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COM

LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL

Vol. 39, No. 23 THE COMMUNITY OF BUSINESS June 5 11, 2017 $5.00

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LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL
Vol. 39, No. 23
City May Spark Wireless Providers Bell Rung by FCC Chief
To Pot Registry loses
INTERNET: FreedomPop
line on phone program.
MARIJUANA: L.A. looks for
temporary help for businesses.
By HENRY MEIER Staff Reporter
A recent uptick in enforce-
ment actions against marijuana
businesses has the Los Angeles
City Council considering a pro-
visional licensing system that
could come on line well before
lawmakers implement compre-
Koretz hensive cannabis regulations.
A motion introduced late
last month by Councilman Paul Koretz would
establish an interim cannabis business registry
that would allow a portion of the citys dispen-
saries, cultivators, distributors, and other marijua-
na-related companies to operate aboveboard.
Koretz said in a statement there was a clear
need for a stopgap measure that would help delin-
eate bad actors from pot shop owners who intend
to comply with nascent cannabis regulations.
The surge in local enforcement (action) is
placing millions of dollars of business investment
in jeopardy, costing jobs, and creating a situation
Please see MARIJUANA page 57
8 OVER 80 and 20 IN THEIR 20s
SPECIAL REPORT
ACROSS GENERATIONS: An entrepreneurial
spirit begins early and lasts a lifetime, as
evidenced by the personalities featured in our
8 Over 80 and 20 in Their 20s special report,
packaged together for the first time. Some, like
Nicolas Bijan, have taken over and breathed
new life into family businesses. Others have
started their own ventures. Our feature looks
at 20 young people at the cusp of their careers
and eight who have been at it for decades.
BEGINNING ON PAGE 18
3 6
Revolving Doorr in D.C.
Elon Musk says hes
rump
done advising Trump
after climate moves;
ves;
Patrick Soon-Shiong
iong
is tapped for health
alth
care IT advisory.
Certied Public Accountants & Business Advisors
801 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 1000 Los Angeles, CA 90017
213.688.9898 fwllp.com
L ABUSINESSJOURNAL .COM
THE COMMUNITY OF BUSINESS June 5 11, 2017 $5.00
that of eight other companies, in February.
FreedomPops tenure in Lifeline, which
provides a $9.25 monthly cellphone subsidy
Pais rescissions came after he decided
the nine firms approvals were hastily pushed
through in the waning days of the Obama ad-
to Americans earning less than 135 percent of ministration. Some of those companies were
By GARRETT REIM Staff Reporter the federal poverty level, $16,300, lasted just granted entry as late as Jan. 18.
2 months. More than 900 service providers Still, FreedomPop hasnt abandoned ef-
Wireless carrier FreedomPop spent more participate in the program, which was launched forts to generate revenue from the program,
than $1 million building regulatory-compliant in 1985 as a way to ensure all Americans have though its had to come up with workarounds.
software to participate in the Federal Commu- access to phone service. The company has started licensing proprietary
nications Commissions cellphone subsidy pro- Stephen Stokols, FreedomPops co-found- marketing software, which it intended to use
gram, Lifeline. er and chief executive, said the Westwood firm to digitally target Americans eligible for the
Then came the Trump administration, still is pursuing direct participation in Lifeline. program, to Lifeline-approved vendors such
whose new FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, rescinded We are still having ongoing discussions
FreedomPops entry to the program, along with with the FCC on multiple fronts, Stokols said. Please see INTERNET page 57
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
Turning Up Heat:
Neno Mladenovic
at Dan Tanas
restaurant in
West Hollywood.
Dan Tanas aims to bottle exclusive air
By CAROLINE ANDERSON en parmigiana 50 years ago and today, its the high-end restaurant from original own-
Staff Reporter the same. Its what brings people back to er Dan Tana in 2008, signed a deal with
this place they always know what theyre Prominent Brand + Talent to make Dan
A
MONG the constants at Italian going to get. Tanas-branded foods available in U.S. gro-
mainstay Dan Tanas and Over the course of its storied life, that cery stores and to take the restaurant global.
there are many is chef Neno knowledge has been shared only by those We always felt the Dan Tana experience
Mladenovic, who joined the 53-year-old who traveled to West Hollywood to dine should be available to more people, Sonja
restaurant nearly 30 years ago. And, of and celebrity watch. It is an opportunity that Perencevic, who was traveling last week,
course, the menu. will finally be opened up to an even wider said via email. We have a small restaurant
To be honest, said Mladenovic, there audience after Sonja Perencevic and her with a big heart. Wed like to share the love.
are no big changes. When you try the chick- daughter Nika Perencevic, who bought
Please see DINING page 58
Political Perspective
Mickey Kantor reflects on public service, adversity, and
changes to Los Angeles since the 2020 Commission.
10
New Normal
Tech upstarts deal with cultural conflicts as demands
of investors run up against freewheeling environments.
# 1 ACCOUNTING FIRM
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Beyond the Numbers
2 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 2017

LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL

JUNE 5 - 11, 2017 VOLUME 39, NUMBER 23

RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ

Page 5: A worker tends to plants at the Vernon headquarters of Local Roots Farms.

SPECIAL REPORT 8 OVER 80 and 20 IN THEIR 20s

PROFILES: From a 22-year-old manager Journal spotlights some of the
of e-sports teams to a 92-year-old working worlds newcomers and
manufacturing executive, the Business old hands.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

TECHNOLOGY: Another harassment suit

ON THE COVER
raises further questions about the industrys

MARIJUANA: Los Angeles City Council culture and HR practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

mulls a temporary registry to take the heat Columns & features: Page 3,
off pot shops. Mediawatch 10, Business of Sports 11,
INTERNET: New FCC chief pulls plug Restaurants 11, Deals of the Week 12
on FreedomPops entry into a federal
subsidized cellphone program. THE LIST
DINING: Dan Tanas looks to serve up the
restaurants air of exclusivity with branding RANKING: The 100 largest minority-owned
and licensing deals. business in Los Angeles County, ranked by
2016 revenue.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
NEWS & ANALYSIS
INVESTMENTS & FINANCE
POLITICS: Paul Ryan has named Patrick
Soon-Shiong to a House advisory panel; Columns & features: LABJ Stock
Elon Musk and Robert Iger protest Index 52
President Trumps climate stance. . . . . . . .3
FINANCE: Select L.A. Investment Summit REAL ESTATE
looks to build bridges between local
businesses and foreign money. . . . . . . . . . .3 Columns & features: Real Estate
LAW: Marathon Patent Group has moved column 54, Residential Real Estate
to shore up its shares with a reverse stock column 55
split. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
HOUSING: L.A. County agency has EXECUTIVE STYLE
reported the homeless population swelled
last year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 FASHION: Architect Dan Brunns blueprint
FOOD: Local Roots Farms looks to get its for his wardrobe adheres to a modern
adapted shipping containers into rotation classic approach.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
as crop producers.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
LAW: Mickey Kantor, a Cabinet member COMMENTARY
for President Clinton, makes a case for an
ascendant Los Angeles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 COMMENT: Its time for the business
community to make its voice heard on the
ENERGY: Extension of solar water-heating
program has become a hot topic for system homeless issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

installers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Columns & features: LABJ Forum 60

Los Angeles Business Journal (ISSN: 0194-2603) 2017 by the Los Angeles Business Journal is published weekly plus three special editions in January,
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JUNE 5, 2017
Business Leaders
Head in, Out of D.C.
Patrick Soon-Shiong joins panel
at Paul Ryans behest; Elon Musk,
Robert Iger resign over climate.
Three of L.A.s most influential business
leaders went through a political revolving
door in Washington, D.C., last week.
First, House Speaker Paul Ryan named
billionaire surgeon and cancer researcher
Patrick Soon-Shiong to an advisory com-
mittee on health care information technology.
Then a day later, Elon Musk, founder
and chief executive of Space Exploration
Technologies Corp. and Tesla Inc., and
Robert Iger, Walt Disney Co. chief exec-
utive, announced they were stepping down
from their posts on advisory panels to Pres-
ident Donald Trump in protest of his deci-
sion to take the United States out of the Paris
climate agreement, announced Thursday.
The president had appointed Musk to his
manufacturing job council and the strategic
and policy forum. Iger had been named to
the business advisory council.
Am departing presidential councils,
Musk tweeted. Climate change is real.
Leaving Paris is not good for America or the
world.
A short time later, Iger tweeted, As a
matter of principle, Ive resigned from the
Presidents Council over the #ParisAgree-
ment withdrawal.
Soon-Shiong last week confirmed his
appointment to the Health Information
Foreign Funding
On Tap at Summit
Annual investment event looks to
line up local business people
with counterparts from overseas.
Local businesses seeking capital and in-
ternational partnerships are set to meet with
more than 200 foreign investors that will de-
scend upon Los Angeles for the Select L.A.
Investment Summit, which is scheduled to
run June 14 to 16.
More than 80 international firms from 30
countries are scheduled to attend the third
annual event in the hope of finding local
investment and business opportunities.
The Select L.A. summit was spun off
from Select U.S.A., an annual investment
summit organized by the federal govern-
ment with more than 3,000 attendees, which
is scheduled to take place from June 18 to
20 in Washington, D.C.
Select L.A. attendees are seeking a vari-
ety of business opportunities, said Stephen
Cheung, president of World Trade Center
Los Angeles, which is organizing the event.
(There are) investors bringing in capital,
OYSTER PERPETUAL
datejust 41
Bailed: Elon Musk at a White House meeting with Donald Trump in January.
Technology Advisory Committee, which
was first reported by Politico.
It is an honor to have been asked to
serve on this committee, Soon-Shiong said. topped the Business Journals list of Wealth-
I view this as an opportunity to transform
the delivery of health care and try to get
high-quality outcomes at lower cost.
Soon-Shiong is one of eight congres-
sional appointees to the 25-member com-
mittee, which was authorized under a law
signed in December by former President
Barack Obama. The committees job is to
advise presidential administrations on the
Financial Support: Attendees at last years Select L.A. Investment Summit.
he said. Another group of companies want
to open up operations on their own and de-
velop the market on their own. The third type
is companies looking for joint ventures.
A broad swath of industries will be repre-
sented among the foreign attendees, includ-
ing power and energy, bioscience, real estate,
venture capital and private investment, and
construction. L.A. companies set to attend
include NantHealth Inc., Sony Pictures
Entertainment Inc., CBRE Group Inc.,
Aecom, OMelveny & Myers, and nano-
Precision Products Inc., among others.
A lot of times our work is the intro-
CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES
growing role of information technology in
health care.
Soon-Shiong, who again last month
iest Angelenos with a net worth of $18
billion, helms NantWorks, a group of bio-
science research companies with a central
focus on combatting cancer.
Musk, who like Soon-Shiong was born
in South Africa, was No. 2 on the Wealthiest
Angelenos list with a net worth of $14.2
billion.
Howard Fine and Garrett Reim
ductions and helping (foreign investors)
develop that network of service providers
here in town that will lead to success for
investment, Cheung said.
Case in point: G-Smatt Global, an elec-
tronics maker based in Seoul, South Korea,
began the process of opening its downtown
office through connections formed at Select
L.A., he said, noting G-Smatt has hired nine
to 12 local employees.
The conference is set to take place at down-
towns Sheraton Grand Los Angeles with a
keynote address from Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Helen Zhao
rolex
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 3
PAGE 3
JONATHAN DIAMOND
L.A. to Sacto
Two things seem to draw the bold-face
names: awards ceremonies and political
fundraisers. And while it might seem that both
seasons are over, thats not the case. Coming
out to back Antonio Villaraigosas gubernatorial
bid at a fundraiser at the home of Peter and
Megan Chernin were Jim Gianopulos, Reed
Hastings, Robert Kotick, Michael Lynton, Ron
Meyer, and Rob Reiner. The former mayors
campaign bank account has lagged those of his
two rivals, Gavin Newsom and John Chiang,
and well know when disclosure forms are filed
at the end of the month whether he has closed
the fundraising gap. Emile Haddad has been
named the chairman of the advisory board of
the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate. Bill Witte
was named vice-chairman. Stan Ross left
the chairmans spot 18 years. The African
American Board Leadership Institute handed
out its Vision Awards recently, honoring Fred
Ali, Janet Clayton, and Cheryl Boone Isaacs
for their leadership and commitment to diversity
and inclusion. Peter Diamandis picked up
the Alltech Humanitarian Award, given each year
to someone of strong character who uses their
accomplishments to positively influence and
inspire other people, at the Alltech Ideas Con-
ference in Lexington, Ky. Spark, a national
mentoring program for middle schoolers, has
promoted Janine Berridge to executive director
for the L.A. region. She joined the organization in
2015 as director of external relations and events
in Los Angeles. Nicolas Berggruens Berg-
gruen Holdings India has announced that it will
up investment in India by $50 million over the
next year. Much will be applied to its Berggruen
Hotels group, while other investments will be
made in equipment rental, real estate, car rental,
and education businesses. Steve Ballmer,
an investor in downtown sports tech firm
Second Spectrum, has partnered that business
with his Los Angeles Clippers. Ballmer told the
crowd at the Recode conference that using the
technology, home viewers would be able to see
stats and fantasy points above each player and
have animation options for custom highlights.
The tech was tested this season and will roll out
more widely for TV, tablet, smartphone, and PC
users next season. Speaking of the Clippers,
rumors were hot last week that Ballmer was
looking to lure former Lakers legend Jerry West
away from Peter Gubers Golden State Warriors
to take over as general manager. Bruce
Karsh has upped his stake in Inseego Corp., the
San Diego software-as-a-service operation that
resulted from the merger of Novatel Wireless
and Feeney Wireless. Through his family founda-
tion, Karsh now holds a 7.3 percent stake in the
company, valued last week at around $4 million.
oyster perpetual and datejust
are trademarks.
4 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 2017

L.A.s Homeless on Rise Patent Firm Shares Plan

HOUSING: Number of
county residents living on
streets soars year to year.
By HOWARD FINE Staff Reporter
Almost 58,000 people are homeless in
Los Angeles County on any given night, up
23 percent from a year ago, according to the
latest count from the Los Angeles Homeless
Services Authority released last week.
The tally of homeless residents taken on
several nights in January reached 57,794, up
from 46,784 last year. The largest percentage
increases were seen in Antelope Valley and
eastern Los Angeles County, which each rose
by 50 percent.
Central Los Angeles recorded the largest
numerical increase of 3,500. In all, the city
of Los Angeles saw its homeless tally rise 20
percent to 34,189.
An estimated 17,531 people were classified
as chronically homeless, up 20 percent from a
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
Downtown: Central L.A. saw big jump.
year ago. Another 8,529 people in families expe-
rienced homelessness, up 29 percent from 2016.
Sharply rising rents countywide and the loss
of rent-controlled units in Los Angeles and sev-
eral other cities have been cited as major factors
behind the sharp rise in homelessness.
The count did find more formerly homeless
people that had moved into permanent hous-
ing: 14,214 in all during 2016, up 30 percent
from 2015.
The results of LAHSAs Homeless Count
are not a surprise to Angelenos, who have
seen the number of unsheltered people in their
neighborhoods grow before their eyes, Los
Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a state-
ment. The extraordinary number of people
falling into homelessness shows that we still
face a historic shortage of affordable housing,
a staggering mental health crisis, insufficient
support for veterans and foster youth, and in-
adequate resources to help formerly incarcer-
ated Angelenos turn their lives around.
Voters overwhelmingly passed two ini-
tiatives in recent months to help combat the
crisis. Measure H, a countywide quarter-cent
sales tax hike approved in March, will pay for
support services for the homeless. Proposition
HHH, a $1.2 billion bond measure approved
by Los Angeles city voters last November,
is intended to fund the construction of up to
10,000 units of permanent supportive housing
over the next decade. Both measures had
strong support from the business community.
Garcetti has also proposed an affordable
housing linkage fee on new residential devel-
opment, which would require the developers
of certain market-rate projects to include
affordable housing on site or contribute to a
fund that supports new affordable housing
production.
LAW: Supreme Court
decision prompts Marathon
to action following freefall.
By SHWANIKA NARAYAN Staff Reporter
Marathon Patent Group, which saw its
stock plummet last month after a U.S. Su-
preme Court ruling made it harder for patent
licensing companies to sue for patent in-
fringement in districts favorable to them, has
taken steps to shore up its flagging shares.
On May 30, having seen its share price
plummet more than 90 percent over the last
52 weeks, the company issued a notice of
a special meeting to authorize the board to
implement a reverse stock split at a range of
1-for-4 to 1-for-25. If approved, the action
could take place any time before March 31,
2018.
The stock freefall came after the justices
ruled unanimously that patent lawsuits can be
filed only in states where the target compa-
nies are incorporated and where it has regular
acts of business.
That is expected to be a blow to patent
licensing companies such as Marathon,
which acquire and hold patents but often
dont exercise them.
Prior to this ruling, patent trolls could
file a lawsuit anywhere, said Eugene
Chong, a law adjunct at UCLA School of
Law and patent litigator. What this did was
companies were sued in districts where the
jury ruled favorably in the plaintiffs or the
patent holders favor.
The West L.A. companys stock price de-
clined after the May 22 ruling, and it edged
up only slightly by
last week. Marathon
closed at 19 cents a
share May 22, down
50 percent from the 38
cents a share it traded
at a week earlier. By
May 31, its stock had
rebounded to 23 cents
a share, still down 91.6
Croxall percent from a year
earlier.
Representatives of Marathon, which was
not involved in the lawsuit before the high
court, declined to comment last week.
The company, helmed by Chief Execu-
tive Doug Croxall, was already struggling,
reporting a net loss of $28.7 million ($1.89
a share) in 2016 compared to a loss of $16.9
million ($1.19) in 2015, according to its an-
nual financial report.
Before the recent ruling, a California
entity could face a patent infringement suit
filed in a federal court in eastern Texas,
where about 40 percent of U.S. patent law-
suits were filed. The district, said Greg Up-
church, director of research of Legal Met-
ric, a St. Louis, Mo.-based litigation analysis
firm, was particularly friendly to plaintiffs.
In 2003, there were 50 cases filed there.
In 2016, over 1,000 patent lawsuits were filed
in that district.
In the Supreme Court case, TC Heartland
v. Kraft Foods Group Brands, Kraft sued TC
in Delaware, claiming patent infringement of
flavored drink mixes. Indiana-based TC filed
an appeal, but the lower courts refused to
transfer the case to its home state.
The Supreme Court ruled that TC couldnt
be sued in Delaware.

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JUNE 5, 2017
Outside In
Local Roots expands to ship out its farming containers. By SHWANIKA NARAYAN Staff Reporter
OCAL Roots Farms has been
L
sowing more seeds in Vernons
industrial landscape in a move
to grow its unusual approach to
agriculture.
The indoor farming
company, which designs, builds,
and operates indoor growing centers, called
TerraFarms, made from 40-foot-long shipping
containers, last month signed a lease for a
60,000-square-foot facility about two miles
from its Hampton Street headquarters.
The larger footprint is expected to set it up
for an East Coast expansion, one that would send
its year-round indoor farms to cold climates,
circumventing traditional produce-supply chains.
We are not only growing food for the
L.A. region, we have plans to sell our food all
over the country, said Brandon Martin, vice
president of business development.
Local Roots shipping containers-cum-
urban farms are insulated, climate controlled,
and have recirculating hydroponic watering
systems that use 99 percent less water than
outdoor farming, he said. The company also
has developed a unique LED lighting system
thats used atop vertical farming beds.
It has thus far built eight TerraFarms, and
plans to increase that number to 48 with the
expansion. Of those, 25 would be deployed to
Washington, D.C., in the next six to 12 months.
The production output of one TerraFarm
is equivalent to 5 acres of agricultural land,
and crop yields take a much shorter time,
Martin said.
A single TerraFarm harvests about 4,000
heads of lettuce every 10 to 12 days and grows a
seed to a full head of lettuce in 30 days, he said.
Conventional outdoor farming takes 60 to 70
days and can be delayed by weather conditions.
The company grows arugula, Italian basil,
butterhead lettuce, baby kale, and a spring mix
for commercial production. Crops planned
for future TerraFarms include beets, broccoli,
cabbage, cilantro, and cucumber.
The company calls itself an agriculture
business where its produce, and not its
technology or containers, are for sale.
We are in the business of growing and
selling healthy food, Martin said. What we
do will provide fresh produce year-round to
food deserts and cold climates.
In the L.A. region, the company supplies to
local restaurant chains including Tender Greens
operator TYP Restaurant Group Inc. and
Mendocino Farms Inc. as well as wholesale
produce distributors West Central Produce
Inc. and LA & SF Specialty. In addition
to restaurants and distributors, Local Roots
provides to corporate clients including Space
Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX,
where its leafy greens are consumed by the
companys employees.
Martin said his company prices its crops in
line with organic outdoor field-grown produce.
With the expansion, the companys plan is
to produce a total of 192,000 heads of lettuce
every 10 to 12 days.
Inside box
The privately held company was co-founded
in 2013 by Eric Ellestad, Dan Kuenzi, and
Matt Vail, and hit the ground running in
2015 when they pitched and got accepted into
the L.A. Cleantech Incubator. The program
matched them with an executive-in-residence,
Jim Winett, founder of Santa Monica-based
boutique consulting firm DPAA Group Inc.
After graduating USC, the founders came
to us with their idea and said they needed a
space to pilot the actual operations, Winett
said. They applied, got accepted, and have
been with us since.
The company employs 30 workers, and with
the expansion, was set to add 40 to 50 more
people to its payroll, Winett said.
Martin declined to comment on revenue
numbers.
He said five days are needed to outfit
a container into a TerraFarm, and that the
manufacturing and technology processes are
done in Vernon by the companys engineering
and manufacturing team, which installs
irrigation, electronics, and temperature controls.
A farm operations team made up of
botanists, scientists, and other workers then are
charged with growing the crops. The vertical
farming beds utilize space efficiently, and
together with the technology, produce more
crops than traditional agriculture.
Besides growing crops much faster,
our produce is more nutrient rich due to a
controlled growing environment, Martin said.
What gives us the competitive edge in this
market is that were a farm in a box. A box
thats easily shipped anywhere.
Operations and distributions are centered
in the L.A. region for now, but the company
has geared up for the East Coast expansion by
partnering with Laurel, Md., food distributor
Coastal Sunbelt Produce Co. Because
TerraFarms are modified cargo containers, they
can be moved by truck.
Growing pains
While the boxes should be easy to ship,
scaling business operations might be a
challenge.
This model works well for cities in cold
climates, said Craig Lawson, founder of
Dallas-based MHT Partners, a middle-market
investment bank. In cities like New York
and Chicago, where six to nine months out
of the year produce thats available comes
from somewhere else, this could really make a
difference.
Another company in the industry is
Boston-based Freight Farms Inc., but
unlike Local Roots, which sells produce,
Freight Farms sells its technology and
freight hardware to grow crops indoors. Built
similarly with a vertical hydroponic farming
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 5
Cropped In:
Brandon Martin
inside one of
Local Roots Farms
shipping containers
that has been
adapted for
growing food.
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
system, the companys adapted shipping
containers sell for $85,000, with maintenance
costing an annual $13,000, according to its
website.
Some advantages of indoor hydroponic
farms such as those of Local Roots are that
they reduce water and fossil fuel consumption,
free up land from agricultural use, and save on
transportation costs, MHTs Lawson said.
Focusing on the L.A. market, with its
proximity to the Central Valleys agricultural
hub, could hinder growth opportunities,
he said.
These companies operate on the fringes
of the agricultural market. Theyre too small
to compete effectively, but there is a place
for them, he said. At this point, they simply
cannot supply the volumes needed, for
example, to serve Whole Foods nationwide.
Lawson said the benefit of cities such as
Los Angeles is that they can provide needed
talent including engineers and scientists.
The challenges are well-understood with
Local Roots adviser at the incubator.
With companies like Local Roots, it takes
time to create the technology, to understand
what works, (and) understand how sales could
be defined while making sure food safety is
being met, Winett said.
He said that the incubator teamed with
companies for up to five years for precisely
this reason, to accommodate time.
As Local Roots heads east, the business
model on operating a TerraFarm in a different
city could go two ways.
Martin said the company plans to
hire locals and train them to work in the
TerraFarms, including instruction at the
Vernon headquarters for a few weeks. Winett
provided another option.
They could lease space, ship the
containers, and manufacture there, or they
could partner with other investors in that
particular farm and split financials, he said.
6 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL
Political Positions: Mickey Kantor, who served in President Bill Clintons Cabinet, was reluctant to discuss the defeat of Hillary Clinton by Donald Trump in November.
One-Time D.C. Player Still Has L.A. Roles to Fill
LAW: Mickey Kantor splits
time among Mayer Brown
clients, efforts for nonprofits.
By DIANE HAITHMAN Staff Reporter
Mickey Kantor wont be moved.
The attorney and former presidential Cab-
inet member sat behind his desk in the 25th-
floor office of downtowns Mayer Brown,
where he is a partner, and wouldnt budge
despite several requests from a photographer to
step into the hallway in search of a better angle.
I dont like things that are posed. Just take
the picture, Kantor barked. Though he fol-
lowed up the command with an impish smile,
it was clear the veteran negotiator drives a
hard bargain.
Though Kantor, 77, has had arthritis for
decades and suffered a seizure seven years
ago that left him in an 18-day coma, his refus-
al to accommodate the camera had nothing to
do with age or health. He was quick to bounce
out of his chair and navigate the law firms
long passageways to track down parking vali-
dation for a guest.
Kantor served first as a United States trade
representative under President Bill Clinton,
a tenure that included negotiating parts of
the controversial North American Free Trade
Agreement, before becoming secretary of
commerce after then-Secretary Ron Brown
died in a plane crash in 1996.
Browns death was not the first time Kan-
tors life was changed by a plane crash: His
first wife, Valerie Woods Kantor, died in a
JUNE 5, 2017
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
commercial airline crash in San Diego in
1978. His teenage son also lost his life in a car
accident 10 years later. Kantor has been mar-
ried to broadcast journalist Heidi Schulman
since 1982.
Everybody has tragedy ... everybody has
challenges, he said. If you say someone had
a perfect life, its not true. But Im constantly
grateful for all Ive been allowed to do.
Kantor, who joined Mayer Brown in 1997,
was a name partner at West L.A.s Manatt
Phelps Phillips & Kantor between 1975 and
1993, when he left to work for the Clinton ad-
ministration. The Nashville, Tenn., native also
served as chairman for Bill Clintons first presi-
dential campaign.
After politics
Though he ran her husbands campaign,
Kantor was not involved in Hillary Clintons
2016 presidential run.
When Im in politics, and Ive shared or
run 18 campaigns in my life, Im in it seven
days a week, he said. I dont think you can On Team: Kantor with President Bill Clinton during Clintons administration.
do politics, at least in the roles that Ive played,
some in and some out. Thats just my personal- The debate surrounding Nafta was reignit- publication, Kantor criticized Trumps talk
ity. Its probably a dumb thing. ed during the campaign after criticism from of renegotiating standing trade deals such as
He also stood back from commenting too then-Republican candidate Donald Trump, Nafta, saying It is absolutely fine to update a
much about the election, except to call the re- who has called it the worst trade deal ever. 24-year-old trade agreement, but to renegoti-
sult disappointing. Trump has continued bashing the deal since ate is hostile.
I think the country is going to have to take becoming president, with his administration
a collective deep breath, and hold it for four notifying Congress last month of its intent to Other avenues
years, he said, noting the incessant political renegotiate the agreement. These days, Kantor calls his corporate law
dialogue has served as a distraction from what While resistant to discuss Novembers practice eclectic. Still active on behalf of cli-
he considers to be more important issues. election at his office, he did speak about trade ents, he has chosen to pursue his public service
We are all focused in a way that is not policy in a March keynote speech at UCLAs work through a variety of nonprofits, including
helpful, on a constant basis, on whats going on Journal of International Law and Foreign LA Conservation Corps, a youth development
in Washington, he said. Affairs Symposium. Quoted in a university organization he founded 31 years ago. Along
JUNE 5, 2017 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 7

with his law practice, he serves as chairman of
Lexmark International Inc. The Lexington,
Ky., company, which produces laser and digital
printers, was sold to a Chinese-led investment
group for $2.54 billion last year.
Hes also co-chairman of Vision to Learn,
a nonprofit that provides underserved children
with free eye exams and glasses by bringing
mobile clinics to schools, and neighborhood
youth and community organizations.
His eyes light up at the mention of the
program, founded and co-chaired by Kantors
friend, Austin Beutner, a former investment
banker who went on to serve as deputy mayor
of Los Angeles and later, briefly, as publisher
of the Los Angeles Times.
Kantor said the 5-year-old nonprofit, which
has spread to seven states, has given away more
than 60,000 pairs of glasses, often in partner-
ship with state medical insurance programs.
It also receives private donations and includes
among its many partners the L.A. Clippers
Foundation and Los Angeles Dodgers Foun-
dation. He said frames with team logos and
colors go a long way toward persuading young
boys that wearing glasses isnt just for nerds.
What we have found in our public schools,
in the United States, grades one to five, there
are kids that cant even see the board, or read
a book, because they have no access to optom-
etrists, opticians, and clinics in their areas, he
said. The schools dont provide that. Its not a
criticism, they just dont.
Vision to Learn marks Kantors second
board position with Beutner. The pair co-
chaired the Los Angeles 2020 Commission,
which presented recommendations for the
citys future. Beutner recalled that Kantor was
always ready to roll up his sleeves.
Mickey is one of those people who does
not need an opinion poll to know whats right,
he said. He knows whats right and will work
tirelessly toward it.
Despite Kantors numerous accomplish-
ments, longtime friend and fellow attorney
On Road: Kantor, second from left, at a Clinton Foundation event in October 2011.
Geoffrey Cowan, former dean of USCs
Annenberg School of Communication and
Journalism and head of the Voice of America
I think the country is going
to have to take a collective deep breath,
and hold it for four years.
MICKEY KANTOR, Mayer Brown
in the Clinton administration, described him as
bizarrely modest.
Owing to that characterization, Beutner
noted that Kantors home and office remain
conspicuously free of trophies, plaques, and
ANDREW HARRER/BLOOMBERG NEWS
photos of Kantor with the many world leaders
who have shaken his hand.
Cowan said Kantors commitment to public
service was shaped by his childhood. His father
was involved in local politics and served on the
school board, calling for desegregation of the
public schools in 1954.
His father fought for integration when
it was not a popular thing, Cowan said. As
a result, he added, Kantor became a lifelong
advocate for the little guy. His most important
values are things that are important to people
who are less fortunate.
Deeply competitive
A more competitive side of Kantor comes
out on the golf course.
Although he took up the sport a few years
ago, Beutner said Kantors drive to win became
evident when he took two of his sons out for
a game with the attorney. By the end of the
round, Beutner said his kids had learned a few
choice new words when the competition failed
to go Kantors way.
He is one of the most competitive people
Ive ever met, Beutner noted.
The pairs Los Angeles 2020 Commission
Report, issued in 2014, received flak in the
press for presenting a bleak view of a city it
described as in crisis. Kantor presents a much
rosier view of the City of Angels these days,
though he noted education remains a pressing
issue.
L.A. is having its moment, which I think
makes all of us feel good, said Kantor, observ-
ing an expanding downtown through his high-
rise office windows.
A lot of investment has come in, downtown
has been revitalized over the last number of
years, public safety is under control although
crime went up a little bit last year, its gone
down much more, Kantor said. I think we all
ought to be proud of that.
Indeed, the transplanted Angeleno said he
now would not live anywhere else. Who could
not love the diversity of Los Angeles, the most
diverse city in the world? he asked. You look
around our streets and its every complexion,
every background, every nationality you can
think of. I wish our president would come to
this city and see how people are living together.
Ive always thought of L.A. as the closest
thing we have in America to a democracy.

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8 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 2017

Support May Cool for Solar Water-Heating Firms

ENERGY: Assembly mulls
allowing incentive program
launched in 2010 to expire.
Adam Boucher says installing systems that
use solar energy to heat water for use in afford-
able housing buildings is an ideal way to fulfill
his companys mandate of providing renewable
energy to low-income residents.
Heating water with the sun is by far the sin-
gle biggest thing residents can do to lower their
use of natural gas, a fossil fuel, said Boucher,
founder and chief executive of Promise Energy
Inc. in Culver City.
But Bouchers dream is running up against
an economic reality: With natural gas prices
at or near historic lows, it takes tremendous fi-
nancial incentives to make installing solar wa-
ter-heating systems affordable.
Now, the future of a key component of those
incentives a state program for rebates funded
by natural gas utilities is facing an uncertain
future. Legislation to renew the somewhat con-
troversial program passed the Democratic-con-
trolled Assembly on a largely party-line vote last
month and is headed to the state Senate. Without
the two-year renewal, the rebate program would
end next year, impacting both homeowners who
want the systems and about a dozen L.A. busi-
nesses that install them.
Boucher said that would effectively end the
half of his business that helps keep his instal-
lation crew of 12 busy. His firm would have to
shift completely to putting in electricity-gener-
ating photovoltaic panels from solar water-heat-
ing technology.
That technology has been around for several
decades, but little used until recently.
The systems take cold water coming into a
Southern California Gas Co., a unit of Sem-
pra Energy of San Diego.
With the utility rebate program set to expire
a year from now, Sacramento trade group the
California Solar Energy Industries Associa-
tion turned to Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin,
D-Thousand Oaks, to author AB 797 to extend
it until 2020.
To meet our statewide climate change
goals, especially on the heating side of the equa-
tion, we need consistent programs that increase
access to the sun for California homes and busi-
nesses, said Kelly Knutsen, senior policy ad-
viser for the trade group.
The timing would appear to be particularly
strong for extending the rebate program.
A massive leak last year at Southern Cali-
fornia Gas Aliso Canyon facility near Porter
Ranch sharply reduced supplies of natural gas
locally. Last summer, the call went out to cus-
tomers to reduce their usage and the Legislature
temporarily increased the SoCal Gas rebates
for solar water-heating systems for six months.
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
With Aliso Canyon still off line, similar calls for
conservation have gone out this year.
Hot Topic: A state policy shift could squeeze Adam Bouchers Promise Energy. But that doesnt mean its been smooth sail-
building, route it through pipes onto the roof, gas, way beyond the investment time frame of ing for the rebate extension bill. Republican
where solar collectors heat it, and then send it most building owners and single-family home- lawmakers have voted against it, both in com-
back down to water heaters for use in showers, owners. mittee and on the Assembly floor. They cited a
washing machines, dishwashers, and some in- state audit report from 2014 showing that the
dustrial processes. When working at full steam, Seeking incentives program has been largely ineffective in achiev-
these systems can cut natural gas used for heat- Enter the utility rebate program, which ing the significant natural gas savings it targeted.
ing water by more than 80 percent. launched in 2010 to offer up to $250 million The program was supposed to result in the
Installing one of the systems on a single-fam- in incentives; when combined with federal tax equivalent of 200,000 single-family residential
ily home costs roughly $7,500, while the price credits, the cost to install solar water-heating installations at a cost of $250 million; but only
is as much as $150,000 to place one on top of systems was cut by roughly two-thirds, just $66 million had been used by this year, accord-
a 100-unit apartment building. But with natural enough to maintain a small market for these ing to a legislative analysis of the bill.
gas prices at a low 2 cents per therm (the amount solar water-heating systems and provide work Knutsen said that partially in response to the
of energy it takes to burn 100 cubic feet of natu- for installers in the L.A. area. The rebates are audit, legislators increased the rebate levels in
ral gas), it can take more than eight years to re- provided through ratepayer surcharges on natu- 2015, which has in turn led to a slightly higher
coup that investment through savings in natural ral gas; in Los Angeles County, that falls to the rate of customer signups.

