Daily Business Report-Feb. 2, 2021
Health workers prepare different sized syringes with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters)
Californians ask: Where are our coronavirus vaccines?
By Anna B. Ibarra | CalMatters
California has so far administered 3.4 million of its 4.8 million vaccine doses, lagging 37 other states in per-capita usage and prompting frustrated residents to ask: Where’s my vaccine? As it turns out, state officials don’t know, either: They can’t say where unused doses are, whether they’re reserved for upcoming appointments or whether they’re sitting in freezers unnecessarily, CalMatters’ Ana Ibarra reports.
The state is hoping a new partnership with Blue Shield of California — about which details remain scarce — will fill in the data gaps by centralizing a rollout that has so far been divided among 61 local health departments, seven major health systems, two state departments, and local pharmacies and clinics.
“We understand that vaccine supply is limited. But we also need to address that the supply we have now needs to get administered as quickly as possible, so we’re developing an approach that allows us to do just that,” Yolanda Richardson, the state’s government operations secretary, said.
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Illumina, Sequoia Capital China partner on
genomics incubator in China
Illumina and Sequoia Capital China said on Sunday that they are jointly establishing a genomics-focused startup incubator in China.
“Illumina has a successful track record of creating venture-backed genomics startup companies through Illumina Accelerator in the US and UK,” Illumina CEO Francis deSouza said in a statement. “Together with Sequoia Capital China, we will now partner with leading entrepreneurs in China to build genomics startup companies that unlock powerful breakthrough genomics applications and clinical sequencing solutions that harness the unique strengths and dynamic markets in China.”
During two six-month funding cycles per year, the new endeavor, called “Sequoia Capital China Intelligent Healthcare Genomics Incubator, Powered by Illumina,” will provide selected startups with access to investment and business guidance from Sequoia Capital China, Illumina sequencing systems and reagents, as well as genomics expertise and lab space in Shanghai. The inaugural funding cycle will begin this fall.
Illumina Accelerator has invested in 45 genomics startups that have collectively raised nearly $600 million in venture capital funding.
Against supervisors’ wishes, county sent
rent relief money to ineligible cities
When the San Diego County Board of Supervisors launched its $27 million rental assistance program in August, the idea was to get money in the hands of those with no other options.
Instead, about three-quarters of those funds went to residents of cities that already had rent relief programs and money left to spend, according to an inewsource analysis of ZIP code data.
Read Cody Dulaney’s latest story to see why some cities are saying the county was unfair with it’s relief allocations.
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$9 million Buzz Golden Hill
mixed-use project is finished
Construction on Buzz Golden Hill, a $9 million urban infill mixed use project, is now complete, with San Diego-based Sunrise Management taking over the leasing and day-to-day management activities.
Developed by Alexander Alemany of Hub & Spoke Communities and Rammy Cortez of Rammy Cortez Urban Infill, the new 36-unit community was completed last month, with the developers adapting a long-term hold strategy. Located at 1144 30th St., the community accommodates workforce housing in Golden Hill.
Encompassing 24,000 square feet, including traditional apartments, co-living lofts and a restaurant, the project features open floorplans, soaring high ceilings and abundant natural light. The co-living lofts include shared kitchens to encourage a strong social dynamic.
The project architect was TFWA. The construction manager was Elite Builders with Specialty Metal Work by Artist & Exile. A community mural on 30th street was created by local artist, Marvin Madariaga.
USD hires tech privacy expert to lead new
center for data, artificial intelligence and society
Maritza Johnson, a data privacy and security professional, has been hired by the University of San Diego as the director of a new center focused on data science, artificial intelligence and society.
Johnson joins USD from Google, where she was most recently a senior user experience researcher. She holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Columbia University and earned her bachelor’s in computer science from USD in 2005. She has lectured at University of California, Berkeley and the University of San Diego, and has published in the areas of data privacy and security.
While the center is yet to be named, it will be led by USD’s Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, which houses the university’s computer science programs. One goal of the center will be to engage the entire campus around issues of big data and artificial intelligence, and their social implications — ethics, privacy and fairness.
The University of San Diego currently offers programs in business analytics, data science, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity engineering, as well as courses in digital humanities. Johnson will partner with colleagues across the entire university to help make data science and artificial intelligence a truly interdisciplinary collaboration for all students and faculty.
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Girl Scouts launch socially distanced cookie program
With our county in the purple risk level, San Diego’s young entrepreneurs are foregoing door-to-door and booth marketing this cookie season. Instead, they’re using both time-honored and innovative techniques in a socially distanced manner to provide a contactless cookie experience.
Customers have two new options to purchase Girl Scout Cookies this year, including a partnership that allows customers to order and pay for cookies through Grubhub’s websiteor app. “Girls are involved, gaining hands-on e-commerce experience by using Grubhub’s back-end technology to track orders and manage inventory,” said Carol M. Dedrich, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts San Diego.
