Daily Business Report: Wednesday, May 4, 2022
California preps to be a haven for abortion rights
‘When you don’t know where to go, you come here’
by Alexei Koseff | CalMatters
California abortion clinics are building new facilities closer to transit hubs and training more staff. A package of a dozen abortion rights bills moving through the Legislature could expand the number of providers, provide financial assistance to women traveling to California to terminate their pregnancies, and legally protect the doctors who treat them.
As new restrictions rapidly sweep the country in anticipation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this summer that may dramatically scale back or even end the constitutional right to abortion, California is preparing to step into the void — and welcome a possible surge of patients losing access in dozens of other states. That scenario seems more likely after Politico published a draft majority opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.
“People from across the country are already looking to California as a haven state, as a beacon to provide them the care they need,” Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said during a recent online program. “It is our moral imperative that we continue to provide the leadership that people are looking for.”
Planned Parenthood, which operates about half of the 165 abortion clinics in California, reports that it has treated at least 80 out-of-state patients per month on average since September, when Texas adopted a law allowing residents to seek civil damages against anyone who aids an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
TOP PHOTO: Planned Parenthood Dr. Jessica Hamilton inside a consultation room at the health center in Sacramento on Feb. 1, 2022. (Photo by Carlos Barria, Reuters)
Newsom, legislative leaders announce constitutional
amendment to enshrine right to choose in California
Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) and Governor Gavin Newsom released the below statement following news reports detailing a preliminary U.S. Supreme Court majority draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wadeand end federal constitutional protections for the right to abortion:
“California will not stand idly by as women across America are stripped of their rights and the progress so many have fought for gets erased. We will fight. California is proposing an amendment to enshrine the right to choose in our state constitution so that there is no doubt as to the right to abortion in this state. We know we can’t trust the Supreme Court to protect reproductive rights, so California will build a firewall around this right in our state constitution. Women will remain protected here.”
Water Authority awarded patent for pipeline inspection tool
The San Diego County Water Authority has been granted its first ever utility patent for a device that inspects interior sections of water pipelines that are inaccessible or not safe to inspect without expensive specialized gear and training.
Water Authority Operations and Maintenance Manager Martin Coghill invented the tool to save time, reduce costs and improve safety during ongoing aqueduct inspections. The Water Authority’s industry-leading Asset Management Program includes a proactive search for pipeline weaknesses that can be addressed before they become large and costly problems.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Patent #US011,293,581 on April 5, 2022, for the Water Authority’s pipeline inspection system, which comprises a body, cameras, support members and light sources to capture high-resolution images of pipeline walls.
The Water Authority applied for the patent on June 13, 2019, and spent nearly three years completing the complex process. The patent assigns the intellectual property rights to the Water Authority, allowing it to freely use the technology and share it with other water utilities that might also benefit from its use.
The complete patent is posted on the U.S Patent and Trademark Office website: https://bit.ly/3vGEk0I.
Amazon takes 123,000 square foot lease
at The Collection at UTC in La Jolla
Amazon has signed a lease for 123,000 square feet at The Collection at UTC in La Jolla, with plans to create more than 700 corporate and tech jobs over the coming years, according to an announcement by Seritage Growth Properties and Invesco Real Estate.
The Collection at UTC is a mixed-use project comprising approximately 13 acres and 212,000 square feet of Class A office, retail and restaurant space. Amazon will occupy the entire top two floors of The Collection, joining a diverse group of tenants that includes Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn Kids, Pacific Catch, CB2, Blue Bottle Coffee, Ideal Image, Madison Reed and more.
“Amazon’s commitment to The Collection is a testament to the quality of the asset and its exceptional location. We will continue to partner with the city of San Diego as we expand The Collection to create more spaces for the community, its residents and businesses to interact,” said Andrea Olshan, president and CEO.
Amazon announces plans to create 2,500
corporate and tech jobs with expansions
in San Diego, Santa Monica, and Irvine
Amazon announced plans to create more than 2,500 corporate and technology jobs over the coming years in multiple cities across California. The company will expand its Tech Hubs in San Diego and the Los Angeles area, including Irvine and Santa Monica, as it seeks to recruit local talent and continue inventing and innovating on behalf of its customers. These latest investments come after Amazon opened more than 15 sites across Southern California and created more than 17,000 jobs statewide in 2021 alone.
“Communities across California have welcomed Amazon over the past decade and have seen firsthand how our investments can unlock new opportunities for their neighbors and local economies. We’ve created more than 170,000 jobs across the state and are committed to continue investing here,” said Holly Sullivan, Amazon’s vice president of worldwide economic development. “These 2,500 new jobs include roles building cloud infrastructure, improving the Alexa experience, and designing cutting edge video games. They’re a fantastic opportunity for Californians of all backgrounds to join Amazon and build a successful career.”
Sunrise Management appoints Kelly Bauer
as director of technology and business systems
San Diego-based Sunrise Management – a multifamily industry leader which has specialized in the management of residential real estate since 1978 – has announced the appointment of Kelly Bauer as director of technology and business systems.
In his new position, Bauer is charged with managing and directing all of Sunrise’s technology and business systems – identifying and supporting the implementation of technology-based solutions to support Sunrise properties as well as corporate operations.
Additionally, he will oversee the successful onboarding and offboarding of properties while helping to orchestrate effective communication with and among internal and external customers and service providers.
Bauer was most recently manager of customer success for Innovare Social Innovation Partners, analyzing data, ideating data dashboards and developing strategic plans through the use of root cause analysis, driver diagrams and theory of action workshops.