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JUNE 5, 2017 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 9

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2017 Charter Communications. All Rights Reserved. Not all products, pricing and services are available in all areas. Restrictions may apply. Subject to change without notice.
All trademarks remain property of their respective owners.
10 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 2017

MEDIAWATCH
u MOVIE BOX OFFICE
Weekend Gross Total Gross
Rank Title (millions) (millions) Distributor
1 Pirates: Dead Men Tell No Tales $77.0 $77.0 Disney
2 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 25.2 338.5 Disney
3 Baywatch 23.0 27.6 Paramount
4 Alien: Covenant 13.2 60.0 20th Century Fox
5 Everything, Everything 7.4 22.7 Warner Bros.
6 Wimpy Kid: Long Haul 5.8 15.0 20th Century Fox
7 Snatched 4.9 41.2 20th Century Fox
8 King Arthur 4.1 34.8 Warner Bros.
9 Boss Baby 2.3 170.0 20th Century Fox
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
10 Beauty and the Beast 1.9 222.9 Disney
Four day-weekend ended May 29 Source: Rentrak Co-Working Space: Upload Productions VR-focused facility in Marina del Rey.

u PRIMETIME TV SHOWS
Rank
1
2
Program
Dancing With Stars (Mon.)
Voice (Mon.)
Network
ABC
NBC
Rating*
10.5
9.7
Sexual Harrasment Suit
3
4
5
Voice (Tue.)
Dancing With Stars (Tue.)
Bull
NBC
ABC
CBS
9.3
8.9
8.5
Raises Issues of Concern
Week ended May 28 *In millions of viewers. there are a lot of rowdy guys getting drunk
Source: TVbytheNumbers.com TECHNOLOGY: Upload and a few women around who are often the
u TOP SELLING ALBUMS case points to lack of HR subject of their attention, she said, noting
that drinking can quickly become an all-com-
Rank
1
Last Week
New
Artist
Harry Styles
Title
Harry Styles
Label
Columbia
staff, oversight, analysts say. pany affair in open-office plans. If you dont
have any structure and there are not rules
2 New Zac Brown Band Welcome Home Southern Ground/Atlantic BY GARRETT REIM Staff Reporter around formality, then lines do get crossed.
3 3 Kendrick Lamar Damn. Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope
4 2 Chris Stapleton From a Room Mercury Nashville Sexual harassment allegations brought Questionable culture
5 4 Various Artists Guardians: Awesome Mix Hollywood against virtual reality co-working facility Up- Upload runs co-working spaces for VR
Week ended June 2 Source: Billboard.com load Productions Inc. and its principals last startups in San Francisco and Los Angeles,
u DVD RENTALS month have again cast a spotlight on the tech publishes content about virtual reality through
industrys corporate culture. its website UploadVR, and runs production
Rank Last Week Title Distributor The Marina del Rey company and workshops. The company was launched in
1 1 Hidden Figures 20th Century Fox co-founders Will Mason and Taylor Free- 2014 and relocated from San Francisco in
2 New Fifty Shades Darker Universal man are named as defendants in a suit filed by March. It has raised nearly $6 million from
3 New Split Universal Elizabeth Scott, the startups former director investors including downtowns Greycroft
4 2 Why Him? 20th Century Fox of social media, who alleged they operated a Partners.
5 3 Fantastic Beasts Warner Bros. boys club that encouraged drinking during In an industry where startups are pressed
Week ended May 21 Source: Rentrak work, furnished an in-office kink room for to seize market share by offering competitive
sex, encouraged demeaning statements about salaries to recruit top talent often young
u DVD SALES female staffers, and turned a blind eye to an male engineers fresh from the college party
Rank Last Week Title Distributor Suggested Retail employee bringing prostitutes and strippers to scene human resources staff and company
1 New Resident Evil: Final Chapter Sony $26.99 a company event among other allegations. culture guidelines are frequently an after-
2 New Return of Xander Cage Paramount 29.98 Neither Upload nor Scotts attorney, Car- thought, said Eva Ho, a general partner at
3 1 Fifty Shades Darker Universal 17.96 olyn H. Cottrell, a partner with Schneider West L.A.s Fika Ventures.
4 2 Dogs Purpose Universal 29.98 Wallace Cottrell Konecky Wotkyns in San In terms of screening of companies, the
5 5 Moana Disney 29.99 Francisco, responded to requests for comment. founders character is often the last thing
Week ended May 21 Source: Rentrak Inappropriate behavior in an environment looked at, she said. A lot of VCs just focus on
of lax corporate oversight is a familiar refrain the first couple of buckets: If the market is great
u VIDEO ON DEMAND in the tech industry, according to sector exec- and the founder is from Stanford or MIT, then
Rank Last Week Title Distributor utives and employment lawyers. sure well give you money. I think that perpetu-
1 New Return of Xander Cage Paramount I think the startup culture is a mess ates some of these unfortunate attributes.
2 1 Fifty Shades Darker Universal without having any structure and lacking HR The problem is worsened by disappearing
3 2 Dogs Purpose Universal outlets, said Kelly Dermody, partner with chat messages, informal management struc-
4 New Resident Evil: Final Chapter Sony Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein of tures, open floor plans, and minimal human
5 3 Hidden Figures 20th Century Fox San Francisco, who is not involved in the Up- resources staff, said employment attorney
Week ended May 21 Source: Rentrak load case. What is described in that case was Jenny Schwartz, a partner at San Franciscos
not surprising to me. I have seen very similar Outten & Golden, whos also not involved in
u VIDEO GAME SALES allegations from my clients. the Upload case.
Snap Inc. of Venice reportedly created A lot of these startup companies do not
Rank Title Publisher Platform
a human resources department in 2014 only have adequately trained or experienced HR
1 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Nintendo Switch
after sexist emails sent by Chief Executive managers. A lot have no HR managers, she
2 Zelda: Breath of Wild Nintendo Switch
Evan Spiegel while he was an undergraduate said. A lot of these companies dont have the
3 Puyo Puyo Tetris Sega Switch
at Stanford University were leaked to the money or interest and dont understand how
4 Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 CI PS4
press. The company had by then raised more this could blow back in a lawsuit because they
5 Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 CI Xbox One
than $160 million and had been in business themselves are inexperienced in this area.
Week ended April 29 Source: VGChartz
since 2011. Sonya Merrill, co-founder and chief peo-
u OUTTAKE OF THE WEEK Sean Rad stepped down in 2014 as chief ple officer of Hollywood online lending firm
executive of West Hollywoods Tinder in the ZestFinance Inc., said she made a conscious
wake of a sexual harassment and discrimina- effort not to fall into that category of found-
NO TROUBLE tion suit filed against the dating app by Whit- er when launching ZestFinance, noting the
WITH HARRY ney Wolfe, a co-founder and former vice pres- firms leadership began outlining a desired
The debut release
ident of marketing, who detailed allegations corporate culture from inception in 2009,
from Harry Styles, from
Britains popular boy
against Rad and co-founder Justin Mateen, which was passed down to employees.
band One Direction, former chief marketing officer. The parties Your company culture has already begun
reached the top of settled the lawsuit in September of that year whether youve thought about it or not, she
the album charts, without an admission of wrongdoing, and Rad said. Our HR hire was probably our third or
selling 230,000 copies. returned to his former role after five months. fourth paid employee.
Former band mate The speed at which startups and venture Clearly defining appropriate behavior can
Zayn hit No. 1 with his capitalist operate, combined with male-domi- be a helpful legal defense if sexual harass-
debut release in April nated workplaces accustomed to beer taps and ment lawsuits do arise, Dermody said.
Harry Styles of last year. company parties, can create a toxic situation, By having clear policies and training of
Tom Hicks Dermody said about the industry in general. decision makers, it helps the company to at
You end up with these dynamics where least say we werent negligent here, she said.
JUNE 5, 2017
Ex-NBA Players Aim to Score in Three-on-Three
BASKETBALL: New league
teams with former pros to
fill lineups, coaching ranks.
R
APPER-turned-actor Ice Cube (OShea
Jackson) and entertainment executive
Jeff Kwatinetz will debut their three-
on-three basketball league this month.
The Santa Monica-based BIG3 league is set
to begin a 10-week season at Barclays Center
in New York on June 25, which will culminate
at the end of August with a championship in
Las Vegas. Staples Center will host the eighth
week of competition on Aug. 13. Each week
will feature four games at one venue.
Cube and I took a year to come up with
this format, said Kwatinetz, who also serves
as chief operating officer of Ice Cubes Cube
Vision, a Santa Monica film and television pro-
duction company.
Each of the eight teams has five players,
a head coach, and one assistant coach. All
players and coaches are former National Bas-
ketball Association players. Players are paid a
base salary, reported to be $100,000, and share
in the leagues revenue, with financial bonuses
based on their teams record.
Former Los Angeles Clippers star Corey
Maggette will play in the league along with
Allen Iverson and Chauncey Billups. Julius
Irving, Clyde Drexler, and Gary Payton are
among the coaches.
BIG3 has hired former Oakland Raiders
Chief Executive Amy Trask to assume that
role for the league, with Roger Mason Jr.,
former deputy executive director of the Nation-
al Basketball Players Association, serving as
commissioner and president.
The league will feature some innovative
rules, including untimed games. The winner
of each game must score 60 points and win by
four points using traditional two- and three-
point shots, plus a new four-point shot. Half-
Diet Soda Makers Online Sales Shake Up Sector
BEVERAGES: Zevia bested
all competitors except Coke
with healthier alternatives.
A
zero-calorie soda company is rising to
the top in online sales as American con-
sumers thirst for healthier alternatives.
Zevia, which sweetens its drinks with sugar
substitute stevia, sold more of its branded soda
online in the United States than any other brand
except Coca-Cola for the year ended in Febru-
ary, according to a new report from New York
industry analytics firm 1010data.
Sales of the Encino companys drinks made
up 17 percent of the online market, compared
with 22 percent for the Coca-Cola Co.s flagship
beverage. The next closest was Pepsi with 12
percent. The report didnt include sales numbers.
Paddy Spence,
Zevias chief execu-
tive, said the internet
provides the company a
more level playing field
than retail stores, where
industry giants have
strong relationships with
distributors. His compa-
ny generated less than
Spence $200 million in revenue
last year.
Spence also said it is a sign of things to
come as customers tastes change.
The online market tends to skew younger
than brick-and-mortar, Spence, 50, said. We
see it as a leading indicator of what were go-
ing to see down the road. Younger shoppers are
Net Gains: Former Clipper Reggie Evans, center, with Ice Cube at a BIG3 event.
time will only begin when one of the teams
reaches 30 points.
What differentiates us is were playing a
different game than the NBA. This is half-court
basketball, Trask said. This is a beloved sport
and its huge throughout the world.
Three-on-three basketball has been grow-
ing in popularity. It was added to the 2018
Asian Games, a regional competition of
mainly Olympic sports held every four years.
The NCAA might designate it as a collegiate
championship sport, and the International
Basketball Federation is pushing to add it to
the Olympics by 2020.
That type of popularity helped BIG3 sign
a television deal with Fox Sports Media
Group in which regular season matches will
air tape-delayed on FS1 with championship
games aired live on Fox. Financial Terms were
not disclosed.
Kwatinetz, who also serves as chief execu-
tive of Santa Monicas the Firm, added BIG3
is trying to negotiate media rights deals to air
more focused on better-for-you products.
The amount of soda consumed by Ameri-
cans on average declined to a 30-year low in
2015, according to data from Beverage Digest.
In response, big soda makers are buying start-
ups selling healthier offerings.
Coca-Cola, which reported almost $42
billion in net operating revenue for the year
ended Dec. 31, bought L.A.s Zico Coconut
Water in 2013 for an undisclosed amount. Last
year, Pepsico Inc., which generated almost
$63 billion over the same period, announced
that it would acquire Oxnard kombucha maker
KeVita, founded in 2009, for a reported $200
million.
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, which had
net sales of $6.4 billion, acquired Bai Brands,
a maker of flavored waters, tea, and soda, for
$1.7 billion last year.
Since Spence bought Zevia, founded in 2007,
with Syosset, N.Y.s Northwood Ventures in
2010, sales have multiplied tenfold, he said.
games in China, but nothing has been finalized.
Breaking Ground
The Los Angeles Football Club announced
plans last month to build a $30 million soccer
operations headquarters and training facility
on the campus of Cal State Los Angeles. The
practice facility will also house the teams
LAFC Academy.
Its a great institution and perfect place for
our younger players to go and train, said Tom
Penn, LFAC president. We looked for a place
in the city of Los Angeles where we can have
home-grown players that graduate from our
academy on to the first team.
The youth academy expects to draw from
surrounding areas as well as two magnet
schools on the campus. Cal State L.A. students
will have opportunities to work with the team
through internships and collaborations with
university educational programs in kinesiology,
nursing, and business. LAFC is also helping
the university develop a new sports manage-
In addition to Spence and Northwood, the
company is co-owned by the management team
and Seattle family office Laird Norton Co.
Although it has less than 50 employees, Zevia
outgrew its space in Culver City and moved to
Encino two years ago. The company produces
its drinks at 12 manufacturing plants around
the country.
The rapid growth has prompted offers for
acquisitions, Spence said, but Zevia is consid-
ering an initial public offering.
The companys introduction in recent years
of flavored sparkling water and energy drinks
means consumers can drink Zevia beverages
during every part of the day, he said.
Now we have something for every member
of the family from the moment they wake up
until they go to sleep, he said. Its a pretty
neat place to be as a company.
Beyond El Segundo
Beyond Meat, an El Segundo maker of a
meat alternative, is increasing its reach with
a deal to be distributed in 280 Safeway Inc.
stores in Northern California, northern Nevada,
and Hawaii.
The company, founded in 2009 by Ethan
Brown, announced the news last week. Its pat-
ties made of peas are also available in certain
Ralphs, Whole Foods Markets, and other
outlets. The company started selling its Beyond
Burgers in Whole Foods in May of last year,
according to a spokeswomans email.
The company has raised $17 million from
investors including Bill Gates, General Mills,
Tyson Foods, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield
& Byers.
Safeway is owned by New York private eq-
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 11
BUSINESS
OF SPORTS
DAVID
NUSBAUM
ment program.
The facility is being privately financed by
LAFC, which also pledged an additional $1.5
million to the university. Downtowns Gensler
has been hired to design the complex with
Hunt Construction Group serving as con-
struction manager.
Fight On
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has
found its gladiators. The USC-run venue has
partnered with Fountain Valleys Roy Eng-
lebrecht Promotions, which organizes the
popular Fight Club OC, to co-promote four
monthly mixed martial-arts events, dubbed the
Coliseum Gladiator 2017 MMA Championship
Series, starting in July.
The events are to be hosted in a 3,000-seat
stadium set to be constructed on the famed
peristyle beneath the stadiums Olympic torch.
The relationship with Roy started years
ago when we controlled the (Los Angeles)
Sports Arena, said Joe Furin, general man-
ager of the Coliseum. We thought that we
lost the opportunity when LAFC took over
the Sports Arena, but we adapted the idea to a
gladiator-under-the-stars event.
Although the stadium is undergoing a $270
million renovation, scheduled for completion
by 2019, Furin said the event will utilize parts
of the facility not affected by construction.
Staff reporter David Nusbaum can be reached
at dnusbaum@labusinessjournal.com or (323)
556-8336. The Business of Sports column
appears in the first issue of each month.
RETAIL
CAROLINE
ANDERSON
uity firm Cerberus Capital Management.
Fancying a Change
A local gourmet ice-cream maker has left
the San Fernando Valley for downtown.
Nancys Fancy, founded by Nancy Sil-
verton of La Brea Bakery in 2015, moved
from the North Valley into a 6,000-square-foot
manufacturing facility in the Arts District, the
company announced last week.
Having a new, much larger facility de-
signed specifically for the product will give us
the opportunity to do some things Ive been
wanting to do, such as expand the flavor line
and possibly add toppings and sauces, Silver-
ton said in a statement. The thriving neighbor-
hood also makes our new location ideal for a
scoop shop.
The facility was previously occupied by
New York chocolate maker Mast Brothers,
who moved out less than a year after moving
in, Nancys Fancy said.
The companys gelatos and sorbettos are sold
at Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, and Gelsons.
Staff reporter Caroline Anderson can be
reached at canderson@labusinessjournal.com
or (323) 556-8329.
12 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 2017

DEALS OF THE WEEK

A look at the companies
that signed on the
dotted line last week

INVESTMENT FIRM BUYS High Times to book rappers Nas (Nasir

Jones) and 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson)
FINANCE
QUANTUM CAPITAL SECURES
founded by Alec Gores, acquired
Alpheus in late 2011, when

INTO MARIJUANA BUZZ to play its Cannabis Cup events, which

are regional marijuana trade shows fea-
$50M IN LOANS: Real estate
finance advisory firm Quantum
Widham was appointed its chief
executive.

WITH MAGAZINE PICKUP turing competitions, instructional semi-

nars, expositions, celebrity appearances,
concerts, and product showcases.
By HENRY MEIER Staff Reporter
The new ownership group allows
Capital Partners has arranged
two separate commercial REAL ESTATE
mortgage-backed security MERUELO GROUP ACQUIRES
loans totaling $50 million from SLS CASINO: Downeys Meruelo

S
ANTA Monicas Oreva
Capital announced last
week that it paid $70 mil-
lion to acquire marijuana life-
style magazine High Times.
Oreva
founder and
Managing
Partner
Adam Levin
said the
firm plans
to increase
High Times
Levin
revenue by
investing in a more robust web
presence and expanding event pro-
grams such as the Cannabis Cup series
and High Times Business Summit.
We saw a company that needed a
capital infusion and structured a deal
(to do that), Levin said. Its a great
opportunity any time you can buy a
market leader like High Times.
Levin, who is acting as interim
chief executive for the newly formed
Hightimes Holding Corp., said the
company will also look to leverage the
publishers intellectual property in a
variety of ways. As medical and recre-
ational marijuana legalization spreads
across the United States, branding part-
nerships with us to compete with other festivals out Wells Fargo Bank to refinance Group has reached an agreement
hotels, smok- there, Ahmad said. Were able to add a Torrance shopping center and to acquire casino SLS Las
ing lounges, things like food and cooking competi- four fully leased retail buildings Vegas from Stockbridge Capital
and other tions, and more prominent performers. in Beverly Hills. In the larger of Partners for an undisclosed
ventures could the two financings, the Beverly amount. The SLS resort on the
take off. Hills real estate investment Vegas Strip has 1,600 guest
Buying advisory firm arranged a $37 rooms and suites in three towers,
High Times at We also want to million interest-only, 10-year 80,000 square feet of meeting
$70 million respect the mantra loan to refinance the Shops at space, and a collection of
is a bargain South Bay, a 200,000-square- restaurants and nightlife venues.
when you of the current foot shopping center. Quantum Meruelo Group, which also
look at what government. also arranged a $13 million loan owns the Grand Sierra Resort
can be done for Beverly Hills-based investor and Casino in Reno, Nev., is an
with its IP, ADAM LEVIN, MC Ventures to refinance four operating and holding company
Hightimes Holding Corp.
he said. We retail buildings on La Cienega founded in 1986.
plan on hav- Boulevard in a strip known as
ing a multipronged approach. Restaurant Row. BALDWIN PARK PROJECT
Oreva has been joined by a group of The company is scheduled to host 12 ADVANCES: Forty-seven entry-
minority investors including industry events this year up from seven in 2016 GORES GROUP SELLS level and first-time homes are set
players Kush Bottles Inc., Massroots and plans on doing 18 to 20 next year. ALPHEUS COMMUNICATIONS: to be built in Baldwin Park. Santa
Inc., and Bob Marleys son Damian While the cannabis industry is Gores Group and media Clarita-based developer Williams
Marley, Levin said. The offer was first expanding, the election of President entrepreneur Scott Widham have Homes and San Diego real
made in December and the deal offi- Donald Trump and his appointment sold Alpheus Communications, estate investment firm Presidio
cially closed in March. The sellers were of strident marijuana opponent Jeff a provider of fiber, data Residential Capital have closed
10 stakeholders from two families that Sessions as attorney general has given center, and managed network on 3.2 acres along Pacific Avenue,
had owned the magazine since it was some in the industry pause. Levin said solutions to Texas customers, just west of Puente Avenue. That
formed 43 years ago. High Times would work to be as com- to Logix Communications, a will be the site for Pacific Villas,
High Times vice president of events, pliant with the law as possible. Houston portfolio company of detached condominiums that are
Sameen Ahmad, said Orevas backing High Times has been an advocate Washington, D.C.s Astra Capital estimated to sell for a total of $28
gives the company an edge it didnt for the industry for the last 40 years, Management. Financial terms million. The project is scheduled
have before. Access to upfront capital but we also want to respect the mantra werent disclosed. Beverly Hills to break ground in July, with sales
has already been a big help, allowing of the current government, he said. global investment firm Gores, beginning in February.

Custom Content

People on the Move

LEGAL NON-PROFIT FINANCE
Brad Small joins Rosenfeld Meyer St. Vincent de Paul Golden 1 Credit
& Susman LLP as Partner. of Los Angeles Gala Union continues
May 24, 2017 at the to expand its
Small, former EVP, TV Business Westin Bonaventure senior leadership
& Legal Affairs at The Weinstein Hotel in Los Angeles team with the
Company, will round out honored Board recent additions
Rosenfelds entertainment and President Ray Sweet of Courtney
media group with his television, & Maria Contreras- Linn as Senior
digital media, and brand- Sweet, Linda Swick, Vice President,
Small driven deal making expertise. St. Vincent de Paul Buddhist Tzu Chi General Counsel Linn Hill
Having served on both sides Foundation; the Old and Allyson Hill
of the negotiating table makes Mission Santa Ines Parish Community & Reverend appointed to Senior Vice President, Chief Financial
Small uniquely qualified in his Matthew G. Elshoff, OFM Cap. for their service to the Officer. Both Linn and Hill will play integral roles
representation of companies, poor and homeless. Emceed by Kenny Lund of the leading Golden 1s strategic financial initiatives.
talent and athletes. Allen Lund Company, proceeds benefitted our Circle With more than $11 billion in assets, Golden 1 is the
V Ranch Camp which hosts 1,200 disadvantaged leading credit union in California, and the sixth largest
children every summer. credit union in the United States.

HUMAN RESOURCES
Oakwood Worldwide, the global
Announce your new hires, promotions and
leader in corporate housing and
serviced apartment solutions, is accomplishments in print and online.
pleased to welcome seasoned
HR executive Craig Simmons as
senior vice president (SVP) and
chief human resources officer
(CHRO) for the global organization.
Simmons will report directly to
Simmons Chris Ahearn, CEO, Oakwood
Worldwide. I am pleased to have Please visit:
someone as talented and as experienced as Craig
join the senior leadership team, said Ahearn. labusinessjournal.com/people-on-the-move
Craig will play an essential role as we start a new
era of global growth. or call 323.549.5225.
JUNE 5, 2017 CALENDAR LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 13

u CONVENTIONS
u CALENDAR Sumo Asian Buffet
21610 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills
Sunday, June 11
Networking Brunch
$13 lunch BET Experience
Monday, June 5 (818) 992-4270
Sponsor: Sunday Brunch Group of Beverly Hills
11 a.m. June 23-25
Power Hour
Rooftop Grille www.bet.com
Speaker: Betty Porto,
Portos Bakery & Caf 225 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills
$25 Anime Expo
Sponsor: Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Thursday, June 8
11:45 a.m. (310) 362-5529 June 30-July 4
Breakfast Connection www.anime-expo.org
350 S. Bixel St., downtown Los Angeles
Sponsor: Pasadena Chamber of Commerce
$30
(213) 580-7590 7 a.m. Bride World Expo
Courtyard by Marriott Monday, June 12 July 22-23
180 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena Public Speaking Lunch Meeting (800) 600-7080
Public Speaking Lunch Meeting $30 (Reservation required) Sponsor: Broads and Beaus Toastmasters Club
Sponsor: Broads and Beaus Toastmasters Club (626) 795-3355 Noon BeautyCon
Noon Camacho Auto Sales Aug. 12-13
Camacho Auto Sales 412 Auto Vista Drive, Palmdale www.beautycon.com
412 Auto Vista Drive, Palmdale Citizen of the Year Awards
Free
Free Sponsor: Century City Chamber of Commerce (661) 974-9904
11:30 a.m. KCON
(661) 974-9904
Beverly Hilton Aug. 18
9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills (323) 456-4813
$190 Tuesday, June 13
Wednesday, June 7 (310) 553-2222 Cannabis World Congress
Coffee Hour and Business Expo
Public Speaking Breakfast Meeting Sponsor: San Dimas Chamber of Commerce Sept. 12-15
Sponsor: Bunker Hill Toastmasters 8:30 a.m.
Network Caf (201) 580-2050
7:30 a.m. Life Pacific College
Sponsor: Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce
City Club 1100 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas
11:30 a.m. Adultcon
555 S. Flower St., Los Angeles Free
Free R10 Social House Sept. 22-24
179 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach (909) 592-3818
(424) 272-0289 (310) 859-6900
$30
(310) 376-6911 Good Afternoon Long Beach Stan Lees Comic Con
Luncheon Alliance Sponsor: Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Oct. 28-30
Sponsor: Pasadena Chamber of Commerce 11:30 a.m. (310) 859-6900
11:30 a.m. Parkers Lighthouse www.stanleeslacomiccon.com
Brookside Golf Club Friday, June 9 435 Shoreline Drive, Long Beach
1133 N. Rosemont Ave., Pasadena Installation Awards Gala $35 Franchise Expo West
$30 (reservation required) (562) 436-1251
Sponsor: LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce Nov. 2-4
(626) 795-3355
6 p.m. (201) 226-1130
Marina del Rey Marriott Hotel Calendar listings should be submitted at least
Leveraging Your Network 4100 Admiralty Way three weeks in advance of the event. Send listings L.A. Christmas Cash & Carry Show
Sponsor: Challenger Networking Group $155 by email to newsdesk@labusinessjournal.com Nov. 3-5
Noon (310) 645-5151 with Calendar in the subject line. (404) 405-3590

L.A. Convention Center, (213) 741-1151, ext. 5340

FIRST BANK WISDOM:

Nobody understands a family business

quite like a family business.
Lets talk shop. Calendar listings should be submitted at least
three weeks in advance of the event. Send listings
rstbanks.com
by email to newsdesk@labusinessjournal.com
with Calendar in the subject line.
L.A. Convention Center, (213) 741-1151, ext. 5340
We understand the dynamics of family owned businesses
because we are one. For over 100 years, weve been a
trusted family partner to family owned businesses. Why
not work with an experienced team that understands the
unique needs of your business? With products, partnerships,
personalized services, and a friendly, knowledgeable team
thats second-to-none, First Bank aspires to become your
bank of choice for generations to come.

Lets get together and create a plan that puts you on the road
to achieving your goals.

Mortgage Frank Tapia Karen Brown Peter Fitzpatrick

Vice President Senior Vice President Senior Vice President
Commercial Banking
Business Banking Commercial Banking Commercial Banking
Business Banking (310) 214-2950 (818) 226-3233 (562) 951-5101
Wealth Management Frank.Tapia@fbol.com Karen.Brown@fbol.com Peter.Fitzpatrick@fbol.com
14 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL
THE LIST
THE PACESETTER: Apparel
retailer Forever 21 Inc.
tops the list of the largest
minority-owned businesses
in Los Angeles County. The
L.A.-based company had
an estimated $4 billion in
revenue for 2016. Since it
first opened more than 30
years ago, the company,
founded by South Korean
immigrants Do Won Chang
and his wife Jin Sook Chang,
has grown exponentially.
Forever 21 announced plans
to open a standalone beauty
and accessories store called
Riley Rose.
EQUIPMENT: G&C
Equipment Corp. is providing
equipment and materials
for the Inglewood football
stadium, Los Angeles World
Airports renovations, and
Metropolitan Transportation
Authority rail projects.
GROWTH: Traffic
Management Inc. added
two more L.A. locations,
three additional California
locations, and three out of
state within the past year.
The companys revenue has
more than doubled from
2014 to 2016.
JUNE 5, 2017
NEXT WEEK
MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES
Los Angeles County-based companies ranked by 2016 revenue
The highest paid executives in Los
Angeles County
Rank Company Revenue Percent Majority Ownership Type of Business Prole Top Executive
name 2016 Change (self identied) year founded name
address 2015 2015-2016 employees title
website (in millions) ofces phone
1
Forever 21 Inc. $4,000.0 0% Korean-American clothing retailer 1984 Do Won Chang
1 3880 N. Mission Road $4,000.0 35,000 CEO
Los Angeles 90031; forever21.com 700 (213) 741-5100
Panda Restaurant Group 2,903.0 24 Chinese-American restaurant owner and operator 1973 Peggy Cherng/Andrew Cherng
2 1683 Walnut Grove Ave. 2,350.0 31,699 Co-Chairwoman/Co-Chairman
Rosemead 91770; pandarg.com 1,893 (626) 799-9898
Act 1 Group Inc. 2,400.01 4 African-American stafHng, human resource 1978 Janice Bryant Howroyd
3 1999 W. 190th St. 2,300.01 business services, workforce NA Chairwoman, CEO
Torrance 90504; act1group.com management and technology 187 (310) 750-3400
Red Chamber Group 2,200.01 10 Chinese-American seafood supplier 1973 Ming Bin Kou
4 1912 E. Vernon Ave. 2,000.01 NA President
Vernon 90058; redchamber.com 15 (323) 234-9000
America Chung Nam 1,900.0 3 Chinese-American waste paper and scrap plastics 1990 Teresa Cheung
5 1163 Fairway Drive 1,850.0 exporter 340 CEO
City of Industry 91789; acni.net 6 (909) 839-8383
Superior Communications Inc. 641.4 -25 Chinese-American manufacturer and distributor 1991 Solomon Chen
6 5027 Irwindale Ave., Suite 900 854.3 of wireless phone accessories 232 Chairman, CEO
Irwindale 91706; superiorcommunications.com 6 (626) 856-6020
Markwins International Corp. 434.2 6 Asian-American beauty products 1987 Eric Chen
7 22067 Ferrero Parkway 408.3 274 CEO
City of Industry 91789; markwins.com 8 (909) 595-8898
Sunrider International 350.01 0 Asian-American herbal products, health foods, 1982 Tei-Fu Chen, Chairman
8 1625 Abalone Ave. 350.01 hospitality NA Oi-Lin Chen, President
Torrance 90501; sunrider.com 30 (310) 781-8096
Pacic American Fish Co. 287.2 18 Korean-American seafood distributor 1977 Peter Huh
9 5525 S. Santa Fe Ave. 244.0 270 CEO, President
Vernon 90058; pafco.net 3 (323) 319-1515
Cyberpower Inc. 184.2 53 Chinese-American computer and parts seller 1998 Eric Cheung
10 730 Baldwin Park Blvd. 120.1 215 CEO
City of Industry 91746; cyberpowerpc.com 1 (626) 813-7730
Koos Manufacturing Inc. 150.01 0 Korean-American denim jeans manufacturer 1985 U Yul Ku
11 2741 Seminole Ave. 150.01 NA President
South Gate 90280; koos.com 1 (323) 564-2100
F. Gavia & Sons Inc. 150.0 6 Cuban-American specialty coffee roaster and 1967 Pedro L. Gavina
12 2700 Fruitland Ave. 141.5 wholesaler 240 President
Vernon 90058; gavina.com 2 (323) 582-0671
G&C Equipment Corp. 150.0 20 African-American distributor of construction 1981 Gene Hale
13 1875 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Suite 102 125.0 equipment, material, and NA CEO
Gardena 90247; gandccorp.com supplies 3 (310) 515-6715
Jules and Associates Inc. 130.6 7 Mexican-American equipment leasing 1989 Jules Buenabenta
14 515 S. Figueroa St., Suite 1950 122.2 49 CEO, President
Los Angeles 90071; julesandassociates.com 2 (213) 362-5600
Telacu Industries 130.0 0 Mexican-American community development corp., 1968 Michael Lizarraga
15 5400 E. Olympic Blvd., Third Floor 130.0 Hnancial services, 600 CEO, President
Los Angeles 90022; telacu.com development, construction 28 (323) 721-1655
Impres Technology Solutions Inc. 126.6 29 Chinese-American value-added reseller 2001 Richard Fu
16 10330 Pioneer Blvd., Suite 280 98.1 37 CEO, President
Santa Fe Springs 90670; 1 (562) 298-4030
imprestechnology.com
GST Inc. 120.0 19 Chinese-American technology solutions provider 1985 JP Wang, CEO
17 12881 166th St. 101.0 98 Alice Wang, President
Cerritos 90703; gstes.com 5 (562) 345-8700
Cacique Inc. 115.01 5 Hispanic dairy products manufacturer 1970 Gil de Cardenas
18 14940 Proctor Ave. 110.01 NA CEO
City of Industry 91746; caciqueinc.com NA (626) 961-3399
Solutionz Conferencing Inc. 115.0 15 Hispanic-American audio visual integrator/video 2002 Bill Warnick
19 901 Bringham Ave. 100.0 conferencing equipment 150 CEO
Los Angeles 90049; solutionzinc.com reseller 6 (310) 571-1207
Huy Fong Foods Inc. 110.01 5 Vietnamese hot sauce manufacturer 1980 David Tran
20 4800 Azusa Canyon Road 105.01 NA CEO
Irwindale 91706; huyfong.com 1 (626) 286-8328
Trafc Management Inc. 98.7 45 Mexican-American trafHc control 1994 Chris Spano, CEO
21 2435 Lemon Ave. 68.0 800 Jon Spano, COO
Signal Hill 90755; trafHcmanagement.com 22 (800) 763-3999
BankCard Services, NavyZebra 92.0 7 Korean-American small business IT solutions, 1987 Patrick Hong
22 21281 S. Western Ave. 86.0 credit card processor 235 CEO, President
Torrance 90501; navyzebra.com 14 (213) 365-1122
LD Products Inc. 88.9 0 Hispanic-American online ofHce supply retailer 2000 Aaron Leon
23 3700 Cover St. 88.5 165 CEO
Long Beach 90808; 4inkjets.com 2 (888) 321-2552
Beauchamp Distributing Co. 87.9 7 African-American beverage wholesaler 1971 Patrick Beauchamp, President
24 1911 S. Santa Fe Ave. 82.1 174 Stacee L. Beauchamp, V.P.
Compton 90221; beauchampdist.com 1 (310) 639-5320
Spokeo 80.0 2 Chinese-American people search technology 2006 Harrison Tang
25 556 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Suites 101-179 78.5 215 CEO
Pasadena 91105; spokeo.com 1 (888) 271-9562
1 L.A. County. To the best of our knowledge, this information is accurate as of press time. While
Business Journal estimate.
NA - Not Available N/A - Not Applicable Note: The information on this list was supplied by every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and thoroughness of the list, omissions and
representatives of the companies themselves. Companies are ranked by 2016 revenue. typographical errors sometimes occur. Please send corrections or additions on company
Numbers that appear to be tied have been rounded. To qualify for the list, a company must at letterhead to the Research Department, Los Angeles Business Journal, 5700 Wilshire Blvd.,
least 50 percent minority-owned, privately-held and headquartered in Los Angeles County. Suite 170, Los Angeles 90036. 2017 Los Angeles Business Journal. This list may not be
Due to the right of privately-held businesses to withhold information, the Business Journal reprinted in whole or in part without prior written permission from the editor. Reprints are
makes no pretense of this being a complete list of the largest minority-owned businesses in available from Wrights Media (877) 652-5295.
Researched by David Nusbaum
JUNE 5, 2017 THE LIST LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 15

MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES
Rank Company Revenue Percent Majority Ownership Type of Business Profile Top Executive
name 2016 Change (self identified) year founded name
address 2015 2015-2016 employees title
website (in millions) offices phone

Columbus Technologies and Services Inc. $78.7 -4% Asian-Indian systems engineering 2002 Ajay Handa
26 1960 E. Grand Ave., Suite 1000 $81.9 contractor 675 CEO
El Segundo 90245; columbususa.com 7 (310) 356-5600
MDB Family 65.01 8 Chinese-American manufacturer of baby and 1990 Teddy Fong
27 855 Washington Blvd. 60.01 children's furniture and NA CEO
Montebello 90640; themdbfamily.com products 3 (323) 728-8988
EpiSource 52.3 69 Asian-Indian NA 2006 Sishir Reddy
28 500 W. 190th St., Suite 400 31.0 94 CEO
Gardena 90248; episource.com 6 (714) 452-1961
Yamibuy.com 50.0 138 Chinese-American e-commerce 2013 Alex Zhou
29 280 Machlin Court 21.0 252 CEO
City of Industry 91789; yamibuy.com 2 (800) 407-9710
Premio Inc. 44.5 -12 Chinese-American service and hardware 1989 Crystal Wu
30 918 Radecki Court 50.5 manufacturer 119 CEO, President
City of Industry 91748; premioinc.com 2 (800) 977-3646
InterTrend Communications Inc. 44.0 0 Taiwanese-American advertising and marketing 1991 Julia Y. Huang
31 228 E. Broadway 44.0 agency 73 President
Long Beach 90802; intertrend.com 2 (562) 733-1888
RJT Compuquest Inc. 44.0 9 Indian-American IT staffing and consulting 1996 Amarjit Shokeen
32 222 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 2250 40.2 255 CEO
VENDOR: PromoShop was
El Segundo 90245; rjtcompuquest.com 7 (310) 421-1292
honored with the Jackie
Robinson minority vendor PromoShop Inc. 43.3 5 Mexican-American promotional products and 1998 Guillermo "Memo" Kahan
award by the Cleveland
33
33 5420 McConnell Ave. 41.3 marketing services 112 CEO, President
Indians this year for its work Los Angeles 90066; promoshopinc.com 10 (310) 821-1780
with the team. Skyline Security Management Inc. 36.8 56 Latin American alarm sales and installation 2004 Edwin Arroyave
34 10642 Downey Ave., Suite 205 23.6 100 CEO
Downey 90241; skylinesecurity.com 2 (888) 775-9732
Liberty Paper 36.6 -12 Asian-Indian copy paper merchant and 2001 Alex Ismail
35 5025 Hampton St. 41.6 distributor 15 CEO
Los Angeles 90058; libertypp.com 1 (866) 507-2737
TechLink Systems Inc. 27.5 13 Korean-American IT staffing and consulting 1998 Jane Kim
36 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 745 24.4 300 CEO, President
Beverly Hills 90211; techlinksystems.com 5 (310) 300-1720
Sensis 27.0 238 Hispanic-American advertising agency 1998 Jose Villa
37 818 S. Broadway, Suite 1100 8.0 80 CEO, President
Los Angeles 90014; sensisagency.com 4 (213) 341-0171
Payscout Inc. 24.2 133 African-American/ payment processing 2011 Cleveland Brown, CEO
38 5900 Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 360 10.4 Indian-American 63 Manpreet Singh, President
Sherman Oaks 91411; payscout.com 6 (888) 689-6088
El Clasificado 22.5 7 Hispanic media 1988 Martha de la Torre
39 11205 Imperial Highway 21.0 NA Publisher, CEO
Norwalk 90650; elclasificado.com 5 (323) 278-5310
Young Systems Corp. 22.4 -5 Korean-American retailer and wholesaler of 1985 Young H. Lee
40 13125 Midway Place 23.6 office machines and supplies 51 President
Cerritos 90703; nuworldinc.com 1 (562) 921-2256
Ramcast Ornamental Supply Co. Inc. 22.2 14 Mexican-American steel distribution 1984 Rosalba Warschaw, President
41 2201 E. Firestone Blvd. 19.5 83 Ismael Ramirez, V.P.
Los Angeles 90002; ramcast.net 4 (323) 585-4999
Endpak Packaging Inc. 22.1 2 Mexican-American packaging manufacturer 1993 Edgar A. Garcia
42 9101 Perkins St. 21.7 100 CEO
Pico Rivera 90660; endpak.com 1 (562) 801-0281
Imprenta Communications Group 21.7 10 Asian-American public relations, advertising, 2001 Ronald W. Wong
43 315 W. Ninth St., Suite 700 19.8 ethnic marketing, campaigns 24 CEO, President
Los Angeles 90015; icgworldwide.com 3 (213) 210-2500
Cordoba Corp. 20.0 3 Mexican-American civil engineering, program and 1983 George L. Pla
44 1401 N. Broadway 19.4 construction management, and NA CEO, President
Los Angeles 90012; cordobacorp.com transportation planning 4 (213) 895-0224
RateSpecial Interactive 19.2 -29 Chinese-American advertising agency 2007 David Tam, CEO
45 766 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 200 27.0 14 Thomas McErlane, President
Pasadena 91101; ratespecial.com 1 Bertrand Seow, CTO
(626) 376-4702
Ace Fence Co. 18.5 -0 Chinese-American fencing contractor 1949 Amy Tsui
46 727 Glendora Ave. 18.6 88 President
La Puente 91744; acefencecompany.com 2 (626) 333-0727
United Pumping Service Inc. 18.01 0 Mexican-American hazardous waste/ 1970 Eduardo Perry Jr.
47 14000 E. Valley Blvd. 18.0 environmental remediation NA President
Ethnic Ownership City of Industry 91746; unitedpumping.com contractor 1 (626) 961-9326
Breakdown of L.A. Countys largest Innex Inc. 18.01 -1 Asian wholesaler of video game- 2004 Titi Ngoy
minority-owned businesses, by 48
ethnicity. (self-identified) 325 Enterprise Place 18.1 related toys, gifts, and mobile NA CEO, President
Pomona 91768; innexinc.com and audio accessories 1 (909) 839-6091
Mexican-American 24 Alameda Construction Services Inc. 17.8 63 African-American construction 1997 Kevin D. Ramsey
Chinese-American 22 49 2528 E. 125th St. 10.9 25 President
African-American 17 Compton 90222; alamedaconstruction.com 1 (310) 635-3277
Indian-American 9 Network Solutions Provider 17.4 3 African-American technology integration 2007 Phillip Walker
Korean-American 8
50 65 Pine Ave., Suite 163 16.9 37 CEO
Long Beach 90802; 5 (888) 763-9679
Hispanic/Latino 7 networksolutionsprovider.com
Other 5 1 L.A. County. To the best of our knowledge, this information is accurate as of press time. While
Business Journal estimate.
Cuban-American 2 NA - Not Available N/A - Not Applicable Note: The information on this list was supplied by every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and thoroughness of the list, omissions and
representatives of the companies themselves. Companies are ranked by 2016 revenue. typographical errors sometimes occur. Please send corrections or additions on company
Native American 2 Numbers that appear to be tied have been rounded. To qualify for the list, a company must at letterhead to the Research Department, Los Angeles Business Journal, 5700 Wilshire Blvd.,
Filipino-American 2 least 50 percent minority-owned, privately-held and headquartered in Los Angeles County. Suite 170, Los Angeles 90036. 2017 Los Angeles Business Journal. This list may not be
Due to the right of privately-held businesses to withhold information, the Business Journal reprinted in whole or in part without prior written permission from the editor. Reprints are
Vietnamese-American 2 makes no pretense of this being a complete list of the largest minority-owned businesses in available from Wrights Media (877) 652-5295.
Researched by David Nusbaum
Source: Business Journal research

Continued on page 16
16 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL THE LIST JUNE 5, 2017

MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES Continued from page 15

RaNK CoMpaNy ReveNue PerceNt MaJority OwNership Type of BusiNess ProfiLe Top Executive
NaMe 2016 ChaNge (seLf ideNtified) year fouNded NaMe
address 2015 2015-2016 eMpLoyees titLe
website (iN MiLLioNs) offices phoNe

1
AtheNa ENgiNeeriNg INc. $17.0 -4% Latino general construction, 1984 Jane Chiera
51 456 E. Foothill Blvd. $17.7 mechanical HVAC, building NA President
San Dimas 91773; athenaengineering.com automation systems 1 (909) 599-0947
MobiLe AdvaNce INc. 16.8 10 Chinese-American provider of computing 2005 John K. Lin
52 203 Lemon Creek Drive, Unit D 15.3 products and mobile NA CEO
Walnut 91789; mobileadvance.com electronics 1 (888) 995-5988
BeyoNd Vape 16.2 -1 Chinese-American manufacturer, wholesaler, 2013 Michael Chen
53 315 Cloverleaf Drive, Suite F 16.3 retailer of vape products NA CEO
Baldwin Park 91706; beyondvape.com 3 (855) 587-8888
JohNsoN-PeLtier 16.0 24 Native American industrial and commercial 1957 Kevin D. Peltier
54 12021 Shoemaker Ave. 12.9 electrical contractor NA President
Santa Fe Springs 90670; johnson-peltier.com 1 (562) 944-3408
DicKersoN EMpLoyee BeNefits INsuraNce 13.7 19 African-American insurance brokerage 1965 Tony Lee
55 Services INc. 11.5 NA CEO
1918 Riverside Drive 2 (800) 457-6116
Los Angeles 90039; dickersonbenefits.com
VNSM 13.6 2 Chinese-American commercial sheet metal 1991 Lilly Y. Chang
56 6421 Alondra Blvd. 13.4 subcontractor 70 Owner
Paramount 90723; vnsm.net 1 (562) 663-8900
ParaMouNt MetaL & SuppLy Co. 13.3 -11 Chinese-American metal manufacturing 1952 Vincent Jue
57 8140 E. Rosecrans Ave. 14.9 65 President
Paramount 90723; paramountmetals.com 1 (562) 634-8180
Boa Logistics 13.0 72 Filipino-American/ logistics 2011 Matthew Mugar/Walter Lopes
58 6041 Bristol Parkway, Suite 100 7.5 Latin American 20 Founders
Culver City 90230; boalogistics.com 1 (310) 751-6003
PatteN ENergy INc. 12.6 -7 African-American petroleum and natural gas 1990 Ezekiel Patten Jr.
59 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 220 13.5 marketer 16 President
Los Angeles 90045; pattenenergy.com 2 (310) 665-9200
HurLeN Corp. 12.1 -28 Mexican-American aerospace metals distributor 1981 Jay Hurtado
60 941 Bell Ranch Drive 16.8 47 CEO
Santa Fe Springs 90670; hurlen.com 3 (562) 941-5330
IW Group INc. 11.8 -5 Japanese-American advertising agency/public 1990 Nita Song
61 6300 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 2150 12.5 relations 54 President, COO
Los Angeles 90048; iwgroupinc.com 3 (213) 262-4090
GraNdaLL DistributiNg Co. INc. 11.4 4 Cuban-American Hispanic health and beauty 1967 Jose M. Granda
62 321 El Bonito Ave. 10.9 aids distributor NA President
Glendale 91204; grandall.com 1 (800) 344-2422
Carrara MarbLe Co. of AMerica INc. 10.5 22 Hispanic-American stone contractor 1953 Bill Cordova
63 15939 Phoenix Drive 8.6 80 CEO, President
City of Industry 91745; carrara.com 3 (626) 961-6010
Lee & Ro INc. 10.1 7 Korean-American water infrastructure 1979 M. Steve Ro
64 1199 S. Fullerton Road 9.5 engineering 61 CEO
City of Industry 91748; lee-ro.com 4 (626) 912-3391
ForeNsisGroup 9.6 8 Filipino-American expert and consulting services 1991 Mercy T. Steenwyk
65 301 N. Lake Ave., Suite 420 8.9 21 CEO, President
Pasadena 91101; forensisgroup.com 1 (626) 795-5000
Apex CoMputer SysteMs INc. 9.0 -47 Chinese-American computer technical support 1983 C. Philip Chen, Owner
66 13875 Cerritos Corporate Drive, Unit A 17.0 services 53 Dennis Rice, President
Cerritos 90703; acsi2000.com 1 (562) 926-6820
UNited StorM Water INc. 9.01 -3 Mexican-American storm water solutions 1999 Eduardo Perry Jr.
67 14000 E. Valley Blvd., Suite B 9.3 contractor NA President
City of Industry 91746; unitedstormwater.com 2 (877) 717-8676
Adesso INc. 9.01 6 Chinese-American electronic accessories retailer 1994 Allen Ku
68 160 Commerce Way 8.5 NA CEO
Walnut 91789; adesso.com 3 (909) 839-2929
AceNto AdvertisiNg 8.3 -4 Mexican-American Hispanic advertising, 1983 Roberto Orci
69 2001 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 600 8.7 promotions and public NA CEO, President
Santa Monica 90403; acento.com relations 1 (310) 943-8300
PBS ENgiNeers INc. 8.0 14 Asian-American consulting MEP engineering 2003 Kunal G. Shah
70 2100 E. Route 66, Suite 101 7.0 65 President
Glendora 91740; pbsengineers.com 3 (626) 650-0350
FCI MaNageMeNt 7.8 14 African-American energy/utilities conservation 1998 Patricia L. Watts
71 3850 E. Gilman St. 6.9 and management 50 CEO, President
Long Beach 90815; fcimgt.com 2 (562) 719-9300
IPI CoNstructioN 7.7 54 Vietnamese- construction 2003 Long Nguyen
72 14673 Parthenia St., Suite 200 5.0 American 21 President
Panorama City 91402; ipicorp.us 1 (818) 786-8433
Orc 7.4 6 Mexican-American advertising agency 1986 Andrew Orci
Industry Breakdown 73 2800 28th St., Suite 222 7.0 30 CEO, President
L.A. Countys largest minority-owned
businesses, by business category. Santa Monica 90405; orci.com 1 (310) 444-7300
Art LewiN BespoKe TaiLors 7.2 5 Chilean custom tailors, shirt makers 1997 Art Lewin
Contractor 25 74 315 W. Ninth St., Showroom 806 6.9 53 President
Advertising/Media 16 Los Angeles 90015; artlewinbespoke.com 6 (213) 785-2400
Food 15 HSG ProfessioNaL WiNdow CLeaNers INc. 7.2 -2 Mexican-American waterproofing, restoration, and 1980 Hector Garcia
Technology 11 75 4845 Exposition Blvd. 7.3 window cleaning NA President
Other 11 Los Angeles 90016; hsg-inc.com 2 (323) 733-8552
1 L.A. County. To the best of our knowledge, this information is accurate as of press time. While
Retail 10 Business Journal estimate.
NA - Not Available N/A - Not Applicable Note: The information on this list was supplied by every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and thoroughness of the list, omissions and
Staffing 4 representatives of the companies themselves. Companies are ranked by 2016 revenue. typographical errors sometimes occur. Please send corrections or additions on company
Numbers that appear to be tied have been rounded. To qualify for the list, a company must at letterhead to the Research Department, Los Angeles Business Journal, 5700 Wilshire Blvd.,
Maintenance 4 least 50 percent minority-owned, privately-held and headquartered in Los Angeles County. Suite 170, Los Angeles 90036. 2017 Los Angeles Business Journal. This list may not be
Finance 4 Due to the right of privately-held businesses to withhold information, the Business Journal reprinted in whole or in part without prior written permission from the editor. Reprints are
makes no pretense of this being a complete list of the largest minority-owned businesses in available from Wrights Media (877) 652-5295.
Source: Business Journal research Researched by David Nusbaum
JUNE 5, 2017 THE LIST LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 17

MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES
RaNK CoMpaNy ReveNue PerceNt MaJority OwNership Type of BusiNess ProfiLe Top Executive
NaMe 2016 ChaNge (seLf ideNtified) year fouNded NaMe
address 2015 2015-2016 eMpLoyees titLe
website (iN MiLLioNs) offices phoNe

PK4 Media INc. $7.1 -23% Asian-Indian digital media 2009 Tom Alexander
76 1600 E. Franklin Ave., Suite C $9.2 NA CEO
El Segundo 90245; pk4media.com 2 (888) 320-6281
Heateflex Corp. 7.1 -18 Mexican-American engineering services and 1998 Jorge Ramirez
77 405 E. Santa Clara St. 8.6 manufacturer of industrial 37 President
Arcadia 91006; heateflex.com heaters, filters, and tanks 2 (626) 599-8566
QuaLity MateriaL HaNdLiNg INc. 6.7 26 Mexican-American, manufacturer and distributor 1991 Hector Pinto, CEO, President
78 900 W. Foothill Blvd. 5.4 Latino of material handling products 50 Brenda Pinto, CFO
Azusa 91702; qmhinc.com 2 (626) 812-9722
VobecKy aNd ACDD JV INc. 6.5 210 African-American construction and nationwide 2006 Bianca Vobecky
79 134 N. Vermont Ave. 2.1 trucking 10 President
Glendora 91741; vobecky.com 2 (626) 818-7402
Sapphos ENviroNMeNtaL INc. 6.0 2 Mexican-American environmental compliance 1992 Marie C. Campbell
80 430 N. Halstead St. 5.9 consulting 43 CEO, President
Pasadena 91107; sapphosenvironmental.com 1 (626) 683-3547
CR&A CustoM INc. 5.6 1 Puerto Rican manufacturing 1993 Carmen Rad
81 312 W. Pico Blvd. 5.6 NA President
Los Angeles 90015; cracustom.com 1 (213) 749-4440
PLasteK Cards INc. 5.2 -23 Chinese-American manufacturing 2005 Dallas Tung
82 24412 S. Main St., Suite 104 6.8 19 President
Carson 90745; plastekcards.com 1 (888) 762-2737
Dura FLooriNg INc. 5.1 5 Mexican-American flooring, sales and installations 1986 Trinidad Alday
83 4720 E. Washington Blvd. 4.9 14 President
Los Angeles 90040; duracarpet.com 1 (323) 262-4550
PartNer ENergy INc. 4.9 39 Chinese-American engineering and consulting 2009 Tony Liou
84 2154 Torrance Blvd., Suite 100 3.5 41 President
Torrance 90501; ptrenergy.com 3 (888) 826-1216
H+M CoMMuNicatioNs 4.5 44 Cuban-American public relations and marketing 2003 Etienne Hernandez-Medina
85 1107 S. Crescent Heights Blvd. 3.1 communications 36 CEO, President
Los Angeles 90035; hm-com.com 5 (323) 857-4608
SuperbTech INc. 4.1 -15 African-American contract and permanent 1998 Jan A. Davis
86 5800 Hannum Ave., Suite 150 4.8 placement staffing NA President
Culver City 90230; superbtechinc.com 1 (310) 645-1199
LagraNt CoMMuNicatioNs 4.0 37 African-American integrated marketing 1990 Kim L. Hunter
TICKETS: Dealflicks is
87 633 W. Fifth St., 48th Floor 2.9 communications 10 CEO, President
adding in full-priced tickets Los Angeles 90071; 1 (323) 469-8680
lagrantcommunications.com
to supplement its deals
offerings. Users will be able DeaLflicKs 3.8 52 Bangladeshi- e-commerce 2012 Sean Wycliffe
to make purchases with one
88
88 113 N. San Vicente Blvd. 2.5 American, Korean- NA CEO
click for a full-priced ticket Los Angeles 90211; dealflicks.com American, Filipino- 2 (888) 644-2125
when a deal is sold out or American
when it is not available. EL CaMiNo CoNstructioN & ENgiNeeriNg Corp. 3.8 29 Mexican-American construction 2008 Miguel G. Guajardo
89 655 W. Esther St. 2.9 21 President
Long Beach 90813; elcaminoconeng.com 1 (562) 983-8811
MasTeK INc. 3.4 11 Mexican-American power electrical engineering 2006 Miguel A. Soto
90 5701 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 145 3.1 and systems consulting 20 CEO, President
Commerce 90040; mastek-inc.com 1 (626) 999-3035
SotoMayor & Associates 3.1 5 Hispanic certified public accountants 1992 Ivan J. Sotomayor
91 540 S. Marengo Ave. 3.0 14 Managing Partner
Pasadena 91101; sotomayorcpa.com 1 (626) 397-4900
RJT SoLutioN BeacoN 3.0 -23 Indian-American IT consulting 2013 Rita Shokeen
92 222 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 2250 3.9 8 CEO
El Segundo 90245; rjtsolutionbeacon.com 2 (310) 421-1292
Decor INterior DesigN INc. 2.9 -9 African-American design and construction 1997 Ronda Jackson
93 2937 E. Fourth St. 3.2 31 Principal
Los Angeles 90033; designsbydecor.com 1 (310) 289-2186
AR ELectric INc. 2.9 61 Mexican-American electrical contractor 2008 Alex Rojano
94 718 E. Edna Place 1.8 11 CEO
Covina 91723; areinc.co 1 (626) 628-4891

ACQUIRED: All Area ServiteK SoLutioNs INc. 2.6 63 Filipino-American electrical contractor 2008 Geoff Reyes
Plumbing was acquired by
95 618 Brea Canyon Road, Suite J 1.6 45 President
City of Industry 91789; servitek-solutions.com 1 (626) 227-1650
Acco Engineered Systems
last year. SidebeNch 2.5 67 Japanese-American interactive agency and 2012 Kevin Yamazaki
96 11835 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 745E 1.5 consultancy 14 CEO
Los Angeles 90064; sidebench.com 1 (310) 893-3589
Hot Shots AthLetic AppareL INc. 2.5 25 Mexican-American sportswear apparel 1990 Lydia Hernandez
In Business 97 20947 Currier Road, Unit E 2.0 manufacturer NA Vice President
The largest minority-owned Walnut 91789; hotshotsathletic.com 1 (909) 468-9199
businesses by year founded.
MarKetiNg MaveN PubLic ReLatioNs INc. 2.1 15 Native American marketing, public relations, 2009 Lindsey Carnett
25% 17% 98 2390C Las Posas Road, Suite 479 1.8 Hispanic marketing, social 18 CEO, President
2000-present 1979 or earlier
Camarillo 93010; marketingmavenpr.com media 2 (310) 994-7380
Kar WiNg TradiNg Co. INc. 1.9 -2 Chinese-American importer and distributor of 1987 Georgiana Wing-Yee Lai
99 1923 Frank Stiles St. 1.9 footwear 7 CEO, President
South El Monte 91733; karwing.com 1 (626) 350-8138
SA Associates 1.9 27 Asian-Indian consulting civil engineers 1989 Shahnawaz Ahmad
100 1130 W. Huntington Drive, Unit 12 1.5 20 President
Arcadia 91007; saassociates.net 2 (626) 821-3456
NA - Not Available N/A - Not Applicable To the best of our knowledge, this information is accurate as of press time. While every effort
Note: The information on this list was supplied by representatives of the companies is made to ensure the accuracy and thoroughness of the list, omissions and typographical
25% themselves. Companies are ranked by 2016 revenue. Numbers that appear to be tied have errors sometimes occur. Please send corrections or additions on company letterhead to the
33% been rounded. To qualify for the list, a company must at least 50 percent minority-owned, Research Department, Los Angeles Business Journal, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 170, Los
1990s 1980s privately-held and headquartered in Los Angeles County. Due to the right of privately-held Angeles 90036. 2017 Los Angeles Business Journal. This list may not be reprinted in whole
businesses to withhold information, the Business Journal makes no pretense of this being a or in part without prior written permission from the editor. Reprints are available from
Source: Business Journal research complete list of the largest minority-owned businesses in L.A. County. Wrights Media (877) 652-5295.
Researched by David Nusbaum
 8 Over 80
MARVALENE BICKERSTAFF

STANLEY BLACK

WILLIAM J. FULCO 20 in Their 20s

LARRY KING ROBERT ANDERSON ALEX FINCH KRAMER LaPLANTE JUSTIN SCHNEIDER

DAVID MIRISCH DEEPAK ATYAM FRANCISCO FRANCO RAY LI JAMES SHANI

RICHARD REEVES NICOLAS BIJAN ERIKA JENSEN BEN MONES NOAH WHINSTON

GEORGE TAKEI ANDREA BORGEN JAKE KASSAN TED MONTOYA KEVIN YAMAZAKI

CHARLES WILSON EDEN CHEN OREN KATZ SOPHIA PARSA SHAKIB ZABIHIAN
 SPECIAL REPORT
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 20177

20 IN THEIR 20s
8 OVER 80
Through the Ages:
Clockwise from
top left, Carbon &
Hydes Oren Katz;
Black Equities
Groups Stanley
Black; MVMTs Jake
Kassan, left, and
Kramer LaPlante;
Fishermen Labs
Eden Chen; David
Mirisch Enterprises
David Mirisch;
Cedars-Sinai Medical
Centers Marvalene
Bickerstaff; and
Franco Trucking Inc.s
Francisco Franco.

Photographed by RINGO H.W. CHIU

D
ESPITE a vast generation gap, this years 20 in Their
20s and 8 Over 80 subjects together in the same
edition of the Business Journal for the first time
have much in common.
Seven decades separate the youngest on the lists
Noah Whinston, 22, who launched e-sports company Immortals
two years ago and the oldest 92-year-old A. Charles Wilson, who
started Ernest Packaging Solutions in 1946.
However, the characteristics needed to be an entrepreneur, to lead
a company for decades, or to grow professionally throughout life are
much the same, regardless of age. A passion for ones business and
industry, excitement about the future, and often long hours with the
caveat of making time for a little fun are common themes.
20 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL
8 Over
80
STANLEY BLACK, 84
Black Equities Group, a Beverly Hills
real estate investment company.
Title: President
Background: An L.A. native and longtime
real estate developer, he formed the
company about 20 years ago.
How many hours a week do you work?
I am in the office approximately 20 hours per week.
However, I have a real estate breakfast once a week
and also lunches and dinners that promote not only our
business interests but the business of philanthropy.
Why not retire?
I like what I am doing. Ive done it for 60 years and I
dont see not doing it.
Does your family want you to retire?
No. We are a three-generational family business. My
son, daughters, and grandson are with me every day
in the office.
Best part of working past 80? Worst?
Best: Being able to come in at 10 and leave at 4 p.m.
Worst: I wish I had the same energy as when I was
younger.
Are you up to date on technology?
No. I still prefer to meet and speak with people in person.
What is the best advice you ever got?
My father instilled in me at a very early age the
importance of giving back. He taught me that it will
all return to you.
What advice would you give to people
who want to work well past 65?
In the 1950s and 60s, the life expectancy was 70
MARVALENE
BICKERSTAFF, 80
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center,
Beverly Grove
Title: Customer service
representative
Background: Has worked at the
hospital for 58 years.
How many hours a week do
you work?
40.
Why not retire?
I like to have my own independence
to do things I like without going into
the family budget. I still like to shop,
get my nails and hair done, and go to
casinos sometimes.
Does your family want you to
retire?
My daughters and son do. Theyd like me to
work part time. They know I like to work and
my mind is still pretty sharp.
Best part of working past 80?
Worst?
The worst part is not being able to sleep in.
The best part is you dont have to budget
your money as much. Youve got freedom.
Are you up to date on
technology?
No, Im not. I have the same flip phone Ive respect older people, and being kind to those
always had, but I like it. I dont do Facebook.
But I do the basics on computers.
JUNE 5, 2017
Ground Game:
Stanley Black
holds a weekly
real estate lunch
in addition to
philanthropic
undertakings.
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
years old and thats where retiring at 65 came about. Do you work as much as you used Sunday? Even if I landed late the night before, the
Now, people are living well into their 90s. There are to in your 40s and 50s? answer is always: 100 percent.
many more years of productivity to fill. About half the amount of time. The other half of my
time is dedicated to philanthropy. What do you see in the future?
Whats the secret to staying healthy Lots of inflation. It is harder and harder to find deals.
and active? How has your routine changed? But I also see long life and good health. I am an
I try to keep in shape, drink lots of water, watch my It hasnt. When I travel for a length of time and then optimist at heart.
diet, and aim for a full nights sleep. I return, people will ask, Will you be at Canters this Paul Eakins
What is the best advice you
ever got? Paying Her Way:
I always use the Kenny Rogers expression, Marvalene Bickerstaff
likes the freedom of
Know when to hold em, know when to
fold em, know when to walk away. I tell a steady paycheck.
young people, you cant always say whats
on your mind.
What advice would you give to
people who want to work well
past 65?
They have to maintain their physical and
mental health. Thats the main thing to me.
Whats the secret to staying
healthy and active?
Moving around, using your mind, walking
sometimes, and still doing some of your own
housework thats about what I do. I read my
Bible and magazines, shop, and go to church.
Do you work as much as you
used to in your 40s and 50s?
Just about, yes.
How has your work routine
changed?
Ive been working here for 58 years in
different departments in the medical staff
office, in nursing as a nurses aide, and on
the hospital floor as secretarial staff. You
dont get bored having different jobs.
What do you miss the most
about being young?
To be truthful, I cant say I miss too many things.
What do you see in the future?
Working part time, seeing my grandkids
graduate from college, teaching them to
who are less fortunate.
Paul Eakins
JUNE 5, 2017 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 21

8 Over
80

Are you up to date on

technology? Still Acting Up:
GEORGE As much as an 80-year-old is reasonably George Takei is
TAKEI, 80 expected to be. currently doing seven
shows a week in
Hosato Enterprises Inc., What is the best advice you Pacific Overtures.
Los Angeles ever got?
Title: Actor, principal Do the best you can in whatever you do.

Background: Rose to fame What advice would you give

for his role of Sulu on Star to people who want to work
Trek and still does a variety well past 65?
of acting work. Love the work you do. If you can keep
working, it is a blessing.

Whats the secret to staying

How many hours a week
do you work?
Seven performances a week,
10 hours a week. Im currently
in a revival of Pacific Overtures,
a 90-minute show. Upcoming is
Allegiance, a normal 2-hour
show, eight performances a week.
Why not retire?
I love acting, my lifelong passion. I feel
blessed that I am still cast in interesting
productions.
Does your family want
you to retire?
An actor has between engagement
time, so we go on vacations at those
times.
Best part of working past
80? Worst?
The best part of working is the work
itself. I love the fulfillment of working with
other exciting, young, talented people.
The worst part is being confronted with
two projects at the same time. I would
have to pass on one.
healthy and active?
Eat well and sensibly, exercise
the body and mind, get at least
seven hours of sleep, and
be optimistic.
Do you work as much as you
used to in your 40s
and 50s?
No, the body and mind slow down so
you make the appropriate adjustments.
I take naps.
How has your work routine
changed?
The work routine changes with the
needs of each script.
What do you miss the most
about being young?
The energy and the flexibility of the body
I used to have.
What do you see in the
future?
After a few more years, maybe more
between engagement time.
Omar Shamout

A. CHARLES WILSON, 92
Ernest Packaging Solutions, Commerce;
Trio Tech International, Van Nuys; Daico
Industries Inc., Carson.
Title: Chairman and Chief Executive,
Ernest; Chairman, Trio Tech;
Chairman, Daico
Background: Founded Ernest with his
brother in 1946.

How many hours a week do you work?

40 to 50.

Why not retire?

I enjoy working. I love to help mentor our up-and-
coming talent. The future is so bright.

Does your family want you to retire?

No, because they know I enjoy what Im doing.

Best part of working past 80? Worst?

Is that Im still working. Worst? Im not as
energetic as I once was.
Shaping Future:
Are you up to date on technology? A. Charles Wilson
Yes, I read a lot and am fascinated. You must enjoys mentoring
remember, when I was a kid, ice was delivered by at his businesses.
horse and sliced bread was a novelty.

What is the best advice you

ever got?
Every day is a gift and do the best you can to
accomplish what youre setting forth to do.
What advice would you give to people
who want to work well past 65?
Try to keep your health so that you can accomplish
your goals.
Whats the secret to staying healthy
and active?
Thinking positively, exercising, and
eating properly.
Do you work as much as you used to
in your 40s and 50s?
No, in terms of the physical hours. But on
using my mind, yes. I am always reading,
attending a lecture.
How has your work routine changed?
Over the years Ive grown into more management
and less operating.
What do you miss the most about
being young?
I dont miss much because I try to think the
future is always so interesting.
What do you see in the future?
Trying to enjoy the opportunities life presents
to me.
Paul Eakins
22 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 2017

8 Over
80

in your field. People will like you or not like you

LARRY KING, 83
Ora TV develops and distributes
online video content.
Title: Broadcaster, principal
Background: Left his nightly CNN show,
Larry King Live, in 2010 after 25 years
on the air.
How many hours a week do you work?
About 20, plus traveling for speeches. So, some
weeks more.
Why not retire?
Retire to what? I love what I do. Everyday is something
new: keeping up with world news and talking to
people in all walks of life. I never get tired of it. I feel
blessed.
Does your family want you to retire?
They have never expressed that thought. I think they
understand how much it means to me.
Best part of working past 80? Worst?
The best part of working past 80 is working past 80.
To still be able to do that after having had a heart
attack, heart surgery, prostate cancer, and Type 2
diabetes. I still can travel anywhere and function.
There is no worst part.
depending on you. Still Tuned In:
Larry Kings work
What advice would you give to people keeps him on the
who want to work well past 65? move, including
Sixty-five is now the old 50. It used to be that a trip to Norway
everybody retired at 65, Social Security came in, and this month.
then youre supposed to die at 66. Just keep doing
what you love.
Whats the secret to staying healthy
and active?
I dont know. My father died when he was 46, but one
thing that has helped me is pharmaceuticals. Medicine
keeps me going. If I have anything that occurs, I see
the doctor. And Ill let you in on another thing people
dont use enough, luck. Lefty Gomez said, Id rather
be lucky than good.
Do you work as much as you used to
in your 40s and 50s?
I think I do. I have a lot of stamina. I fly around;
for example, Im going to Norway in June to do a
conference for Stephen Hawking. Im going to London
to speak to a large group and record interviews for my
shows, Larry King Now and PoliticKING With Larry
King on Ora TV.
How has your work routine changed?
The big difference is now I tape my shows instead of
doing them live. All my life Ive worked live, and I like
live. But the nature of this business and the kind of
programming we do with the internet is on tape.

