Daily Business Report: Aug. 24, 2023
USDA awards grant to revive San Diego
Fisherman’s Marketing Association
Plans are underway to revive the San Diego Fisherman’s Marketing Association – a nonprofit that has been inactive since 2013 – thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service as part of its Local Food Promotion Program.
The San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group (SDFWG) and the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC) drive this effort, alongside a network of partners.
The group seeks to strengthen and shorten the region’s supply chain to increase local fish purchasing, grow the percentage of profits captured by local fishermen and raise the profile of the local fishing community for years to come.
“San Diego has a long and rich history as a commercial fishing hub. However, like in many coastal areas, these local providers have been forced to compete in global supply chains that value efficiency and low cost over quality and sustainability,” said Pete Halmay, director and founder of the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. “This grant will help us create the support structure needed to unite the fishing community around a shared vision and marketing strategy, setting it up as a critical component of the San Diego food economy for decades.”
With the grant, SDFWG and PIC will revive the defunct Fishermen’s Marketing Association as a means for delivering local shared marketing and launch a robust outreach and engagement effort to consumers, restaurants and retailers.
USD-based artists commissioned to build art for Burning Man
By Kevin Dobyns |USD
Unfolding Humanity is a sculpture undertaken by the Art Builds Collective at University of San Diego, and it has been commissioned as an honoraria project for this year’s Burning Man. Originally exhibited in 2018, this interactive sculpture has undergone a complete makeover, and its revival promises to captivate hearts and minds once more.
That’s undoubtedly why Art Builds exists in the first place. Launched several years ago by University of San Diego professors Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick in the Kroc School of Peace Studies, Gordon Hoople from Integrated Engineering in the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, Diane Hoffoss in Mathematics, and Nate Parde from Theatre Studies, the effort is supported with hundreds of volunteer hours every year and is now a registered non-profit organization.
“We’re keenly motivated,” says Choi-Fitzpatrick, “by the idea that art can be collective action, and that it can bring us together around shared projects for the public good.”
USS Augusta to home port in San Diego after Sept. 30 commissioning
The future Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Augusta (LCS 34) will join the active fleet with a commissioning ceremony at Eastport, Maine on Sept. 30. Following the commissioning, USS Augusta will transit to its homeport of San Diego.
The selection of Augusta as the ship’s namesake, the easternmost state capital in the U.S., recognizes the value of Maine’s maritime history and landscape. The state’s rugged Atlantic coast is home to fishermen, lobstermen, and a thriving maritime industry that is testament to Maine’s enduring contributions to the nation.
San Diego receives $25 million in state funding for 17 project
The City of San Diego has secured $25 million in state budget fundint for several community projects. Funded projects include $5.6 million for expansion of exhibit space at the Fleet Science Center, $3.5 million for improved lighting for sports field at Memorial Community Park in Logan Heights, $2.2 million for creation of a new San Diego Regional Gun Violence Response Task Force.
A total of 17 projects were funded. For a complete list of projects, click here.
County encouraging residents to weigh in on regional priorities on aging
The County of San Diego is asking residents ages 55 and older to share their thoughts in a comprehensive needs assessment survey.
The state survey will be used to inform future local program development or maintenance. This survey was first sent out to randomly selected residents in July and is now available to the general public. The survey will close Aug. 28.
Those 55 and older can fill out the survey online.
The state and the County’s Aging & Independent Services will use the information collected to better understand the challenges and unmet needs of the region’s aging community.
Mingei International Museum appoints new curator and assistant curator
Mingei International Museum announced the appointment of Guusje Sanders as as the new curator and Ariana Torres as the new assistant curator.
Originally from the Netherlands, Guusje Sanders has been based in the United States since 2006. Before joining Mingei, Sanders served as associate curator at The Institute of Contemporary Art in San Diego (formerly Lux Art Institute), where she managed the exhibitions department.
Ariana Torres previously served as the registrar at the Museum of Photographic Arts where she effectively managed the museum’s collections, organized shipping logistics for exhibition loans and oversaw the care of its permanent collections. Before joining Mingei full-time, Torres served as the curatorial assistant.
Minimum wage increases to $16 per hour in California
Starting Jan. 1, 2024, California’s minimum wage will rise from $15.50 to $16 per hour, certified by the Department of Finance. Following state law, when the wage hits $15 per hour, the director calculates an annual increase using a 3.5 percent rise or the Consumer Price Index change. This change also affects the minimum salary for exempt employees, rising to $66,560 annually. Local minimum wage rates differ in some cities and counties. An upcoming ballot measure could further accelerate increases if passed.
Keep it Local Business Fund gives small business grants
The Keep it Local Business Fund offers a one-time $5,000 grant to support small businesses. Grant recipients receive public recognition, participate in events, and gain access to Next Door’s ad credits and training resources.
