May, 2017

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Envoy launches in LA aiming to bring EV car sharing to real estate developments

TechCrunch LA

Looking to make EV car sharing the next perk for real estate developers, Envoy, a new Los Angeles startup has launched its first pilot. Initially, they’re starting with one apartment building and a fleet of two cars in an LA apartment complex. But, what the young startup lacks in reach, it makes up for in gumption. Founded by two real estate developers, Aric Ohana and Ori Sagie, the… Read More.

Develop 329
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Think like a general! Create strategies and tactics now.

Berkonomics

If you have been following the last several weeks of these postings, then now we’re getting organized. There are many ways to express the road map for your enterprise. One of the most popular was used by the U.S. Army late in World War II, and adopted by many high profile businesses such as Texas Instruments after the War. The structure combined the listing of the goal with a series of strategies and then tactics, each designed to support each other, each measurable and made public throughout

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Silicon Beach Report May 23: Real Office Centers, Co-Working Tenants Evicted from Santa Monica Office

L.A. Business Journal

Real Office Centers, co-working tenants evicted from Santa Monica office, Snapchat launches custom group stories, and Pepsi to label millions of cans with Snapchat codes.

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22 Los Angeles Startups You Need to Watch Out For

Tech.Co

While the Bay Area hold the title of most prolific startup ecosystem , there’s no denying that California is a veritable gold mine of entrepreneurial talent. Los Angeles, for one, is not only brimming with innovative ideas, it’s also home to a wide range of unique startups that are solving the problems of the world. Everyone knows that a startup is only as good as its leadership, which is why the 22 startups listed below are helmed by some of the best and brightest in Silicon Beach.

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Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

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Elon Musk Will Leave Trump Tech Council If US Drops Paris Agreement

socalTECH

Elon Musk , the technology billionaire behind SpaceX and Tesla Motors , says that if the U.S. withdraws from the Paris Agreement, he will "have no choice" but to leave Trump's Tech Council. In a tweet, Musk said he has "done all I can to advise directly to POTUS" on climate change, and "don't know which way Paris will go". Musk had joined a controversial council formed by the Presidential administration to ostensibly "share their specific experience and knowledge" with the President.

SpaceX 193
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Study Stakes San Diego’s Claim in Genomics: $292M in 2016 VC Deals

Xconomy

Preliminary findings from an economic impact study show that genomics is emerging as a distinct innovation cluster in San Diego. The San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. began collecting data for the report earlier this year in a bid to assess how genomics fits into San Diego’s innovation economy. Final results of the EDC study won’t be released until June 19, the first day of the Bio International Convention, as part of a panel discussion on the local genomics cluster.

Study 97

More Trending

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Here’s the test: Can you create 5 strategies and 5 tactics to achieve your goal?

Berkonomics

In past weeks, we explored the need for a tangible goal and strategies that are measurable as steps toward achievement of your goal. Today, we explore how to create tactics to accompany each strategy, and even suggest a number of tactics to consider for each strategy. Tactics support strategies and are more short term and procedural than the strategies they support.

Resource 243
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Musk Threatens to Withdraw from Trump Advisory Council Should U.S. Leave Paris Climate Treaty

L.A. Business Journal

SpaceX and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Twitter Wednesday that he would leave President Donald Trump’s Advisory Forum should the United States withdraw from The Paris Agreement on climate change.

SpaceX 189
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How Mompreneurs Can Have it All, And Some

Tech.Co

For some reason, the 2012 Atlantic article, “ Why Women Still Can’t Have It All ,” has always fueled me. At the time that was written, I had a 3-year-old daughter, was pregnant with my second child, and wanted nothing more than to prove that article wrong. I wanted the career and the family. And not just the token two children, but to actually be the one who volunteered in their classes and screamed at them to stop picking flowers on the soccer field.

Class 91
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Interview with Ted Dhanik, engage:BDR

socalTECH

Ted Dhanik is co-founder and CEO of West Hollywood-based engage: BDR (www.engagebdr.com), which recently just launched an influencer marketing platform aimed at Instagram.users. Ted was an executive at Myspace, as VP of Strategic Marketing, and was at LowerMyBills before that. Engage:BDR has just launched a platform which lets brands browse and discover influencers, create campaigns, and reach customers through limited time advertisements posted by those influencers.

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Aira Raises $12M to Expand Services for Blind and Visually Impaired

Xconomy

After beta testing technology that provides remote assistant services for the blind, San Diego-based Aira has raised $12 million in a Series B round that it says will enable the company to expand its service to thousands of visually impaired users this year. Aira takes advantage of the gig economy by connecting online independent contractors (via dedicated wireless bandwidth provided by AT&T) to guide low-vision users equipped with a modified version of Google Glass, the Internet-connected e

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When To Enlist A Board Of Directors Or Advisory Board

Startup Professionals Musings

Many entrepreneurs I know are confused by definition and need for an Advisory Board versus a Board of Directors. Some view both of these as a waste of time and burden on the CEO, while other founders surround themselves with insiders and cronies in an attempt to expedite and add credibility to their own interests. I suggest a few simple considerations will clarify the alternatives.