Are you up to date on technology? What do you miss the most about
I started when it was radio wires, and then satellites, being young?
and then I was seen around the world on television, Looking forward to getting older, and I love the
and now on the internet. Im still doing what Ive innocence of youth.
always done, but technology is sending me out
differently. I respect it. I dont worship it. What do you see in the future?
Future is a great word for someone 83. I think I will
What is the best advice you probably die on the air, and like another Jew, in 2,000
ever got? years, Id like to come back.
Always be yourself, dont try to imitate other people Omar Shamout

Bigger Picture:
DAVID MIRISCH, 81 David Mirisch
David Mirisch Enterprises, a Westlake applies his skills to
Village producer of fundraising events. helping nonprofits.
Title: President
Background: Part of the Mirisch Co.
family that has produced classics
including Some Like It Hot and The
Magnificent Seven.

How many hours a week do you work?

40 plus.

Why not retire?

I love what I do. I produce and consult for nonprofits
for them to raise more funds. Ive done over 2,500
fundraising events throughout the United States
and seven foreign countries. Ive raised $35 million
throughout my career.

Does your family want you to retire?

They know when Im ready, I will.

Best part of working past 80? Worst?

The best is utilizing my knowledge of putting on
fundraising events during the past 50 years. The worst
is that I get a little more tired than when I was younger.
Are you up to date on technology?
Not so much. I use my daughter and my college
interns for that.
What is the best advice you ever got?
I went to work for United Artists when I just came out
of college, and the Mirisch Corp. distributed their films
through United Artists. My uncle Harold said, Dont
throw your weight around and brag youre a Mirisch.
Just gain the respect of the people you work for, and
then theyll find out youre a part of the Mirisch family.
What advice would you give to
people who want to work well past
65?
Work only if you have to. Marry a good woman who
will stay with you for 35 years, like my wife, Sandy.
Whats the secret to staying healthy
and active?
Have good doctors who keep you both healthy and
allow you to remain active.
Do you work as much as you used
to in your 40s and 50s?
I have slowed down a little as I have fewer accounts
to work on.
How has your work routine
changed?
Ive probably worked every day of my life. I still
get up at 5 a.m., I go to the computer and check
all my emails. I check what calls I need to make
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
during the day. I still go to meetings to pitch my
business.
What do you miss the most about
being young?
I cant run around as much as I used to.
What do you see in the future?
Whatever God has in store for me.
Omar Shamout
JUNE 5, 2017 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 23

8 Over
80

What is the best advice you

Clocked In: ever got?
William Fulco You know what you cant do. Figure out what you
prefers to can do, then do it.
keep a steady
schedule. What advice would you give to people
who want to work well past 65?
Keep at it, but dont stop learning. Dont sit on past
laurels. When I get together with my age peers, I
dont like to reminisce about the past. That always
seems like a characteristic of folks who have ended
productive life. I like to talk about the present and the
trajectory of present events.

Whats the secret to staying healthy

and active?
Love. Really that simple. Be intensely involved in the
lives of others, listen to them, learn from their lives,
affirm them. If you are a loner, youre doomed.

Do you work as much as you used to

in your 40s and 50s?
More! I may not do it as fast, but I probably do it
more accurately. Or maybe it just seems that way
because it takes me longer to do it.

How has your work routine changed?

Not very much. Im a man of structure. Folks joke
that they can set their clock by what Im doing.

What do you miss the most about

WILLIAM FULCO, 81
Loyola Marymount University
Title: National Endowment for the
Humanities Professor of Ancient
Mediterranean Studies
Background: A Jesuit priest who has
translated ancient languages for films
and books.
How many hours a week do you work? My Jesuit colleagues are somewhat surprised that I being young?
Usually about 50. No matter what time I go to bed, am still at it, but no one has suggested that I retire. I had more energy. I think I also miss planning
usually around 10:30 to 11, I am always up at 5 and (usually it wasnt realistic) big things in my future,
over in my office by 7:30. I frequently work in the Best part of working past 80? Worst? daydreaming.
evening. Best: Staying alive and involved and still learning.
Worst: People are hesitant to include me in their What do you see in the future?
Why not retire? plans for the future for fear I might not make it. I dont see into the future much Im too busy. As
No reason to. I still have the energy and interest. There it is, Ive been diagnosed with a malady (idiopathic
are several research projects in my computer which I Are you up to date on technology? pulmonary fibrosis) that statistics tell me should
wish to update, finish, and see through to publication. Very much so. I am very computer literate, and I have killed me at least three or four years ago, but
enjoy keeping up with new electronic matters. My here I am. But that reality does drive me to pay more
Does your family want you to retire? android cellphones apps get a real workout. I am attention to and relish the present.
Im a Catholic (Jesuit) priest, so no immediate family. plugged into Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Paul Eakins

What is the best advice you

Write Stuff: ever got?
Richard Reeves RICHARD When I was a young reporter at The New
York Times, my boss, Arthur Gelb, urged
laments not
heeding advice to
REEVES, 80 me to keep a journal. You are going
keep a journal. USC Annenberg School to meet many of the most interesting
of Communication and people on the planet, said he. I didnt
Journalism do it. Ive written 20 books, and the 21st
Title: Writer, senior lecturer should have been that journal/memoir.

Background: A former New What advice would you give

York Times political writer,
he has authored several
presidential biographies
and has had a syndicated
newspaper column since 1979.
How many hours a week do
you work?
More than 40.
Why not retire?
To do what? My brother, who is 78, retired
as athletic director of Columbia University.
He was so bored, he now works as a
conductor on the boardwalk shuttle in his
town in Maryland at $10.41 an hour.
to people who want to work
well past 65?
Do it. Theres an insurance company
ad featuring (retired) Peyton Manning
sitting on a park bench in a bathrobe.
The old guy stands up and says, Dont
give up what youre doing! The old
guys right.
Whats the secret to staying
healthy and active?
Staying active. Having a big family, like
me: five children, seven grandchildren.
Do you work as much as
you used to in your 40s and
50s?
No; wish I did.

Does your family want you How has your work routine
to retire? changed?
No. Not so much, if Im working on a book.
Up early, read, write, then off to the
Best part of working past office.
80? Worst?
Best: I love my work and my colleagues, What do you miss the most
too. Worst? You dont have much of about being young?
a future; planning and dreaming are My wife. The energy and ambitions.
in decline.
What do you see in the
Are you up to date on future?
technology? You know that answer.
No. I basically peak at e-mail and Siri. Paul Eakins
24 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 2017

20
In
Their
20s

Flipped Switch:
ROBERT ANDERSON, 23 Robert Anderson with
Miso Robotics, a Pasadena robotics and Miso Robotics
artificial intelligence solutions developer Flippy the robot.
for automated food preparation.
Employees: 6
Financials: N/A

What led you to start your own

business?
While in high school and college, I pursued many
interests to challenge myself and took opportunities
that would help me achieve my ultimate goal of
making a positive impact on the world.

Whats been the biggest challenge

so far?
Its been a challenge breaking our larger vision
down into manageable sizes and scopes. We
have worked really hard to develop our product
roadmap allowing us to iterate and meet our goal
of implementing Flippy (the robot) into CaliBurger
kitchens by early 2018 as well as scaling to meet
the needs of future customers.

Whats the most important lesson

youve learned?
I have learned how to communicate more clearly
and listen more critically. Meeting with customers
has allowed me to better understand their needs. RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ

How many hours a day do you put in?
I work at least 12 hours a day in the office, but I
am always reading, networking, and thinking about
innovative ideas to bring to the table as well as
approaching problems from different angles.
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees?
Miso Robotics is unique in that all three co-founders
graduated from Caltech a decade apart (97,
07, and 16). Even though we are composed of
employees of different generations, we welcome
and encourage any and all ideas. I can admit that
in being the youngest it took a while for me to
develop my voice when working with others outside
the company who are more experienced, but Ive
noticed that all it takes is preparation and practice.
Would you start another company?
I am passionate about many different sectors and
always think about ways to help engineer a better
world.
Could you ever work for someone
else?
I am driven by improving the world, and I thrive
in a collaborative environment, so any company
I consider starting or joining must align with my
vision and workplace needs.
What do you do to unwind?
Exercise is incredibly important for me to stay
balanced. I enjoy playing basketball because it helps
me clear my mind and reset during a busy day or
week.
Garrett Reim

learned about menstruation. You were probably in

ERIKA JENSEN, 28
Flex Co., a Venice maker of feminine
care products, including its trademarked
menstrual discs.
Employees: 15
Financials: Multimillion-dollar run rate.
What led you to start your own
business?
Fate. I never dreamed of being an entrepreneur. In
fact, I often say that Im more of a contractor, not
an architect. But fate led me to running e-com-
merce at a vibrator company in San Francisco
(not the career path I had hoped for myself),
which led me to meeting my co-founder, Lauren
Schulte. The first night I met Lauren she told me
over Vietnamese food that she suffered from yeast
infections caused by tampons and explained that
there hadnt been an innovation in feminine care
since the tampon and menstrual cup were brought
to market in the 1930s. We realized that this is a
problem that 51 percent of the population deals
with every second of every day, and the products
we use cause infection, discomfort, odor, some-
times death. Why hadnt someone done something
about this? So we did, with Flex.
Where did you get the startup
money?
We raised a $4.2 million seed round in 2016, led
by Amplify.LA, Y Combinator, and a mix of both VC
and angel investors.
Whats been the biggest challenge
so far?
The most persistent challenge we face is quite
simply the conversations that we have. The cat-
egory were in is highly stigmatized, creating a
huge barrier to innovation. Think about when you
school, girls separated from boys, and were told Breaking Barrier:
some variation of Hide your tampon when you Flexs Erika Jensen
walk to the bathroom and Dont talk to boys wants feminine care
about your period. And thats it. That sentiment of to shed its stigma.
embarrassment and privacy carries on throughout
our lives. We have to change the narrative in order
to continue driving change, and we hope to do
that by fulfilling our mission of creating body-pos-
itive and life-changing experiences through the
products that we make and the conversations that
we spark.
Whats the most important lesson
youve learned?
The most important lesson Ive learned is when
to know what you dont know. Its OK to not know
what youre doing but you have to have a growth
mind-set. Learning and resilience are essential to
sustained accomplishment.
How many hours a day do you put
in?
Typically, 10 at the office padded with a couple
of hours on either end for e-mails, calls, and/or a
shower think.
Would you start another company?
At Flex, were working toward creating a world
where every woman loves her body. For a multi-
tude of reasons, this has been a personal mission
of mine for over 20 years and something that, even
beyond Flex, I will continue to devote my energy to.
I might give it up for Formula 1 racing, though.
Could you ever work for someone
else?
Of course. There are incredible leaders all over the
world that I would be honored to work for. I will
never be too proud to work for someone else.
What do you do to unwind?
Racing cars, Pilates, scuba diving.
Diane Haithman
JUNE 5, 2017
OREN KATZ, 28
Carbon & Hyde, a downtown fine jewelry
company that she runs with her older
sister, Yarden Katz.
Employees: 2
Financials: Self-funded
What led you to start your own
business?
Our family is in the fine jewelry manufacturing
business. We own a jewelry shop with about 25
employees who manufacture all our fine jewelry.
Where did you get the startup
money?
We started producing a few items in the family shop
until we had a very small collection. We took our
pieces to stores right away and luckily every store
wanted to work with us. We had strong sales from
the beginning, so it helped pay back the investment
quickly and the business took off from there.
Whats been the biggest challenge
so far?
The biggest challenge is always thinking 10 steps
ahead. You have to be on top of every store and
their inventory, you have to know the market and
stay on trend, and you need to be prepared for
holidays and high jewelry moments during the year.
Whats the most important lesson
youve learned?
Reminding yourself that every day is a new day. As
an entrepreneur, you enter into a roller coaster of a
journey. There is a lot of trial and error. Some days
you have highs and other days you have lows.
How many hours a day do you put in?
Were in the office managing production
Early Lessons:
Undergraduate work
led Alex Finch, left,
and Deepak Atyam
to launch their firm.
and design about six to seven hours a day, real employees are Yarden and I. But there are
but I am constantly working every minute over 25 people who work with us in production
of the day. to create the jewelry. Most of them have known
us since we were babies, so its like a family
Has your youth led to any awkward working together.
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees? Would you start another company?
Were partnered with our family-owned Yes. If I had the time, I would start a business for
manufacturing house, so technically the only every passion of mine.
Family Ties:
Oren Katz launched
Carbon & Hyde with
her sister out of their
familys jewelry shop.
DEEPAK ATYAM, 23
ALEX FINCH, 25
Tri-D Dynamics, a Cerritos contract manufacturer
of rocket engine components that uses 3-D
printing to reduce production time.
Employees: 4
Financials: Self-funded with $15,000; won
$100,000 in business plan competitions.
What led you to start your own business?
Atyam: As undergrad students, we were on the forefront of
using 3-D printing with liquid rocket engines. We had filed
for IP related to designs and manufacturing processes that
our mentors at NASA told us havent been seen before in the
industry. The opportunity to be an agile game-changer in the
heritage field of rockets was an easy decision.
Finch: I decided that to build the future that I envisioned,
I couldnt bet on someone else to do it. The best way to
ensure the future of my dreams was to get working building
it myself. Tri-D Dynamics will help to build the vibrant,
space-faring society of the future.
Where did you get the startup money?
Atyam: Business plan competitions and savings from
working at various internships over the past six years.
Whats been the biggest challenge so far?
Finch: The biggest challenge thus far has been pushing
forward the progress of the startup while simultaneously
trying to complete a graduate thesis program in engineering.
It often feels like I have two full-time jobs.
Atyam: Product market fit. Talking to customers and
validating that our product/service was needed in the
market.
Whats the most important lesson youve
learned?
Atyam: Be as efficient as possible. There are only 24 hours
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 25
20
In
Their
20s
Could you ever work for someone
else?
After working for myself and running my own
company, I think its OK to be greedy and say
never again.
What do you do to unwind?
Yoga and Soul Cycle.
Shwanika Narayan
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
in a day and sleep is somewhat necessary.
Finch: There is always a way forward. We live in a world
where there is never a situation where all options have been
exhausted; we just reach a threshold that we are unwilling to
venture into, for any number of reasons.
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you supervise
older employees?
Atyam: My youth had led to more awkward situations
when I was younger and had different leading styles due
to my experience levels. Over the years, Ive transformed
my leading styles from a top-down approach to more of a
mentor-mentee methodology.
Would you start another company?
Atyam: Most definitely. Would love to tackle difficult
problems and develop innovative solutions through the
entrepreneurial realm.
Finch: Effecting the greatest amount of positive change on
the world is my driving passion. I see this being manifested
through many possible means, of which starting multiple
companies is a likely option.
Could you ever work for someone else?
Finch: I have thought about this a lot. The primary
consideration in answering this is the fact that it is easiest
for me to fully commit to something of my own creation.
However, after a lot of reflection, I reached the conclusion
that I could work for someone else if the overall mission is
deeply in tune with my driving passion.
Atyam: I could work for someone else as long as I truly
admired that individual and knew I could grow immensely
from the experience.
What do you do to unwind?
Atyam: I try to exercise to unwind on a normal workweek.
In general, I try to plan bigger trips with my friends where
we would go to a music festival, camping, or travel and
explore new cities.
Finch: My first passion was basketball. Playing pickup or
just shooting around on an empty court is my way of getting
away from the world for a bit.
Helen Zhao
26 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 2017

20
In
Their
20s

RAY LI, 29
Sene, a La Brea maker of custom suits,
with online fitting and 3-D scanning.
Employees: 4
Financials: $300,000 raised

so its often more about saying no then saying yes.

Whats the most important lesson

youve learned?
Herb Kelleher has this great quote: Act big and
youll get small. Act small and youll get big. Dont
get caught up in the hype, just focus on making
great products and growing profitably.

How many hours a day do you put in?

Ten to 14 hours a day, six days a week. And my wife
and I just started a new routine of going on a half-
day road trip once a week. Its amazing to get away.

Has your youth led to any awkward

Refashioned Career:
Senes Ray Li worked
as a brand consultant
for several years.
What led you to start your own
business?
I did brand consulting for a number of years,
helping consumer goods and technology companies
transform their brands. After a while, I wanted the
challenge of building something from scratch and to
shape all aspects of the experience.
Where did you get the startup
money?
When we first started, it was nights and weekends
while working my full-time job. Then it got busy
enough to go all in, and I bootstrapped it for a while
using personal savings. This spring was the first
time we raised a small amount from angels.
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
Whats been the biggest challenge
so far?
The biggest challenge is focus. Theres
countless good things to do, but are simply
a distraction from the truly mission-critical
things that will drive the brand and business
forward. Theres only 24 hours in a day,
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees?
People typically think Im older since Im an owner,
so it hasnt been much of an issue.
Would you start another company?
For sure. Im hooked.
Could you ever work for someone else?
I think flexibility is something I value a lot, so it
would have to be an environment where you can
still be entrepreneurial.
What do you do to unwind?
My wife and I love to go on day trips and also
go hiking. Sometimes we need to get away from
everything that feels familiar to truly relax.
Caroline Anderson

Youth Movement:
NICOLAS BIJAN, 25 Nicolas Bijan
has expanded Bijans
The House of Bijan is a menswear brand
customer demographics.
with a flagship store on Beverly Hills Rodeo
Drive; Nicolas Bijan has been reinventing the
company since he took over after the death of
his father, Bijan Pakzad, in 2011, expanding
the brand into new markets.
Employees: 52
Financials: Revenue has increased more
than 200 percent under Nicolas Bijans
leadership.

Whats been the biggest challenge

so far?
Over the last six years, we have worked to appeal
to a new, younger generation of affluent men and
women. Today, we see a much higher percentage
of clients in their 30s and 40s than ever before.
This, along with maintaining and improving upon
the Bijan brands 40-year-old philosophy of quality,
exclusivity, and attention to detail, has been the
biggest challenge.

Whats the most important lesson

RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ

youve learned?
Never, never, never compromise quality. Ever.

How many hours a day do you

put in?
I am constantly traveling to meet with our clients
from all different countries around the world, as well
as visiting our factory in Italy oftentimes, flying 17
hours for a brief meeting then flying back. If I am
lucky enough to be in Beverly Hills, I work 9:30 to
6:30 every day.
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees?
I believe it has been an invaluable asset, as it has
enabled me to ask a great deal of questions as well
as learn from a variety of people, especially the
individuals whove been in the Bijan organization
for decades.
Would you start another company?
I am very fortunate to love what we do and to
have inherited a passion for what my father built.
If there were an opportunity to create or start
something new that I feel as passionate about, I
believe it would be unwise not to capitalize upon it.
Could you ever work for someone
else?
Of course. I think any opportunity to learn something
new as well as gain experience is valuable.
What do you do to unwind?
Ive been fortunate enough to be able to visit so
many different countries and learn about so many
diverse cultures while traveling for business, but
whenever possible, I like to travel for pleasure.
Caroline Anderson
JUNE 5, 2017
What led you to start your own
business?
Zabihian: I was born and raised in a Bahi family
in Iran. As a result of religious persecution, I was
denied access to higher education. This denial of my
basic human rights did not deter me from the pursuit
of higher education. I applied for political asylum in
the U.S., and after two months of being in the United
States, I co-founded Toot to democratize education
Hire Power:
Ben Mones credits an
issue with a job applicant
for launching his firm.
around the world.
Parsa: To solve a problem and learning about my
co-founders story.
Where did you get the startup money?
Parsa: Angel investors, friends, and family.
Whats been the biggest challenge?
Parsa: Pivoting our entire business. Although we
Product Pivot:
Shakib Zabihian, left,
and Sophia Parsa
refocused their original
venture on its text-
messaging service.
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
spent a lot of time on the original business, we
realized that we had a better opportunity with the
text-messaging service.
Zabihian: To accept that our original idea wasnt
good enough and that we needed to change.
Whats the most important lesson
youve learned?
Parsa: Its wise to have a technical co-founder if
BEN MONES, 29
Fama Technologies Inc., which uses
machine learning and natural language
processing to analyze a job applicants
public digital presence for indicators of
risk, culture fit, and performance.
Employees: 12
Financials: Raised $2.7 million in seed
financing and is backed by Double M Capital,
Amplify.LA, Miramar Digital Ventures,
Wavemaker Partners, and TGK Ventures.
What led you to start your own
business?
I started Fama after experiencing the problem
(evaluating a job applicant) that our solution
is currently solving for today. I missed critical
information about a hire that was plainly available
on that persons online identity. That visceral
experience, combined with a love of enterprise
software, sparked my desire to start building a team
to solve that problem.
Where did you get the startup money?
In the early days, it was all my personal savings, and
then we were seeded by Amplify.LA in mid-2015.
Amplify provided us the access to capital, customers,
and mentors we needed to get off the ground quickly.
Whats been the biggest challenge
so far?
The definition of a first-time founder is self-
explanatory; theres a lot of iteration at the product,
sales, and operations levels, respectively. Navigating
that landscape can be difficult and, at times, isolating.
Ive tried my best to surround myself with mentors
and advisers that have been there before. Some of the
best conversations Ive had are when I shut my mouth
and just listen.
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 27
20
In
Their
20s
SOPHIA PARSA, 26
SHAKIB ZABIHIAN, 25
Toot App Inc., a Santa Monica maker
of online tutoring products and a text-
messaging service that connects students
to tutors.
Employees: 4
Financials: Raised almost $500,000 from
the Getty family, Tobey Maguire, and
other L.A. investors.
youre going to build a tech company. The most
important lesson Ive learned is to accept what Im
good at and let go of the things Im bad at.
Zabihian: The most important lesson I learned is not
to build a product based on your own interpretation
of what the market wants and to, instead, let the idea
shape along the way as you test, implement, and get
feedback from your customers.
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees?
Zabihian: Not at all. We never had a much older
employee and everyone has been in their 20s. Some
raise the question of whether its hard to raise money
as a young founder, and the answer to that is also no.
If anything, our youth has been an asset to us so far.
Could you ever work for someone else?
Parsa: Never have. Its not that I wouldnt.
Zabihian: I like to be my own boss, but it also
depends on who that someone is.
What do you do to unwind?
Parsa: I love to host.
Zabihian: I like to keep an active lifestyle.
Henry Meier
Whats the most important lesson
youve learned?
There are new lessons every day, which makes
this job so exciting. But one of the most memorable
lessons Ive learned I heard from a client. He runs one
of the biggest volunteer organizations in the country
and told me, Experience is the best education, but it
charges the highest tuition.
How many hours a day do you put in?
Fama is definitely not a 9-to-5 job, but it does not feel
like work.
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you supervise
older employees?
My age doesnt play into or effect my management
style, but it has come up with customers. We gave a
presentation at one of our partners sales conferences
last fall attendees included executives from
companies such as Kaiser Permanente, Home Depot,
Adobe. The keynote that preceded my talk was all
about how to engage with millennials in the workplace.
I assured the audience members when I got up on
stage that although a millennial, I speak the same
language and observe the same cultural norms.
Would you start another company?
Undoubtedly.
Could you ever work for someone
else?
With the right team, absolutely. You can realize many
of the benefits of entrepreneurship working for another
person it just depends on the team and role.
What do you do to unwind?
I like to play basketball great chance for me to get
into the flow of the game and not think about anything
else. I also read voraciously and hang out on the beach
whenever I can. The quality of life in L.A. should be a
major draw for any founder headquarters in Santa
Monica has its perks.
Garrett Reim
28 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 2017

20
In
Their
20s

Full Plate:
ANDREA BORGEN, 28 Andrea Borgen says
Barcito, a downtown gastropub inspired Barcitos downtown
by the corner bars of Buenos Aires, neighborhood has
Argentina, with a focus on craft cocktails, seen some changes.
shared plates, and hospitality.
Employees: 11
Financials: $750,000 in revenue.

What led you to start your own

business?
Id been working in restaurant management for
several years. Hillstone Restaurant Group really
taught me how to run a systematized and efficient
restaurant, whereas Union Square Hospitality Group
really focused on employee culture and ensuring
that same hospitality manifested itself in the guest
experience. I paired these skills with a desire to bring
an approachable neighborhood restaurant with an
emphasis on Argentine hospitality to Los Angeles.

Where did you get the startup money?

Most of the capital was funded by a (Small Business
Administration) loan, but I also raised a small amount
of private investment from friends and family.

Whats been the biggest challenge?

Were in a growing neighborhood, which has
changed multiple times since we opened our doors
in September 2015. RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ

Whats the most important lesson
youve learned?
This is something I quickly learned working for
USHG, but has become even further ingrained
since opening my own concept: Put people first.
Investing in employees is the single most effective
way to ensure you see a return on your dollar. We
eliminated tipping this time last year to provide
stability to our wait staff, higher wages for our
kitchen, health insurance for everyone, and more
opportunities for continued development and growth.
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees?
I was the G.M. of a Danny Meyer restaurant at the
age of 23, so I had to get over that, quick. Yes,
definitely encountered some more challenging
employees, but I strongly believe that the best
leaders earn (not demand) the respect of those
around them, regardless of the age difference.
Would you start another company?
In a heartbeat.
Could you ever work for someone else?
Absolutely. Im certainly at a point where I have
to feel incredibly vested in the vision, and feel like
my values align with that of the founders of the
company, and would settle for nothing less.
What do you do to unwind?
Drink. (Kidding. Kind of.) I try to stay as active as
possible, so try to get out and go hiking, biking,
surfing, scuba diving, rock climbing.
Caroline Anderson

EDEN CHEN, 29
Fishermen Labs, an El Segundo startup
that develops apps, websites, and virtual
reality and augmented reality content.
Employees: 40
Financials: Self-funded; 2016 revenue of
about $4 million, projected 2017 revenue
of $8 million to $12 million.
How many hours a day do you
put in?
Ten to 12 hours a day during the weekday and four
hours on Sunday; almost never work on Saturday.
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees?
About half the people that I supervise are older than
me, but it hasnt really led to awkward situations
that Im aware of. We try to focus on work merit.
Would you start another company?
Yes. I love business and building products, and I
envision that Ill continue doing that in one form or
another for the rest of my life.
Could you ever work for someone
else?
I think I could. When I first started Fishermen Labs, I
told myself that I was doing it partly because I could
never work for someone. Ive realized that there is
so much that I can learn from those older than me,
and theres a lot I can learn in a role where Im not
the boss.
What do you do to unwind?
I spend time in prayer and reading the Bible, and I
play basketball.
Caroline Anderson

What led you to start your own

business?
I was interested in building a long-term work culture
that included working with a group of intelligent
makers, creating the highest-quality technology
products, having a lot of fun at work but not being
obsessed about always working, and giving people
freedom without the burden of red tape.

Where did you get the startup

money?
We bootstrapped the company and focused on cash
flow early. We did not buy things before we had
the money, we didnt hire before we had contracts,
and we didnt commit to projects that we couldnt
deliver on.

Whats been the biggest challenge

so far?
Scaling a company is more difficult than I expected.
There are constant operational red flags that come
up on a weekly basis, and we always need to tweak
our process.

Whats the most important lesson

RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ

youve learned? Reeling Them In:

Find people to work with that you enjoy being Eden Chen sees
around, trust, and aspire to learn from. Life is too hiring the right
short to work with people who are entitled and think workforce as key.
they are a big deal.
JUNE 5, 2017
JAKE KASSAN, 28
KRAMER LAPLANTE, 25
MVMT (pronounced movement), near
Westchester, designs and sells minimalist
watches and accessories.
Employees: 50
Financials: Raised $300,000 on
Indiegogo, no VC or outside investments;
$60 million in revenue in 2016.
What led you to start your own
business?
Kassan: Kramer and I both loved fashion,
entrepreneurship, and the watch industry. We had
been obsessed with crowdfunding and wanted to do
our own thing. Being broke college kids, we wanted
to create a brand that added value and inspiration.
MVMT was founded on the belief that style shouldnt
break the bank.
Where did you get the startup
money?
Kassan: We launched on Indiegogo, where we
raised just under $300,000.
Whats been the biggest challenge
so far?
Kassan: Biggest challenge was in the early days.
We were operating on a shoestring budget, and
if we made a mistake, it could have crippled our
business. Growing to $60 million with only $300,000
in capital was a fantastic learning experience.
Whats the most important lesson
youve learned?
LaPlante: Network as much as possible and have
credible referrals before making any big decisions.
Kassan: The customer always comes first.
What led you to start your own
business?
Ive always wanted to run my own business,
so I decided to take that jump. My whole
family is in the trucking industry, so it runs in
the family.
Where did you get the startup
money?
It was the support from my family. I couldnt have
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees?
Kassan: In the beginning, there were awkward
situations, oftentimes a lack of respect. As weve
grown, its hard for anyone to underestimate us
now. I also believe that were in a new age of
entrepreneurship. Some of the most successful
entrepreneurs are under 30.
LaPlante: We have gotten lucky to build
an awesome team that really respects each other.
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
done it without them.
Whats been the biggest challenge
so far?
The growing pains. I learn something new every day in
this industry. One of my biggest challenges is providing
enough work assignments to our independent
contractors and also keeping all of our independent
contractors compliant with (California Highway Patrol)
and (Department of Transportation) rules.
I think the space we are in requires young-minded
individuals in order to be successful. Although some
team members are older, they bring an expertise
that we dont have.
Would you start another company?
LaPlante: I think I am always going to be hungry to
start something, but for now, we are disrupting an
industry and the skys the limit.
Kassan: My focus is entirely on MVMT and growing
it to its fullest potential.
Driving Interest:
Francisco Francos
family is in the
trucking industry.
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
Whats the most important lesson
youve learned?
Ive learned so many. Im a huge believer that you What do you do to unwind?
treat people how you like to be treated. Running a
business takes a lot of responsibilities. Always be
yourself and never change.
How many hours a day do you put in?
My first six years I lived in my office. I was working
80-plus hours a week. Now that I have everything
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 29
20
In
Their
20s
Could you ever work for someone
else?
Kassan: It all depends. If they are a good leader, I
think theres a possibility, but not anytime soon.
LaPlante: If they are teaching me something that I
dont know, absolutely.
What do you do to unwind?
LaPlante: Gym, sports, cars.
Kassan: TV, work out, coffee, sushi.
Shwanika Narayan
Dialed In:
Jake Kassan, left,
and Kramer LaPlante
tapped Indiegogo
to launch their business.
FRANCISCO FRANCO, 26
Franco Trucking Inc., a Carson logistics-
transportation company that moves goods
from the ports complex to their destinations.
Employees: 140 (including independent
contractors)
Financials: N/A
in place, such as my management team and
employees, Im now working anywhere from 50 to
60 hours a week but am on call 24-7.
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees?
Yes, most definitely. I will get this a lot from
my customers. I think it was more of a trust issue.
All I needed was my foot in the door; and after, it
was magic.
Would you start another company?
Of course. Im a very hard-working person
that never puts no for an answer. Remember,
The sky is not the limit if there are footprints
on the moon.
Could you ever work for someone
else?
As of right now, Ill say no. I dont think thats a fit
for me.
I love to spend time with my family, friends,
and, most importantly, my girlfriend. I also
love coffee, so I like to try new coffee shops
around the area. You never know, maybe
opening up my own coffee shop will be my
next new venture.
Howard Fine
30 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL
20
In
Their
20s
KEVIN YAMAZAKI, 29
Sidebench, a Culver City studio that partners
with large companies to identify, develop,
and launch strategic technology solutions.
Employees: 18
Financials: No startup investment;
growth rate of 1,350 percent from 2013
to 2016; 2017 revenue projection of
$5.2 million.
What led you to start your own
business?
I previously spent several years working for one
of the largest global consulting firms. My job was
to strategize, design, and build apps and software
prototypes for R&D-like groups of Fortune 500
companies. I felt the firms methodology did not
work well for the more innovative and agile groups
that I was working with. I created a new framework
for better collaborating with large enterprises to
strategize and execute on digital innovation projects.
Where did you get the startup money?
Sidebench is bootstrapped as a zero-investment
startup, so I had our first client place a deposit for the
project before we formed the company.
Whats been the biggest challenge
so far?
Finding the best talent in Los Angeles that brings
a new element of diversity to our team, aligns with
Sidebenchs vision, and matches our teams passion
for what we do.
Chipping In:
James Shani
played poker
to raise funding
for his business.
What led you to start your own
business?
I studied marketing and film production at USC
and saw: 1) how underrepresented emerging
filmmakers were, and 2) the inefficiencies in old/
traditional production companies. I knew I could
create a better model.
JUNE 5, 2017
Off the Ground:
Kevin Yamazaki
launched Sidebench
as a zero-investment
startup.
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
Whats the most important lesson Employees: no, as long as everyone stays positive Could you ever work for someone else?
youve learned? and constructive. Clients: yes. My youth has both Yes, I honestly feel like I work for my employees
You dont need any upfront investment or capital to benefited and presented challenges for us when and my clients every day and I love it. I have
build a great company and make an impact. dealing with larger corporate clients for the first nothing against working for someone else as long
time. It mostly acts in our favor since we are hired as we start with and maintain alignment in our
How many hours a day do you by forward-thinking groups to bring a modern vision of what we are trying to achieve.
put in? innovation-driven approach to rethinking how they
Twelve. do business. What do you do to unwind?
I love being outside in the sun. On the weekends,
Has your youth led to any awkward Would you start another company? you can often find me doing something outdoors
situations, such as when you Yes, absolutely. Taking a more entrepreneurial approach with friends. Ive also gotten into meditation.
supervise older employees? is something Ive always gravitated toward. Henry Meier
Stepping In:
JAMES SHANI, 28 Justin Schneider
Madison + Vine, a Beverly Grove sold illustrations
content studio that works with to finance his firm.
emerging filmmakers and cross-
platform content.
Employees: 21
Financials: Projected 2017 revenue of
$10 million.
CEO and on your team at times. But it forces you
to focus, be resourceful, and get your business to
a place that proves its long-term viability.
Whats the most important lesson
youve learned?
People, people, people. You always read about
founders talking about hiring being the most
important thing, and its probably clich by now.
But it truly is the single most crucial aspect of
any business.
How many hours a day do you put in?
Including my morning meditation practice and
a workout, 16 to 17. But Im a big believer in
getting your seven to eight hours of sleep and try JUSTIN SCHNEIDER, 28
hard to get it. Wolf & Shepherd, a retail and
e-commerce company designing and
Has your youth led to any awkward selling footwear and accessories as well
situations, such as when you as doing footwear repair.
supervise older employees?
Not really. Im an old soul and most people say Employees: 7
Im 28 going on 40. Financials: Raised $250,000 from family
and friends in January 2016; now raising $2
Would you start another company? million from existing investors, angel groups,
Probably down the line. and early stage family and venture funds.
Could you ever work for someone
else?
Where did you get the It would have to be a company that was What led you to start your own
startup money? really paving the way and for a CEO I really business?
Playing Texas hold em at the Hustler Casino believed in. A background in footwear design.
during nights and weekends.
What do you do to unwind? Where did you get the startup
Whats been the biggest challenge? Play basketball, read/hang at a spa. money?
Bootstrapping in general. It wears on you as a Diane Haithman I sold illustrations of water-colored botanicals from
JUNE 5, 2017
Buttoned Up:
Noah Whinston
went from being a
fan of e-sports to
managing teams.
PHOTO: RAY SPEARS
a research project I had done with Mahery,
a nonprofit in Madagascar, and National
Geographic to get the seed capital, $50,000,
to design and develop our first collection
of shoes. Through a preorder campaign,
we raised an additional $60,000 in the
first month to pay the deposit on our first
purchase order of shoes.
Whats been the biggest
challenge so far?
Gaining traction with our customers has been
the biggest challenge to date. With limited
resources, personnel, and starting with no
brand recognition, earning a customers trust
and commitment to a new product proves to
be incredibly difficult.
Whats the most important
lesson youve learned?
The most important lesson Ive learned is to
have a vision of where you want to be and
aggressively go after making that vision happen.
How many hours a day do you
put in?
Im not sure I can keep count. Id probably
do a better job telling you the hours Im not
working. Maybe one to two hours a day is
spent relaxing with my family. The rest of the
time Im working.
Has your youth led to any
awkward situations, such as
when you supervise older
employees?
Definitely. Being younger mostly
has its advantages, but sometimes it
can be a barrier of confidence for some
customers, manufacturers, and even
employees who have skepticism in your
ability to make things happen or follow
through with your vision.
Would you start another
company?
Right now, I cant imagine starting another
company. I havent yet stopped thinking
about how to push Wolf & Shepherd toward
being a leading brand in our category of
footwear. The dream for Wolf & Shepherd
just keeps getting bigger.
Could you ever work for
someone else?
Probably more so now than ever before.
Its humbling running your own business, and
if this ever didnt work out, Id have so much
more appreciation for how much thought
and action goes into running a successful
business. Interestingly, Im finding that being
the boss really just means providing your
employees with the tools and training they
need to succeed. Im constantly looking for
feedback from the team at Wolf & Shepherd
and best trying to understand what I can do
to help them better do their jobs.
What do you do to unwind?
I spend time with my wife, Hope, and our
1-year-old daughter, Stella. We like to go
on bike rides on the Strand and hang out at
the beach.
Howard Fine
NOAH WHINSTON, 22
Immortals, a Venice e-sports company that
manages competitive video-game teams.
Employees: 30
Financials: Venture capital and investors
including Lions Gate Entertainment
Corp. and Lionsgate Interactive Ventures
President Peter Levin.
What led you to start your own
business?
I was a casual fan of e-sports but didnt really feel
like existing organizations were earning my loyalty
in the same way that a traditional sports team or
even a consumer-focused startup would. Branding
and identity werent big priorities. I felt underserved
as a fan, and I wanted to build my own organization
to sort of be the change I wanted to see in the
e-sports industry.
Where did you get the startup
money?
Before starting Immortals, I was a successful sports
and e-sports bettor. Through my connections there,
I was introduced to Clinton Foy from Crosscut
Ventures who shared my vision and helped put
together our first group of investors.
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
Whats been the biggest challenge
so far?
Scaling a startup in a niche industry can be
incredibly difficult, since theres a lack of people
with a combination of grassroots expertise and
a cousin of mine and some old pals as partners.
In the Mix:
Ted Montoya got
his startup capital
from his uncle.
TED MONTOYA, 29
Cal Provisions, a Venice Mexican food
vendor that specializes in pozole at L.A.s
Smorgasburg Sunday market.
Employees: 4
Financials: N/A
What led you to start your own
business?
I am able to utilize my creative talents to not only
contribute to the industry but progress it forward.
Where did you get the startup money?
I am privileged to have loyal partners, which include
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 31
20
In
Their
20s
significant professional experience.
Whats the most important lesson
youve learned?
Creating a healthy work environment is way more
important than sacrificing environment to cater to
individual talented employees.
How many hours a day do you put in?
Startups equal long hours. So, right now, Im at
about 10 to 12 hours per day, down from my peak
of 14 to 16.
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees?
It hasnt really. E-sports is a young industry, so most
of my employees are in the same age bracket as I
am. Ultimately though, solving that situation is just
about mutual respect.
Would you start another company?
Absolutely. I love what I do at Immortals, but there
will come a time when e-sports is fully built out and
the value will lie in people more operationally skilled
than I am.
Could you ever work for someone
else?
Sure, I could see myself working for another person
that I respect and want to learn from.
What do you do to unwind?
Work-life balance is not really a thing for me, or
most startup founders, but I try to carve out a few
hours per day to play video games, cook for myself,
or read.
Garrett Reim
both family and old co-workers. My uncle gave me the
startup capital as a loan, and since then, Ive taken on
Whats been the biggest challenge
so far?
As a growing small business and up-and-coming
entrepreneur, the challenge has been taking up
multiple responsibilities while still balancing my time
with my wife and children.
Whats the most important lesson
youve learned?
To carry myself with respect and loyalty.
How many hours a day do you put in?
I spend roughly 14 to 15 hours working almost every
day. I do social media networking, which involves a lot
of groundwork. I also have to create planning menus
and organize event dates and staffing for each event.
Then I also physically drive to and hand-select every
ingredient I cook with; in L.A. traffic that can take quite
some time. By the time I get to my prep space, some
days it can be 8 p.m. But as far as I am concerned, I
am always working. You cannot turn off creativity and
determination.
Has your youth led to any awkward
situations, such as when you
supervise older employees?
Fortunately, I have not experienced those types of
issues. Through hard work, I lead by example, which
in turn makes my staff respect me.
Would you start another company?
Yes.
Could you work for another person?
Yes, through collaboration and helping other
entrepreneurs grow. As a business person, I
understand lucrative opportunities and how
important it is to seize them when they present
themselves.
What do you do to unwind?
Ive played music for a long time, so I like to play
my guitar with my two sons or listen to vinyl records
with them. I also love to eat at new restaurants with
my wife.
Howard Fine

