Daily Business Report: Friday, Oct. 7, 2022

Middle class tax refunds to start

hitting Californians’ bank accounts 

Starting today, $9.5 billion in Middle Class Tax Refund payments will begin going out to Californians, with refunds of up to $1,050 that will benefit millions of eligible Californians under the largest such program in state history.

This unprecedented refund program to get money back in the pockets of Californians builds upon last year’s Golden State Stimulus, which distributed $9 billion to California families, and the billions that went to help folks pay their rent, cover overdue utility bills and support small businesses.

“We know it’s expensive right now, and California is putting money back into your pockets to help. We’re sending out refunds worth over a thousand dollars to help families pay for everything from groceries to gas,” said Gov. GavinNewsom.

Visit taxrefund.ca.gov to estimate your payment

Payments will range from $400 to $1,050 for couples filing jointly and $200 to $700 for all other individuals depending on their income and whether they claimed a dependent. Refunds are available for ITIN filers, in addition to those who file tax returns with a SSN.

A total of 18 million payments will be distributed, benefitting up to 23 million Californians. An estimated 8 million direct deposits will start arriving in bank accounts from Oct. 7 through Nov. 14, and an estimated 10 million debit cards will be delivered from Oct. 25 through Jan. 15. To determine your eligibility, visit taxrefund.ca.gov.

Top Photo Credit: Canstock Photo

San Diego International Airport achieves

highest rating for carbon reduction efforts

San Diego International Airport has achieved the highest level of certification under the Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program – Level 4+ Transition. The airport achieved this certification through a series of programs that have increased the use of carbon-free electricity and all-electric vehicles, facilitated carbon-emission reductions by airline and rideshare partners, and enabled carbon-offset purchases by our passengers, among other efforts. .  

The San Diego airport  is one of only three North American airports to achieve Level 4+ Transition certification and the only airport in California to reach the milestone. To achieve Level 4+, the airport has demonstrated that it continues to reduce carbon emissions under its direct control (i.e. emissions from building energy use and fleet vehicles), is on a trajectory to meet international Net Zero emission targets 

San Diego State University

named ‘Diversity Champion,’

receives National Diversity Award

San Diego State University has been named a “Diversity Champion” for its commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout the campus community, academic programs and administration. INSIGHT Into Diversity, a leading website and magazine in higher education, also selected SDSU for its HEED (Higher Education Excellence in Diversity) Award for a sixth time. SDSU was among 16 colleges and universities to receive the 2022 Diversity Champion designation. 

INSIGHT Into Diversity said its Diversity Champions “are institutions that set the standard for thousands of other campus communities striving for diversity and inclusion,” with successful strategies and programs serving “as models of excellence.”

SDSU was the only university in California to receive both the Champions and the HEED awards, based on factors that include student, faculty and leadership demographics; success in closing retention and graduation equity gaps; and diversity resources and programming.

San Diego Foundation awards record 

$150.8 million in grants in 2022 fiscal year

San Diego Foundation said it awarded a record-breaking $150.8 million in grants during the 2022 fiscal year to nonprofit organizations that largely reflect the SDF vision and mission.

San Diego Foundation awarded 7,848 grants to 2,316 nonprofit organizations, with the majority going to organizations in San Diego County. More than $47 million was granted to education-related organizations, which includes college scholarships. In 2022, San Diego Foundation awarded 983 local students with a historic $3.5 million in scholarships. 

Additionally, more than $35 million was awarded to health and human services nonprofits, such as those that provide food and housing assistance. This past year, SDF provided more than 30 families with grants as part of the San Diego Black Homebuyers Program that was funded through the SDF Black Community Investment Fund. The San Diego Black Homebuyers Program launched in August 2021 in partnership with Urban League of San Diego County and LISC San Diego. 

Cohen Veterans Network opens new clinic in Oceanside

To meet the increasing mental health needs for post-9/11veterans, active duty service members and military families throughout the nation, Cohen Veterans Network opened a new clinic in Oceanside at 3609 Ocean Ranch Blvd., Suite 120. This is the second Cohen Clinic in the state; a San Diego clinic opened in 2019. An additional clinic is slated for Los Angeles later this year.

This effort is another step toward CVN meeting the $275 million commitment set forth by financier/philanthropist Steven A. Cohen to help reduce veteran suicide and increase care for active duty service members and military families throughout the country. The close proximity to Camp Pendleton was a key factor in establishing the new clinic.

 More than 33,000 post-9/11 veterans, nearly 40,000 active duty service members, and more than 31,000 military family members will be eligible for care at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic in Oceanside. 