Through the new E2B (Entrepreneur-to-Business) initiative, corporations, departments, book clubs, service clubs, and other groups welcome a Girl Scout to one of their virtual meetings. She delivers a five-minute marketing pitch and provides a secure and personalized “Digital Cookie” website where the group can order and pay for cookies, and arrange for contact-free delivery or donation to deployed U.S. military troops. Girls hone their presentations and develop valuable skills such as goal setting, decision making, money management, and business ethics. To schedule a presentation, email cookies@sdgirlscouts.org with “E2B” in the subject line.
Girl Scout are also using classic marketing techniques, leaving flyers, door hangers and business cards outside homes. And they are putting their tech badge skills to good use with digital marketing, ordering, and payment acceptance through the Digital Cookie website and app. Customers may opt for direct delivery by FedEx or USPS; in some cases, girls will provide contactless delivery.
All net proceeds stay in San Diego to fund local programs, activities, and the financial assistance that helps all girls participate. Troops fund activities like field trips, summer camps, membership dues, and service projects with cookie money.
Many San Diegans opt to donate cookies through Operation Thin Mint, a 20-year-old program that sends “a taste of home and a note to show we care” to deployed U.S. service members and local veterans.
Cookie fans who know a Girl Scout may ask her about her Digital Cookie site. Others seeking cookies may visit sdgirlscouts.org/cookies.
Fran Federman joins IQHQ Inc. as chief financial officer
IQHQ Inc., a life sciences real estate development company, announced that Fran Federman will join the company as chief financial officer. Federman brings 20 years of experience in real estate investment and capital markets, which will help drive financial strategy and future growth at IQHQ.
Federman comes to IQHQ from Ventas Inc., an S&P 500 REIT focused on life science, university-based research and innovation centers, medical office buildings, senior housing, and other health care properties. At Ventas, Federman served as managing director of the company’s Life Science and Healthcare Real Estate Fund since 2020 and as vice president for Treasury and Capital Markets since 2015.
USS Gabrielle Giffords returns to Naval Base San Diego
Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords returned to its homeport of Naval Base San Diego on Sunday following a 17-month rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet and U.S. 4th Fleet areas of operation.
“I am incredibly proud of the Gabrielle Giffords team and all they have accomplished,” said Cmdr. Rion Martin, the commanding officer of Gabrielle Giffords. “From Executive Officer to Culinary Specialist Seaman Norfleet, we have all led and followed one another.”
For more information on Gabrielle Giffords, visit https://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/lcs10/Pages/default.aspx.
New law enforcement courses train officers on
community policing and organizational wellness
National University has received two grants totaling $700,000 from the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training to develop courses that will train law enforcement personnel on the importance of community policing and organizational wellness.
Faculty experts at National University in collaboration with law enforcement and The Institute for Violence, Abuse, and Trauma developed the course curriculum.
Shelley Zimmerman, a chancellor appointee at National University and former San Diego police chief, endorsed the programs. “This past year has been an undeniably challenging time in the history of policing across our country, but with every challenge comes an opportunity,” said Zimmerman.
Zimmerman, a decorated law enforcement executive of 35 years and pioneer in police management as the first female chief in the San Diego Police Departments history, joined National University following her tenure with the department. She teaches and guest lectures on a variety of public safety and leadership topics.
Dalrada Health finalizes acquisition
of International Health Group In.
Dalrada Financial Corp. announced that Dalrada Health has finalized the company’s acquisition of International Health Group Inc. (IHG). A health care training and certification company that has graduated and placed nearly 7,000 students since 2006, Dalrada Health’s IHG trains, certifies, and staffs nurses and medical assistants within the overwhelmed health care system. Dalrada projects $1 million in annual revenues within the next 12 months.
Based in San Diego, Dalrada Health’s IHG nursing school is aligning with a hospital system to aid the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations in an expanded area of San Diego and Southern California. Recent news reports from the San Diego region have called on the community’s trained health care professionals to increase the administration of vaccines.
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San Diego Continuing Education adds
‘College’ to its name: San Diego
College of Continuing Education
The largest adult noncredit educational institution of its kind in the nation, San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE), has added the word college to its name. The new name, San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE), better reflects the organization’s status and mission to transition adult students to credit college and careers.
SDCCE is the adult education division of the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) and serves 40,000 students annually at seven campuses in San Diego spanning from the Miramar community in the north to Barrio Logan in the south. The institution has been serving adult students in San Diego since 1914.
The legacy of the organization’s first century of teaching is deeply rooted in serving immigrant populations with basic skills such as learning English and also serving unemployed populations by preparing adults for the workforce.
Adding the word college to the name provides a foundation for SDCCE’s second century of serving adults, with a continued focus on helping students transition to college and careers.
The decision to change the name was years in the making and required a thorough process that started with insight from faculty and classified professionals who have been serving students for decades. During the organization’s last accreditation review cycle in 2017, the visiting committee interviewed faculty, classified professionals, and administrators who work at the institution and reported that a name change should be considered so people have a better understanding of the organization’s mission.