Southern California
Staycation Guide
Los Angeles Museums Offer New and Future
Cultural Opportunities
L
OS Angeless arts and culture scene continues to add excit-
ing new museums and exhibit programs from the 2017
spring opening of the Marciano Art Foundation to the
recent announcement of George Lucas Museum of Narra-
tive Art, set to open in Downtowns Exposition Park in 2021.
Here are some highlights of whats new and whats com-
ing up for the LA museum scene:
The 14th Factory (Downtown) In March, the 14th
Factory transformed an empty industrial warehouse near
Chinatown into a mythic universe through the creation of a
monumental, multisensory and cinematographic installation
environment one of the biggest independent art projects
in the world in 2017. The vision of The 14th Factory is to
create a new, independent paradigm for socially-engaged art,
a kind of guerilla action where art occupies and re-energizes
underutilized or even derelict urban spaces and gifts them
back to the in the form of a transformative experience. www.
the14thfactory.com
Academy Museum (Mid-City) The Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is building the worlds
leading movie museum in the heart of Los Angeles. Designed
by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, the six story
Academy Museum will contain state-of-the-art galleries,
exhibition spaces, movie theaters, educational areas, and spe-
cial event spaces. The museum is planned to open in 2018.
www.oscars.org/museum
Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (Down-
town) The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, or
formerly known as the Santa Monica Museum of Art, will
be getting a new home in Downtowns Arts District in fall of
this year. The new site will be in a 12,700-square-foot former
garment manufacturing facility. It will include 7,000 square
feet of exhibition space; almost 2,000 square feet larger than
the organizations previous home at Bergamot Station in
Santa Monica. This is the only kunsthalle, non-collecting
museum, in Southern California. The museum presents exhi-
bitions and programs that reveal the vibrant, untold stories
and pivotal moments in the history of contemporary art and
culture. www.theicala.org
Japanese American National Museum (Downtown)
Pioneering actor and passionate civil rights activist George
Takei has donated his personal collection, which represents
the many facets of his life and career, to the Japanese Ameri-
can National Museum. The collection will serve as the foun-
dation of a new exhibition that opened at the museum in
March and will run through August 20, titled New Frontiers:
The Many Worlds of George Takei. www.janm.org
CUSTOM CONTENT
J U N E 5, 2017
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Mid-City)
Among the enticing new exhibits at LACMA is Los Ange-
les to New York: The Dwan Gallery 19591971 (which
opened in March and will run through September 10) pre-
senting the storied history of the Dwan Gallery, one of the
most important galleries of the postwar period in the U.S.,
and the dealer and patron Virginia Dwan. Founded by Dwan
in a storefront in Westwood in 1959, the Dwan Gallery was
a leading avant-garde space during the 1960s, presenting
groundbreaking exhibitions by Franz Kline, Philip Guston,
Ad Reinhardt and more. Another exciting exhibit is Play-
ing with Fire: Paintings by Carlos Almaraz, which is the
first major retrospective of one of the most influential Los
Angeles artists of the 1970s and 1980s. Arguably the first of
the many Chicano artists whose cultural, and political moti-
vations catalyzed the Chicano art movement in the 1970s,
Almaraz began his career with political works for the farm
workers causa and co-founded the important artist collective
Los Four. This exhibit will be on display from August 6 to
December 3. www.lacma.org
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Downtown) Los
Angeles will welcome an exciting new museum from George
Lucas personal collection of art, which consists of about
10,000 paintings and illustrations including works by Rock-
well, N.C. Wyeth and R. Crumb, along with Hollywood
memorabilia from films such as Star Wars and The Ten
Commandments. The planned 275,000-square-foot, $1-bil-
lion museum will be located in Downtowns Exposition Park
and targeted to open by 2021. www.lucasmuseum.org
The Main Museum (Downtown) The Main Museum
of Los Angeles Art is a new institution focused on L.A. art
and artists. With a residency program at its center rather
than a collection, The Main situates artists prominently and
supports their continued engagement within the citys evolv-
ing landscape. Once complete, The Main will unfold across
three historic buildings in Downtown Los Angeles the
Farmers & Merchants Bank, the Hellman Building, and the
Bankhouse Garage. It will include a variety of exhibition gal-
leries, studio spaces for an artists residency program, a roof-
top sculpture garden, amphitheater, a caf and a restaurant. It
opened in February 2017. www.themainmuseum.org
Marciano Art Foundation (Mid-City) Newly opened
last month, the contemporary art museum from Guess
co-founders Paul and Maurice Marciano shows painting,
sculpture and photography as well as installation, perfor-
mance and multimedia works in a renovated former Scottish
Rite Masonic Temple on Wilshire Boulevard. Many of the
pieces in the more than 1,500 item archive are from artists
such as, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning and Cindy Sher-
man, however younger artists will make appearances as well.
www.marcianoartfoundation.org
Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA (Citywide) Pacific
Standard Time: LA/LA is a far-reaching and ambitious
exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue
with Los Angeles and will happen September 2017 to Janu-
ary 2018. Led by the Getty, Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA
is the latest collaborative effort from arts institutions across
Southern California. Through a series of thematically linked
exhibitions, Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA will present a
wide variety of important works of art, much of them new
to Southern California audiences. While the majority of
exhibitions will have an emphasis on modern and contem-
porary art, there also will be crucial exhibitions about the
ancient world and the pre-modern era. With topics such as
luxury objects in the pre-Columbian Americas, 20th-century
Afro-Brazilian art, alternative spaces in Mexico City, and
boundary-crossing practices of Latino artists, exhibitions will
range from monographic studies of individual artists to broad
surveys that cut across numerous countries. www.pacificstan-
dardtime.org
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
(Ventura County) Titanic at the Reagan Library is a fas-
cinating look at Titanic, combining real artifacts with the
real stories of the people onboard the ill-fated ship. This
new exhibit (which opened last month and will run through
January 17, 2018) tells the story of the unsinkable ship in a
way no museum has done before. Artifacts from passengers,
dispersed over time, will be reunited in this exhibit for the
first time in over 100 years. www.reaganfoundation.org
Skirball Cultural Center (Westside) Paul Simon:
Words & Music opened in April and will run through Sep-
tember 10, making its only West Coast stop at the Skirball.
This traveling exhibition curated by the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame and Museum, illustrates how the legendary artists
music has reflected social and cultural ideals. Developed
based on exclusive interviews with the artist, the show walks
visitors through Paul Simons life and music and illuminates
his creative process. On view will be instruments, records,
sheet music, handwritten lyrics, photography, costumes, and
stage maquettes, as well as listening stations and performance
footage spanning Simons six-decade career. Exclusively for
the Los Angeles presentation, Paul Simon: Words & Music
will include additional artifacts from Simons private archive
and a newly created music lab developed by the Skirball in
cooperation with Roland Corporation. www.skirball.org
Information for this article was provided by the Los Angeles Tour-
ism & Convention Board.
JUNE 5, 2017
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STAYCATION GUIDE
Bring Your Team to a Place of Inspiration
I
NSPIRATION needs a chance to break through.
Book your next meeting or conference in
Ventura County Coast and youll quickly discov-
er the regions secret: theres endless inspiration
to be found in the combination of productive and
peaceful.
Located off Highway 101 between Los Angeles
and Santa Barbara, Ventura County Coast is a
string of communities offering 200,000 square feet
of conference space and meeting rooms and more
than 5,000 guest rooms in 60 hotels and inns,
plus, 22 miles of beaches, historic downtowns, a
range of outdoor activities, award-winning winer-
ies and farm-to-table restaurants.
Here, off-site meetings are a unique combina-
tion of professional development and unforget-
table team building. The regions meeting rooms
accommodate groups from 10 to 1,000. Whether
youre looking for a beachfront brainstorm loca-
tion or a full-service hotel conference center,
youll find accommodations that match your
teams needs.
Lodging is affordable and welcoming to large
groups, so you can all stay in one place and be
inspired every minute.
To keep inspiration sustained, Ventura County
Coast has all the right ingredients for an exquisite
culinary experience. Artisan chefs, locally grown
produce, abundance of fresh seafood and rich
farming heritage create a unique blend of fresh
and local fare that makes the Ventura County
Coast dining scene uniquely delicious.
And when your days work is done, Ventura
County Coast has got your off-work hours covered
BOOK
YOUR STAY AND
RECEIVE A
$
50 GIFT
CARD
Burbank is a city with many exciting things to do.
Whether exploring the legendary movie studios, shops, restaurants
and hotels or the countless outdoor adventures and landmarks,
youll discover just how captivating this city can be.
with a myriad of offerings from each of its four cities.
CAMARILLO
In Camarillo, youll find the latest fashions at
one of the nations best Premium Outlets, with
brands like Banana Republic, Coach, Michael
Kors, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, Tommy
Hilfiger and much more. Minutes down the road,
visitors can savor the sights and smells of a deli-
cious agricultural tradition and rediscover how
sweet and inspiring fresh-picked fruits can taste.
For golf enthusiasts, Camarillo is a dream
destination with incredible year-round weather
and two pristine public golf courses. And those
who simply want to relax and rejuvenate can
enjoy indulgent spas, captivating art galleries
and an enchanting old-town brimming with
history.
VENTURA
Ventura synthesizes surf culture, historic build-
ings and a bustling downtown scene in a way that
makes visitors feel at home and on an adventure
at the same time. Visitors to Ventura enjoy out-
door adventures, a lively arts scene and an oceans-
ide proximity that makes it a chefs paradise.
Get the whole team together for beach activ-
ities in the style of a true Californian getaway.
Surfers, kiteboarders and water enthusiasts will
enjoy winter swells and summer whitecaps at
Venturas beaches. And for those who prefer
to enjoy the surf culture from a distance, the
oceanfront Ventura Promenade is a festive place
to watch the action, take a stroll or ride bikes.
VisitBurbank.com
CUSTOM CONTENT LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 33
OXNARD
In the casual seaside city of
Oxnard, youll find an active
boating harbor, the nations larg-
est kosher winery, the world-class
Mullin Automotive Museum and
a historic downtown bursting
with multicultural flavors and
architectural treasures.
Youll quickly discover why a
tasty array of authentic Mexican
cuisine and new eateries are put-
ting Oxnard on the culinary map.
Also in downtown Oxnard, Her-
itage Square is an amazing col-
lection of magnificently restored
homes and lushly landscaped
gardens.
Oxnards serene harbor provides access to place for refreshing the mind and soul.
Channel Islands National Park. The natural Port Hueneme Beach Parks expansive sandy
and cultural resources of its five different islands beaches, south-facing surfing waves, volleyball
have been steadfastly preserved here. This courts, and walkable beachside promenade prom-
national park is known as Americas Galapa- ise satisfaction for every kind of beachgoer sun-
gos, and is just a short boat trip away for a one- bathers and surfers alike.
of-a-kind team-building excursion.
INVITE INSPIRATION IN
PORT HUENEME Whatever your needs are, Ventura County
Stroll wide sandy beaches alongside a his- Coast is big enough to meet them and its closer
tory-rich Naval Construction Battalion Center than you think. Bring inspiration to your team
in Port Hueneme, a seaside community located and your workplace plan your most memorable
between Oxnard and Ventura. Its original Chumash meeting at Ventura County Coast.
Indian name, Wenemu, means resting place. And
it doesnt take much time at the fifty-acre Hueneme For more information about Ventura County Coast,
Beach Park to discover that this city is definitely a visit venturacountycoast.com.
YOUR MOST MEMORABLE
MEETING LOCATION.
Start planning today at
VENTURACOUNTYCOAST.COM
 CUSTOM CONTENT
J U N E 5, 2017

2017 Nominees

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

Pepperdine University School of Education and Psychology

Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management
Torrey Pines Bank
USC Marshall School of Business
Vistage Worldwide, Inc.

Join us for the awards ceremony

Friday, June 23, 2017 Speaker Summit: 7:00am 11:00am Awards Luncheon: 11:00am 1:30pm
JW Marriott at LA Live 900 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles 90015

Tickets available at labusinessjournal.com/bizevents

 At UCLA Anderson, were not content with how things are; instead,
we look to the future to discover and chart what will be.

JUDY D. OLIAN
Dean and John E. Anderson
Chair in Management

ANDERSON.UCLA.EDU
36 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL CUSTOM CONTENT JUNE 5, 2017

NOMINEES
Janis W. Adams Dr. Tora M. Brown Mariana Danilovic Darcie Giacchetto
Academic Achievers Tora Brown, LLC Hollywood Portfolio Darcie Giacchetto Communications

Lorraine Alderette Jessica Bulen Debra Day Rachel Jonas Gilman

Estolias Food Products J.P. Morgan Private Bank Women Inspiring Women Yoobi

Michelle Alfonso Elsa Burton Dina Demetrius Alexis Carra Girbs

OpenX Bank Leumi dinademetrius.pressfolios.com AlexisCarra.com

Liz Arch Cathy Byrd Christine Deschaine Breena F. Gold

Primal Yoga Cathy Byrd, Author Kennedy Wilson Alzheimers Association

Aynsley Armbrust Cheryl Calhoun Shinta W. Dhanuwardoyo Karen Goodheart

Stepp Commercial CBIZ MHM VCNETWORK.CO AEG

Barbara Armendariz Lindsey Carnett Lucia Diaz Stacey A. Gordon

SharpLine Commercial Partners Marketing Maven Public Relations Mar Vista Family Center Rework Work

Carolyn Armitage Bobbie Casalino-Lewis Dorene Dominguez Sarah Gosler

ECHELON Partners In Style By Bobbie Vanir Group of Companies, Inc. Wedbush Securities

Patty Arvielo Mackenzie Chambers Dannielle Dormer Kathleen Grace

New American Funding Square Root Financial Ignition Creative New Form

Jodi Bailey-Gill Yvette Chappell-Ingram Eliot Rose Dreiband Elizabeth Greenwood

The Experts Bench (teb) African American Board Leadership Institute The Painted Turtle Tennenbaum Capital Partners, LLC

Merrill Bajana Robin Charin LaVada English Drew Lisa Gregorian

GumGum R.T. Clown, Inc. County of Santa Barbara Warner Bros. Television Group

Natalie Bazarevitsch Peggy Tsiang Cherng Amy Ehrenkrnz Terri Haack

CBRE Panda Restaurant Group, Inc. Amy Zimmerman and Associates Terranea Resort

Audrey Bellis Jill Chiappe Kristin Engvig Lisa Haisha

Worthy Women Coachability, Inc. WIN & WINConference Whispers from Childrens Hearts Foundation

Barbara Berci Athena Chiera Debbie Fan Monick Halm

BSC Management Athena Engineering Company Downtown Dog Rescue Real Estate Investor Goddesses

Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire Antoinette Marie Ciketic Megan Faux Patricia Handschiegel

Berkhemer Clayton Retained Executive Search fINdings Art Center, Inc. 25 Dreams Media, Inc. Condiment

Devon Blaine Sonia Clayton Diane C. De Felice Dr. Pantea Hannauer

The Blaine Group, Inc. VIRTUAL INTELLIGENCE PROVIDERS, LLC Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck Pediatric Minds
Cloud
Rita Boccuzzi Red Cloud LLC. Ocean Fine Nuzayra Haque
Flourish Factual D|R Welch Attorneys at Law
Charlotte Cochrane
Chantel Bonneau Horizon Media Gwyn Foxx Jessica Hawthorne-Castro
Northwestern Mutual Kairos Music Group Hawthorne
Monisha Coelho
DShaun Booker Kalara Law Firm Renee Fraser Deborah Hayter
2003 Fraser Communications Deborah Hayter Public Relations
Renee Cohen
Maria Espinosa Booth Northwestern Mutual Jean Freeman Jilliene Helman
Fulfillment Fund Zambezi RealtyMogul.com
Keely Colcleugh
Veronica Bosgraaf Kilograph Susan Fries Kirsten Helvey
Pure Organic Ecola Termite & Pest Management Services Cornerstone OnDemand
Moira Conlon
Karie Boyd Financial Profiles, Inc. Jennifer M. Frisk Kisa Heyer
Boyd Law APC Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Dream Foundation
Lillian Conroe
Kyla Brennan Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. Jennifer Fu Sequoia Houston
HelloSociety Office of Business and Economic Development Amity Law Group Sur-Ryl Marketing

Natalie R. Brill Cristen Coppen Dr. Iris Fu Lindy Huang Werges

City of Los Angeles, CAO Office The Good Body Project / I am a Gem GumGum Integritas Resources, Inc.

Brandi Britton Ashley Crowder Adriana Gallardo Shay Hughes

Robert Half VNTANA AGI Business Group Hughes Marino

Michelle Broadnax Anita DAguilar Sabina Gault Lora Ivanova

Purifications International Enterprise Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. Konnect Agency ScareLA

Lee Broekman Sherijo Damico Joyce Gerber Annie Ives

Organic Communication Damico Partners Health Is An Inside Job The MLS
JUNE 5, 2017 CUSTOM CONTENT LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 37

California Bank Trust

&Your Drive
For Success
CB&T salutes the 2017 Womens Summit Awards Nominees.

As a proud Presenting Sponsor of the Los Angeles Business Journal Womens Summit, we celebrate your

achievements. Smart business leadership is essential. So is working with a bank that listens to your goals,

understands your business, and offers customized solutions to help you write your success story.

Call or visit us online today and see what makes us different.

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2017 ZB, N.A. A division of ZB, N.A. Member FDIC

38 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL CUSTOM CONTENT JUNE 5, 2017

NOMINEES
Julia Jackson Marie Lemelle Patty Mooney Barbara Emmons Perrier
Jackson Family Wines Platinum Star Public Relations Crystal Pyramid Productions CBRE

Michelle Jackson Laura Levinsky Melinda Moore Dana Picore

Marsh & McLennan Agency Laura Levinsky Consulting iConsumer Picore International

Dr. Sarita Jackson Darla Longo Bonita D. Moore Wendy Pineda

Global Research Institute of International Trade CBRE Faegre Baker Daniels Supersonix Media, Inc.
(GRIIT)
Marian Lopez Frances Moreno Linda Pliagas
Ashley Jacobs Mama Cheesecake Vaco Los Angeles Realty411
Mayors Fund for Los Angeles
Andrea Almeida Mack Michelle Moses Milana Rabkin
Lisa Jammal The TCW Group This & That Consulting Services Stem
SIA (Social Intelligence Agency)
Jennifer Maldonado Rachelle Rainey
Althea Moses
Evie P. Jeang Women in Business Redefine Covenant House California
Althea Moses Health & Fitness Co.
Ideal Legal Group www.covenanthouse.org
Patrycja Malinowska
Shulanda Mosley
Sally Jenkins The Encounter Group Natalie Rastegari
A.L.I.A - A Lady Of The I AM
Sally Jenkins Inc Salisian | Lee LLP
Nina Marino
Ilana Muhlstein
Kristina Jenkins Kaplan Marino Angela Reddock-Wright
Ilana Muhlstein, R.D.
Zambezi Legal
Christina Martin
Caroline Nahas
Lisa St. John Odeon Capital Group Anna Redmond
LA Realty Partners Korn Ferry
Hippo Reads
Yvette Martinez-Rea
Thas Naseemuddeen
Mary John ESL North America Diane M. Reichenberger
Wells Fargo Private Bank Omelet
Mattel
Leslie J. Mayer
Kimberly D. Jones Janet Neman
Cushman & Wakefield Alison S. Ressler
Kelton Legend LLC Charles Dunn Company
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Precious Mayes
Ryan Jordan Helen Nethercutt
Bridge & Company Productions Lisa Richards
Educated Nannies, LLC Merle Norman Cosmetics
Accounting Principals, Ajilon, Parker + Lynch,
Torrey McClary Paladin
Colonel (Retired) Yvette J. Kelley Hyacinth Nier
Hogan Lovells US LLP
New Directions for Veterans Sydell Group (The LINE LA, Freehand LA,
NoMad LA) Sarah Richman
Diane L. McGimsey World Women Foundation
Dina Kimmel Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym Tunisia Offray
Shepherd Door Domestic Violence Resource Staci Jennifer Riordan
Laura McHolm Nixon Peabody LLP
Lynn Kious Center
NorthStar Moving Company
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
Pina De Rosa
Jannica Olin
Betsy McLaughlin Gratitude International, LLC
Kia Kiso n/a
Zaza Productions Wendy On
Carmela Roth
Fineman West & Company, LLP
Jodi V. Meade RED Company
Kennon Klein
Avison Young Roth Event-full Design Company, Inc.
City National Bank Rosie ONeill
Sugarfina
Stephanie Medina Schenae Rourk
Monika Klein
24Hr HomeCare Redwood Resources
Coaching For Health Rita-Anne ONeill
Ashley Merrill Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Marilyn Klinger Sybil Lampkin Rubin
Lunya Company Davida Aprons/Kosher Kurls
Sedgwick LLP Dr. Blanka Orloff
Ilse Metchek Skin Matrx Tracy Samson
Monika Kozdrowiecka
Virgin Raw Foods California Fashion Association www.thepartnerstrust.com
Vanessa Orozco
Nikki Michelini Gaviota Tequiola Ellen Schwartz
Nadine Lajoie
Nadynn International Aspiriant Los Angeles Convention Center
Anoosheh Oskouian
Deanne Miller Ship & Shore Environmental, Inc. Poornima Sharma
Lissy LAmoreaux
Ignition Creative Morgan, Lewis & Bockius TechnipFMC Process Technology
Micaela Passeri
Christine Lantinen Laurel Mintz Love You Revolution Maureen A. Shea
Maud Borup / eco eggs Elevate My Brand Right Management, Florida/Caribbean
Desiree Patno
Justine Lassoff Kristina Mitchell National Association of Women in Real Estate Gillian Sheldon
LOVE GOODLY The Good Body Project Businesses XPRIZE Foundation

Sophia Leaguedi Kaitlin Mogentale Elaine Paul Elizabeth E.B. Shonnard

Ameroc Export Inc. Pulp Pantry, LLC Hulu Distillery

Dr. Cherily Lee Ampi Montiel Joan Payden Renata Simril

NyWellness Health University of Phoenix Payden & Rygel LA84 Foundation
The future.
Our community.
Your legacy.

Support
Volunteer
Join
Visit www.girlscoutsla.org or call 213-213-0123 for more information.
40 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL CUSTOM CONTENT
Kimberly Snyder
GLOW Bio and The Glowing Lean System
Amber Solano
Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
Jennifer Spalding
AltaMed Health Services
Jeanne Marie Spicuzza
SEASONS & A MUSE, INC.
Julie Spira
Cyber-Dating Expert
Mercy Tolentino Steenwyk
ForensisGroup, Inc.
Kimberly R. Stepp
Stepp Commercial
Sandra Stojanovic
Christina Lee Storm
DreamWorks Animation
Shelley Stravitz
Shelley Stravitz & Associates;
Parents As Partners
Wedding Season is Also Prenup Season
BY STACY D. PHILLIPS
A
S the summer-into-fall wedding season
approaches, so does prenup season. Often,
the mere mention of a prenuptial agreement
(prenup) makes people uncomfortable, as if
these documents and the discussions they prompt
constitute a wholly unromantic anticipation of
ultimate failure even before the couple share
their first dance.
In reality, prenups are necessary for anyone
who already has children, and/or has assets they
want to preserve as their own separate property
as of the date of their marriage, or expects to
receive significant assets during the marriage
from services already rendered (in part or in
whole), from an investment previously made,
or from a bequest, gift, or inheritance. High-
net-worth individuals need to protect their
financial interests before marriage. A carefully
considered, well-crafted prenup is an insurance
policy of sorts, should the marriage not work out
as everyone hopes.
Here are some scenarios we see frequently in
our practice that indicate the vital importance of
a prenup:
When an individual has children from a
prior marriage, to ensure that they are taken care
of in the event of divorce or death during a subse-
quent marriage;
When an individuals family has substantial
wealth, to ensure that separate funds used during
the marriage to purchase a home, vacation prop-
erty, fine art, or other valuable assets remain their
separate property (unless there is a written inten-
tion to gift it to the marital estate/community
property).
How does a prenup effect estate plans? A
last Will and Testament can be changed until a
person is no longer competent to make decisions
or he or she dies. Prenups are contracts in which
parties oftentimes obligate themselves to die with
JUNE 5, 2017
NOMINEES
Laura Stumm Monica Vallero Genine Wilson
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank monicavallero.com Kelly Services, Inc.
Shannon Sylvain Marina Viscn Minda Wilson
Brown Sugan Rehab PINGVIN PRODUCTIONS OUR CARE HUB, Urgent Care: Ten Cures for
Americas Ailing Healthcare System
Jenny Q. Ta Annette M. Walker
VCNETWORK.CO Providence St. Joseph Health Alyce Morris Winston
The Jeffrey Foundation
Connie Tcheng Margaret Bush Ware
Doll Amir California Council for Veterans Affairs, Inc. - Cindy Wu
Women & Children First Program The California Luxury Living Company
Thel R. Thatch
MRS HR Panney Wei Jane Wurwand
See the Way Consulting Dermalogica / FITE
Lindsay Thomason
The Nanny League Shelley S. Whizin Elizabeth Yang
Soul Diving Institute Law and Mediation Offices of Elizabeth Yang
Tony Maree Torrey
The Synergy Zone Monika Wiela Gloria Yniguez
Give Back Box Dixie Canyon Community Charter
Heidi Toso
Ace Realty Shannon Willett Sue Zabloudil
Netflix Akerman LLP
Therese Tucker
BlackLine Virginia Williams Rosaline L. Zukerman
Law Offices of Rosaline L Zukerman APC
Davida Lampkin Tydings Lynn Williams
Davida Aprons & Logos / Kosher Kurls CBRE
a last Will and Testament in place which makes serve its purpose. that is a true partnership, and can ease negotiations
provision for the surviving spouse. With such a There must be financial disclosure of assets if a divorce should become necessary. And as later-
prenup in place, a non-monied spouse never has and income of both parties. in-life marriages occur with increasing frequency,
to worry if he or she will be protected upon the A spouse who is successful in securing a prenups can prevent not only divorce battles but
death of the other spouse. It is commonplace to prenup which is punitive also runs the risk of estate battles as well, and preserve the inheritances
have a prenup with a provision which creates a having that agreement successfully attacked in of grown children. After all, it is the peaceful resolu-
trust paying income for life (and thus ensuring the future. tion of family matters that matters most.
the surviving, less-monied spouse lives a com- Be protective. Be fair. Dont be greedy.
fortable lifestyle) while principal is preserved for Stacy D. Phillips is Partner with the Matrimonial &
and passes to the deceased spouses children or After more than 30 years of meeting clients Family Law Practice Group of Blank Rome LLP.
grandchildren upon the death of the surviving when marriages have failed, I appreciate that a For more information, contact her via (424) 239-
spouse. It is also commonplace to have a prenup thoughtfully discussed, thorough, and well-executed 3400 or sdpdissoqueen@blankrome.com or visit
which provides a life estate in the marital home prenuptial agreement can set the tone for a marriage blankrome.com.
or makes specific bequests of assets or a sum cer-
tain or provides for life insurance benefits which
protects a surviving spouse.
What is the right time to discuss and sign a
prenup? As early as possible before the wedding. Nei-
ther party should feel pressured to sign something
on the eve of the wedding. Moreover, prenup dis-
cussions can bring out issues between couples that
need to be addressed, perhaps even in pre-marital
counseling. At its extreme, this process can make
both parties reassess their readiness to marry each
other. At their best, these discussions provide a
forum that forces couples to work through the
practical aspects of marriage: managing money,
raising children, allocating responsibilities of
income earners and caregivers, and possible reli-
gious differences.
While there are no one-size-fits-all agree-
ments, here are a few cautionary aspects essential
to every prenup:
Each party should be separately represent-
ed by an experienced matrimonial/family law
attorney or estate planning attorney. Lawyers
who practice in the divorce realm, however,
offer an added advantage: they understand the
detritus of failed marriages, so they write pre-
nups defensively.
The ultimate goal is to have a clear picture
of what happens in death or divorce. If the agree-
ment is too complicated or too vague, it wont
42 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL CUSTOM CONTENT JUNE 5, 2017

you, you can predict your future by writing it.

