Daily Business Report: March 14, 2024
AnaBios signs lease for 20,000 square feet
in Genesis-San Diego
life sciences building Downtown
Life sciences firm AnaBios has signed a lease for 20,000 square feet in Genesis-San Diego, the eight-story life sciences building on Ivy Street in Downtown San Diego. AnaBios provides high quality human tissue and cells, including heart, lung and dorsal root ganglia, for drug discovery & academic research.
The new lease brings the life sciences building to 50 percent leased. Other tenants are Novoron Bioscience, Excellos, and Native Microbials.
AnaBios will use the space to continue offering their clients cutting-edge drug discovery and research translational services based on of high-quality human tissue and cells.
“We believe that being located in Downtown San Diego near other life science firms, the Convention Center and the airport will provide a key catalyst for our growth,” said Andre Ghetti, founder and CEO at AnaBios. The building is at 1155 Island Ave.
Phase 3 Real Estate Partners Inc. is the landlord of the building. It completed the Genesis-San Diego life sciences conversion in mid-2022.
JLL’s Chad Urie, Grant Schoneman and Taylor DeBerry represented the landlord in the lease. AnaBios was represented by Jon Engle and John Hundley of Newmark.
Top photo: Genesis-San Diego building at 1155 Island Ave. in Downtown San Diego
______________________________________
Large California companies will soon face
new rules on how they use artificial intelligence
By Khari Johnson | CalMatters
Rules around businesses using artificial intelligence have begun to come into focus for the first time. The California Privacy Protection Agency board on Friday voted 3-2 to advance rules about how businesses use artificial intelligence and collect the personal information of consumers, workers, and students. The vote, which took place in Oakland, continues a process that started in November 2021.
The proposed rules seek to create guidelines for the many areas in which AI and personal data can influence the lives of Californians: job compensation, demotion, and opportunity; housing, insurance, health care, and student expulsion. For example, under the rules, if an employer wanted to use AI to make predictions about a person’s emotional state or personality during a job interview, a job candidate could opt out without fear of discrimination for choosing to do so.
Under the rules advanced on Friday, businesses must notify people before using AI.
______________________________________
Rebecca F. Zipp appointed a judge in the San Diego County Superior Court
Rebecca F. Zipp of San Diego has been appointed to serve as a judge in the San Diego County Superior Court by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Zipp has been Of Counsel at Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek since 2023.
She served as a chief deputy city attorney at the San Diego City Attorney’s Office from 2019 to 2023.
Zipp served as a deputy district attorney at the San Diego District Attorney’s Office from 2008 to 2019. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the New York University School of Law and a Master of Science degree in Education from Mercy University. Zipp fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice Jose Castillo to the Court of Appeal. She is a Democrat.
______________________________________
San Diego Community College District gets
federal funds to finance critical upgrades
The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) has secured federal funding totaling nearly $2.5 million to finance critical improvements at the San Diego Miramar College public safety training center, new centers supporting student-parents at the San Diego City, Mesa and Continuing Education campuses, and renovation of the restrooms at San Diego College of Continuing Education’s historic Educational Cultural Complex.
Funding was secured through the offices of congressmembers Sara Jacobs and Juan Vargas.
The largest appropriation, $1,466,279, is earmarked for building family-friendly study centers aimed at supporting student-parents in reaching their educational goals and further contributing to the San Diego economy. Approximately $500,000 will be spent renovating Miramar College’s School of Public Safety and its Police Academy.
______________________________________
Chris Rodriguez selected as the new
superintendent of Cabrillo National Monument
The National Park Service has selected Chris Rodriguez as superintendent of Cabrillo National Monument. He will begin his new role April 21. Rodriguez has been in various park leadership roles for 16 years.
He currently serves as the chief of facilities and administration for four NPS sites in the Oakland area: Eugene O’Neil National Historic Site, John Muir National Historic Site, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, and Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park.
In this role, he works collaboratively with his team to manage the parks’ facilities and administration division functions. He also has direct involvement in interpretation, education, natural and cultural resources, and planning of the four sites, each of which tells a distinct story.
