14 Dec The Valley Economic Alliance Newsletter May-June 2016 Highlights
A Safari Affair
The Valley of the Stars Gala and Awards Ceremony, hosted by The Valley Economic Alliance (TVEA) recognized exceptional Valley stars in Arts and Entertainment, Business, Humanitarian and Leadership on May 21st at the Los Angeles Zoo.
Attendees arrived in safari chic attire to enjoy cocktails and appetizers next to the Cambodia Pavilion, followed by the awards program in the World of Birds Theater.
Second Sight Medical Products, Inc’s. Chairman Dr. Robert Greenberg accepted the Business award, Dana and David Pump also known as the Pump Brothers received the humanitarian award, Jill Banks Barad founder of Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils received the leadership award and actor Danny Trejo received the Arts & Entertainment award, accepted by Sons of Anarchy star Emilio Rivera.
After the awards program, honorees and guests had dinner under the stars, with music and celebrations.
Platinum Sponsor was Wells Fargo. Gold Sponsors included Chase, Southland Regional Association of Realtors, Inc., and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Silver Sponsors included Richard Katz, City of Burbank, Glendale Economic Development, and City of Calabasas.
Steve Allen “Excellence in Education” Awards Recap
San Fernando Valley schools, educators and students, who have received national education recognition this year, were recognized and awarded at the 16th Annual Steve Allen “Excellence in Education” Awards on May 12th at The Valley Economic Alliance (TVEA) Board of Governors meeting at the Vaughn G3 Learning Academy.
This award was named after Valley resident and legendary entertainer Steve Allen, and salutes nationally recognized achievements in the education field. The awards are presented annually by TVEA and Steve Allen’s son and TVEA board member Bill Allen.
Recipients of the 2016 Steve Allen “Excellence in Education” Awards are:
- Granada Hills Charter High School Academic Decathlon Team
- Daniel Jocz, Downtown Magnets High School – National Teacher of the Year Finalist
- Los Angeles Valley College Speech and Debate Team
- Crystalbell Miranda, Abdullah Salehuddin, Acacia Varnado, Ajmal Zanher, Amy Lynn Perea, Denise
- Nguyen, Dion Skinner, Dominique Bautista, Evan Feldman, Joseph Vaysman and Natalia Ramos from Los Angeles Valley College
The “Business and Education Partnership” Award is presented to an outstanding business in the community that has partnered with a San Fernando Valley School. This year’s award was presented to Goodwill of Southern California for their partnership with Los Angeles Valley College.
The “Champion of Education” Award recognizes individuals and/or organizations who have dedicated their lives to improving education. These individuals are creative and passionate leaders that have influenced positive change in the academic community to improve the lives of children and their families. This year’s recipient was Jeff Falgien from Keyboard Concepts.
The “Innovation in Education” Award recognizes outstanding educational leaders for their innovative use of the arts in the classroom and community. This year’s recipient was Terry Fischer from El Camino Real Charter High School.
The Ease of Doing Business in The San Fernando Valley
The Valley Economic Alliance’s “The Ease of Doing Business” report helps users compare the cost of doing business and the speed to start a new businesses in the Greater San Fernando Valley. The determination of the ease of doing business begins with the usual quantitative factors including;
- The “timeline”, defined as the number of days required by a business (restaurant, retail, and light manufacturing) to begin operating in a given city.
- The total costs involved in starting a business. (permits, fees and other.)
- Internet accessibility of any city, county tax, fee schedules and application forms.
- City location, residential demographics, income, spending and infrastructure.
- Access to formal and informal financial networks that incorporate cultural spending.
The first report includes a total of 5-cites. Future reports will include all 88 cities in Los Angeles. More information to come.
Business Incubator Program
Jeff Cohen
Chief Founding Member
C-Level Roundtable
Jeff is a Business Executive, Entrepreneur, Business Coach and Consultant, specializing in creating and managing effective teams. He has successfully created and run 4 business, and taken them from startup to multi-million dollar organizations.
At The Valley Economic Alliance, Jeff’s mission is to create an environment where businesses begin the process of growing and complete their term with momentum to profitably build on. Businesses interested in an environment of support, accountability and fun are invited to participate in the Business Incubator
Program if they are:
- Focused on building or growing their business in the San Fernando Valley
- Committed to being part of a community committed to being connected, collaborating and contributing to others
- Coachable
The Alliance’s Business Incubator Program will include membership in C-Level Roundtable, a network of entrepreneurs and executives committed to offer support and expertise to the incubees. Be prepared for a fulfilling and challenging experience that will prepare you to have the business you’ve been dreaming about!
