Entrepreneurship

Fast Pitch Competition Offers Wealth of Knowledge for Budding Entrepreneurs

June 6, 2018 By Paul Browning

What: “Innovation Summit All Comers Fast Pitch Competition”
When: Wednesday, June 13, 1 to 5 p.m.
Where: California State University, Dominguez Hills, Welch Hall, D-165, in the Claudia Hampton Lecture Hall. Use parking Lot 3. The university is located at 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747. Click here for directions and a printable campus map.

Summary: California State University, Dominguez Hills’ Innovation Incubator will host the Innovation Summit All Comers Fast Pitch Competition on June 13, from 1 to 5 p.m., providing entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of expert judges while gaining valuable feedback and advice about their ventures.

Nearly a dozen entrepreneurs will present their business ideas to renowned local business leaders in two categories: “all comers” and “non-profit.” The competitors will compete for several cash prizes and the winners in each category will receive entry into the Innovation Incubator’s 90-day Fast Start program, and all finalists will be offered admission in the free Hatchery Innovation Program to help them test and prove their business concepts.

Keynote Speaker:
Milton S. Herring, councilmember for the City of Torrance.

Panel of Judges:

Iosefa Alofaituli, regional director of Opportunity Fund. Alofaituli leads the non-profit organization’s development and brand awareness efforts in Southern California.
Roger Ignon, founder and CEO (retired) of Edge Systems, is a worldwide leader in medical and spa esthetic products, an angel investor, and an Innovation Incubator advisory board member.
Mark T. Hiraide, a corporate and securities partner with Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp in Los Angeles.
Makus Biegel, SVP for Business Development at Allied Protection Services, and city commissioner for the City of Carson.
Jim Cragg, president, CEO and founder of S.O.Tech/Special Operations Technologies, a service for military and law enforcement personnel who require custom designed tactical gear for individual mission requirements.
Claudia Morales, executive director of RootDown LA.
Deb Ferber, CSU Fullerton professor, entrepreneur and angel investor.
Philip Stinis, CSU Fullerton entrepreneur-in-residence and co-founder of the Fullerton Startup Incubator
Hershell Hardimon, a Navy veteran and the adviser for CSUDH’s Veteran’s Project.
Brodie Childers, entrepreneur and founder of Bad Penguin Inc.

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About California State University, Dominguez Hills
California State University, Dominguez Hills, centrally located in the greater Los Angeles South Bay region, is a model urban university with a wide range of academic programming, providing accessible, high quality, and transformative education to students aspiring to succeed and thrive in a complex, global society. Since 1960, CSU Dominguez Hills has served a diverse community of learners and educators collaborating to change lives and communities for the better. A national model and laboratory for student success, the university offers a proven path to opportunity and social equity, advancing a college-focused culture in the communities it serves while providing vital resources of knowledge, talent, and leadership to the greater Los Angeles region and beyond. Today, CSU Dominguez Hills boasts over 100,000 alumni – doctors, scientists, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs – who are leaders in education, health, technology, entertainment, public service, and business, making a difference in their fields, in people’s lives, and in their communities. For more information, visit www.csudh.edu.

CSU Dominguez Hills to Host ‘Organizing Disadvantaged Communities for Success’ Conference

January 5, 2018 By Paul Browning

(Carson, CA) — State, civic, and higher education leaders from throughout Southern California will come together Jan. 12 at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) for the Organizing Disadvantaged Communities for Success conference, which will focus on state programs that improve energy issues and air and water quality.

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: CSUDH’s Loker Student Union. The university is located at 1000 E Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747. Click here for directions and a printable campus map.

The daylong conference, co-hosted by the City of Carson and CSUDH, will bring together individuals responsible for administering local grant programs for disadvantaged communities to address environmental issues and educate city officials and managers, and business and community groups.

“The conference is another unique example of how Cal State Dominguez Hills is a catalyst for change within the underrepresented communities that the university serves, and the broader region,” said Michael Grimshaw, executive director of The Entrepreneurial Institute at CSUDH, which will be hosting a “Toro Tank “competition, featuring cities, local schools, and green entrepreneurs presenting unique sustainability projects to a panel of judges. “There will be so much for participants to learn, from grant programs available to disadvantaged communities and how to receive funding, to the right staff members at state agencies to work with to move a project forward.