BBB awards Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship winners

Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest and The Cahalin Foundation has awarded five scholarships to high school students for their winning essays on “The Importance of Character and Ethics.” Held annually, the contest encourages students to write an essay about doing the right thing when they are faced with an ethical dilemma.

 2022 Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship Winners:

• First Place of $1,500: Robert Rodriguez of Patrick Henry High School

• Second Place of $1,250: Eva Crickard of Del Norte High School

• Third Place of $1,000: Joanna Lopez of Eastlake High School

• Fourth Place of $750: Anna Kim of Poway High School

• Fifth Place of $500: Melanie Livingstone of Scripps Ranch High School

Evofem Biosciences’s contraceptive 

vaginal gel approved for use in Nigeria

Evofem Biosciences Inc. announced that its hormone-free contraceptive vaginal gel has been approved by the Nigerian Regulatory Agency NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control). This marks the San Diego company’s first approval outside the United States. Regulatory dossiers have also been submitted in Ghana, Ethiopia and Mexico. The product will be potentially marketed under the brand name Femidence.   

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh largest country in the world, with 45 million women of reproductive age. With nearly half of the population under the age of 18 years, a record number of young people will enter reproductive age in the next decade.

Juno Diagnostics appoints Todd Whitson as executive vice president

Juno Diagnostics, a company focused on bringing vital health information to patients by improving access, affordability and transparency, announced the appointment of Todd Whitson as executive vice president, global business development and commercial operations. Whitson is a well-recognized veteran in the genetics and molecular diagnostics fields who brings more than two decades of health care experience to JunoDx.

Prior to joining JunoDx, Whitson served as chief ommercial and strategy officer of NephroSant, where he was responsible for gaining Medicare reimbursement and launching QSant, a urine-based test for kidney transplant rejection monitoring.

Kneron closes B round at $48 million

Leading full-stack edge AI company Kneron announced new series B funding of $48 million led by Horizons Ventures. New investors joining the round include LITEON, a world-leading provider of opto-electronics and power solutions; ADATA, a leading memory compute provider; as well as the family office of a major Taiwanese financial institution which, as a business group, operates subsidiaries that range from real estate development to telecommunications. Through the current round, Kneron’s previous series A2 investor Foxconn also increased their investment amount.

San Diego Center for Children receives $1 million grant

Rest Haven Children’s Health Fund has awarded its largest grant ever to San Diego Center for Children. The $1million grant will be used for expanding access to mental and behavioral health care services for San Diego’s underserved children. This grant is the largest private grant received by the center to date, and ushers in a new model of how to reach children in need of these services.

Sempra pledges up to $100,000 to Hurricane Ian relief

Sempra announced a contribution of up to $100,000 to the American Red Cross to assist relief efforts and communities recovering from devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. A $50,000 contribution will help provide critical services, emergency shelter and supplies in the areas impacted by the storm. The company will also match up to $50,000 from employees’ personal contributions.

Ezoic earns coveted 2022 Tech Cares Award

San Diego County-base Ezoic, the AI-driven technology platform for digital publishers, has received a 2022 Tech Cares Award. This annual award from TrustRadius celebrates companies that have gone above and beyond to provide impactful corporate social responsibility programs for their employees and communities.

“Ezoic has earned a 2022 Tech Cares Award for demonstrating a strong commitment 

to corporate social responsibility,” said Megan Headley, VP of research at TrustRadius. “Ezoic embodies several aspects of CSR such as serving over 3,000,000,000 charity ads, offering unlimited paid volunteer time, and efforts in finding and establishing Tech Zero, which is a group for tech companies committed to Net Zero climate action.”

Clearspeed announces $27 million series C funding

Clearspeed, a leading provider of voice analytics technology to assess security and fraud risk, announced a $27 million Series C financing, bringing the company’s total funds raised to $50 million. The funding round was led by investors Ian McKinnon, founder of Sandia Holdings, LLC, and Thomas O’Malley Jr., founder of PilotRock Investments, and supported by King Philanthropies, the philanthropic endeavor of Robert and Dorothy King. The Series C funding will support rapid commercial expansion and delivery of a world-class customer experience and continue to drive an innovative technology roadmap to serve the security and financial services markets.

Revelation Biosciences and Vanderbilt University

enter exclusive worldwide license agreement

Revelation Biosciences Inc., a San Diego life sciences company that is focused on the development of immunologic-based therapies for the prevention and treatment of disease, announced an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Vanderbilt University to develop and commercialize phosphorylated hexaacyl disaccharide (PHAD), for treating or preventing infections. The license covers potential applications such as prevention or reduction of acquired infections including those resulting from surgery, severe burns, and antibiotic resistance. According to the most recent data published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 687,000 cases of acquired infection in acute care settings resulted in approximately 72,000 deaths.