Rodriguez began his National Park Service career as a trail worker at Pinnacles National Park in 1998.
______________________________________
Petco announces CEO transition
Petco Health and Wellness Company Inc. announced the company’s board of directors has appointed R. Michael (Mike) Mohan to serve as interim CEO. Ron Coughlin has stepped down as Petco’s CEO, chairman, and member of the board of directors. He will serve as an adviser to the board to support the leadership transition. The board is conducting a comprehensive search for a permanent CEO with the support of a leading global executive search firm.
Tara Beckman named president and CEO of San Diego Center for Children
San Diego Center for Children has appointed Tara Beckman as president and chief executive officer and Michael Nelson as chief administrative officer – a brand new position for the center. As the first female CEO, Beckman brings several years of professional experience and progressive leadership to this role, as well as the personal passion and dedication necessary to lead the county’s oldest children’s nonprofit. Beckman replaces Moisés Barón, who served as president and CEO for nine years before announcing his retirement.
Applications open for fifth annual Solar Games in 2025
Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America, the industry’s flagship solar + storage event, is now accepting applications for the fifth annual Solar Games competition to be held Feb. 25-27, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center. During the Solar Games, teams are tasked with building residential solar + storage systems live in a stadium setting within the exhibit hall. Application form
Sovrn signal delivers 10 percent revenue uplift
Sovrn, a publisher technology platform headquartered in Colorado with an office in San Diego, announced that Sovrn’s Signal product has proven to deliver a 10 percent revenue uplift. Over a 90-day period starting in December 2023 across 8 billion auctions, with publishers representing 190 domains, testing proved that Signal delivered an unmatched ability to create higher yields, increased CPMs, and greater programmatic revenue across multiple SSPs.
Workiz launches Workiz Genius
Workiz, the management platform for field service teams, is announcing the launch of Workiz Genius, a revolutionary AI-powered toolkit of powerful capabilities designed to upend nearly every aspect of how field service professionals work. Workiz Genius adapts and learns, becoming a personalized smart assistant for users, providing valuable suggestions and insights, allowing service professionals to focus on what they do best.
Wildcat Discovery Technologies adds to its leadership team
Battery materials pioneer Wildcat Discovery Technologies announced two renowned chemical materials production leaders to advance the scale-up and operations of the company’s new manufacturing capability. Jack Leunig joins as chief operating officer, and Larry Beck has been retained as a senior adviser. Wildcat was named one of the “50 Most Innovative Companies” by Technology Review magazine.
Ambow Education to host open house at NewSchool of Architecture & Design
Ambow Education Holding Ltd., an AI-driven educational technology company, announced that it will host an open house at NewSchool of Architecture & Design Campus to showcase the company’s innovative HybriU AI education technology and solutions. The event will be held on April 14-16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 705 Park Blvd in San Diego.
Surglog announces strategic collaboration with AAAHC
Surglogs, a leading regulatory and accreditation platform for health care facilities, has announced a strategic collaboration with the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). This collaboration enables Surglogs users to access AAAHC accreditation standards through the digital platform, facilitating real-time monitoring of compliance with AAAHC standards.
Todd Dickinson joins Armonica Technologies Board of Directors
Armonica Technologies Inc., a pioneer in sample-prep free direct optical DNA sequencing, announced the appointment of life science leader Todd Dickinson to the board of directors. Dickinson, an experienced leader in life sciences technology, holds dual degrees in chemistry and theology from St. Olaf College, and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Tufts University under Professor David Walt’s mentorship.
Daasity acquires Red Fox Analytics
Daasity, a data and analytics platform built for omnichannel consumer brands, announced the acquisition of Red Fox Analytics, a leader in data analytics for retail-focused consumer packaged goods brands. The combined digital and retail data analytics platform is the first to enable merchants to view and gather insights from all sales, distribution and marketing data across all channels. Red Fox Analytics founder and CEO Chris Mauzé will remain with Daasity as chief product officer.