Session topics and events will include:

Programs for entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities.
Toro Tank: cities presenting unique energy, air quality and water projects to a panel of judges.
The Greater Los Angeles County funding area and the Santa Ana Watershed funding area.
Cap and Trade program development for assisting underserved communities to improve air quality.

Many residents in Los Angeles County’s underrepresented communities suffer disproportionately from the impacts of industry, the twin Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and rail and truck traffic on air and water quality.

California is developing grant programs to address many of these problems through programs that enable the implementation of solar, battery, and other advanced energy technologies. To learn how to take advantage of the programs, conference attendees will participate in open discussions among local mayors, city administrators, businesses, and community members during several group sessions, each focused on a particular program. The sessions will be led by officials responsible for implementing the environmental improvement programs.

The conference will include sector-focused discussions from local organizations, including Energize California, a new initiative of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI).

In a lunchtime keynote, Randall Winston, executive director of the California Strategic Growth Council, will provide remarks regarding new energy and environmental improvement grants that the state is implementing in 2018. State officials estimate that more than $800 million in “cap and trade” revenues will be available annually to help to fund energy and environmental programs.

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About California State University, Dominguez Hills
California State University, Dominguez Hills, centrally located in the greater Los Angeles South Bay region, is a model urban university with a wide range of academic programming, providing accessible, high quality, and transformative education to students aspiring to succeed and thrive in a complex, global society. Since 1960, CSU Dominguez Hills has served a diverse community of learners and educators collaborating to change lives and communities for the better. A national model and laboratory for student success, the university offers a proven path to opportunity and social equity, advancing a college-focused culture in the communities it serves while providing vital resources of knowledge, talent, and leadership to the greater Los Angeles region and beyond.

Today, CSU Dominguez Hills boasts over 100,000 alumni – doctors, scientists, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs – who are leaders in education, health, technology, entertainment, public service, and business, making a difference in their fields, in people’s lives, and in their communities. For more information, visit www.csudh.edu.

South Bay Described as ‘Engine of Growth’ During CSUDH’s Economic Forecast

October 13, 2017 By Paul Browning

Frank Mottek, anchor for KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO, hosted the Economic Forecast. To his right, the cannabis plant 'Lisa' was displayed for the cannabis production and economic impact presentation. — Frank Mottek, anchor for KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO, hosted the Economic Forecast. To his right, the cannabis plant ‘Lisa’ was displayed for the cannabis production and economic impact presentation.

Despite a slower pace of job creation in 2016, the South Bay has remained an “engine of growth in Los Angeles County” with employment at a record high, and many industries adding jobs and offering higher wages.

That positive, yet reserved, description of the South Bay’s economy was derived from California State University, Dominguez Hills’ (CSUDH) report “A Region in Transition: Changes and Trends in Consumer Behavior,” which was released and analyzed on Oct. 5 during the university’s 2017-18 South Bay Economic Forecast.

Hosted by Frank Mottek, anchor for KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO, the economic conference provided a comprehensive, data-driven report on the current state of the South Bay and Los Angeles County economies, as well as the outlook for 2018. Robert Kleinhenz, executive director of research at Los Angeles-based Beacon Economics, the independent research and consulting firm that developed the report for CSUDH, presented the economic report’s findings during the forecast.

“The (South Bay) economy has effectively reached full employment, but this doesn’t mean we will stop growing. Rather, we will proceed at a more measured pace in 2018,” said Kleinhenz.

Robert Kleinhenz, executive director of research at Beacon Economics, presented the economic report’s findings during the forecast.

Brass Tacks

According to Kleinhenz, CSUDH’s economic report found, on average, that South Bay employees made $62,200 in annual wages in 2016, representing a 2.7 percent gain over the previous year. The region’s workers are disproportionately employed in high-skill industries, resulting in the average South Bay worker making 3.9 percent more than the average Los Angeles County worker.