A lifelong educator and administrative leader, he also founded Engage Educational Solutions – a company focused on designing curricula and hosting all technical aspects of online coursework – partnering with individuals, organizations and schools to leverage technology.
Encinitas company awarded $10,000 grant
to advance sea level rise monitoring
The Samuel Lawrence Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to an Encinitas company advancing new technology to gather data from the ocean and atmosphere. The company, HyperKelp Inc., designs solar-powered buoys that can be equipped with sensors that gather all manner of data from the ocean, the air, lagoons, harbors or any other body of water.
The foundation’s grant focuses on improving the tracking of “sea surface heights” — the elevation of the ocean once “noise” from the tides, waves, and atmospheric pressure is removed. Capturing real-time, in situ data from surface-level buoys tracks sea level rise far more reliably than modeling extrapolated from satellite readings or failure-prone underwater hardware, according to Graeme Rae, HyperKelp’s chief executive officer.
“Our systems are more efficient, reliable and can gather more accurate data,” Rae said.
A HyperKelp buoy can be outfitted with super-sensitive, GPS-based sensors that capture readings from the ocean’s surface.
San Diego brokerage elected partner by Assures Global,
world’s largest privately held industry brokerage group
C3 Risk & Insurance Services (C3), a San Diego-based specialty insurance brokerage, announced its membership in Assurex Global, the world’s largest privately held commercial insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage group, on March 15, 2022. While C3 will maintain its autonomy as a locally owned, privately held brokerage, membership in Assurex Global will help expand the firm’s influence, collective bargaining power, and access to industry resources traditionally reserved for the largest corporate brokerages.
C3 is only the third privately held firm from California to join the ranks of other best-in-class privately held brokerages comprising the Assurex Global partnership. Prior to being elected as partners, firms must meet vigorous selection standards to ensure clients know they’re working with the best when choosing an Assurex Global Partner.
“We’re thrilled to now be a part of Assurex Global in the company of so many other well-respected brokerages,” says Jamie Reid, chairman and chief executive officer, C3 Insurance. “C3 will gain so much from this partnership – in credibility, validation and strength in numbers with other brokerages – while simultaneously preserving our autonomy and the heart of our local brand that clients have come to know and love.”
Viridos awarded California Competes grant to bring
nearly $75 million investment to Imperial Valley
La Jolla-based Viridos, a privately held biotechnology company harnessing the power of photosynthesis to create transformative solutions to mitigate climate change, has been awarded the California Competes Grant by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). In total, the grant will allow Viridos to create more than 70 high-paying professional jobs and will bring nearly $75 million in investment to the Imperial Valley.
Viridos’ expanded project will bring the investment of high-quality jobs including scientists, engineers, and technicians to California’s Imperial Valley. In total, Viridos’ project will produce an investment of nearly $75 million including total wages, capital, and induced economic benefits. The expanded Imperial Valley site will further Viridos’ mission of continued innovation by producing lab-to-field results to reduce heavy-transportation carbon emissions and increase the use of algae-based biofuels.
Cal State San Marcos Senior Experience
program celebrates 10,000 students
Senior Experience at Cal State San Marcos has reached a milestone this semester, with 10,000 students having completed the signature program, the College of Business Administration announced. The nearly 30-year-old program was one of the first of its kind to match teams of undergraduate business students with for-profit and nonprofit organizations to complete real-world business projects.
A requirement for all CSUSM business students, Senior Experience has taught 10,000 graduates how to apply classroom knowledge to solve unique business challenges facing real organizations. The 2,300 projects completed by students over three decades have resulted in countless new business ideas, student startups and job offers.
The college will celebrate the milestone on May 19 at Kellogg Plaza on campus during its first Senior Experience Trade Show since 2019. The two-part event will begin with a business networking reception from 5:30-7 p.m. where more than 200 professionals will gather for networking and refreshments, followed by the 65-project trade show where the Class of 2022 will showcase their research and innovative solutions provided to sponsoring organizations.
To attend this event, register at https://www.csusm.edu/coba/reception/.
Cardea Bio receives funding to develop
electronic nose to detect infectious diseases
Cardea Bio Inc., a San Diego mass producer of biocompatible semiconductors, announced that it has been awarded a $1.1 million grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a BPU (Biosignal Processing Unit) assay with high sensitivity and specificity that incorporates receptors capable of detecting volatile compounds to rapidly diagnose infectious diseases in developing countries
The goal of this project is to verify the ability of Cardea BPUs functionalized with an insect Odorant Receptor to detect an agonist odorant. Through previous projects, Cardea already has a solid understanding of the compatibility between iOR’s and BPUs, meaning they are perfectly positioned to create an assay that demonstrates the feasibility of this detection methodology.
TuSimple integrates with Werner Enterprises
to support driver-out operations on AFN
TuSimple, a global self-driving technology company based in San Diego, announced an advanced integration with Werner Enterprises to provide roadside service and support to customers operating in “driver-out” SAE L4 autonomous mode on the TuSimple Autonomous Freight Network (AFN).
The integration pairs Werner Enterprises’ expansive roadside service network with the TuSimple Oversight system on the rapidly expanding TuSimple AFN. The TuSimple AFN is a rapidly expanding transportation network that allows freight to be moved from point to point safely and reliably employing driver-out SAE L4 autonomous trucks.
The network is operational from Arizona to Florida, with over 11,200 mapped miles, and will be expanding to include major logistic routes in its next phase of development. This integration is part of the TuConnect platform, a major component of the ecosystem that comprises the AFN.