Contact jeff.cohen@clevelroundtable.com to apply today.
Managed Career Solutions received $2.9 million Open Tech L.A. Regional Collaborative Grant
OpenTech L.A. Regional Apprenticeship Collaborative seeks to revolutionize workforce development through a series of innovations to shape the regional tech industry into an inclusive, dynamic, and responsive ecosystem. Their aim is to connect California companies with a skilled and diverse talent pool, to open opportunities in Technology for women and under-represented minorities, and to leverage the full potential of public funding programs to maximize returns for all stakeholders.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s American Apprenticeship Initiative, the grant reimburses employers up to 50% of the wage for 5 months for hiring and training unemployed/under-employed individuals, and pays for an industry recognized credential during the first year of employment.
The Valley Economic Alliance in collaboration with Open Tech L.A will be hiring interns to assist with new technology projects and programs.
Positions covered in the grant include: IT Help Desk, Application Developer for Android and iOS Platforms, Full-Stack Developer, Front-End Developer , Software Developer, Cybersecurity Systems Administrator, CRM Administrator , Data Scientist, Medical Coding Technician, Telehealth Specialist and so on.
OpenTech L.A. is in partnership with the Los Angeles County Workforce Investment Board, the City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and MCS Economic Development Corporation.
Visit www.OpenTechLA.org for more information, or contact grant director Joan Samuels at jsamuels@mcscareergroup.com.
Out and About
Goodwill Southern California launched it’s parking lot re-striping and signage program on May 24th, in partnership with The Valley Economic Alliance. Goodwill presented information on its All-Access ADA Support team, which helps businesses make required fixes to their parking lots and prevent fines, lawsuits and facility shutdown at an affordable cost, while ensuring accessibility to customers.
The program also included a presentation on “How to Avoid ADA Lawsuits” by attorney David Warren who specializes and advises on ADA lawsuits and how to reduce risks by taking action and becoming compliant.
The graduating mastermind group of John C. Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.
In partnership with The Valley Economic Alliance, the group completed a 7 week series and learned how to effectively raise their leadership lid by understanding and implementing the principles of the 21 laws of leadership, taught by Lillit Cholakian and Farshad Asl.
TVEA’s Patricia Fowler and Michael Hadley with Vicki Nussbaum, Executive Director of the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce, at their vintage themed Annual Installation and Awards Gala on May 19th, at The Collection at Galpin Auto Sports.
The “Northeast San Fernando Valley Sustainability and Prosperity Strategy,” commissioned by the Southern California Council of Governments, was presented to community leaders on May 25th at Galpin Motors. The study is available at www.northeaststrategy.org.
At the Small Business Awards Breakfast on June 3rd, hosted by The United Chambers of Commerce. TVEA Chairman Richard Katz was the event’s master of ceremonies.
In The News
Comcast – DreamWorks Merger Expected to give San Fernando Valley Economic Boost
While Comcast Corporation will likely profit from its $3.55 billion purchase of Glendale-based DreamWorks Animation (DWA), the San Fernando Valley is expected to get an economic boost as well, industry analysts said. The only question is how big it will be.
“I think it’s a very positive thing. There should be job growth. I expect the combined company to become bigger and grow at a faster rate than if (they were) left separate,” said economist William W. Roberts, director of the San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center at California State University Northridge.
“I think it will generate more business,” Roberts said of the deal. “DreamWorks can generate the content and I think Comcast has the ability to market it better, and that will create jobs in the Valley.”
The deal is expected to close by the end of this year. At that time, DWA will become part of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, which includes Universal Pictures, Fandango, and NBCUniversal Brand Development.
In addition to the new jobs that will be created, the tourism sector may also profit, said Kenn Phillips, President of The Valley Economic Alliance. “DreamWorks has many different animated characters, one of them being Shrek and because Shrek will have a home now at NBC, it helps that the company will have new rides [at Universal Studios Hollywood],” Phillips said. “All of the visitors that come to L.A. from outside the area typically go to amusement parks, so it is going to increase the number of people coming to local hotels and that will increase sales in the region.”
Source: Los Angeles Daily News