The report also showed that while “declining taxable sales in the area suggest slowing business expansion,” the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are “poised for a record year in container activity” and the broader transportation and logistics sector is “humming with activity.” At the same time, real estate markets continue to advance with higher home prices due to tight supplies.

“Home ownership rates are at the lowest rates in decades and rents are escalating,” Kleinhenz explained. “We’re just not building enough. It’s really about supply. We just need to increase the supply of homes to accommodate population growth.”

Like the South Bay and the entire State of California, Los Angeles County has seen slower growth so far in 2017 when compared with prior years, which may be attributed in part to a very tough labor market. However, key industries continue to show job gains, taxable sales are on the rise, and the county’s unemployment is lower than it has been in decades, according to the report.

High-Flying Industries

In the South Bay, the economic report found “business creation to be strong over the past 10 years, with a net increase of 16,348 ï¬rms operating in the South Bay between 2007 and 2016,” and a total of 45,892 businesses operating in the South Bay as of last year. However, the region did experience a net loss of business creation–320 less in 2016–which occurred in health care, wholesale trade, and in the professional, scientiï¬c and technical services sectors for the most part.

To provide a sample of the South Bay’s and L.A. County’s economic prowess, several innovative businesses were represented during the economic forecast. During presentations, company officials shared their business models, successes and growth plans, and data related to their industries, while others discussed regional and statewide business trends.

From the private sector, the speakers included Kyle Ransford, chief executive officer of the meal kit delivery service Chef’d in El Segundo; Shawn Gold, corporate marketing officer, Techstyle Fashion Group, also in El Segundo; Giancarlo Filartiga, vice president of development for Macerich Real Estate, and Christine Cooper, regional economist for the commercial real estate research firm CoStar.

The quality of faculty-led research was also on display at the conference. From CSUDH, Jose Martinez, assistant professor of economics and co-director of CSUDH’s South Bay Economics Institute, provided an update of the South Bay housing market, and changes in commuting trends. Fynnwin Prager, assistant professor of business administration and co-director of CSUDH’s South Bay Economics Institute, shared data from the institute’s research project on trends in foreign-owned businesses in Southern California.

Daniel Duran, associate professor of business administration at Whittier College, covered cannabis production and its environmental and economic impact oncities and L.A. County. He reported that the legalization of recreational marijuana use could mean thousands of new jobs in the county, a large influx of revenue, and California becoming the “largest legal pot economy” in the United States.

To enhance the audience’s curiosity, Duran brought a mature marijuana plant that he named “Lisa” to the conference, which was displayed near the stage.

“Instead of being an undercover type of product, cannabis is now legally grown to support 60 percent of the country’s population, and it will probably be closer to 70 percent by the end of next year,” said Duran. He also said that cannabis is currently estimated to generate $6 billion in annual sales a year in the U.S. “This is a wave that is taking over the country and we know pathetically little about the composition of that wave, and the impact that it has from an economic or environmental perspective. This is a huge business that needs to be professionalized.”

We Shall Overcome: Mother Daughter Return from Tragedy to Graduate Together

May 12, 2017 By Paul Browning

Keishe Keller and Cynthia Perry — Cynthia Perry and her daughter Keishe Keller both graduate CSU Dominguez Hills at the same time.

Cynthia Perry and her daughter, Keisha Keller began attending California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) together as business administration majors in the fall of 2014. As they progressed in their studies, the strength of their relationship and “friendship” always helped them support each other to achieve their academic goals, and on May 16, 2016, when the close-knit mother and daughter faced unthinkable tragedy, their bond is what helped them stay strong, sustaining them in the face of deep sorrow.

Keller had gone to bed the night before, anticipating taking her last final exam the next day. She was excited about the prospect of donning a cap and gown later that week during the College of Business Administration and Public Policy’s commencement ceremony, then returning home a proud Toro alumna.

However, none of that happened, and all thoughts of graduation disappeared the next morning when Keller found that her 6-week-old baby boy, Legend Aurelius Jackson, had passed away during the night from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

“I felt helpless when my baby passed, but I didn’t feel hopeless. It was very hard right after (he passed), but I knew I had to continue–I didn’t want my baby’s passing to be in vain,” said Keller, an entrepreneur major and computer science minor. “I’m very rooted in God, and I knew that he would see me through, and I knew I had things to live for, like my family. I feel that they draw some of their strength from me.