Applicants must provide a clear and feasible plan for fund usage and growth, demonstrate commitment to their community, and meet specific eligibility criteria, including being majority-owned by a person of color and having less than $1 million in 2021 revenue. The program is a partnership with the NAACP and Hello Alice. Apply here.
Army combat veteran Dawn Halfaker named
to Drexel Hamilton’s Board of Advisors
Drexel Hamilton, the sole investment bank that is 100 percent veteran-owned and operated, announced the appointment of San Diego native Dawn Halfaker, Army combat veteran, Purple Heart recipient and one of the most successful entrepreneurs of the post-9/11 generation, to its Board of Advisors.
In 2006, Halfake founded Halfaker and Associates, a global technology firm focused on end-to-end digital solutions for government organizations.
As president and CEO, she led Halfaker and Associates to rapid growth within the federal sector. The firm was acquired by SAIC in 202
SDG&E supports teachers with matching funds for STEM projects
With a new school year under way, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is providing $250,000 in shareholder funds as matching dollars to help teachers supplement classroom education with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects. This is the sixth year that SDG&E is partnering with DonorsChoose, an education nonprofit that empowers public school educators to post funding requests for their projects online and crowdfund donations for them.
Regulus Therapeutics to host virtual investor event
Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs, announced that it will host a virtual investor event on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, focused on its lead program, a novel therapy in clinical development for the treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. The webcast is scheduled from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. ET, and will include a live Q&A after the presentations.
Medical Solutions makes 2023 Ink. 5,000 list of fastest-growing companies
Medical Solutions, which maintains an office in San Diego, has been ranked among the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the United States, according to Inc. magazine. Medical Solutions ranked No. 1,235 on the list, up 376 spots from last year, with 477 percent growth over a three-year period. This marks the 16th year that the Omaha-based company has earned a spot on the list. It is the highest Medical Solutions has been ranked on this list since 2009.
Brandon Lenssen joins Quick Custom Intelligence
Brandon Lenssen, a 27-year veteran of the casino industry, has joined Quick Custom Intelligence as vice president and general manager. Lenssen was most recently the vice president and general manager for the three Bally’s Black Hawk Casinos. He spent five years developing and implementing data-driven approaches to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of his team while improving the guest experience in a highly competitive market where 20 casinos operate within a two-mile radius.
Concert Health joins athenahealth’s Marketplace program
Concert Health, a leading behavioral health medical group, announced an agreement with athenahealth Inc. through the company’s Marketplace program. As part of the athenahealth Marketplace, this newly integrated application is now available to athenahealth’s growing network of health care providers, allowing them to provide patients with same-day access to critical treatment for behavioral health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Wrike delivered 396 percent return on investment
Wrike, a powerful work management platform, announced the findings of a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Wrike. The study revealed a three-year net present value and return on investment figure that demonstrated the potential financial impact Wrike had on customers with a payback period within the first six months of use. Over three years, a composite organization using Wrike discovered a return on investment of 396 percent, representing a net present value of $9.78 million.
Andrew S. Chi joins Alterome Therapeutics Inc.
Alterome Therapeutics Inc. a next-generation precision oncology company pioneering the development of therapies for the treatment of cancer, announced the appointment of Andrew S. Chi, M.D., as chief medical officer. Chi has more than two decades of experience in oncology research and drug development. He previously served as vice president of clinical development at Bright Peak Therapeutics. Before that, he was executive medical director at Mirati Therapeutics.
IntelliGuard appoints Robert Howard and Thomas Koning to leadership posts
IntelliGuard, provider of medication and inventory management solutions, announced the appointments of Robert Howard as chief executive officer and Thomas Koning as president.
The expansion of IntelliGuard’s executive team is part of the company’s mission to better serve the health care industry by enabling more efficient and effective systems to track, trace, and manage medications and critical inventory. Howard and Koning step into the leadership roles as Gordon Krass retires after serving as president since 2017.
Rapport Therapeutics raises $150 million in Series B funding
Rapport Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging the science of receptor-associated proteins to advance precision neuromedicines, announced that it has raised $150 million in Series B funding. Led by Cormorant Asset Management, the round includes investments from Fidelity Management & Research Company, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Logos Capital, Perceptive Advisors, Sofinnova Investments, and Surveyor Capital.
The Original 40 Brewing Company to release new brews
The Original 40 Brewing Company will release Small Worlds West Coast IPA and Way Up West Coast Cold IPA on Friday. Both beers will be available on draft and in four packs of 16-oz cans at the North Park brewpub. Head Brewer Zack Kaplan made the announcement.
Small Worlds is double hopped with El Dorado, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops. It has a 7.0 percent alcohol-by-volume and tasting notes of peach and stone fruit. Way Up, which was fermented with lager yeast at a higher temperature, has a 6.6 percent ABV and aromas of pine and citrus.