Daily Business Report-Nov. 20, 2019
Photo courtesy of TobaccoFreeCA.com
California and Los Angeles take aim at Juul
Lawsuit alleges false claims, addictive ingredients
Dan Morain |CalMatters
From its inception, Juul Labs, the nation’s leading e-cigarette company, used tobacco industry marketing techniques and technology, and knew the essential ingredient in its product, nicotine salts, is addictive, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey allege in a lawsuit.
The suit filed in Alameda County Superior Court alleges that Juul:
- Marketed to kids from its beginnings.
- Falsely claimed the vapor didn’t contain such hazardous chemicals as formaldehyde.
- Failed to warn that the product contained chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive harm.
The company failed to verify ages of people who mail-ordered e-cigarettes, for example, sending 17 shipments to someone who referred to him or herself as “Beer Can.”
The suit details how the San Francisco-based company’s founders Adam Bowen and James Monsees, who met at Stanford, studied documents at UC San Francisco’s tobacco industry archive to learn about tobacco advertising techniques and understand addictive nicotine salts.
Juul’s packaging mimicked Marlboro, prompting tobacco giant Philip Morris to accuse Juul of infringing on its design. Altria, Philip Morris’ parent, since bought a 35 percent stake in Juul.
Juul spokesman Austin Finan: “Our customer base is the world’s 1 billion adult smokers, and we do not intend to attract underage users.”
Money matters: The suit seeks $2,500 for each violation, a number that could become astronomical.
Lacey: “They should pay. … They knew about the tobacco industry and the harm it caused, and yet they just forged right ahead for the sake of a buck.”
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City Council votes unanimously to accept
SDSU offer of $86.2 million for stadium site
The San Diego City Council unanimously voted Monday to direct the city’s negotiating team to proceed with San Diego State University‘s offer of $86.2 million to purchase and redevelop the former Qualcomm Stadium site.
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Monarch School seeking businesses, organization
willing to mentor students at their job sites
The Monarch School, which educates students impacted by homelessness, is looking for local businesses and organizations who would be interested in hosting a high school student to mentor at their job sites.
The hosting would be on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. between Jan. 16, 2020, to May 18, 2020.
Intern Experience: Little to none. Goal: Develop soft job skills such as arriving on time, following directions, and completing tasks.
Mentors: Need to coach and counsel students on professional and personal development. Students will be receiving additional check-in and support on campus.
Cost: None. Students receive a stipend for their work through Monarch. If you are interested or know of someone who may be, please share. For more details and next steps, contact Allie Peterson, career and work readiness coordinator, apeterson@monarchschools.org,www.monarchschools.org.
Monarch School is a public K-12 school which is exclusively for students who are homeless, at risk of being homeless, or impacted by homelessness. It is the only such school in the United States.
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Asian Business Association and Mission Driven Finance
launch region’s first Asian Pacific Islander Impact Fund
Asian Business Association San Diego and locally-based impact investment firm Mission Driven Finance have launched the region’s first Asian Pacific Islander (API) Impact Fund to support economic security and advancement of San Diego’s Asian Pacific Islander community through access to capital and workforce development for small businesses.
The Fund seeks to provide financing for API-owned small businesses and nonprofits, funding that may not otherwise be available through traditional means.
“Mission Driven Finance is all about investing in overlooked communities and San Diego’s API community has long been underestimated for its economic strength and vitality. Through this partnership with Asian Business Association San Diego, we can support the businesses that are the backbone of our community. Growing companies with API leadership or serving APIs get access to capital in a size that’s hard to come by—$100,000 up to $700,000—as well as hands-on support and increased local and national exposure,” noted Lauren Grattan, co-founder and director of community engagement for Mission Driven Finance.
For more information about the AdvanceAPI Fund, contact Louie Nguyen, chief investment officer, Mission Driven Finance: louie@missiondrivenfinance.com
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Sycuan Tribal Council appoints new
general manager of Sycuan Casino Resort
The Sycuan Tribal Council has appointed Robert Cinelli as the new general manager of Sycuan Casino Resort. Cinelli will begin his employment on Jan. 1, 2020.
objectives of the tribal council and the entire tribe.”
Cinelli serves as the senior vice president, casino operations at the Venetian and Palazzo, and has been with the Las Vegas Sands Corporation since November 2011. Prior to that, he served as director of corporate accounts for 10 years with WMS Gaming, Inc.
He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno and is currently pursuing his MBA from the Pepperdine Graziado Business School.
“The Sycuan tribe is excited to have Mr. Cinelli join our team,” said Sycuan Chairman, Cody Martinez. “He brings incredible financial talent and an abundance of management experience and customer focus in a highly competitive gaming market. Rob’s breadth and depth of knowledge and goals for our new property, mesh well with the goals and
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Tech education firm General Assembly
announces move into Downtown San Diego
General Assembly (GA), a company that provides courses in such areas as web development, data science and analysis, digital marketing and product management, announced its expansion into San Diego. Its aim, according to CEO and Co-founder Jake Schwartz, is to provide individuals and organizations with the digital skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century workforce.
“Today’s global economy is complex and requires a skilled workforce that can leverage technology to fuel success,” said Schwartz. “Our expansion into new markets will ensure that every country, city, and community around the globe is prepared for the digital skills revolution.
According to CBRE’s Tech Talent Scorecard. San Diego posted the sixth-largest percentage gain in software and technology services jobs in 2018. Based on metrics like tech talent supply, market growth, industry outlet for job growth, and cost of living, the metro area also experienced the second-fastest momentum change across all of the top 50 markets in North America. Through a collection of events, intro classes, and workshops, General Assembly’s presence in San Diego will ensure that the region is prepared for continued growth and the creation of high-paying, highly-technical jobs, according to Schwartz.
The San Diego campus at 2159 India St. in Downtown held its soft launch on Oct. 16 in partnership with local coworking space Cross Campus. In addition to hands-on technical experience, students will also gain access to GA’s career development services, Fortune 500 hiring partners, and an alumni network of over 70,000 graduates.
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Braille Institute hosts tactile art exhibit giving
visually impaired a hands-on experience
Only at Braille Institute San Diego can students, who are visually impaired, walk through an art exhibit and encouraged to touch the works of art for a truly hands-on experience. Local San Diego artist, Marsha Brook has created tactile portraits and sculptures of individuals who demonstrate great humanity and social change. In commemoration of Braille Institute’s centennial, Brook created a tactile bas relief of J. Robert Atkinson, the organization’s founder. “It was an honor to create a portrait of Bob Atkinson, who advocated for and assisted those who were blind or visually impaired 100 years ago,” said Brook.
The “Touch of Inspiration” exhibit is on display at the San Diego Braille Institute center through Dec. 8, 2019. It includes 15 tactile portraits and sculptures of individuals including Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Dolores Huerta, Elie Wiesel and Cesar Chavez. Visitors can touch and feel each work of art making it a unique experience from other exhibits you can only view.
“This exhibit allows our students who are blind or visually impaired to touch the faces of these pieces and experience something extremely tactile,” said Jay Hatfield, executive director of Braille Institute San Diego. The exhibit is open to the public, Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and is located at 4555 Executive Drive, San Diego.