“With their support–my husband, Lance Jackson, our 9-year-old son, Lance II, and my mother [Perry]–I bounced back as quickly as I could,” added Keller, who will now graduate this spring, a year later, on May 19 from CSUDH alongside her mother. “I wanted to honor and celebrate the life of my son, and to make sure all memories about him are positive.”

Through Thick and Thin

When they transferred to CSUDH from Los Angeles Harbor College, both daughter Keller and mother Perry, whose concentration is in human resources, started taking most of their courses together, but eventually parted ways academically when they began taking more courses in their individual majors.

“I remember when I started getting excited about my classes in community college and my older daughter [Keller] said ‘I think it would be good to go back to school, too. So she did,” said Perry. “During our first semester at Cal State Dominguez Hills all of our classes were together. It was a lot of fun.”

Keller found out she was pregnant with her second child, Legend, near the end of summer school 2015, and was ready to hit the books hard when the fall semester began. At mid-spring 2016, Perry began driving her “very pregnant” daughter to school.

I felt helpless when my baby passed, but I didn’t feel hopeless.

“My last class was on a Thursday, and I was induced that Saturday. Then I came back to finish up my classes before taking off a week, which was followed by spring break. So I had two weeks off before I returned to take my finals,” said Keller. “I finished them all except the one I was going to take the day my baby passed. So I got only one incomplete. My professors were really there for me.”

Keller lives with her mother, and Perry was there when Legend passed away. She stepped up, “like any grandmother would,” the days and weeks that followed her grandson’s passing.

Like Keller, Perry wants everyone to have only positive thoughts about Legend. She recalls returning from the hospital that day and the family going into Legend’s bedroom, where a photo of Keller’s husband with his arms around both Perry and Keller hangs. He told them all “everything is going to be okay.”

“My son-in-law means the world to me,” said Perry, who admits she didn’t cope with Legend’s death as well as her daughter. “I’m a mother, too, and it’s so important for everyone in my life to be okay. I felt so helpless and was troubled thinking about how we can move on–we had so many dreams. We were just so blessed to have him. He was a new chapter in our lives.”

“But now we’re in a new chapter,” Keller quickly added. Her mom nodded in agreement.

A Difficult Return

Many parents who lose a child to SIDS experience some guilt, says Keller.

“After it (SIDS) happened to me I found out it happened to two people at my church, but they had never said anything before that. You do experience some shame because you’re the parent. You wonder ‘Why wasn’t I paying more attention, why was I sleeping?’ which doesn’t really make sense. I quickly realized it was out of my control.”

Keller returned to CSUDH to finish her degree the semester following Legend’s death, but it was an “awkward time” for her.

“At that point I was taking classes with the same students each semester, so they knew I had been pregnant. I really didn’t want them to ask, ‘How’s the baby?’ So I avoided people, sat in the back of class and didn’t talk much. I just wasn’t ready. The first time someone did ask I froze. I didn’t know what to say,” said Keller. “The following semester I began taking classes online and finished my degree that way. That’s also when I took the courses to earn my minor in computer science.”

Class of 2017

Graduating together is another way for Keller and Perry to mark Legend’s life in a positive way, and they both look forward to what comes next.

Keller already has her own cosmetology business and would like to expand it after graduation, and her experience with SIDS has sparked her interest in non-profit work. Perry is interested in teaching at the college level, working with freshman in particular to assist them in developing their academic plans and dreams.

When they walk in commencement exercise May 19, it won’t be the only celebration that week. On May 16, they plan to mark the anniversary of the passing of their baby boy with a celebration of his life. After commencement, Keller will host a neighborhood “Legend’s Lemonade Stand” May 27 in Long Beach to raise funds for SIDS research. People may also donate online.

“I’m so proud of my daughter,” says Perry. “She’s a woman of integrity, virtue; a real woman of her word. She’s very strong. Stronger than I am. As a parent, you always want your children to better than you are, and she is.”