All CEOs are Driven The Good Ones But remember no matter how far you get, you
dont get there on your own. I make it a point
to hire people who are better than me, more

Know Where Theyre Going knowledgeable. If you hire giants, you become a
company of giants. When youre humble, youre
open to growing.
Step 4. Never stop learning.
By MERCY T. STEENWYK woman I was 26 years ago, I realize that what never missed a cheering competition. I never I read everything: newspapers, poetry, and, of
distinguishes my career trajectory from others is a missed a football game. One of the reasons I course, business books. I am a 15-year member

W
HEN I came to the United States from the
Philippines as a 25 year-old, I had a jour-
nalism degree and virtually nothing else.
After working for a short time as a marketing
consultant in construction, I noticed the need for
the construction and legal industries to find reli-
able, well-informed forensic experts.
Any entrepreneur will recognize this as a classic
Ah ha! moment, the presentation of an opportu-
nity to create my own niche, write my own desti-
ny. But while I pieced together my nascent expert
services company, a chorus of naysayers scoffed.
Youre not an engineer, they told me. Youre
not a lawyer. Yu dont have a business degree. You
cant do this.
I said nothing. I didnt have to. I had a goal.
After 26 years, my firm is now a national industry
leader. I am told all the time that this is a remark-
able feat for a woman and a minority who took on
a male-dominated industry and thrived.
But I dont see it that way.
To me, when I walk into a room, I see a level
playing field. I have talents, and more importantly,
I have vision. All CEOs are driven. The good
ones know where theyre going.
When I look back at the young, undeterred
centeredness that has served as my roadmap. Each
step along that map informed the direction I took
as a mother, a wife, a daughter and a business lead-
er. And each step still guides me today.
Step 1. Know yourself.
In 1991 when I started ForensisGroup, cer-
tain men expected women to stand back and
listen. The funny thing is, when you listen, you
learn. I learned so much from people who had
If you love what you do, are grateful for the gifts
you have, give back, and dont take anything for
granted, you can turn an idea into an industry.
no idea they were teaching me. Im still not an
engineer, and Im still not a lawyer. But I am a
problem-solver who has always been able to bend
negativity into life lessons. To grow, spiritually and
intellectually every day.
Step 2. Focus on the big picture.
For me, family has always come first. While
growing an idea into a $10 million company, I
decided to strike out on my own was to gift myself
the flexibility to be both a working role model and
a present mother, daughter and wife.
That often meant tucking the kids in at night
and then going to work until the sun came up.
But I was young and driven. And more important-
ly, I knew where I was heading.
This devotion was my moral compass. For
other women, the overarching motivation might
enabled my successes. That is why, in addition to
be something else. Whatever it is, it is important
that you have a focus. Youre not just making busi-
ness decisions; youre making life decisions.
Step 3. Believe in yourself, but be humble.
At the age of 62, with three grown, accom-
plished children, I now look at the growth of my
business as underscoring my core belief that if you
know yourself and keep that big picture in front of
of Vistage Worldwide, a peer advisory group of
CEOs and executives. And even as I mentor
younger business leaders, I find myself learning
from them as well.
Twice a month at ForensisGroup, we file into
the conference room, order pizza and click on the
TED Talk YouTube channel for TED Talk Fridays
because I believe strongly in cultivating a culture of
intellectual curiosity and personal fulfillment.
Step 5. Practice gratitude.
The best gift I ever received was my education.
Education made my world a smaller place and
the charities and organizations that ForensisGroup
supports, I personally support a scholarship pro-
gram in the Philippines.
The road to success for any business leader is
far from smooth, but if you love what you do, are
grateful for the gifts you have, give back, and dont
take anything for granted, you can turn an idea
into an industry.
Regardless of what anyone else says.
Mercy T. Steenwyk is President and CEO of
ForensisGroup, a premier expert service provider
based in Pasadena.

Every day, students at Pepperdine are challenging themselves to diversify their perspectives and achieve academic
excellence through a wide range of masters and doctoral programs in education and psychology. And the results are

GET IN impressive. Pepperdine graduates elevate themselves in social purpose, meaningful service, and innovative leadership
throughout the world to ultimately make a difference in the lives of others.
Sound intriguing? Call or visit us online to learn more about our programs, admission requirements, and deadlines.
TOUCH
TODAY!
JUNE 5, 2017 CUSTOM CONTENT LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 43

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Los Angeles Business Journals

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44 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL CUSTOM CONTENT
Expanding Opportunities for Women and Business
W
HAT type of American businesses combined
exceed the gross domestic product (GDP)
of Brazil, Canada and South Korea or
the combined market capitalization of Apple,
Microsoft, GE, Google and Sony?
If you answered, women-owned businesses
in the United States, head to the front of the
class! More than one-third (36.3 percent) of
privately held businesses in the United States
are now owned by women, up from 28.8 percent
in 2007, according to the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA).
What makes the statistics especially notewor-
thy are the unique difficulties faced by female
entrepreneurs when launching and running busi-
nesses. Here are some of the most common chal-
lenges faced by female business-owners as well as
some special opportunities.
UNIQUE BUSINESS CHALLENGES
FOR WOMEN
Besides the everyday, non-gender-related
hurdles of starting and running a business, female
business owners face multiple unique challenges,
including:
1. Funding On average, men start their
businesses with nearly twice as much capital as
women ($135,000 vs. $75,000), according to the
National Womens Business Council. Separately,
a study by the California Reinvestment Coalition
found that small business loans given to female-
owned businesses in California dropped 70 per-
cent from 2007 to 2013.
2. Defying social expectations Despite
the fact that women-owned new businesses are
the fastest-growing of any sector in the nation,
according to the SBA, there are still societal
expectations particularly in traditionally
male-dominated industries about women in
business ownership/leadership roles.
3. Balancing business and family life
Female entrepreneurs with families often experi-
ence challenges balancing their professional and
personal lives. Women more than men adjust
their careers for family life and experience more
career interruptions due to family demands,
according to Pew Research Center data.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN
BUSINESS
Despite the challenges, today presents several
tremendous opportunities for women to start and
run a business. Consider the following:
1. Rapid growth of women-owned minority
businesses Fueling the growth in wom-
en-owned businesses is a significant uptick in the
number of businesses owned by women who are
minorities. For instance, from 1997 to 2015, the
number of businesses owned by African-Amer-
ican women grew by 322 percent, making them
the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the
United States.
If youre starting or running a minori-
ty-owned business, the SBAs 8A Business
Development Program can potentially help you
develop and grow your business through one-to-
one counseling, training workshops, and man-
agement and technical guidance. The program
also provides access to government contracting
opportunities. To learn more, contact your local
SBA District Office.
2. Considerable networking, development
and mentorship opportunities Corresponding
to the rapid growth of women-owned businesses
is a dramatic uptick in the number of organiza-
More than one-third (36.3 percent) of privately
held businesses in the United States are now owned
by women, up from 28.8 percent in 2007.
tions dedicated to helping female entrepreneurs
network, develop and find appropriate mentors.
For example, since its start in 1989, Profession-
al BusinessWomen of California (PBWC) has
grown to more than 35,000 members worldwide.
Visit pbwc.org to learn more. Additionally, near-
ly every sizable community in California and else-
where has business networking and development
events specifically oriented for female business
owners. Some are free; others assess a fee. For a
listing of events in your area, simply search online
for Women in Business Events combined with
your city name or ZIP code.
3. Great government input and assistance
JUNE 5, 2017
An entire division of the SBA is dedicated to
women-owned businesses, offering online and
in-person resources, special financing opportuni-
ties and Womens Business Centers (WBCs). In
fact, there are a dozen different WBCs through-
out California; visit sba.govs tools section to
find one near you.
As for state assistance in California, the Gov-
ernors Office of Business and Economic Develop-
ment (GO-Biz) helps start-up and ongoing busi-
nesses of all types. Learn more at business.ca.gov.
Starting and maintaining a business can
be challenging for any female entrepreneur.
Thats why having access to great resources is
so important. For more advice and information,
please visit California Bank & Trusts Business
Resource Center.
California Bank & Trust is a proud sponsor of women
and California businesses. Our knowledgeable bank-
ers are happy to help you with any of your needs. For
more information, please call (800) 355-0507 or
visit www.calbanktrust.com
JUNE 5, 2017 CUSTOM CONTENT LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 45

Why Cant Women Jump?

By BERNICE LEDBETTER, ED.D. And women should leverage their own unique researcher called heartbreaking. If, at an early Perhaps this is an optimal value combination for
values as they progress through the corporate age, brilliance is associated only with men, while women leaders.

T
WENTY years ago, the movie White Men
Cant Jump was released, and it remains so
popular that a remake is reportedly in the
works. Its funny, and its based in Los Angeles, so
it has two strong things going for it.
Regarding the title, though: I beg to differ.
White men seem to be doing very well in jump-
ing at least, to the top of the corporate ranks.
Its women whose feet are held to the floor.
Although women actually make up the major-
ity of the U.S. population, you wouldnt know it
by looking at our representation in the c-suite.
Among Fortune 500 companies, women repre-
sent five percent of CEOs and only 15 percent of
executive officers. And women hold only 19 per-
cent of all board of director seats in the S&P.
Its not for lack of interest, although family
considerations may hinder momentum to a
greater extent for women than for men. A 2016
Gallup poll shows that 45 percent of women
would like to become a CEO or have a position
in senior management. So what can women do to
jump in their own careers and in the process, help
close the executive gender gap?
Three things are critical for women to achieve
executive equity. Corporations must make a
strong commitment to a diverse workplace,
including in upper management. Educational
institutions must provide opportunities and a
clear vision of steps needed for career trajectory.
pipeline to both accelerate their path to the
c-suite and benefit their organizations.
DIVERSITY LEADS TO STRONGER
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Prioritizing diversity initiatives in workplace,
with women in co-equal positions of responsibil-
ity, is one way that companies can challenge the
status quo and position themselves for continuous
re-invention.
Good leaders embrace diversity of opinion,
regardless of race, gender, political affiliation,
religion, business experience, educational level,
and other factors. Pepperdine Graziadio alumnus
David Feinberg, president and chief executive offi-
cer of Geisinger Health, said that after he joined
the company, he sought to learn from people on
the frontlines -- not just the medical team, but
also cooking staff, nutritionists and others in
order to build an out-of-the-box, innovative
organization. Corporations who seek to create a
diverse workplace, including elevating women to
executive positions, will find greater success.
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
EXPOSE WOMEN TO THE POSSIBLE
A recent study in Science Magazine suggest-
ed that by the age of 6, girls are more likely to
lose faith in their abilities, believing that bril-
liance is a male trait a finding that the lead
girls stop believing that they can succeed, how
can women see themselves in leadership roles, let
alone propel themselves there?
In our MBA programs at Pepperdine Grazia-
dio, we deliberately present students with real-
world business challenges that expose them to
corporate decision-making. When young women
understand the value they can offer corporate
executives, they are even more inspired to aim for
a seat at that table.What if we started to expose
women even earlier in college, high school,
or even grade school? How many more female
CEOs would we have if we spotlighted women
in positions of power, nurturing dreams of great
possibilities at a young age?
A COMMITMENT TO ETHICS
CREATES VALUES-CENTERED
LEADERS
An individual should never be in the position
where he or she is forced to compromise values
because there is no other choice. Our values
are what help us to stay the course when others
flounder.
A few years ago, I wrote in the Graziadio Busi-
ness Review that, Holding a set of highly priori-
tized values is an essential element of leadership.
As evidence, I pointed to research that suggests,
women leaders hold a preference for benevo-
lence and achievement values and opined that,
Women sometimes feel voiceless in the cor-
porate world, especially when they are so dramat-
ically outnumbered in executive positions. That
has to change. By advancing values-centered
leadership in our companies, we also differentiate
and create competitive advantage for those com-
panies. Additionally, good corporate citizenry
motivates employees to perform in alignment
with those values. As women progress through
leadership channels, they must hold tight those
values and espouse them forcefully to be viewed
as a leader.
It may take another 10 or 20 years to reach
executive gender parity. With all due respect to
men who jump into positions of power, were
fighting our way to a more level playing field,
but well get there. With every point we score by
increasing our presence in the c-suite, well be
closer to achieving a more equitable workplace,
and a better corporate world.
Dr. Bernice Ledbetter is Practitioner Faculty of Orga-
nizational Theory and Management at Pepperdine
Graziadio School of Business and Management where
she chairs the M.S. in Management and Leadership
degree program. Her research and teaching interests
focus on values-based leadership, peace leadership,
and gender. Dr. Ledbetter founded the Pepperdine
Center for Women in Leadership to empower and
advance women in the workplace.

Aspire. Achieve.
Advance.
You aspire to do great things. USC Marshall has the
means to help you achieve them.
Our MBA programs are renowned for a reason:
providing access to opportunity and individualized
support so you can thrive.
Whether your passion for business means reaching
the C-suite or nding solutions to the worlds most
intractable problems, a USC Marshall MBA takes
you where you want to go. Unlock the possibilities:
marshall.usc.edu/programs.

US C MARSH A L L SC H OOL OF BUSI N E SS

marshall.usc.edu
marshallmba@marshall.usc.edu
46 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL CUSTOM CONTENT
Want More Leaders? We Need More Girl Scouts.
By MELANIE LARSEN
S
OME call it a best-kept secret in leadership
recruitment; others call it a business incuba-
tor with a 105-year track record. We just call
it Girl Scouts.
In Greater Los Angeles alone, there are 40,000
Girl Scouts in the pipeline set to lead in indus-
tries where research tells us we need them most:
academia, medicine, business, athletics, startups,
STEM, and government.
As the largest girl-focused nonprofit in South-
ern California, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles
prepares girls in grades K12 for a lifetime of lead-
Girl Scouts gain the confidence needed to overcome
future challenges in business.
ership through access to impactful experiences,
programs, and connections. Not only are Girl
Scouts learning skills (like coding, robotics, public
speaking, or budgeting)they are also gaining
the confidence and resilience needed to overcome
challenges theyll face in their industries.
Effective management, less corruption, higher
profits, and more bills passed in Congress: These are
all outcomes tied to female leadership. Leadership,
the Girl Scout way, encompasses traits like grit,
problem-solving, and empathy. In Girl Scouts, girls
learn that taking charge means taking actionand
See Business from Our Perspective
this carries into adulthood. In fact, 76% of female
U.S. senators and 52% of women in the U.S.
House of Representatives were Girl Scouts. And,
many successful businesswomen were once Girl
Scouts as well, including YouTube CEO Susan
Wojcicki and IBM CEO Virginia Rometty.
Below are just some of the recent stories of
Girl Scouts here in LA who are demonstrating
leadership as power with purpose. Imagine what
they will do as adults in our board rooms, class-
rooms, science labs, and government offices.
Sasha, Brownie Girl Scout, Grade 2 Non-
profit founder
Like a Girl Scout, Sasha has channeled her
passion for painting to give back and lift up oth-
ers. Through her nonprofit, the Sasha Project LA,
she collects donations by selling hand-painted
denim and donating her proceeds to the art ther-
apy programs at Childrens Hospital LA. Girl
Scouts teaches me to be considerate and caring
and to help make the world a better place, she
says. After building a robotic car with her Girl
Scout troop, she is now thinking about adding
technology to her creations.
Realize your greatest potential as a leader with a values-centered
education anchored in integrity and innovation
Rebecca, Sofia, Jenna, and Joan, Senior Girl
Scouts, Grade 10 Architects
As middle schoolers in 2016, these determined
Girl Scouts aimed to refurbish their schools drab
cafeteria to earn the Girl Scout Silver Awardthis
requires troops to develop a project that will change
their neighborhood for the better. But with a local
designer as their mentor and a benefactor interest-
ed in funding a rebuild, their project grew wings:
The girls learned architecture, graphic design, and
blueprinting. After interviewing community groups
and presenting their ideas to school administrators,
they completely redesigned the structure to include
a new bathroom, bistro-style caf, and more. The
construction of the space designed by the middle
schoolers begins this month.
Dagny, Ambassador Girl Scout, Grade 11
App developer
At Girl Scouts of Greater LAs first-ever Girl
Scout Startup Weekend in April (in partnership
with Google for Entrepreneurs and Techstars),
Dagny was mentored and coached by local business
leaders and with a team of her peers launched a
startupfrom pitch to product. The event includ-
ed developing a business plan, marketing, creating
a prototype, and developing an app and business
model. After participating in a Shark Tank-style
competition, Dagnys team won first place for their
app, Line Up, which allows users to play games
with others waiting in line at amusement parks.
bschool.pepperdine.edu/Leaders
JUNE 5, 2017
Mackenzie, Ambassador Girl Scout, Grade
12 Event director
To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, which
challenges girls to lead a large-scale, sustainable
project addressing a community issue, Mackenzie
created her schools first womens empowerment
conference. She led a group of 30 peers in plan-
ning the event, negotiated with vendors, estab-
lished a strong brand and marketing plan, orga-
nized logistics, and recruited high-profile women
to speak, including writer and TV producer Marta
Kauffman (Friends co-creator). Earning my Gold
Award taught me how to be an engaging leader.
I needed to be confident enough with my vision
to lead and motivate my peers. I gained skills in
public speaking, negotiation, and communicating
with high-level executives.
According to the World Economic Forum,
a lack of leadership is considered among the
top three global challenges, with 86% of people
saying we are currently facing a leadership crisis.
But when we look at what girls can do when they
put on their power suita Girl Scout sashthe
answer becomes clear: If we want more effective
leaders in business and across all industries, we
simply need more Girl Scouts.
Melanie Larsen is Communications Manager,
Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles. Learn more at
girlscoutsla.org.
JUNE 5, 2017 CUSTOM CONTENT LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 47

WellsFargo Works for Small Business:

Neighborhood Renovation Program Contests

You could win up to

$25,000 in renovations
for your business
No Purchase Necessary

Small business is a Contest entry deadline is

extended to June 16, 2017.
BIG deal in Los Angeles.
Your business is important to you, your customers, and the neighborhood Better businesses make better
you share with them. The WellsFargo Works for Small Business: communities.
Neighborhood Renovation Program Contest is about helping small The impact this renovation has had on my
businesses thrive. WellsFargo and Rebuilding Together a nonprofit business has been amazing. In addition to my
organization that revitalizes communities along with a design team sales increasing, Im now able to host bigger,
will renovate four small businesses in designated economic development more elaborate events at my business. Its been
wonderful!
focus areas in Los Angeles.
Lisa Phillips (pictured above), owner of Celeebrate Us, a
One Winner will receive up to a $25,000 renovation for their business gift basket store in Baltimore, MD and renovation contest
winner in 2016
and three Finalists will each win up to a $10,000 renovation.
To enter: TO ENTER, YOUR BUSINESS MUST BE LOCATED WITHIN BOTH
Complete the online contest application A NEIGHBORHOOD AND ZIP CODE LISTED BELOW:

Respond to four questions about your business in 1,000 words or less Neighborhoods: Boyle Heights, Central City, Central City East,
Submit three to five photos of the exterior and interior of your business Chinatown, Crenshaw, Hyde Park, Jefferson Park, Koreatown,
Leimert Park, Pico-Union, South Los Angeles, Southeast
For full Contest Rules and eligibility requirements, visit: LosAngeles, and Watts
wellsfargoworks.com/renovation/la Zip Codes: 90001, 90002, 90003, 90005, 90006, 90007, 90008,
90010, 90011, 90012, 90013, 90015, 90016, 90018, 90020, 90021,
Contest ends 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on June 16, 2017. 90023, 90033, 90037, 90043, 90044, 90047, 90056, 90058, 90059,
90061, 90062, 90063, 90089, 90232

THIS IS A JUDGED CONTEST AND EACH CITYS CONTEST WILL BE JUDGED SEPARATELY. NO APPLICATION FEE OR PURCHASE IS REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN.
Contest runs on www.wellsfargoworks.com/renovation from 12:00 a.m. PT (Pacific Time) on 5/1/17 to 11:59 p.m. PT on 6/16/17 (Contest Period). Open to U.S. residents, 21 years or older, who own a retail small business in an economic development focus
area/zip code (definition varies by city) in: Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; or Minneapolis, MN. Entrants must be independent owners/operators (owning no less than 20%) of a business that has been in continuous operation since
4/30/15 and has no more than $200,000 in annual gross revenues. To be a finalist or winner in this contest, the owner must have a valid U.S. tax identification number and meet all eligibility requirements at the time of finalist/winner notification. Owners of
more than one business location, franchised businesses, and nonprofits are not eligible. WellsFargo employees, members of the renovation design team and public official and their immediate family members are not eligible. Contest subject to full Contest
Rules. See Contest Rules for complete details including complete eligibility, contest questions, judging criteria, and prize redemption requirements. Void where prohibited.
2017 WellsFargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (4451602_20719)
48 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL CUSTOM CONTENT JUNE 5, 2017

A Gift for USC Marshall Women MBAs

USC Marshall alumna endows typically pursue the degreetheir late 20s or early
30s.
scholarship fund for women MBAs Women at that age know they will have to
sacrifice something, either their career standing
30 and over or their families, in order to pursue a higher edu-
cation in business, said Laju Obasaju MBA 17.
the clubs during my time at Marshall, she said.
So while you might have a class, where, like most
business schools, women are underrepresented at
only 30 percent, in our class, that 30 percent was
strong. And that 30 percent had no fear and no
misgivings about their ability to lead, based on

A
WOMAN today might talk about the impor-
tance of having a seat at the table in terms
of building her career. When Marilyn Beau-
dry-Corbett was in business school, she consid-
ered herself fortunate they let her in the door.
I was often the only woman in the room, said
Beaudry-Corbett 53 MS 61. But I persevered. I could not have done it without that critical
After a long and successful career in marketing
and a second career as an archeology professor,
Beaudry-Corbett decided to give back: She has
made a $4 million gift to the USC Marshall School
of Business to enable other women to pursue a
graduate level business education. The gift will fund
scholarships for women MBA students 30 and over.
Marilyn Beaudry-Corbetts extremely gen-
erous donation is visionary and courageous,
said James G. Ellis, dean of USC Marshall. She
understands first-hand the challenges women still
face in advancing their business careers, and her
investment helps level the playing field by offering
them access to a critical educational opportunity.
WOMEN AND BUSINESS SCHOOLS
Beaudry-Corbetts gift is well-timed. Studies
show that full-time MBA programs still struggle to
attract women, in part because of the age students
Knowing that there is financial support available
definitely makes it a more viable option and will
certainly help attract more women. Obasaju is
an entertainment attorney who attended USC
Marshall on a Consortium scholarship and is now
starting a leadership rotation at AT&T in Dallas.
dry-Corbett grew up with a keen interest in the
support, she said.
As all business schools work to recruit and
retain more women students, USC Marshall
has made robust strides, with the percentage of
female students up over a five-year period across
programs, including undergraduate and specialized
masters degree programs.
Creating an inclusive culture in all aspects of
USC Marshalls MBA programs is of the highest
importance to our mission, said Debra L. Lang-
ford, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion.
We are building upon several initiatives to
increase the visibility of both our current MBA
female students, as well as our alumni.
Emma Sugarman MBA 14, former president
of the Marshall Graduate Student Association
(MGSA), recalls the empowering climate at USC
Marshall.
Women were presidents for the majority of
gender or anything else.
USC Marshall was worth the dedication it
required, she said.
DOING IT HER WAY
Born and raised in Southern California, Beau-
as a professor. After retiring from teaching and
workings of her fathers candy-making business.
She enrolled at USCs School of Business Admin-
istration, as Marshall was then known. From there
she went to Radcliffe to attend the Harvard-Rad-
cliffe School of Business Administrationat the
time, Harvard did not admit women.
We had the same professors and the same
coursework, she said. But they came to us. We
werent allowed to go onto the Harvard campus to
take classes there.
Beaudry-Corbett later returned to USC for
a master of science degree in industrial sociol-
ogy, and entered the nascent field of marketing
research, joining Audience Studies, Inc, a mar-
keting and advertising research firm. The job took
her all over the world, and she eventually rose to
become the chief operating officer.
She prospered, investing in real estate, and
buying herself a home high in the Hollywood
Hills. But in the 70s, she decided to pivot and pur-
sue her passionarcheology. She went on to earn
a Ph.D. in the field and launched a second career
traveling the world with her husband, she began
thinking about her next chapter.
I knew I wanted the money I raised through
my investments to do some good, she says. I
decided on philanthropy and supporting the
things Ive enjoyed in my life.
And she did enjoy business.
Marilyns gift is particularly significant given
the events she lived through as a single, profes-
sional woman in an era when women werent
necessarily allowed to be either, said Anne Ziem-
niak, assistant dean and director of Marshalls full-
time MBA program. Despite those challenges,
she went on to become very successful, and with
her gift, she is in essence paying it forward to the
next generation of women business leaders.
Learn more about USC Marshall at
marshall.usc.edu.

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JUNE 5, 2017 CUSTOM CONTENT LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 49

Women Professionals Thriving in the Workplace

Every day is a chance to #BeMore. down and put my own wellness first. Practicing Looking back at the early stage of my career, two are the days of a one size fits most career path.

Not do more. Not work more.

self-care is the best preventative medicine there
is. I discovered a few secrets Ill pass on which
Instead, we encourage one another are universal truths for all, especially fellow
ball-jugglers:
to be the best we can be and enjoy Self-care is not selfish; it is the most respon-
life to the fullest. Two of Green sible thing you can do.
Treat yourself the way you would a dear
Hasson Janks leaders share their friend, with gentle compassion and care.
Saying no to what isnt a priority is saying
personal stories below. yes to what is.
Set clear boundaries for yourself, and stick
SAYING NO TO WHAT ISNT A to them.
PRIORITY IS SAYING YES TO Set realistic goals for yourself and schedule
WHAT IS them.
By MARI-ANNE KEHLER And my favorite truth is from the great writer,
Anne Lamott:
particular situations were instrumental in acceler-
ating my development:
Opportunity I regularly attended client and
settlement meetings. So much of what I know
about my job was learned through observation.
For the first couple of years, I was happy to play
a non-speaking role. However with time, my
thoughts started to align with the active dialogue,
which built up my confidence and allowed me to
find my voice in these meetings.
Empowerment My supervisors introduced
me in these meetings as an integral member of
our team, and I performed much of the follow-up
work including circle backs with our clients. Not
only did this pressure me into strengthening my
technical skills, but also figuring out how to effec-
tively communicate my message to others. As
Everyones definition of success is different, and
having a sponsor can help to set a realistic time-
line for the achievement of ones goals.
Being a sponsor keeps us engaged and
informed and freshens our perspective of this
ever-changing world faster and better than if
we were to go about it on our own. And women
need to have as many sponsored career opportu-
nities as men to ensure the path to leadership is
equitable.
At Green Hasson Janks, we focus as much of
our energy toward training and team building as
we do to servicing our clients. As both a recipient
and outspoken benefactor of sponsorships, my
connectivity to our firm is strengthened, and
I am continuously inspired to #BeMore to my
colleagues, our clients and myself. With our com-

W
EVE all heard the advice borrowed from
flight attendants: Put your own oxygen
mask on first! We cannot be of use to oth-
ers, or ourselves, if we arent healthy enough to be
effective. Self-care isnt optional in the long run;
its critical to real success. But putting that into
action is difficult for those who are trying to have
it all by doing it all.
I raised a son with a disability into adulthood
Almost everything will work again if you an added benefit, I gradually established my own
unplug it for a few minutes. individual relationships with our clients.
Including you. Had my supervisors not afforded me these
situations, it is unlikely that I would have had
SPONSORSHIP AND PAYING IT the good sense to seek them for myself, at least
FORWARD not before losing interest in my job. Moreover,
having well-respected, strong-minded women as
By ANITA WU my supervisors shaped my ideal of who I could
become.
mitment to anytime/anywhere work, our support
of flexible work environments and our passion for
health and wellness, our Firm wants people who
live their best lives.
Mari-Anne Kehler is Chief Marketing & Strategy
Officer, Green Hasson Janks
https://www.greenhassonjanks.com/about-us/people/
mari-anne-kehler/

and typically slept only four hours a night for
20 years. I got very good at working hard, playing
hard and juggling all the balls in the air. But
after a health scare, I soon realized I wouldnt be
of much use to anyone for long if I didnt slow
I
a client service profession, our clients are our
N Perhaps the best way I can express my grati-
primary focus, and yet it is just as crucial that tude to the generation before me is to be as gener- Anita Wu is Principal, Entertainment Practice,
we anticipate the needs and exceed the expec- ous to the newer members of our firm. Green Hasson Janks
tations of the people within our organization as Sponsorships require trust and accountabil- https://www.greenhassonjanks.com/about-us/people/
when we present ourselves to the outside world. ity by and between the persons involved. Gone anita-wu/

Vistage is proud to sponsor The L.A. Business Journal Womens Summit

I

For these trailblazers, the sky is the limit. Thats an ethos we celebrateand empower.
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scratching the surface of how Vistage members work through challenges and seize opportunities. Find out how weve
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50 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL CUSTOM CONTENT JUNE 5, 2017

Swimwear Brand
Designer/Founder Gives
Back to the Ocean
T
IMELESS style isnt the only forward-looking Wild Force. As a Power Ranger, saving the
thing about Jessica Rey Swimwear. Designer world was part of the routine, but for Rey, now
Jessica Reys latest silhouettes are helping its for real.
preserve our planets oceans too. I have three small children of my own and I
Reys current collection, which includes want them (as well as their own children in the
one-piece, two-piece and kids swimwear lines, future) to be able to grow up enjoying our planets
continues to offer popular designs with womens natural resources just as
confidence, comfort, and timeless style in mind. our generation did, said
No change there. Its the groundbreaking yarn Rey. Its heartbreaking
shes using that is making a difference in terms of to see photographs and
the environment. footage of the tremendous
Rey has partnered with Italian fabric com- amounts of unnecessary
pany Aquafil to create designs that incorporate waste that ends up in our
Econyl yarn, composed of 100 percent regenerat- oceans and in landfills.
ed nylon waste, such as abandoned fishing nets, Our designs celebrate
production scraps, and carpet fluff. The waste womens confidence, and
is transformed into a durable, lightweight, and as swimwear, they are of
breathable textile, made new through Aqua- Rey course a tribute to the
fils cutting-edge regeneration system, a pioneer- ocean as well. It made
ing example of the circular economy in action sense that we do our part to help heal our planet
offering the same quality and performance in some way. The more waste that can be removed
as traditional nylon, but with the ability to be and repurposed, reducing demand for virgin fibers,
regenerated an infinite number of times without the better off our oceans will be.
any loss in quality. Rey has committed to using Econyl yarn in
Prior to launching her career as a designer, all her new swimsuit designs this year.
Rey was a Hollywood actress starring as Alyssa,
the White Ranger on Disneys Power Rangers Learn more at www.jessicarey.com.

