co-founder of Digital Operative. “Adding their core competencies to our data-driven ecommerce offerings is the next logical step for our clients and business. Each company has developed expert practices that will help brands see results faster since they won’t have to oversee multi-agency partnerships. Steve has created a lively culture and we’re excited to officially team up with 85SIXTY.”
“Our experience tells us that brands shouldn’t have to orchestrate the work of multiple agencies,” said Steve Price, CEO and founder of 85SIXTY.
The two founder-led San Diego agencies have collaborated on several digital projects over the past year. Both agencies are based in San Diego with additional offices in Denver.
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Ron Fowler gifts $100,000 to USD
to ignite students’ entrepreneurial passion
A $100,000 gift from San Diego Padres co-owner Ron Fowler will support the University of San Diego School of Business Fowler Business Concept Challenge to ignite students’ knowledge and passion for entrepreneurship.
Through The Fowler Business Concept Challenge, participants will have the chance to win up to $45,000 in scholarships in the inaugural competition on Nov. 15. Competitors will have the opportunity to apply for USD’s San Diego Angel Conference, and the winners will have their application fee waived.
The San Diego Angel Conference was launched by The Brink Small Business Development Center at USD, and applicants compete for up to $200,000, depending on the number of participating investors.
The Challenge will serve as a feeder and training ground for other entrepreneurial competitions at USD, including the V2 Pitch Competition and the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge.
Ron Fowler is a chair emeritus for the USD Board of Trustees and a long-time supporter of charitable and educational causes in San Diego including the recent $2.5 million gift for the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge.
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Women’s Venture Summit set for
Sept. 14 at University of San Diego
Stella Labs will host Women’s Venture Summiton Saturday, Sept. 14, a conference focused on activating female investors and improving access to capital for female founders. To date, the summit has helped women raise $4 million in seed capital. Returning to University of San Diego for its sixth year, the event will take place at 5998 Alcala Park in San Diego from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Keynote speakers including Jasmine Crowe, Kim Perell, Jewel Burks Solomon and Terri Mead will discuss moments they’ve failed and prevailed as entrepreneurs and investors.
“Women’s Venture Summit is focused on getting women to even,” says Dr. Silvia Mah, founder of the summit. “We’re striving for equal representation of women and minorities starting companies and getting funded, and this summit moves that mission forward.”
The one-day intensive summit will include: Entrepreneur track and angel track sessions throughout the day; stories from real female founders who’ve gone from $0 to millions; a gamified pitch contest where qualified startups from across the U.S. will compete to win prizes; an expo hall showcasing local women-led businesses and products; an optional pre-summit day for accredited investors
Register at www.womensventuresummit.org/.
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The Chip Merchant changes its name. Now it’s
Information Technology Consulting and Management
The Chip Merchant, a well-known San Diego computer, components and repair firm, will now be known as ITCM – Information Technology Consulting and Management— effective immediately. The new entity will provide a new marque for the recently acquired assets of IT service firms, Direct Tech and Total Tech. ITCM will focus on growing its regional footprint through direct sales of its services business and the acquisition of several smaller competitors.
According to President and CEO Jorge Ruiz de Castilla, the name change is being made “to provide a new brand for the three companies we have merged with during the past twelve months. Also, our old brand, The Chip Merchant, has always been associated with computer and component sales and not with IT services. We want our brand to be free from the limitations of hardware and computer merchandise.”
The Chip Merchant was recognized for the past 34 years as a local provider of computer components and repair. During the past decade, the company has shifted its focus to computer consulting and managed services for IT.
The newly named ITCM is a privately held Managed Services Provider deploying fully managed IT services to a broad range of San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles clients. It is located in Kearny Mesa, at 5560 Ruffin Road in Kearny Mesa.
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NCTD requests Coaster expansion
equipment from SANDAG
This month, the board of directors for the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) will consider allocating funding for the acquisition of expansion Coaster rail equipment. This would support increasing Coaster frequencies from 22 to 42 trips during weekdays and result in trains arriving every 30 minutes during peak periods and 60 minutes during non-peak periods.
Currently, the North County Transit District (NCTD) Coastet service includes 22 round trips every weekday and four additional round trips every Friday night with headways between 45 minutes to one hour during the peak period and 3.5 hours during the off-peak period. It is NCTD’s goal within the next five years to increase service frequencies on Coaster to 30-minute headways.
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Girl Scouts San Diego to present Sept. 13 Urban Campout
Friends of Girl Scouts San Diego are invited to come together under the stars on Friday, Sept. 13, for Urban Campout: All That Glitters is Gold. The event will be held from 6-11 p.m. at Girl Scouts’ campus in Balboa Park, located at 1231 Upas St.
Proceeds from the 22nd annual fundraiser for adults will support programs focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), leadership, life skills, outdoor adventure, and entrepreneurship. The Gold Award—Girl Scouts’ highest achievement—was the inspiration for the theme.
“Girl Scouts in grades 9–12 earn the Gold Award by demonstrating extraordinary leadership through Take Action projects that have sustainable impact in their communities and beyond,” said Carol M. Dedrich, CEO of Girl Scouts San Diego. “Gold Award Girl Scouts can distinguish themselves during the college admissions process, take advantage of unique scholarship opportunities, and enlist in the military at a higher pay grade.”
Nina De Burgh of Rancho Santa Fe is honorary chair for Urban Campout. She is the great-great niece of Juliette Gordon Low, who founded Girl Scouts in 1917.
In addition to a wine walk (modeled after a cake walk) and classic camp activities like archery and s’mores, the event will provide entertainment based on its theme.
Urban campers will “pan for gold” and compete for a chance to score a “golden ticket.” The gilded evening will also feature auctions, gourmet cuisine, adult beverages, and dancing to the music of The Mighty Untouchables. Urban Campout attire will run the gamut from TGIF casual to Golden Globes glamorous.
The public is welcome at Urban Campout. For details on attending or volunteering for the event, visit sdgirlscouts.org/ucor call (619) 610-0807.