When asked what has made her so strong, Keller pointed at her mother.

“She did, of course,” she says.

‘Connecting Women to Power Conference’ Draws Thousands to CSUDH

June 21, 2016 By Paul Browning

connecting women slider — Attendees pack the Loker Student Union Ballroom during the opening ceremony.

Eager to propel their entrepreneurial aspirations to the next level, more than 2,500 women converged on the “Connecting Women to Power Business Conference” at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) on June 16 to learn the latest marketing, tax, leadership and other strategies from top public and private industry professionals.

Yvonne Horton, city clerk of the City of Inglewood.

The conference is hosted by CSUDH alumnus Jerome E. Horton (Class of ’79, B.S., business administration), member and former chairman of the California State Board of Equalization. Now in its seventh year, the event continues to grow in popularity and attract a more diverse group of expert speakers and participants seeking to connect and learn from them.

Throughout the day, attendees made their way to the 22 panel discussions and individual speaker presentations that interested them the most, such as “Planning for Success and Creating a Successful Business,” Women in High Places,” Business Tax Essentials,” and Women Worthy of Wealth.”

To kick off the conference, the opening ceremony included welcome remarks from Horton and his wife Yvonne Horton, city clerk of the City of Inglewood; Diane Harkey, vice chair of the California State Board of Equalization, 4th District; Jeffrey Prang, Los Angele County assessor; and CSUDH President Willie J. Hagan.

“I was struck by a woman who told me she was here for inspiration. I think you’ll find that here,” said Hagan. “One of the things you will want to do today is network with people who are here with you. The workshops are great, but so much of success comes from people like you who you can turn to for advice. So if you don’t have a network yet, start here. If you do have a network, expand it here.”

Conference attendees took to social media to share their experiences. Here are a few comments:
@kyleemakeup: Such a great event. Thank you for hosting
@boat2ocean: This conference is so uplifting! The perfect mid-year reboot
@WorkofK: So many gems, mics, keys & an all were dropped during the #iammybrand workshop that it was insane. What a day!!
@YoDallas: Thank you Jerome & Yvonne Horton on another successful/meaningful #CWP2016 #ConnectingWomentoPower
@FestiveFlair: Feeling inspired & energized at #CWP2016 #ConnectingWomentoPower 3rd time attending & excited about all the familiar faces I see!

J&B Popcorn, co-owned by Briana and Juan Young, won the Toro Tank competition.

Back by popular demand at the conference was the Entrepreneurial Institute @ CSUDH’s (Ei) “Toro Tank,” which is designed much like the popular television show “Shark Tank.” This year’s winner was J&B Popcorn, co-owned by Briana and Juan Young. Juan Young represented the company, a side business for the couple, during the competition and was among the more than 150 entrepreneurs pitching their products or business ideas to a panel of successful business leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and civic leaders with the hopes of creating partnerships, getting advice and/or acquiring funding to grow.

“We are seeing around the world a strong surge in women entrepreneurs entering the marketplace with new companies that have been well thought out, creative, passionate, problem solving, and thoughtfully executed,” said Mike Grimshaw, business management lecturer and founder of the Ei. “This was validated during the conference with 50 women presenting an array of business ideas. It has also been the case in our Ei Incubator [a program designed to promote the growth and success of entrepreneurship at CSUDH], which attracts women who desire to establish themselves as successful entrepreneurs.”

The morning’s keynote panel “Life Balance: Real Talk, Real Issues, Real People, Right Now!” featured (left to right) Yvonne Horton; Ellen Chen, co-founder of Mendocino Farms; panel moderator Brad Pomerance, anchor of the cable news talk show Charter California Edition, who took questions via Twitter from those in the audience; Karen Stewart, psychologist, relationship expert and television personality; and Barbara Young, CEO and president of BJY Enterprises, Inc., and a former adjunct professor at CSUDH.

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Fast Pitch Competition Offers Wealth of Knowledge for Budding Entrepreneurs

CSU Dominguez Hills to Host ‘Organizing Disadvantaged Communities for Success’ Conference