Daily Business Report: February 29, 2024
NASA awards grant to UC San Diego to engage
students in quiet supersonic community oversight
UC San Diego is one of five universities receiving grants from NASA to help develop education plans for the community overflight phase of the agency’s Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate the possibility of supersonic flight without the typical loud sonic booms.
The new grants, from NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, will provide each university team with $40,000 to develop science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) engagement strategic implementation plans for those Quesst community overflights. The awards will focus on plans for engaging with students and educators in the communities that NASA will eventually select for overflights. This will help ensure communities are accurately informed about this phase of Quesst and what involvement in the mission will look like for their community.
UC San Diego’s project: California Space Grant Planning Support for the Quesst Community Overflight STEM Engagement.
For more information about Quesst, click here.
Top Photo: NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is dramatically lit for a “glamour shot,” captured before its Jan. 12, 2024, rollout at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale where the airplane was constructed.
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City College grad earns 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award
Former San Diego City College student Katya Echazarreta, who went on to work as an electrical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and later became the first Mexican-born woman in space, has been honored as one of just three people selected by the American Association of Community Colleges as a recipient of its 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award.
The honor is the latest for the City College alumna whose accomplishments include earning the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship that enabled her to attend and graduate from UCLA and securing a master’s degree in electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Echazarreta currently serves as president at Fundación Espacial Katya Echazarreta, a nonprofit she founded to encourage and prepare young people, women and children, as well as scientists and engineers in Mexico, to develop the knowledge and skills for carrying out advanced studies in the cosmos.
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Four San Diego-based cleantech startups to pitch
at National Renewable Energy Labs Growth Forum
Four local energy startups engaged in Cleantech San Diego’s Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN) are among finalists in a national cleantech competition. They were selected for their potential to break new ground in the national and global transformation to a clean energy future.
The startups are GridWrap, SiLi-ion, TYFAST, and Looq AI. The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced them as among a list of 40 presenters for the 2024 NREL Industry Growth Forum being held May 1-3 in Denver, Colo.
Yen Tu appointed to San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board
Yen Tu, of San Diego, has been appointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Tu has been president of Yen Tu Consulting since 2000. She was community relations manager for Viejas Enterprises from 2005 to 2009, and was executive director of the San Diego Asian Business Association from 1998 to 2005.
Tu is a member of the San Diego Diplomacy Council and the California Board of Accountancy. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese Studies from the University of California, San Diego. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Tu is a Democrat.
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California gives new moms extra Medi-Cal
benefits, but can’t say who’s using them
CalMatters
California offers extensive pregnancy benefits to low-income mothers, but the state’s top health agencies have no way of knowing how many people are getting help or whether the program improves the health of moms and babies, a new report from the California State Auditor asserts. The audit’s findings come at a time when California is grappling with increasing rates of maternal mortality, persistent disparities for Black women and growing maternity care deserts. In 2020, the state reported the highest rate of maternal mortality in a decade, and Black women were three to four times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than others.
Despite statewide efforts to reverse those trends in recent years, the departments of Health Care Services and Public Health fail to monitor one of the longest-standing pregnancy programs for moms and babies, the audit found. The departments have not made any significant improvements to the program since its establishment in 1984, the audit said.
Carrier Johnson + Culture opening new location in Atlanta
Architecture, Interiors, Landscape, and Planning firm Carrier Johnson + Culture (CJ+C) is celebrating the official opening of its newest location in Atlanta this March. CJ+C has been rapidly growing from its San Diego roots, first expanding to Los Angeles, then to Seattle, bolstering its presence in the Pacific Northwest. Their Atlanta office opening marks their expansion to the East Coast and is the next major move in their nationwide growth.
Blenders Eyewear teams with SDSU basketball student-athletes
Blenders Eyewear, a leading eyewear brand, part of Safilo Group announced its March Radness campaign in collaboration with the MESA Foundation, San Diego State University Athletics (SDSU) 1st NIL Partner dedicated to supporting the men’s and women’s basketball program. As part of the celebrations, Blenders Eyewear will launch a new sunglasses style in which 100 percenr of the proceeds will support the San Diego State Basketball Student-Athletes.
Looq AI launches AI-enabled digital twin platform
Looq AI announced the launch of its groundbreaking AI-enabled digital twin technology, the Looq platform, a one-stop solution for surveyors, engineers, contractors, and asset owners to digitally map the physical world infrastructure in minutes, with survey-grade accuracy, enabling them to build and uphold a safer, more sustainable, and electrified future. The Looq platform now enables the frequent, and large-scale digitization of critical infrastructure for true asset intelligence.
Bespoke Partners initiates coverage of AI/ML sector
Bespoke Partners, a large executive search firm, announced it is initiating coverage of the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning sector. The move will provide clients with talent market insight and curated access to leaders who can scale AI firms or drive adoption of AI technologies in other software and SaaS companies. Bespoke has placed 54 senior executives with AI expertise, including leaders in AI technology companies as well as executives who are implementing AI in other SaaS and software companies.
Seismic extends AI leadership with Winter 2024 Product Release
Seismic, a global leader in enablement, announced its Winter 2024 Product Release with advancements in generative AI, Seismic for Meetings, and Digital Sales Rooms. In an increasingly competitive market, connecting with buyers quickly, efficiently and with a personalized touch is crucial for go-to-market success. Seismic’s new product enhancements empower reps to provide a better customer experience from the onset of a deal through to signature. Read more
Nextivity SHIELD MegaFi now available to enterprise customers
Nextivity, an industry leader in intelligent cellular coverage solutions, announced that SHIELD MegaFi, the next generation of High Power User Equipment (HPUE), is now available to organizations beyond the first responder community. A cloud-supported and SD-WAN-capable mobile Wi-Fi router, SHIELD MegaFi is 6x more powerful than standard routers, strengthening connectivity at the network edge. The system is the first AT&T MegaRange solution.
K2 Insurance Services appoints Richard Coello CEO of K2 International
K2 Insurance Services, a leading independent specialty insurance program manager, announced the appointment of Richard Coello as CEO of K2 Group Holdings Limited, taking effect on March 1. Coello has a successful track record of building underwriting businesses having established K2 Financial from startup to a $65 million premium business over the last decade and more recently adding additional products to the Fintech and US direct markets.
Molly He honored as a CNBC Changemaker
Element Biosciences Inc., developer of pioneering technologies to empower science, announced that Element CEO and Co-founder Molly He was named to the inaugural CNBC Changemakers list of trailblazing female leaders. As a first-generation Asian female leader, Molly was honored by CNBC for spearheading a remarkable undertaking to democratize sequencing and biological tools globally. Her team has grown to over 300 people and has sold over 160 instrument placements.
Viking Therapeutics announces public offering of common stock
Viking Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders, announced that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of $350 million of shares of its common stock. Viking also intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $52.5 million of shares of its common stock. All of the shares of common stock to be sold in the proposed offering are to be sold by Viking.
Powersys unveils newest version of SIMBA
After two years of intensive development, Powersys unveied the newest version of SIMBA, setting a new standard as the fastest power electronics simulation software available. Simba offers unparalleled capabilities for modeling, analysis, and optimization of power converters. Its advanced multicore architecture dramatically accelerates the design process for complex power electronic systems, from EV battery chargers to advanced electric drive systems.