A Tradition of Excellence, Innovation, and Diversity

T
HE Pepperdine University Graduate School
of Education and Psychology (GSEP) is
an innovative learning community where
faculty, staff, and students of diverse cultures
and perspectives work collaboratively to foster
academic excellence, social purpose, and personal
fulfillment. GSEP values academic excellence,
innovative lead-
ership, and work
PROGRAM that serves the
SPOTLIGHT greater good. It
embraces human
diversitywhich
GSEP believes to be the natural expression of
Gods creationin its work to advance learning
and service. GSEP advances, sustains, and advo-
cates for multicultural proficiency.
GSEP students prepare to make a difference
through practicums, internships, and state-of-the-
art on-campus clinics. It is experiential learning to
a higher degree.
In keeping with its commitment to innova-
tion, GSEP was first to offer a masters degree in
social entrepreneurship and change; a masters
degree in education with teaching credential;
and first in California to offer an accredited
degree program in learning technologies. Over
the last year, GSEP introduced not one, but two
new programs: The Doctor of Philosophy in
Global Leadership and Change, and the Master
of Science in Behavioral Psychology. These pro-
grams will aid GSEP in leading its students into
the future.
Also critical to GSEP is fostering a learning
environment that reflects the richness and diver-
sity of the global community. The schools Diver-
sity Council was formed to promote discourse
and foster multicultural proficiency. Comprising
students, faculty, and staff, the council meets
on a monthly basis at the West Los Angeles
Graduate Campus. Beginning in the fall of 2015,
GSEP student, faculty and staff met monthly to
index records for The Freedmens Bureau Project.
The initial goal was to index 500 records; GSEP
ended by indexing more than 2,213 records.
Because of GSEP and many other groups, 100%
of documents have been indexed for The Freed-
mens Bureau Project. Millions of people are now
able to learn more about their family history
through these records.
The Pepperdine University Graduate School of
Education and Psychology (GSEP) is an innovative
learning community where faculty, staff, and
students of diverse cultures and perspectives work
collaboratively to foster academic excellence,
social purpose, and personal fulfillment.
The Margaret J. Weber Distinguished Lec-
ture series, one of GSEPs signature events, regu-
larly features people of color and women. Some
recent speakers include author, activist, and
educator Dr. Cornel West; author and entrepre-
neur Shelene Bryan; and author and educator
Sharon Draper.
GSEPs Foster Grandparent Program offers
a multigenerational approach to community
volunteerism. Foster Grandparents are mentors,
tutors, and friends to children from infancy to age
21 who have exceptional needs or circumstances.
GSEP partners with schools and communi-
ty-based organizations in Carson, Compton, Long
Beach, Los Angeles, Torrance, and Watts.
Pepperdine Resource, Youth Diversion, and
Education (PRYDE) is a prevention, intervention,
and counseling program available for at-risk youth
and their families. Led by Dr. Robert Hohenstein
in collaboration with the Orange County Sher-
iff-Coroner Department, the program provides
like Google, Microsoft, and LinkedIn, GSEP will
services and resources that help youth and their
families make positive changes in their lives, as
well as prevent first-time youth offenders from
entering the juvenile justice system.
GSEPs West Los Angeles Community Coun-
seling Clinic sees around 200 clients per year for
individual, couple, child, and family therapy on a
sliding scale fee. All of the therapists at the clinic
are students in GSEPs Doctor of Clinical Psychol-
ogy program and supervised by licensed therapists
who are members of the faculty.
The Career Services Center provides its con-
stituents with a customized model of career edu-
cation and counseling. GSEP is guided by career
development theory and labor market research,
and utilizes a multi-faceted approach to engage its
industry partners. Career Services has also become
one of the first university organizations to forge a
partnership with The Future Workplace Network.
This partnership allows Pepperdine to strengthen
its pipeline between academia and industry. By
engaging with thought leaders from companies
continue to stay current on talent acquisition and
development trends.
Pepperdine GSEP is proud of its tradition of
excellence, innovation, and diversity. In keeping
with this tradition, it will continue to:
Promote discourse that values the back-
ground, experiences, and perspective of each
member of its community.
Recruit, retain, and advance diverse stu-
dents, staff, and faculty.
Develop curricular models for practice in
educational and psychological environments.
Reach out to communities to promote
understanding and facilitate solutions to diversity
challenges.
GSEPs spirit, energy, and actions will be an
inspiration to education and psychology com-
munities, and its students will continue to effect
positive and lasting change in the world.
To learn more, visit GSEP.Pepperdine.edu.
JUNE 5, 2017
How a Business Can
Benefit From a Short-Term
Line of Credit
A
S critical sources of capital, short-term lines
of credit can be a cost-effective way for a
business to obtain the funds it needs, when it
needs them, and can provide companies a route
to leverage opportunities for growth. Short-term
lines of credit offer the flexibility business owners
need, such as paying interest only on the amount
spent and being able to draw on the business line
of credit whenever necessary.
What is a short-term line of credit?
Unlike a long-term loan, a short-term line of
credit granted to a business is a debt that must be
repaid within a 12 month period. Sometimes the
short-term line of credit is structured as part of
a larger loan, but it still has the same 12-month
expiration.
When can your business benefit from a
short-term line of credit?
In this fast-paced and constantly evolving
world, a host of unforeseen external and internal
factors can disrupt the business landscape with lit-
tle warning. While businesses may include a line
item in their budgets to cover unexpected expens-
es, sometimes there simply isnt enough available
working capital. In other instances, a delay in a
Its easier than
ever to find
The Community
of Business.
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL
Vol. 39, No. 5
Arts District industrial property owners sold on big paydays
By DAINA BETH SOLOMON
Staff Reporter
D
ANTE Cardenas packages his
oregano, sage, beets, and radishes
in Vernon, but just a few years ago
he ran his business, E.D. Produce Inc.,
out of a low-slung warehouse in the Arts
District. He sold the 9,900-square-foot
space in 2014, once he realized its value had
quadrupled over the $1 million dollars he
paid for it just a few years previously.
Its better for me to have something
Firms Data Storage Plan Out of This World
INTERNET: Startups look to
satellites for higher security.
By GARRETT REIM Staff Reporter
Cloud Constellation Corp. has a far-
flung idea.
As businesses and governments consid-
er ways to protect data in light of increased
cyberattacks and surveillance, the startup is
offering them a chance to put their informa-
12
MAIL TO:
A game-Changing Commercial
Real Estate Platform.
 1HZPDUN*UXEE.QLJKW)UDQNLVRQHRIWKHZRUOGVOHDGLQJFRPPHUFLDOUHDOHVWDWHDGYLVRU\UPV
 ZLWKRYHUHPSOR\HHVRSHUDWLQJIURPPRUHWKDQRFHVZRUOGZLGH
labusinessjournal.com
CUSTOM CONTENT LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 51
business loans, making them an ideal option for
immediate financial needs.
In todays fast-paced environment, businesses
need a knowledgeable banking resource they can
local leadership of a more specialized financial
institution. This year, Western Alliance ranks #4
on the Forbes 2017 Best Banks in America list,
which lists the nations top 100 banks based on 10
rely on to help determine if a short-term line of
credit is an ideal solution for their company. Tor-
rey Pines Bank offers a customer-centric approach
important metrics related to growth, profitability,
capital adequacy and asset quality.
(All offers subject to credit approval)
to banking. This commitment to learning about
their clients businesses allows Torrey Pines Bank Information for this article was provided by Torrey
to provide the best possible financial products and Pines Bank. Learn more about how Torrey Pines
professional services. Bank can help your business grow and evolve with
customer paying an invoice can leave a gap in the As a division of Western Alliance Bank, a short-term line of credit by contacting your local
businesss ability to make payroll. In situations like Member FDIC, Torrey Pines Bank clients benefit banking expert. To contact your local banking expert,
this, a short-term line of credit can be a conve- from the financial strength, capacity and sophis- call the Downtown Los Angeles office at (213) 362-
nient option to bridge the gap. ticated product offerings of a large bank along 5200, the Beverly Hills office at (310) 623-8901, or
Tips on how to use your short-term line of with the flexibility, deep regional knowledge and visit torreypinesbank.com.
credit
A short-term line of credit should only be
used when its certain the business will generate
enough capital to repay the bank on time.
When a business uses a short-term line of
credit, funds received should only be used for
a predetermined business purpose such as an
investment in new technology, expanding a
marketing campaign or purchasing additional
inventory to meet a higher demand.
After getting a short-term line of credit, the
business should create a timeline for repayment
and stick to it. This helps track how much to allo-
cate for each months payment and more impor-
tantly, when the final tally will be paid off.
Businesses trying to reach their growth mile-
stones but falling short of projections should
consider the many benefits available by using a
short-term line of credit. These financing solu-
tions are often easier to obtain than traditional
CNO Financial Group
congratulates
TM
Liz Greenwood of
Tennenbaum Capital Partners
L ABUSINESSJOURNAL .COM
and all 2017 nominees
THE COMMUNITY OF BUSINESS January 30 February 5, 2017 $5.00
Ringer Makes
Green D Series Noise
TECHNOLOGY: Bot Homes
In Bag
$109 million feeds IPO buzz.
By GARRETT REIM Staff Reporter
Bot Home Automation
on their well-deserved honor.
Inc., maker of a video cam-
era-rigged doorbell called Ring,
last week raised a $109 million
Series D round and said it is
aiming for an initial public of-
fering before the end of the year.
The Santa Monica firm has Siminoff
come a long way since Chief Executive Jamie
Siminoff pitched the product on ABC reality TV
contest Shark Tank and subsequently rejected a
tight-fisted investment deal from one of the shows
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
Please see TECHNOLOGY page 12
New Roots:
Dante Cardenas
at E.D. Produce
in Vernon.
that I can leave for the future, perhaps to The location became challenging, said
my children, Cardenas said in Spanish. Jae Yoo, a senior vice president at CBRE
Now, I have no thoughts of moving. Were who marketed Cardenas warehouse. Its
doing very well here. not only because the trucks have to compete
The property value is not likely to mul- against people walking on the streets, which
tiply as it did in the Arts District, but there becomes a danger and a liability. What
are other benefits to fleeing the hubbub theyre doing is thinking about the future.
of the fast-developing downtown neigh- As property owners look ahead, many LARRY BUSACCA/GETTY IMAGES
borhood, with its apartments, offices, and are landing fat paychecks from developers Targeted Tech: Snap Inc.s Evan Spiegel.
eateries. His was among several companies keen on razing or redeveloping old ware-
that have taken flight to industrial centers
in Vernon, Commerce, the City of Industry,
and South Los Angeles.
houses, while lessees are finding themselves
Please see REAL ESTATE page 51
Snap Decisions
INVESTMENT: Will tech giant
fight suits to clear IPO path?
By HENRY MEIER Staff Reporter
tion out of reach by Cloud Constellation is projecting it will be able As Snap Inc. moves closer to an expected initial
storing it on servers
within satellites or- $5,000 to launch its constellation of 14 low Earth-or-
biting satellites by the first quarter of 2019.
public offering this spring, the Venice photo-shar-
ing company is going through a rite of passage: de-
biting the Earth. Monthly cost The advantage (of our system) is that the fending itself against a slew of legal actions.
While its system to store 3 terabytes data that you are transmitting has no relationship Lawsuits filed in the last sixth months include
has yet to leave the of data in space. or no exposure to the public networks, said Cliff an array of complaints targeting the company be-
ground, the compa- Beek, the companys president. There are leaks hind the popular Snapchat app, including claims
ny received a boost last month from Palo Alto inside the network that we call the internet. that parts of the tech unicorns underlying product
commercial satellite manufacturer SSL, which Cloud Constellation is not alone in its infringe on patent holders intellectual property as
has agreed to build Cloud Constellations sat- pursuit of a space-based data storage and well as allegations from a former executive that
ellites and invested, along with other backers,
an undisclosed sum in the Westwood company. Please see INTERNET page 51 Please see INVESTMENT page 52
3
FILM REAL ESTATE
Awards Plans for two residential towers to be built at
season means the L.A. Times site begin to take shape.
increased
7
ad spending BANKING
across Steven Sugarmans exit from Banc of California
platforms. opens up prime Santa Monica real estate.
West LA: &HQWXU\3DUN(DVW6XLWH/RV$QJHOHV&$7 www.ngkf.com
CNOinc.com
2017 CNO Financial Group
177881 (05/17)
52 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL INVESTMENTS & FINANCE JUNE 5, 2017

THE LABJ STOCK INDEX TRACKING LOS ANGELES AREA COMPANIES

u WEEKLY TOP GAINERS u WEEKLY TOP LOSERS

Genius Brands Intl Guess Inc. Cherokee Inc. Social Reality Inc.
$4.50 $13 $11.0 $1.75

May 31
$4.14
May 24
$9.65
May 24 May 31
3.755 $3.40 11 May 31 9.5 1.50 $1.30
$12.04

May 24
May 24 $1.48
$9.98 May 31
$8.25
3.00 9 8.0 1.25
5/24 5/25 5/26 5/30 5/31 5/24 5/25 5/26 5/30 5/31 5/24 5/25 5/26 5/30 5/31 5/24 5/25 5/26 5/30 5/31

TOP TEN LOCAL GAINERS BY PERCENTAGE (with closing prices at least $1) TOP TEN LOCAL LOSERS BY PERCENTAGE (with opening prices at least $1)
May 31 May 24 Price 1-Wk 52-Wk May 31 May 24 Price 1-Wk 52-Wk
Company Close Close Change % Chg. % Chg. Company Close Close Change % Chg. % Chg.
Genius Brands Intl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4.14 $3.40 $0.74 21.8% -31.0% Cherokee Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.25 $9.65 -$1.40 -14.5% -41.5%
Guess Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.04 9.98 2.06 20.6% -23.7% Social Reality Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.30 1.48 -0.18 -12.2% -83.4%
MannKind Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.52 1.28 0.24 18.8% -68.0% California Resources Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.89 12.20 -1.31 -10.7% -28.4%
Apollo Medical Holdings Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.00 9.75 1.25 12.8% 115.7% Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.44 1.60 -0.16 -10.0% -76.5%
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27.10 25.15 1.95 7.8% 21.5% NantKwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.67 4.02 -0.35 -8.7% -51.8%
B. Riley Financial Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.05 14.10 0.95 6.7% 54.1% Differential Brands Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.85 2.00 -0.15 -7.5% -54.2%
Qualstar Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.74 5.38 0.36 6.7% 127.6% Xencor Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.50 22.13 -1.63 -7.4% 45.1%
Skechers U.S.A. Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.52 24.11 1.41 5.8% -18.1% Gores Holdings Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.74 16.91 -1.17 -6.9% 62.1%
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.90 13.26 0.64 4.9% 65.9% DineEquity Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45.75 48.57 -2.82 -5.8% -45.6%
Simulations Plus Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.20 11.70 0.50 4.3% 59.7% Second Sight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.15 1.22 -0.07 -5.7% -70.5%

u MARKET DIARY u MARKET INDEXES

The markets closed the week ending May 31 either flat or only modestly higher, dragged down by an off final day. The Dow Jones May 31 May 24 Point 1-Wk 52-Wk
industrial average ended the week unchanged at 21,009, while the Nasdaq eked out an increase of six-tenths of a point to close Index Close Close Change % Chg. % Chg.
the week at 6,199. The S&P 500 rose just 0.3 percent to end at 2,412, while the LABJ Stock Index also rose three-tenths to finish
Dow Jones Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21,008.65 21,012.42 -3.77 0.0% 18.1%
the week just shy of 250. Winners and losers on the local index were evenly matched, with 67 up, 70 down, and 10 unchanged.
Shares of Genius Brands International, helmed by childrens programming executive Andy Heyward, jumped nearly 22 percent to
Nasdaq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,198.52 6,163.02 35.50 0.6% 25.3%
close the week at $4.14 after an analyst upgraded it to a buy. Licensing company Cherokee International led decliners, shedding S&P 500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,411.80 2,404.39 7.41 0.3% 15.0%
14.5 percent of its value to end the week at $8.25. LABJ Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249.83 249.00 0.83 0.3% 8.1%

u MARKET SUMMARY u DIVIDEND YIELD

MOST ACTIVE STOCKS VOLUME WEEKLY SUMMARY Company Dividend Yield Dividend Weekly Close

CytRx Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,340,600 Advances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Tix Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31.4% $0.22 $0.70

Snap Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,851,800 Declines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust . . . . . . . . . . . .10.7% 1.88 17.52
Mattel Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,799,819 Unchanged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Anworth Mortgage Asset Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.9% 0.60 6.05
Activision Blizzard Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,514,451 New Highs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Landmark Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.0% 1.41 15.75
Walt Disney Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,205,686 New Lows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 TCP Capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.5% 1.44 16.89

u LABJ STOCK INDEX

LABJ Stock Index, 52 weeks LABJ Stock Index v. S&P 500, 5 days LABJ Stock Index v. S&P 500, 52 weeks
300 0.6% 20%

0.5%
15%
280 May 31
249.83 0.4%
10%
0.3%
260

0.2% 5%

240
0.1%
0%
0.0%
220
-5%
-0.1% S&P 500
S&P 500
LABJ Stock Index LABJ Stock Index
200 -0.2% -10%
M J J A S O N D J F M A M 5/23 5/24 5/25 5/26 5/30 5/31 M J J A S O N D J F M A M

Note: The LABJ Stock Index includes all companies on the opposite page and is weighted by market cap.

For more information please contact:

Christopher Mone, President Los Angeles Region Data provided by Bloomberg, a source considered to be reliable. However, the information in this feature may not be complete
(310) 598-7806 and cannot be guaranteed. The information provided in this feature does not constitute the provision of investment advice.
JUNE 5, 2017 INVESTMENTS & FINANCE LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 53

THE LABJ STOCK INDEX TRACKING LOS ANGELES AREA COMPANIES p TOP GAINERS q TOP LOSERS

Company May 31 1-Wk YTD 52-Wk P.E. Mkt. Cap Company May 31 1-Wk YTD 52-Wk P.E. Mkt. Cap
Name Ticker Close % Chg. % Chg. % Chg. Ratio (millions) Name Ticker Close % Chg. % Chg. % Chg. Ratio (millions)

AEROSPACE/DEFENSE
Aerojet Rocketdyne Hldgs. AJRD $21.90 1.6% 22.0% 27.0% 21.4 $1,631.5 PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust PMT $17.52 -1.6% 7.0% 13.8% 14.0 $1,168.8
AeroVironment Inc. AVAV 31.04 -0.7% 15.7% 7.7% NA 728.1 Preferred Bank PFBC 49.91 -1.0% -4.8% 51.6% 18.3 704.6
Ducommun Inc. DCO 31.81 -2.2% 24.5% 88.2% 22.9 358.5 TCP Capital TCPC 16.89 -1.5% -0.1% 15.5% 11.3 993.0

Flamemaster Corp. FAME 9.50 0.0% 5.6% -7.3% NA 11.9 HEALTH CARE
p Apollo Medical Holdings Inc (H) AMEH 11.00 12.8% 46.7% 115.7% NA 65.5
Teledyne Technologies Inc. TDY 131.51 2.0% 6.9% 34.0% 25.6 4,640.5
Catasys Inc. CATS 3.98 -4.1% -25.5% -0.3% NA 63.2
Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc. WAIR 9.65 2.7% -35.5% -31.5% 11.5 962.0
Fulgent Genetics Inc (L) FLGT 6.17 -5.1% -46.7% NA NA 109.2
APPAREL
Herbalife Ltd. HLF 71.78 1.7% 49.1% 24.0% 16.1 6,696.2
q Cherokee Inc. CHKE 8.25 -14.5% -21.4% -41.5% 11.8 106.8
Molina Healthcare Inc. MOH 64.57 -3.0% 19.0% 33.3% 644.6 3,680.7
q Differential Brands Group Inc. DFBG 1.85 -7.5% -21.1% -54.2% NA 24.7
NantHealth NH 3.09 -2.5% -68.9% NA NA 376.0
p Guess Inc. GES 12.04 20.6% -0.5% -23.7% 28.0 1,002.4
RadNet Inc. RDNT 7.20 -2.0% 11.6% 38.2% 32.2 340.0
p Skechers U.S.A. Inc. SKX 25.52 5.8% 3.8% -18.1% 16.5 4,040.7 VCA Inc. (H) WOOF 92.13 0.3% 34.2% 41.9% 34.7 7,487.2
AUTOMOTIVE/PLASTICS/METALS INSURANCE
Motorcar Parts of America Inc. MPAA 29.07 -2.0% 8.0% -3.0% 18.2 543.4 Mercury General Corp. MCY 56.00 1.2% -7.0% 6.5% 31.2 3,097.4
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. RS 72.95 -0.4% -8.3% -1.9% 14.7 5,316.8 Unico American Corp. UNAM 9.70 -0.8% -9.8% -16.4% NA 51.5
US Auto Parts Network Inc. PRTS 3.06 -3.8% -13.1% -20.9% 146.2 106.0 INTERNET
BIOMEDICAL / PHARMACEUTICAL Boingo Wireless Inc. WIFI 16.07 1.7% 31.8% 117.2% NA 626.5
Amgen Inc. AMGN 155.24 0.4% 6.2% -1.7% 13.8 114,163.4 CrowdGather Inc. CRWG 0.01 35.8% 83.3% -2.2% NA 1.4
q Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. ARWR 1.44 -10.0% -7.1% -76.5% NA 107.7 J2 Global Inc. JCOM 84.62 1.0% 3.4% 26.4% 26.0 4,078.1
Capricor Therapeutics (L) CAPR 0.82 2.8% -69.4% -74.5% NA 18.4 Rubicon Project RUBI 4.98 -1.2% -32.9% -66.0% NA 246.8

CytRx Corp. CYTR 0.88 74.1% 135.9% -70.6% NA 133.5 Spark Networks Inc. LOV 0.98 -3.0% 16.7% -35.1% NA 31.5
Stamps.com Inc. (H) STMP 137.90 4.2% 20.3% 51.6% 31.1 2,335.8
Immunocellular Therapeutics (L) IMUC 1.12 -2.6% -45.4% -89.2% NA 3.9
TrueCar Inc. TRUE 17.58 1.0% 40.6% 131.6% NA 1,633.0
Kite Pharma KITE 72.32 0.9% 61.3% 41.1% NA 4,089.4
MANUFACTURING
p MannKind Corp. MNKD 1.52 18.8% -52.3% -68.0% 1.8 153.5
Avery Dennison Corp. (H) AVY 84.26 1.7% 20.0% 13.3% 19.2 7,461.9
q NantKwest NK 3.67 -8.7% -35.8% -51.8% NA 301.5
q Gores Holdings Inc. TWNK 15.74 -6.9% 21.1% 62.1% NA 2,052.4
Puma Biotechnology (H) PBYI 76.50 2.1% 149.2% 102.4% NA 2,827.9
Jakks Pacific Inc. (L) JAKK 4.20 -2.3% -18.4% -43.7% NA 112.9
Ritter Pharmaceuticals Inc. RTTR 0.62 -11.9% -77.3% -62.7% NA 9.0
Mattel Inc. MAT 22.91 2.2% -16.8% -28.1% 27.5 7,848.0
q Second Sight EYES 1.15 -5.7% -41.6% -70.5% NA 64.8 Nova Lifestyle Inc. NVFY 1.35 0.7% -30.1% 145.0% NA 36.4
Staar Surgical Co. STAA 9.15 -1.1% -15.7% 68.5% NA 374.7 OSI Systems Inc. OSIS 79.19 1.4% 4.0% 48.6% 35.9 1,479.2
q Xencor Inc. XNCR 20.50 -7.4% -22.1% 45.1% 50.0 957.4 Real Industry RELY 2.80 1.8% -54.1% -58.7% NA 83.4
COMPUTERS/PERIPHERALS/ELECTRONICS Reeds Inc. REED 3.10 -1.4% -24.4% -7.2% NA 43.3
BlackLine Inc. (H) BL 33.76 1.1% 22.2% NA NA 1,731.4 Virco Manufacturing VIRC 4.55 0.0% 5.8% 28.9% 15.0 69.1
Emcore EMKR 10.05 0.5% 15.5% 131.0% 40.0 269.6 MEDIA/LEISURE/ENTERTAINMENT
p Genius Brands Intl GNUS 4.14 21.8% -23.5% -31.0% NA 24.4 Activision Blizzard Inc. ATVI 58.58 0.1% 62.2% 49.2% 40.6 44,149.5
MRV Communications Inc. MRVC 8.95 1.1% 9.8% -17.3% NA 60.9 Daily Journal Corp. DJCO 210.30 0.1% -13.0% 6.6% 1467.8 290.4
PCM Inc. PCMI 19.70 -3.7% -12.4% 82.4% 11.0 247.0 Entravision Communications Corp. EVC 5.75 2.7% -17.9% -20.4% 25.1 519.5
p Qualstar Corp. QBAK 5.74 6.7% 96.6% 127.6% NA 11.7 Global Eagle Entertainment ENT 3.09 -3.7% -52.2% -57.4% 7.3 263.6
Leaf Group Ltd. LFGR 8.00 -2.4% 22.1% 52.1% NA 161.1
Semtech Corp. (H) SMTC 38.20 4.1% 21.1% 62.3% 58.2 2,509.1
p Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. LGF/A 27.10 7.8% 0.7% 21.5% 32.6 5,403.5
Taitron Components Inc. TAIT 1.50 -2.4% 25.0% 53.0% NA 8.3
Live Nation Entertainment Inc. LYV 34.49 2.6% 29.7% 42.8% NA 7,091.5
Trio Tech International (H) TRT 5.42 4.0% 63.4% 59.9% 16.7 19.1
MGM Holdings Inc. MGMB 96.75 0.0% 13.3% 27.3% NA 4,621.7
CONSTRUCTION/ENGINEERING
Point.360 PTSX 0.14 -9.7% -71.3% -76.7% NA 1.8
Aecom ACM 32.11 -1.3% -11.7% 0.0% 16.2 5,000.6
Reading International Inc. RDI 15.96 0.6% -3.9% 27.5% 33.9 370.0
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. JEC 52.42 -1.0% -8.0% 3.4% 17.1 6,312.7 Research Solutions Inc. RSSS 0.95 0.0% -7.8% -20.8% NA 22.7
Tetra Tech Inc. TTEK 45.95 1.9% 6.5% 50.2% 24.9 2,626.3 Salem Media Group Inc. SALM 6.85 -5.5% 9.6% 3.6% 13.8 178.3
Tutor Perini Corp. TPC 25.95 -1.0% -7.3% 14.7% 13.9 1,289.6 Snap Inc. SNAP 21.21 3.3% -13.4% NA NA 25,009.3
ENERGY/UTILITIES q Social Reality Inc. (L) SRAX 1.30 -12.2% -78.8% -83.4% NA 10.4
American States Water Co. AWR 45.79 1.4% 0.5% 17.2% 27.3 1,676.7 Tix Corp. (L) TIXC 0.70 0.0% -55.4% -68.6% 5.7 12.7
BioSolar Inc. BSRC 0.04 1.9% -24.2% -77.6% 9.5 1.3 Walt Disney Co. DIS 107.94 0.2% 3.6% 8.8% 18.7 168,913.0
BNK Petroleum Inc. BNKPF 0.15 -3.8% -32.2% -41.4% NA 35.6 MISC. SERVICES
BreitBurn Energy Partners LP BBEPQ 0.04 4.0% -83.4% -53.8% NA 8.9 Air Lease Corp. AL 36.92 -2.7% 7.5% 22.9% 11.0 3,808.8
q California Resources Corp. CRC 10.89 -10.7% -48.8% -28.4% NA 463.8 Cadiz Inc. CDZI 15.15 -2.3% 21.2% 148.8% NA 337.2
Capstone Turbine Corp. (L) CPST 0.61 -5.1% -10.3% -60.9% NA 21.8 Korn/Ferry International KFY 32.11 -0.1% 9.1% 11.3% 15.5 1,835.4

Cavitation Technologies Inc CVAT 0.04 0.0% 8.8% 35.5% 11.4 8.2 Marathon Patent Group MARA 0.23 -19.5% -86.8% -91.6% NA 5.3
NetSol Technologies Inc. (L) NTWK 4.05 0.0% -22.1% -31.9% NA 45.1
Edison International (H) EIX 81.57 3.0% 13.3% 13.9% 19.2 26,576.4
On Assignment Inc. ASGN 52.40 0.2% 18.7% 39.1% 25.9 2,767.6
FINANCIAL SERVICES
REAL ESTATE
A-Mark Precious Metals AMRK 16.23 3.9% -16.8% 1.6% 16.7 114.1
Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. ARE 116.68 -1.4% 5.0% 20.4% 158.8 10,626.4
American Business Bank AMBZ 42.30 -0.4% 21.0% 48.4% 22.6 276.2
American Homes 4 Rent AMH 22.47 -1.1% 7.1% 22.5% NA 5,817.3
Americas United Bank AUNB 8.90 -0.6% -4.3% 24.0% 20.7 25.6
CBRE Group Inc. CBG 34.88 1.7% 10.8% 16.9% 23.1 11,785.1
Anworth Mortgage Asset Corp. (H) ANH 6.05 2.7% 17.0% 30.7% 17.5 578.6 Douglas Emmett Inc. DEI 37.96 -1.9% 3.8% 12.0% 78.7 5,868.0
Ares Management ARES 18.05 -1.5% -6.0% 28.0% 7.3 3,819.3 Hudson Pacific Properties Inc. HPP 32.76 -2.2% -5.8% 16.5% 1319.4 5,112.2
p B. Riley Financial Inc. RILY 15.05 6.7% -17.0% 54.1% 9.8 293.0 Intergroup Corp. INTG 28.50 0.0% 5.9% 4.6% NA 67.3
Bank of Santa Clarita (H) BSCA 15.50 0.6% 33.6% 59.0% NA 34.1 KB Home KBH 20.98 -1.4% 32.7% 50.5% 14.8 1,789.0
Broadway Financial Corp. BYFC 2.00 2.0% 22.3% 7.5% 28.6 54.9 Kennedy-Wilson Holdings Inc. KW 19.60 -2.0% -4.4% -8.1% NA 2,239.1
Cathay General Bancorp CATY 35.50 -3.2% -6.7% 15.2% 15.9 2,834.1 Kilroy Realty Corp. KRC 73.22 -1.6% 0.0% 19.1% 60.6 7,196.3
Commonwealth Business CWBB 15.15 0.3% 19.3% 45.7% NA 133.6 Landmark Infrastructure LMRK 15.75 0.3% 3.3% 3.6% 39.5 360.1
CU Bancorp CUNB 36.00 -1.5% 0.6% 55.8% 23.5 642.0 LTC Properties Inc. LTC 48.20 -0.7% 2.6% 3.4% 22.5 1,907.4
East West Bancorp Inc. EWBC 54.73 -1.1% 7.7% 41.8% 17.6 7,907.6 Macerich Co. MAC 57.41 -3.1% -19.0% -24.8% 64.8 8,139.6
Farmers & Merchants Bank FMBL 7605.00 0.1% 11.8% 26.6% 13.5 995.7 Marcus & Millichap MMI 24.18 -0.7% -9.5% -4.9% 15.2 920.7
Portsmouth Square Inc. PRSI 62.00 0.0% 18.1% 8.8% 35.4 45.5
General Finance Corp. GFN 5.15 3.0% -7.2% 25.6% NA 136.2
PS Business Parks Inc. (H) PSB 126.28 1.2% 8.4% 27.9% 46.1 3,433.1
Green Dot Corp. GDOT 36.74 1.1% 56.0% 66.5% 35.5 1,827.8
Public Storage PSA 215.35 -1.0% -3.6% -15.1% 30.6 37,437.7
Hanmi Financial Corp. HAFC 26.60 -3.8% -23.8% 9.3% 15.5 861.8
Rexford Industrial Realty (H) REXR 27.25 1.1% 17.5% 36.9% 375.9 1,817.7
Hope Bancorp Inc. HOPE 17.41 -5.0% -20.5% 7.1% 14.8 2,354.7
RESTAURANTS/RETAIL/GROCERY STORES
Houlihan Lokey HLI 33.57 0.7% 7.9% 39.0% 19.9 2,239.9
p Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. BGFV 13.90 4.9% -19.9% 65.9% 13.2 307.9
Malaga Financial Corp. MLGF 26.05 -1.6% 0.8% 14.3% 28.6 152.0
Cheesecake Factory Inc. CAKE 58.98 -0.4% -1.5% 18.3% 20.6 2,828.9
Mission Valley Bancorp MVLY 12.75 0.0% 21.4% 58.4% NA 31.9 q DineEquity Inc. (L) DIN 45.75 -5.8% -40.6% -45.6% 8.8 822.6
NCAL Bancorp NCAL 0.89 0.0% 56.1% 23.6% NA 2.1 Smart & Final SFS 13.10 1.2% -7.1% -17.5% 60.6 959.1
Oaktree Cap Group OAK 46.35 1.9% 23.6% 1.2% 13.2 7,230.3 SOFTWARE
Pacific Commerce Bancorp PCBC 8.40 2.4% 6.5% 35.5% NA NA Cornerstone OnDemand Inc. CSOD 37.36 -0.7% -11.7% -6.6% NA 2,122.8
PacWest Bancorp PACW 46.67 -2.4% -14.3% 12.0% 16.4 5,594.4 Guidance Software Inc. GUID 6.41 0.2% -9.5% 15.5% NA 214.1
PennyMac Financial Services Inc. PFSI 16.10 -3.0% -3.3% 16.9% 5.1 1,236.5 p Simulations Plus Inc. SLP 12.20 4.3% 26.4% 59.7% 39.9 210.3

NOTES ON STOCK TABLES (H) Stock hit new 52-week high (L) Stock hit new 52-week low (S) Stock split during week
54 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL
Hotel Partnership Makes Some Room for Investor
SALE: New York billionaire
pays $100 million to buy out
a co-owner in Sunset Tower.
T
HE storied Sunset Tower Hotel in West
Hollywood has a new partial owner.
Billionaire industrialist Len Blav-
atnik of New York-based Access Industries
is joining hotelier Jeff Klein as a co-owner
after buying out Kleins former partner for
roughly $100 million last week, the co-owners
announced.
That former partner, Thai investor Tho-
sapong Jaruthavee, purchased an 80 percent
REAL ESTATE
stake in the property for about $60 million in
2015 through holding company ER Holly-
wood. At the time, the hotels value was pegged
at $75 million.
Klein owned the remaining stake, but he
wouldnt comment last week on whether his
ownership share had changed in the deal.
Jaruthavees stake in the art deco hotel at
8358 Sunset Blvd. was offered up at about a
$100 million asking price in February.
Sunset Towers average occupancy is about
85 percent, a source familiar with the business
said in February. Average room rates hit $450
a night, and during Oscars week can ratchet up
to $1,200.
Under Kleins tenure, the Sunset Tower
became a Hollywood hot spot that hosts the
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REAL ESTATE
Stake: West Hollywoods Sunset Tower.
Creative Artists Agencys annual Golden
Globes party and attracts the likes of Brad
Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Lady Gaga. It hosted
Vanity Fairs annual Oscars party from 2009
to 2013, helping brand the hotel as a hub for
L.A.s entertainment elite.
Access Industries owns a collection of ho-
tels, including the Four Seasons Grand Hotel du
Cap Ferrat on the French Riviera and the One &
Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas.
Residences Funding
Construction began last week on Four
Since 1994
Seasons Private Residences Los Angeles, 58 ul-
traluxury condos and townhouses just outside of
Beverly Hills, after developer Genton Property
Group raised $239 million for the project.
Jonathan Genton, founding partner of
GPG, said his West Adams company partnered
with Boston-based private equity firm Alcion
Ventures and Dallas real estate advisory Holl-
iday Fenoglio Fowler to arrange the financing
from Childrens Investment Fund Manage-
ment Ltd., a London-based hedge fund.
Although the developer had a ceremo-
nial groundbreaking in October 2015 for
the project across the street from the Four
Seasons Hotel, construction did not begin at
the time, according to Genton, who said the
total projected cost of the project is more than
$300 million.
It was critically important to our investors
and international pool of buyers that we elimi-
nated every potential obstacle before begin-
ning primary construction of the Four Seasons
Private Residences Los Angeles, Genton said
in a statement. While todays challenging
lending and regulatory environment pushed
back our initial ambitious time line, we are
now moving full-steam ahead toward setting
a new standard for luxury living in Southern
California.
The units at 9000 W. Third St. are priced
upwards of $3,000 a square foot, Genton said.
The residences will have an average size of
2,400 square feet and the penthouse will be
about 12,000 square feet.
Buyers thus far have hailed from Los
Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Hong Kong,
Istanbul, London, and elsewhere.
JUNE 5, 2017
The residences will face competition from
about 800 other ultraluxury condo units taking
shape in the area, all aiming for more than
$2,000 a square foot, and as much as $4,000 a
square foot, according to sources familiar with
the projects.
The Westside has had few comparable
sales at those price points. The new units are
all aiming for a similar clientele: wealthy
international and bicoastal buyers who will
pay top dollar for high-end amenities and low
maintenance that come with condos attached
to luxury hotel brands.
LAX Office Sale
Two real estate investment firms have
acquired an office tower near Los Angeles Inter-
national Airport for $12.5 million and plan to
perform a significant renovation.
Downtowns Ruth Group partnered
with Roxborough Fund I, an affiliate of San
Franciscos Roxborough Group, to acquire
the 15-story, 305,000-square-foot office tower
at 9841 Airport Blvd., which is more than 62
percent leased, according to a release.
The partners plan to perform a full renova-
tion of the office lobby and entrance, to upgrade
the exterior, and rebrand the building.
This is a unique situation where we can
begin to transform a submarket with the reposi-
tioning of a major asset that will thrive with the
$14 billion expansion of LAX and the public
transportation system, Bob Ruth, president of
Ruth Group, said in a statement.
Staff reporter Helen Zhao contributed to this
report.
Is pleased to announce
Meylan
Davitt
Jain
Arevian &
K i m LLP
has renewed
its lease at
Special thanks to Nico Vilgiate
of Colliers International
FOR LEASING INFORMATION:
ALAN E. POLLEY
213 243 1260
alan.polley @ hines.com
JUNE 5, 2017 REAL ESTATE LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 55

Jerry Seinfelds Former Domain Hits Off-Market

from 1,900 to 2,300 square feet. There are
LISTING: Hollywood Hills seven townhomes total, though the developer,
home part of multiple lots L.A.s HeyDay Development, plans to rent
two of them.
being offered for $40 million.
Glendale Rising

J
ERRY Seinfelds former Hollywood Hills
home is for sale off-market, according to
listing agent Rochelle Maize of Nour-
mand & Associates.
According to records, the current owner
is Leslie Peter Benzies, former president of
Rockstar North, a United Kingdom-based
subsidiary of New Yorks Rockstar Games.
Benzies served as a lead developer for the
Grand Theft Auto video-game series.
The property, at 9444 Sierra Mar Place, and
three adjacent lots are packaged for $40 million,
RESIDENTAL
REAL ESTATE
HELEN ZHAO
Maize said. Seinfelds former 5,900-square-foot
home, built in 1967, includes four bedrooms
and five bathrooms.
An adjoining lot at 9432 Sierra Mar
Place has a two-bedroom, two-bathroom,
1,600-square-foot guest house, built in 1956.
Two other lots at 9442 Sierra Mar Place are
empty. Together, the lots comprise just under 1
acre. The parcel at 9432 Sierra Mar Place is the
only one that can be purchased separately, for
about $6 million.
Benzies intended to tear down Seinfelds
former home, as well as the guest house, in order
to construct a 15,000-square-foot mansion and
6,100-square-foot guest house. The architectural
On Block: Jerry Seinfelds former Hollywood Hills home at 9444 Sierra Mar Place.
designs have been drawn up, though building
permits are still pending. The buyer of the four
parcels could theoretically proceed with the
plans if they are approved by the city.
Benzies would still like to develop the
mansion if he cant find a buyer for all four
parcels, Maize said.
Seinfeld sold his former home in 1998
for a reported $3.2 million to Alec Berg, an
executive producer of NBCs Seinfeld, as
well as HBOs Silicon Valley and Curb Your
Enthusiasm.
Legendary Home
Marilyn Monroes former Brentwood
residence has sold for $7.25 million $350,000
more than its asking price.
The roughly 2,600-square-foot property
where Monroe died sold in less than 10 days
after hitting the market on April 21, with
multiple offers above asking price, according
to a release last week from Beverly Grove
brokerage Mercer Vine.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom property
at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive, built in 1929, has
undergone some changes since Monroe lived in
it, Mercer Vine listing agent Lisa Optican told
Vanity Fair.
Eagle Rock Soars
Sales of small-lot subdivision homes in
Eagle Rock have hit a new price point. Five federal governments low-income housing tax
such properties in a community called Everlee
sold out at the end of April with prices ranging
from $850,000 to $1 million. Four of the homes
sold while still under construction, said listing
agent Chris Furstenburg of Nourmand &
Associates.
The previous high for a small-lot home in the
neighborhood was in June of last year when a
unit in the Prism community sold for $775,000.
The three-story Everlee townhomes range
Burbanks Gangi Development broke
ground last week on 28 townhomes in Glendale
that feature some of the latest eco-friendly
features on the market.
The three-bedroom units in the community
known as Pennsylvania Court start at $715,000
and are slated to include solar panel hookups,
electric vehicle charging stations, rain barrels,
and grey water recycling systems that allow
water from sinks and showers to be used for
landscape irrigation.
These features can be costly, said Mark
Gangi, chief of design at Gangi Development.
The strategy is to reduce consumption first to
make these systems have a greater impact.
Gangi said the projects sustainable
aspirations helped the firm gain approval from
the Glendale design review board in February
2015. Previous plans for the site by another
developer were rejected by the City Council.
Meanwhile, 70 affordable-rate apartments at
121 N. Kenwood St. opened on May 25. Called
Ace 121, the 80,000-square-foot development
by L.A.s Meta Housing Corp. is part of the
credit program. Meta is no longer accepting
applications and the waiting list has closed.
Rents at the complex are determined by
an occupants annual income and will be kept
affordable by a 55-year covenant, after which
ownership can raise them to market rate.
Staff reporter Helen Zhao can be reached at
hzhao@labusinessjournal.com or 323-549-5225,
ext. 263.