Allegis 69
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Please map your goal and USE that map!

Berkonomics

It’s time to speak of some sort of business plan. As a professional investor in early stage companies, I have long discounted long, detailed business plans in favor of a concise “executive summary” followed by a believable spreadsheet-based financial forecast projecting three to five years into the future. Yes, everything does change between drafting that plan and its successful execution.

Summary 243
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Cover Raises $1.6 Million to Build Prefab Structures for Homes

L.A. Business Journal

Cover Technologies Inc., a prefab building company that designs and manufactures backyard studios, has raised $1.6 million in seed funding, according to a statement released Tuesday.

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Data Scientist Team Share Lessons Learned From Competition

Tech.Co

When you’re in a competition and on the spot, answering questions to industry experts can be a nerve-wrecking process. The best part is that afterward you walk away with valuable insight, experience and lessons learned. GalvanizeU graduates Baolin Liu and Jonathan Hourany, current gU student Anthony Abercrombie, Data Scientist in Residence Eugene Huang, and their teammate Jared Wilber, a UC Berkeley grad student, learned a ton after their time on stage at the iidata Time Analysis Competit

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Social Native Raises $8M

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Social Native , an online marketplace which connects brands with content creators creating social media content, has raised $8M in a funding round, the company disclosed today. The funding came from SoftBank Capital, along with angels Jeff Ragovin and Eytan Elbaz. Social Native is led by CEO David Shadpour. Ragovin and Elbaz both joined Social Native as executives in January.

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In Maine, Making Cancer DNA Tests Free—And Asking Tough Questions

Xconomy

Has the era of genetic oncology arrived? Last week, the biomedical world took a notable step in that direction when the FDA said Merck’s drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda), already one of the world’s most successful cancer immunotherapies, could now treat any tumor with a particular genetic fingerprint. It was the first time a drug has been approved strictly for a genotype —a tumor’s genetic profile—regardless of the organ or body part where the tumor is growing.

Study 90
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How To Put Fun And Satisfaction Back Into Your Work

Startup Professionals Musings

It’s time to take the drudgery and dread out of work at your business. You don’t like it, millennials won’t put up with it, and current productivity levels at work continue to decline. Only 32 percent of American workers are even engaged at work today. Most workers are still rushing to retirement, where they hope to escape to more stimulating activities with a real sense of accomplishment.

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The Surest Sign You’re Winning is When Goliath Takes a Swing at You

Both Sides of the Table

I’ve been involved with several startups where a giant incumbent attacks you and tries to sue you out of existence. When you first receive the threat it feels like the local pizza shop when they first get a call from the local mafia boss and you can feel the shake-down coming. The first instinct is fear, then dread, then panic. You begin to think about how hard it will be to fund raise, sign customers, hire employees, etc. with the cloud of a lawsuit hanging over you.

Pricing 254
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Tunnel Skepticism Runs Deep

L.A. Business Journal

City officials are not digging Elon Musk’s plan for underground tunnels to LAX.

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Founder Advice: The Pursuit of Perfection Has Limits

Tech.Co

Putting unrealistic pressure on yourself to perform and excel could be limiting you to progress and succeed. We talked with Kyle Goguen, founder and president of Pawstruck.com , an online retailer and manufacturer of natural dog treats and chews, and asked him what advice he has for small business owners and lessons learned. What advice helped shape who you are as an entrepreneur today?

Tips 88
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engage:BDR Aims At Instagram Advertising

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based advertising technology developer engage:BDR , which is led by MySpace alum Ted Dhanik, has launched a new product aimed at influencer advertising on Instagram. According to engage:BDR, its new product, IconicReach, helps brands manage their advertising campaigns on Instagram, letting them discover and manage influencers on the Instagram platform. engage:BDR says it already has been working with such brands as American Apparel, Nasty Gal and ProActiv in creative video and displa

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On ASCO’s Eve, Experts Fret Over Backlash to Cancer Combo Frenzy

Xconomy

When thousands of cancer researchers from around the world gather in Chicago this weekend for the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting, drugs that fight tumors by boosting a patient’s immune system will take center stage, as they have in previous years. But the stage is more crowded, as researchers have begun in earnest combining these immunotherapies into experimental cocktails, hoping to push quickly past the limits of the drugs currently in use as single agents.

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6 Key Elements Of Marketing Content To Fuel A Launch

Startup Professionals Musings

Your marketing launch is the most important element of startup success these days, to get customer attention in this world of information overload. Yet it is the one element that too many entrepreneurs focus on only as an afterthought. Everyone assumes their product or service is so great that “word-of-mouth” will carry the day for them. Even great products need great marketing “content” to fuel the ascent of their online message.