BUSINESS MARKETPLACE
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Inspector II, Construction
needed by AECOM
Technical Services,
Inc. in Los Angeles, CA
(and various locations
throughout the U.S.; may
work from home) to assist
with inspections, oversight,
and administration of
construction projects. To
apply, mail resume to N.
Parson, HR Specialist,
AECOM, 4840 Cox Rd.,
Glen Allen, VA 23060.
Please refer to job # FSFT-
A7XVPK.
Netflix, Inc. has the following job opportunities in its Hollywood,
CA office:
Manager, Content Planning & Analysis (Req.#: 15-
1298(LABJ)): Lead the analysis & valuation of new deals in
prtnrshp w/the Content Acquisition team to facilitate decision
making & timely execution. Conduct ongoing analysis of
key biz drivers, trends & prfrmnce indicators. Dvlp deep
understanding of industry trends as well as competitive threats
& opportunities. Reqs: MS(or equiv.)+4 yrs. exp. OR BS(or
equiv.)+6 yrs. exp.
Content Localization Specialist (Req.#: 16-2642(LABJ)):
Manage multiple large-scale projects (guide & oversee
dubbing & subtitling assets creation in more than 24
languages) across a wide range of localization vendors &
translators around the world effectively & efficiently. Reqs:
MS(or equiv.)+3 yrs. exp. OR BS(or equiv.)+5 yrs. exp.
Please mail resume w/ ref. (please include the Req. No.) to:
ATTN: Talent Mobility, Netflix, Inc., 100 Winchester Circle,
Los Gatos, CA 95032
TECHNOLOGY: Pivotal Software, Inc. has the following positions
available at its office in Santa Monica, CA:
Senior Software Engineer (Req.#: 17-1706(LAT/LABJ)): Dvlp,
create & modify apps utilizing agile processes, incl. test-
driven dvlpmnt, pair-programming, refactoring & state-of-the-
art continuous integration, build & deplymnt infrastructure.
Assist clients w/the adoption of agile methodology or object-
oriented design & programming. May be assigned to various,
unanticipated sites throughout the United States. Reqs: MS(or
equiv.)+2 yrs. exp.
Data Scientist II (Req.#: 17-1791(LAT/LABJ)): Create new
sources of data-driven innovation & value for customers
& prospects while improving the analytical capabilities of
Pivotals technology stack. Use techniques from supervised
& unsupervised machine learning, statistical analysis &
predictive modeling to deliver biz insights to prospects &
customers based on data stored in Pivotal data warehouses.
May be assigned to various, unanticipated sites throughout the
United States. Reqs: MS(or equiv.)+2 yrs. exp.
Please mail resume with references (please indicate Req.#:
on your application) to: ATTN: HR, Pivotal Software, Inc., 875
Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103.

Contact Rosz Murray at 323.549.5225 ext. 215 rmurray@socalbusinessjournals.com

56 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL JUNE 5, 2017

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PROPERTIES FOR SALE & LEASE

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JUNE 5, 2017
Internet: FCC Call Goes Against Phone Company
Continued from page 1
as PWG Solutions. FreedomPop charges those
customers an undisclosed fee for every subscrib-
er its software helps sign up.
(PWG is) going to leverage our technology
to reach a much larger population, said Stokols,
who noted that though more than 40 million
Americans are eligible for the subsidy, only 13
million have signed up.
Using our digital platform, our carrier part-
ners will be able to reach all 40 million people
eligible for the Lifeline program, he said.
That underserved market is a big opportuni-
ty for Lifeline service providers, said Nathan
Johnson, co-chief executive of TruConnect, a
Westwood prepaid cellphone provider that par-
ticipates in the program.
There still is a wide unmet gap in that uni-
verse that has to be filled, he said. There is
this pent-up demand or unfilled demand for a
broad cross section of the public that has not had
broadband access except for getting Wi-Fi from
the library.
New life
In September, FreedomPop landed a $50 mil-
lion investment from Luxembourg-based Let-
terOne. It was the second $50 million infusion
the company received last year, following a Series
C round in January at what Forbes reported was
a $250 million valuation. LetterOnes stake was
not disclosed, nor was the most recent valuation.
The company expanded its service to the
United Kingdom and Spain last year, and
Marijuana: Registry May Weed Out Bad Actors
Continued from page 1
whereby it will be more difficult for dozens of
potentially legitimate businesses to apply for city
cannabis business licenses once the new city or-
dinance is in place later this year, Koretz said.
At the same time, we continue to receive nu-
merous complaints about problem dispensaries
against which city enforcement has been slow to
take action.
City Attorney Mike Feuer said through a
spokesman he could not discuss the interim reg-
istry because doing so would breach attorney cli-
ent privilege. However, he maintained his office
had aggressively targeted noncompliant canna-
bis businesses for four years and would continue
those efforts.
The city attorney has discretion to bring
enforcement actions against pot shop owners
under the citys old medical marijuana laws, es-
tablished in 2013 by the voter-approved Prop-
osition D.
Many marijuana industry players are upset at
Feuers continued strict enforcement of Propo-
sition D after voters passed a new cannabis law,
Measure M, in March. That ballot initiative,
which authorized the City Council to enact an
ordinance to regulate and tax marijuana, came
in the wake of a statewide referendum passed in
November legalizing recreational pot in Califor-
nia.
Dustin McDonald, vice president for gov-
ernment relations at Irvine-based pot shop
search engine Weedmaps, said the city should
focus on implementing Measure M so that li-
censes for cannabis businesses are available by
the scheduled Jan. 1 rollout of the states permit-
ting system.
Throwing taxpayer money out the window
to conduct whack-a-mole enforcement while the
city scrambles to put together a policy solution is
not the right answer, McDonald said. The Ko-
retz motion should be expanded to establish a set
of preliminary regulatory criteria that all dispen-
saries in the city would have to meet until formal
licenses are issued later this year. This would be
Carriage Issues: Stephen Stokols at FreedomPops Westwood headquarters in July.
planned to bow in eight Asian, Latin American,
and European markets this year.
Its plans include free voice and data service
up to a point, after which there are charges for
additional usage or services such as a second
phone number, more data usage, or anony-
mous web browsing. The firm, which also sells
phones, uses its software to target and upsell
customers on extra services, such as extra data
a big step in addressing the chaos of an unregu-
lated environment established by Prop D.
McDonald is not alone in his support for Ko-
retzs proposal: Most marijuana business owners
and industry groups in the city of Los Angeles
including the Southern California Coalition,
which helped spearhead the passage of Measure
M back an interim registry.
Its really a win-win proposal put forward
by council member Koretz, said Adam Spiker,
executive director of the coalition. It gives com-
pliant operators a provisional license so they are
protected while the council is building out the
full regulatory system. For the city, seeing who
registers can start providing a picture as to who
plans on applying for (formal) permits.
Growing market
Spikers latter point is particularly important.
While the states total cannabis market is ap-
proaching $6.5 billion, there is almost no data on
the size of L.A.s pot industry.
Without an idea about the number of canna-
bis businesses that will apply for licenses when
the council finalizes regulations, setting up a
framework for how to process applications is
difficult, Spiker and others said.
It also creates a problem for the council,
which is struggling to come up with a plan that
allows for legal cannabis commerce without
overwhelming Los Angeles with storefronts.
While no formal criteria have been released the
council is expected to put out a draft of its for-
mal ordinance this week industry insiders said
a leading proposal would not establish a hard
cap on the number of licenses issued, but rather
require pot shops be located at least 1,000 feet
apart within certain zones. Measure Ms land-
use guidelines allow marijuana storefronts to be
regulated based on their proximity to schools,
residential areas, parks, and stores selling candy
to children.
Most in the industry consider a zoning option
to be a better idea than a cap, but McDonald said
that plan also has issues.
A proposal requiring 1,000 feet the equiv-
alent of three football fields between dispensa-
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
for customers who bump up against their allot-
ment of free bandwidth. It operates in a similar
manner to no-frills airlines that charge little for
flights but tack on fees for baggage, extra leg
room, and other features.
FreedomPop has signed up more than 2
million subscribers since its founding in 2011.
The company reported to the Business Journal
last year that it generated nearly $40 million in
Bringing Order to Reefer Madness
Representatives of the city of L.A.s Mayors
Office and City Council last week said the
search for a candidate to head a marijuana
business licensing commission is ongoing, but
industry sources said Cat Packer, California
policy director for the nonprofit Drug Policy
Alliance, has emerged as the top contender for
the executive director post, which would oversee
commission staff.
While the five-member commission would
have final say on licensing, the executive director
position would be the day-to-day driver of policy
and operations for the citys cannabis business
oversight body.
Packer, who works out of the alliances Echo
Park office, declined to confirm or deny the
rumors, but said whoever takes on the position
will face a challenging task.
Whether or not shes selected to head the
citys cannabis regulation efforts, Packer said she
would advocate for a permitting system that helps
minority business owners gain a foothold in the
legal marijuana industry.
ries in the limited areas of L.A. where dispensa-
ries will be allowed is not an access solution, he
said. There are thousands of industry operators
here who will seek a license from the city and the
city will need to accommodate as many of them
as possible. The alternative is a huge and costly
illegal market.
The city has to juggle numerous other mar-
ijuana regulation question marks, including
picking five members for a Cannabis Licensing
Commission, which would oversee the permit-
ting process in Los Angeles, by a self-imposed
Sept. 1 deadline.
Multiple sources familiar with the situation
said City Council President Herb Wesson has
tapped Cat Packer to be the commissions exec-
utive director. Packer serves as California policy
director for the nonprofit Drug Policy Alliance.
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 57
revenue in 2015 an increase of more than 200
percent from the roughly $13 million reported a
year earlier.
In addition to its Lifeline customers, Free-
domPop signed a software licensing deal in Feb-
ruary with one of Italys largest carriers, Wind
Italy, which plans to use the software to identify,
qualify, and retain mobile users through a simi-
lar freemium offering.
That capability could be useful to Lifeline
carriers that have typically relied on grassroots
marketing efforts, industry players said.
The further you get out of urban settings,
there is a lack of understanding that this program
actually exists, added TruConnects Johnson.
Marketing for Lifeline is sparse because the
FCC subsidy isnt enough to support expensive
digital advertising efforts, he said, noting many
carriers use street teams to sign up customers.
Carriers receive subsidy payments as reim-
bursements every month.
The margin overall is so thin, Johnson
said. The first thing to fall is advertising.
Thats where FreedomPop wants to insert
itself. The company claims its platform can
streamline enrollment and microtarget low-in-
come suburban and rural pockets of the nation
at one-tenth the cost of the industrys average
for customer acquisition, Stokols said.
That should be attractive to a large number
of carriers, he added, noting the revenue Free-
domPop generates from software licensing could
eventually outpace its cell service business.
Its still a little nascent, but its growing at
a very fast rate, he said. At some point, it may
eclipse the retail business.
One thing that comes up over and over in
meetings and at events is that folks want to see
some type of program that acknowledges past in-
justices committed during the war on drugs, she
said. Minority communities have experienced a
huge amount of harm for conduct that is now not
only legal but highly profitable.
Packer said Los Angeles should look to cities
such as Oakland, which has established a social
justice-based cannabis licensing system. Licens-
es there are issued to individuals who were either
arrested on a marijuana charge after 1996 or who
live in areas that have a historically high number
of pot enforcement actions, according to Packer.
She said that while Oaklands system might
not work in Los Angeles because the size of the
market here is so much larger, some sort of pro-
gram should be established to promote minority
cannabis business ownership.
Its going to be complicated and imperfect,
she said. But the city needs to express its com-
mitment to some sort of equity licensing.
Henry Meier
A spokeswoman for Wesson did not confirm
or deny Packer is the frontrunner for the posi-
tion, saying only that multiple names had been
submitted to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
who has final say on the executive director ap-
pointment. Garcetti has been noticeably absent
from any discussion of cannabis regulation in
the city even though he would control three of
the five appointments to the proposed Cannabis
Licensing Commission, with the council con-
trolling the other two.
Mayoral spokesman George Kivork did
not respond to questions about whether Garcet-
ti had identified candidates for the positions or
whether he is reviewing names for the execu-
tive director post, but said in a statement the
mayor is waiting to review the councils draft
ordinance.
58 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL
Dining: Restaurant Sets Table for Branding Deals
Continued from page 1
The Perencevics were initially approached
about pursuing a brand extension earlier this
year by Michael Catalano, co-founder of West
Hollywoods Prominent, housed less than a
mile from the restaurant.
What we really love about the brand is not
only its longstanding history, but the fact that
theyve made no changes, Catalano said. In
a world thats transforming in so many ways,
it speaks to the power of the brand and how it
resonates with customers after all this time.
The expansion comes as restaurants nation-
wide have struggled to bring in customers over
the past couple of years, in part because of a
prolonged period of deflated grocery prices,
leading an increasing number to leverage their
reputations while licensing and distributing
their food products.
Under these types of deals, a restaurant ei-
ther signs an agreement for a manufacturer to
make and distribute products using its recipe
and brand or work with a branding agency to
set up such arrangements.
Although the margin from licensing a
restaurant brand for retail products is lower
than for restaurant sales, it can benefit from
economies of scale without the personnel and
seasonality of managing a restaurant.
Retail sales of licensed restaurant products
increased 1.5 percent to $4.63 billion in 2014
from the year before, according to a 2016 report
from industry publication Licensing Letter. Local
chains that have moved emphatically into licens-
ing are Playa Vistas California Pizza Kitchen;
Rosemeads Panda Restaurant Group; and
Beverly Hills Fog Cutter Capital Group Inc.,
which owns the Fatburger brand.
Selling retail products can also increase
awareness of a restaurants brand, analysts said.
Fog Cutter has found that licensing the
Fatburger brand to sell frozen patties at 4,000
Wal-Mart locations gives it a greater reach than
the chains 100 national franchises, said Chief
Executive Andy Wiederhorn.
Licensing is a way to get your product in
places where you dont have restaurants, Wie-
derhorn said.
Classic dining
Tana opened his namesake restaurant in
1964 after emigrating from the former Yugosla-
via. The place became a magnet for celebrities,
reportedly welcoming everyone from Elizabeth
Taylor to Paris Hilton.
He sold the business in 2008 to the Per-
encevics, Croatian emigres. The mother and
daughter left the restaurants signature red-and-
white checkered table cloths and some of the
longtime staff in place.
Once you become a part of the family,
youre treated in a way that keeps you coming
back, said Jordan Okun, 38, a novelist and
television writer whos been dining at Tanas
since the 1990s. Regular customers are treated
like family. There are only a few men in L.A.
that I kiss on the lips, and thats my father and
the matre ds. You get a kiss on the lips and a
pat on the tush. You get a great table as soon as
you walk in in front of those who have not yet
put in their dues with the place.
Its that attitude that chef Mladenovic said
kept him there for so long.
The original owner Dan Tana treated every-
body well. It feels like family when you come
to this place, he said. Many times, a customer
comes in and the bartenders know the customer
and what they drink. Its how I fell in love with
this place. They treat everybody right.
Catalano and his partners at Prominent had
Dan Tanas at the top of their list of potential
clients to approach.
He said he didnt know how much the
restaurant generated in revenue, adding that the
number didnt determine how much the license
might fetch in a different location.
Catalano declined to share the particulars of
the contract. Licensing agreements differ based
on how much work the branding agency does,
Upholding Traditions: Dan Tanas chef Neno Mladenovic joined the 53-year-old West Hollywood restaurant nearly 30 years ago.
but the agency usually takes a cut of a licen-
sors sales, said Fog Cutters Wiederhorn.
When Prominent began working with the
Perencevics, Dan Tanas was already selling its
marinara sauce at several local Bristol Farms
locations, Catalano said. His goal is to extend
the reach of the sauce, as well as add olive oil,
wine, pasta, vinegar, and fresh and frozen foods
to the product line.
Ready to travel
Terry Italia, co-founder of San Juan Cap-
istrano food brand licensing agency Greystar
Products Inc., is familiar with Dan Tanas
marinara sauce. Its short ingredient list would
appeal to customers, said Italia, who helped
develop and sell branded sauces for Panda Ex-
press and Tony Romas.
But he questioned how well the brand would
be recognized outside of the region, and said the
price per jar of $9.99 is too high, especially in a
category such as pasta sauce that is dominated
by big brands including Campbell Soup Co.s
Prego and Mizkan Groups Ragu. Mizkan paid
Unilever $2.15 billion in 2014 for the Ragu and
Bertolli brands, which at the time generated more
than $600 million in combined annual sales.
In spite of being an arguably great product,
other factors come into play: price, competi-
tion, Italia said. Its going to be hard to break
out of their geographic area.
Jeff Lotman, chief executive of Santa Mon-
ica branding agency Global Icons, also ques-
tioned the brands visibility outside of the state
and thought the sauces price wasnt competitive.
However, he pointed to the success of
Raos, another tomato sauce launched from a
single restaurant popular with high-profile in-
dividuals. Raos Specialty Foods Inc. of New
York generated about $21 million in earnings
before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amor-
tization on revenue of $65 million last year,
according to data from Morgan Stanley cited
by the Wall Street Journal. The companys
marinara sauce sells for around $8 a jar and is
available in most stores across the country, ac-
cording to its website.
Getting such a product into a grocery store
is not simply a matter of sales efforts or re-
lationships it costs money, too, Italia said.
Supermarket chains charge slotting fees of
$50 a store, or $100 for frozen products, for
advantageous product placement.
Cooking: Dan Tanas Sonja Perencevic flanked by daughters Ivana, left, and Nika.
Companies licensing their brand for food
products get a 3 percent to 5 percent royalty on
retail sales, according to Lotman.
Global movement
Opening more locations, as Raos Restau-
rant Group has done in Hollywood and Las
Vegas since Raos Specialty Foods began sell-
ing the sauce, would help increase Dan Tanas
brand awareness, Lotman said.
There would be more chances of some-
one saying, I saw the restaurant, Ill try the
sauce, he said.
While Dan Tanas and Prominent dont have
plans yet to open U.S. locations, they have
been exploring international restaurant sites.
Catalano said he was in talks with potential
operating partners for restaurants in the United
Kingdom and Canada, and is also considering
Dubai.
Dan Tanas previous management had been
discussing licensing its brand for a Las Vegas
restaurant with West Hollywoods Innovative
Dining Group, but that deal fell apart when the
business was sold, said Lee Maen, a founding
partner at Innovative.
L.A. is the biggest feeder market for
Vegas, Maen said. A lot of people in Vegas
know Dan Tanas and would probably go. It
definitely has the feeling of an old-school Ve.
JUNE 5, 2017
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES
gas restaurant, the Mafia.
Maen, whose group owns BOA Steakhouse
and Sushi Roku, and has licensed some of its
brands for four restaurants in the United Arab
Emirates, thinks Dan Tanas ability to succeed in
foreign markets would depend on the operator.
One of the best things about Dan Tanas is
the staff working there, Maen said. The ques-
tion is, Can you re-create the experience at a
different location, especially when an outsider
is doing it? With the right people, its possible.
The role that a staff can play in bolstering a
restaurants reputation is underscored by Mlad-
enovics sharing of a story from Dan Tanas
Hollywood past.
One time the matre d didnt recognize
John Travolta. Travolta got so pissed because
he couldnt get a table. He yelled at the matre
d, Youre supposed to recognize me, he
said. The matre d was a character. He didnt
care about the movie business he just cared
about the business. He said, I dont know who
you are but youre supposed to know who I am.
Im the one who seats the tables.
Travolta left. He came back an hour later
and apologized and said, Youre right. I should
know who you are.
Translating the language of insiders outside
of Hollywood might prove to be the brands
biggest challenge.
JUNE 5, 2017 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 59

EXECUTIVE STYLE

Modern
Philosophy
A lot of top CEOs have Jacket: Brunn designed West
their one outfit, and Hollywoods RtA Store, which
that makes sense now. stands for Road to Awe, where
Its just easy. he found himself awed by this
ultrasoft lambskin jacket. I love
DAN BRUNN, details like the double zippers. Its
Dan Brunn Architecture the little stuff that makes it cool.

Nordet bag: The

New York brand
designs accessories
geared toward the
Northeast surfer
lifestyle, but Brunn
finds this convertible
bag perfect for a
SoCal architect as
well. He appreciates
its high-end details,
including reflective
fabric and military
buckles.

Ray-Ban
sunglasses: From
Garrett Leight
California Optical
on Melrose Avenue.
Brunn likes the pairs
Watch: Brunn loves cars and 1950s retro feel.
motorcycles, and this rose gold
Rolex Daytona model was
designed for racing. He opted for
a sportier look by switching out an
alligator strap for black rubber.

Sh
Shoes: Brunn tried many upscale comfort brands before adopting
fo
footwear from Italys Common Projects. Hes on his third pair.
T
They are a classic look, like Converse, but made extremely well.

RCHITECT Dan Brunn, founder of Mid-Wilshire design The same is true when it comes to fashion. He calls his look noting hell top it off with a leather jacket or a blazer. A

A firm Dan Brunn Architecture, is a minimalist in more

ways than one.
Brunn, 39, was born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, where
he grew up surrounded by Bauhaus-style architecture. The
family moved to Los Angeles when he was 7 years old.
Once here, he began to think about architecture in bigger
terms than his childhood passion for Lego blocks, and he
found himself baffled by L.A.s hodgepodge of styles.
All of a sudden, you are in colonial Spanish, or whatever
it is, buildings without any light, and you are, like, Why am
I here? That was a shock, Brunn said. Im definitely less is
more in terms of my architecture.
modern classic, preferring clean lines and timeless style.
Its not going to be something youll find in the trending
aisle, Brunn said. With clothes, I keep it classic.
He acknowledged that clients often judge a designer or
architect based on their wardrobe.
Theres absolutely a style that they want, he said, add-
ing his black, white, and grey aesthetic often matches the
minimalist expectations of those he meets.
Brunns look also includes high-end casual items, such as
black Belstaff jeans with a biker vibe.
If its more of a fancy event, itll be black jeans; a white
collared dress shirt; and thin black tie, 1950s style, he said,
lot of top CEOs have their one outfit, and that makes sense
now, he said. Its just easy. I dont want to think about it. I
have other things to think about.
Brunn, named one of Architectural Digests 10 architects
to watch in 2015, uses colorful socks always from Paul
Smith to add an element of surprise to his outfits. He chose
a red, blue, and purple argyle pattern for the Business Journal.
Sticking to classic pieces, he said, is much different than
ignoring style altogether.
Everybody should care, he asserted. You need to think
about it.
Diane Haithman

PHOTOS BY THOMAS WASPER

60 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL COMMENTARY JUNE 5, 2017

Capture the Momentum

UPERTINO, home to Apple Inc., the In an environment where we are shielded are borne by us all as municipal resources are count, Providence Health & Services, a Cath-

C worlds most valuable company, has a

population of 58,000 people. Its medi-
an household income is more than $134,000.
The homeless population of Los Angeles
County would fill Cupertino.
Its a staggering thought. There are more
than 58,000 people here men, women, and
many children living on the streets. And it
is getting worse. The homeless population
in the City of Los Angeles, according to the
most recent count, has jumped 20 percent
since last year.
by class and steel as we zip along on freeways,
oblivious to the people hunkered down in tents
under the overpasses, it is possible to be blind
to this blight on our region.
To our credit, the residents of the city
and county have voted to tax themselves to
pay for housing and supportive services to
address the problem, but its persistence is a
shame we bear and to which we have paid too
little heed.
The costs of homelessness, whether born
of bad luck, mental illness, or drug addiction,
directed to this vulnerable population. We have
chronicled in these pages how the momentum
of businesses leaving downtown has increased
as encampments have spread and, in many
cases, gotten more dangerous.
And in an environment in which hospital
emergency rooms are increasingly becoming
the primary provider of health care for a grow-
ing number of residents, it is hard to ignore
the costs passed along to the rest of us in this
public health crisis.
In the wake of the most recent homeless
olic nonprofit health system, came out with a
report showing it spent in excess of $55 mil-
lion last year on charity care, a figure which
does not include the $185 million in Medicaid
shortfalls it covered. This for one health system
in Los Angeles alone.
The business community must be a vocal,
vigilant stakeholder in the process of deploying
the hundreds of millions of dollars we have
appropriated to address homelessness in Los
Angeles. Anything less is an abrogation of our
collective responsibility.

LABJ FORUM
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL POLL
Leaders from across Los Angeles such as Patrick Soon- Whats the sector with the greatest potential
Room Shiong, Eli Broad, and Michael Milken discussed the future
Whats the sector with
the greatest potential for
for growth in Los Angeles?

for Growth of a range of local industries at the Business Journals first

Icons event on May 24. So the Business Journal asks:
growth in Los Angeles?
21% 44%
Manufacturing Biotech
KIMBERLY RITTER-MARTINEZ DAN DATO MICHAEL NOURMAND aerospace, the research
transportion, and instutions are
Economist Chief Operating President other industries are already in place.
Institute for Applied Economics Officer Nourmand & Associates on the rise.
Over the next two years we Cross Campus All these tech
expect significant job creation will Ill say companies have opened
occur in health care, hospitality and tourism,
and trade and logistics, all of which will provide
manufacturing because its so
big to start with. It might have
and new businesses have started
from venture capital and all this
35%
Virtual/Augmented
opportunities for middle-skilled workers. a lower percentage growth, seed money. I think that now theres Reality the
In addition, potential for growth is strong but it is one of our strongest a critical mass here. Its not Silicon convergence of tech
and entertainment
although the numbers are smaller for highly traditional sectors. I love Valley, but its another hub with is a natural fit.
skilled workers in the regions entertainment seeing the innovation going on good universities, good talent, good
Online results for week ended May 31.
and digital media-related industries. in our manufacturing sector. housing; its a nice place to live.

LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL

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AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

CIRCULATION MANAGER Zainabu Bryant zbryant@labusinessjournal.com | ext. 244 AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Sarah Ewald sewald@labusinessjournal.com | ext. 217

Darrin Sennott Ellen Mazen

VICE PRESIDENT, LOCAL SALES NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER
dsennott@socalbusinessjournals.com | ext. 220 emazen@socalbusinessjournals.com | ext. 240

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Helya Askari haskari@socalbusinessjournals.com | ext. 210 Elizabeth Gravier egravier@labusinessjournal.com | ext. 234
Eva Juse ejuse@socalbusinessjournals.com | ext. 222 Dominic Kiles dkiles@labusinessjournal.com | ext. 247
Jim Slater jslater@socalbusinessjournals.com | ext. 209 Karen Taylor ktaylor@labusinessjournal.com | ext. 252
CLASSIFIED SALES MANAGER Rosz Murray rmurray@socalbusinessjournals.com | ext. 215 ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Maria Santizo msantizo@socalbusinessjournals.com | ext. 216

Nancy Schwartz
CONTROLLER
nschwartz@labusinessjournal.com | ext. 202

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLES SPECIALIST Elfleda DiPietro ar@labusinessjournal.com | ext. 231

ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Elise Lovett elovett@labusinessjournal.com | ext. 249 RECEPTIONIST Lillie Cross receptionist@labusinessjournal.com | ext. 0
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JUNE 5, 2017
Green Thumb: Plants growing in a converted shipping container made by Local Roots Farms in Vernon, which plans to expand nationally.
PEOPLE
A D
Ahmad, Sameen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Ali, Fred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
B E
Ballmer, Steve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Berg, Alec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Berggruen, Nicolas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Berridge, Janine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Beutner, Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Billups, Chauncey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Blavatnik, Len . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Boone Isaacs, Cheryl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Boucher, Adam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Brown, Ethan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Brunn, Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
C Packer, Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Catalano, Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chernin, Megan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chernin, Peter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Cheung, Stephen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chiang, John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chong, Eugene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Clayton, Janet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Clinton, Bill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Clinton, Hillary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cottrell, Carolyn H.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
COMPANIES,
ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.
1-9
1010data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
A ER Hollywood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Access Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Aecom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Alcion Ventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
B Fog Cutter Capital Group Inc.. . . . . . . . . 1
Bai Brands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Belstaff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Beyond Meat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
BIG3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Bristol Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
C Gelsons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Cal State Los Angeles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
California Pizza Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
California Solar Energy Industries
Association. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Campbell Soup Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
CBRE Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Cerberus Capital Management. . . . . . . 11
Childrens Investment Fund
Management Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Coastal Sunbelt Produce Co. . . . . . . . . . 5
Coca-Cola Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Common Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Creative Artists Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Cube Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
D Innovative Dining Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Dan Brunn Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
These indexes list the people, businesses, associations, organizations, schools, etc., that are named in this weeks issue. The numbers refer to the page on which the name is found. Numbers with slashes refer to pages on which lengthier articles are located that contain the name.
INDEX
Cowan, Geoffrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Italia, Terry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Croxall, Doug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Iverson, Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
J Mason, Roger Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Jackson, Curtis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Dermody, Kelly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Jackson, OShea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Drexler, Clyde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Jaruthavee, Thosapong . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Johnson, Nathan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Ellestad, Eric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Jolie, Angelina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
F Jones, Nasir. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Feuer, Mike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
K Spiegel, Evan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Freeman, Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Kantor, Mickey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Furin, Joe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Kivork, George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Furstenburg, Chris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Klein, Jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
G Knutsen, Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Gangi, Mark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Koretz, Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Garcetti, Eric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,3,4 Kotick, Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Gates, Bill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Kuenzi, Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Genton, Jonathan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Kwatinetz, Jeff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Gianopulos, Jim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
L Pai, Ajit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Guber, Peter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Lady Gaga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
H Lawson, Craig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Hastings, Reed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Levin, Adam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hilton, Paris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Lotman, Jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Ho, Eva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Lynton, Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
I M
Iger, Bob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Maen, Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Irving, Julius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Maggette, Corey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Irwin, Jacqui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Maize, Rochelle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Dan Tanas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 K nanoPrecision Products Inc. . . . . . . . . . 3
DPAA Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 KeVita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Dr Pepper Snapple Group . . . . . . . . . . 11
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers . . . . . 11
Drug Policy Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Kush Bottles Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
E L
L.A. Clippers Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
LA & SF Specialty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
F NCAA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
La Brea Bakery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Fika Ventures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
LA Conservation Corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Firm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Laird Norton Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Legal Metrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Fox Sports Media Group . . . . . . . . . . . 11
LetterOne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
FreedomPop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Lexmark International Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Freight Farms Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein . . 10
G TYP Restaurant Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 5
Local Roots Farm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Gangi Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Los Angeles Clippers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Garrett Leight California Optical . . . . . . 59 Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation . . . . . . 6
Los Angeles Football Club . . . . . . . . . . 11
General Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
M Paul Smith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Gensler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Marathon Patent Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Genton Property Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Massroots Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Global Icons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mast Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Greycroft Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Mayer Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Greystar Products Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mendocino Farms Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
G-Smatt Global . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
H Mercer Vine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
HeyDay Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Meta Housing Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Hightimes Holding Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . 12 MHT Partners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Holliday Fenoglio Fowler . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Massachusetts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Hunt Construction Group . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Mizkan Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
I Morgan Stanley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
N RtA Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
International Basketball Federation . . . 11 Nancys Fancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Marley, Damian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Martin, Brandon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mason, Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Mateen, Justin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
McDonald, Dustin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Merrill, Sonya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Meyer, Ron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Mladenovic, Neno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Musk, Elon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
N
Newsom, Gavin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
O
Obama, Barack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Okun, Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Optican, Lisa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
P
Payton, Gary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Penn, Tom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Perencevic, Nika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Perencevic, Sonja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pitt, Brad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
R West, Jerry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Rad, Sean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Reiner, Rob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Ruth, Bob. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
NantHealth Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
NantWorks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
National Basketball Association . . . . . . 11
National Basketball Players
Association. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
NBC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Nordet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Northwood Ventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Nourmand & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . 55
O
Oakland Raiders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
OMelveny & Myers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Oreva Capital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Outten & Golden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
P
Panda Restaurant Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pepsico Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Prominent Brand + Talent . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Promise Energy Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
PWG Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
R
Raos Restaurant Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Raos Specialty Foods Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Rockstar Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Rockstar North. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Rolex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Roxborough Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Roy Englebrecht Promotions . . . . . . . . 11
Ruth Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 61
RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
Ryan, Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
S
Schulman, Heidi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Schwartz, Jenny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Scott, Elizabeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seinfeld, Jerry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Sessions, Jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Silverton, Nancy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Soon-Shiong, Patrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Spence, Paddy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Spiker, Adam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Stokols, Stephen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
T
Tana, Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Travolta, John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Trump, Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,6,12
U
Upchurch, Greg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
V
Vail, Matt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Villaraigosa, Antonio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
W
Wesson, Herb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Wiederhorn, Andy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Winett, Jim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Wolfe, Whitney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
S
Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky
Wotkyns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Sempra Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Snap Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. . . . . . 3
Southern California Coalition . . . . . . . . . 1
Southern California Gas Co. . . . . . . . . . . 8
Space Exploration Technologies
Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,5
Stanford University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
T
Tesla Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
TruConnect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Tyson Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
U
UCLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,6
Unilever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Upload Productions Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
USC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,6,11
V
Vanity Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Vision to Learn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
W
Walt Disney Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Weedmaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
West Central Produce Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Whole Foods Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
World Trade Center Los Angeles . . . . . . 3
Z
ZestFinance Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Zevia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
 The
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at

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