Content 67
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How to use metrics and a dashboard

Berkonomics

Have you ever driven a car that had no speedometer? I had that thrill when a student at the Richard Petty Stock Car School of Driving at a motor speedway in California. With a wide track, angled aggressively at the curves, and being told to hug the wall on the straightaways, there was little reference available to a novice driver as to speed. I followed my instructor’s car closely, but still could not tell anything about my speed, so that I could neither compensate for lags behind the leader n

Metrics 266
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Silicon Beach Report May 12: Elon Musk’s Boring Co. Begins Horizontal Digging in Hawthorne with Tunneling Machine.

L.A. Business Journal

Elon Musk’s Boring Co. begins horizontal digging in Hawthorne with tunneling machine, military could have low-cost launch market in five years with increased investment, and Social Reality rebrands as SRAX.

Hawthorne 149
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Donut Media's Matt Levin On Creating A New Car Enthusiast Brand

socalTECH

Earlier this week, Los Angeles-based Donut Media (www.donut.media) announced a seed funding round, for its efforts to create a online, video-focused brand centered around car enthusiasts. We spoke with CEO Matt Levin to hear about how Donut Media is looking to speak to the Millennial car enthusiast through both its online videos as well as social content.

Media 177
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Tech Coast Angels, Pasadena Angels Among Top Angel Groups In New Report

socalTECH

A new report, released by the Angel Resource Institute in the last week, has spotlighted the Tech Coast Angels and the Pasadena Angels as among the top four angel groups in California, and the Tech Coast Angeles as number two in the nation in terms of the number of deals in 2016. The rankings were released in the Angel Resource Insitute's 2016 ARI HALO Report.

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Arcturus Therapeutics Gets $3M From Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

socalTECH

San Diego-based Arcturus Therapeutics , a developer of mRNA-based treatments for disease, has signed a deal to receive up to $3M in funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, a nonprofit which supports drug discovery and development. The company said the $3M will go to advance LUNAR-CF, a novel messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutic formulated with Arcturus' drug delivery technology.

Arcturus 167
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AeroVironment Unveils Stealthy, Palm-Sized Drone

socalTECH

Monrovia, California-based AeroVironment has unveiled a new, palm-sized drone today, aimed at the military, called the Snipe. The Snipe--which it says can be worn on a uniform and is used for close-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)--is an ultra-miniature quadcopter, and which it says it is already delivering to an un-named, U.S. government customer.

Monrovia 154
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Qualcomm To Pay $940M To BlackBerry Limited

socalTECH

San Diego-based Qualcomm has agreed to pay $940M to BlackBerry Limited , in a conclusion of an arbitration case, over overpayment of royalties by BlackBerry to Qualcomm, BlackBerry said on Friday. The agreement comes after an arbitration decision made on April 12th. According to BlackBerry, Qualcomm will pay the full amount of the final award on or before May 31, 2017.

San Diego 147
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Snap Inc. Reports Slow User Growth, Shares Drop More Than 25 Percent

L.A. Business Journal

Snap Inc., parent company of Snapchat, reported a net loss of $2.2 billion (-$2.31 a share) during its first quarter as a public company, stemming mostly from stock-based compensation issued to employees for its initial public offering in March.

Report 145
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Hulu Launches Live TV Streaming Service

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based streaming television provider Hulu has officially launched its new, live TV streaming service into beta, saying it will offer up more than 50 sports, news, entertainment, and kids' channels for $39.99 per month. The company said its Hulu with Live TV (Beta) service will also offer up to 50 hours of recorded storage, and two, simultaneous streams per account, and access to Apple TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android, and Chromecast.

Hulu 145
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How Digsy Is Using Data, And Deals, To Drive Real Estate Sales

socalTECH

Andrew Bermudez , co-founder and CEO of Irvine-based Digsy (www.getdigsy.com) wasn't looking to build software to help commercial real estate brokers close more deals. He was just trying to collect more data for his startup on what was happening on real estate deals that the company had been referring to brokers. However, he quickly discovered the deal data the company was collecting was not just data--but a guide to the best practices on helping brokers close more deals, quickly.

Sales 145
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SuperMoney Launches Search Engine For Loans

socalTECH

Santa Ana-based SuperMoney has recently launched a new, online search engine for loans, looking to replicate the success of online search and aggregation sites like Kayak and LendingTree. According to the company, led by CEO Miron Lulic, it helps consumers find online loans, helping users compare different loan offers based on basic information such as loan amount, credit score estimate, employment status, and more.

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Watch SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Side Booster In Test Firing

socalTECH

Hawthorne-based SpaceX showed off a static fire test on a side booster rocket for its Falcon Heavy last week, saying that theFalcon Heavy will be using a booster that launched its Thaicom 8 mission into space. The test firing, at SpaceX's test labs in McGregor, Texas, are part of an effort by SpaceX to launch its first Falcon Heavy rocket sometime this year.

SpaceX 138