SD METRO NO. 4 VOL.l XXXII

NO. 4 VOL. XXXII

SAN DIEGO’S BEST ATTORNEYS 2017 A CaseyGerry partner for over 30 years, Robert Francavilla has achieved numerous highprofile results over the past year. He’s one of our top attorneys for 2017. PAGE 12

GIVE DAD THE GIFT OF DONOVAN’S WORLD CLASS SERVICE OPEN 3PM - 9 PM, SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2013.

2017 | ISSUE 4 Volume XXXII

Our mission is to always provide quality journalism for our readers by being fair, accurate and ethical and a credible resource for our advertisers.

Chairman | CEO Robert Page BobPage@sandiegometro.com

12 COV E R STO RY Best Attorneys 2017

Robert Francavilla, a CaseyGerry partner for over 30 years, heads our list of Best Attorneys fo 2017.

Publisher Rebeca Page RebecaPage@sandiegometro.com Managing Editor Manny Cruz Manny@sandiegometro.com Graphic Designer Christopher Baker cbaker@sandiegometro.com Photography/Illustration David Rottenberg Contributing Writers Jennifer Coburn Randi Crawford

14 Successful Alumni ‘Minding their Business’

Tiffany Paulino (pictured) expanded her skin care establishment thanks to the small business management program at San Diego Continuing Education. She is one of the entrepreneurs embodying the San Diego Community College District’s impact on the small business community.

Advertising SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR Rebeca Page

Get in the loop with SD Metro’s Daily Business Report. Sign up for daily emails on the latest business at sandiegometro.com P.O. BOX 3679 RANCHO SANTA FE, CA 92067 858.461.4484 FAX: 858.759.5755

16 16 Revolution in the Motorcycles Experience

San Diego-based technology company NUVIZ has set out to revolutionize the mo- torcycle experience by bringing head-up dis- play (HUD) technology and connected software solutions for high-speed applica- tions to the market.

18 The Cleanup Man

Mike Bilodeau is owner of IO Environmental and Infrastructure Inc., a San Diego environmental clean up, remediation and habitat restoration company. Bilodeau gained national attention when he was named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s national Subcontractor of the Year for 2017.

20 Mendocino — It Keeps Calling You Back

Mendocino is too small and too quiet for my wandering instincts but never too far to stay away from, or to find the time to return as often as possible.

The restaurant scene is first class. You won’t struggle in search of a good meal. One of the best restaurants has always been The Little River Inn with its front door view to the Pacific Ocean.

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SD METRO magazine is published by REP Publishing, Inc. The entire contents of SD METRO is copyrighted, 2017,

by REP Publishing, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written consent. All rights reserved. All editorial and advertising inquires can be made by calling or writing to the above. Editorial and ad deadline is the 24th of the month preceding the month of publication. Mail subscriptions of SD METRO are available for $50 a year for addresses within the United States. A PDF version of this issue is available at sandiegometro.com Additional information, including past articles, online-only content and the Daily Business Report can be found at sandiegometro.com. For reprints or plaques of articles published in SD METRO , please call Rebeca Page at 858-461-4484 All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any Preference limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or an intention, to make any preference, limitation or discrimination. “Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians; pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This magazine will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which in in violation of this law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this magazine are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD Toll-Free at 1-800-669-9777. Th Toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

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Downtown Book Publisher Wins National Award By Tom Shess Huckleberry House, a San Diego-based book publisher, has been awarded the Benjamin Franklin Gold Award in popular fiction for its novel, “The Dining Car.” Gold Award winners were announced last month at the dinner/awards ceremony at the historic Benson Hotel in Portland, Ore. The Benjamin Franklin Awards are administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA).

“Becoming a Benjamin Franklin Award finalist showcases a publisher’s commitment to professional standards and high-quality book content and production,” said Angela Bole, IBPA’S chief executive officer. “Winning can expand a book’s marketability and solidify a publisher’s credibility — two very powerful things in today’s crowded book market.”

“The Dining Car” is Huckleberry House’s second novel.

“We’re thrilled with this industry recognition,” said Eric Peterson, the book’s author and publisher. “It shows that a small, independent press like Huckleberry House can compete at the highest level.”

Peterson’s contemporary novel follows a newly graduated college football star who enlists as bartender and personal valet to a curmudgeonly and opinionated food and wine writer who travels the country by private railroad car.

Since its publication in November 2016, the book has garnered rave reviews. Publishers Weekly compared the novel to “a meal prepared by a top-tier chef: great individual ingredients coming together to form something even better.” Booklife named “The Dining Car” a “book to watch.”

“We continue to be amazed and surprised by the reaction to this book,” Peterson said. “It’s the story of a handful of deeply damaged people who band together to make something better of their lives.

Besides the memorable characters and the humor, what resonates most with readers is the novel’s intoxicating backdrop of food, wine, and passenger trains.”

“For nearly 30 years, the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards have been regarded as one of the highest national honors for small and independent publishers,” Bole said. “This year’s gold winners include a variety of books from independent publishers large and small, hybrid presses, self-published authors, and major national groups like the American Cancer Society and The White House Historical Association.”

The IPBA reported some 1,400 entries submitted for its 29th annual Benjamin Franklin Awards. One gold winner was named in each of 55 categories. Silver winners were also named in each category, for a total of 169 overall winners.

More than 150 librarians, booksellers, and design and editorial experts served as volunteer judges. The judging process took about six months to complete.

San Diego book publisher Eric Peterson stands with IBPA’s CEO Angela Bole after winning the group’s 2017 Gold Award in popular fiction.

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SAN DIEGO SCENE

Rendering of the revamped buildings that once housed the San Diego Union-Tribune. (Photo courtesy of The Casey Brown Company)

Construction Begins on Massive East Village Mixed-Use Project The Richman Group of California Development Company has started construction of a mixed-use development across from the Downtown Central Library that will cost in excess of $100 million and include a 23-story residential tower with 222 apartments, groundfloor commercial space and parking.

The development also will include an adjoining low-rise building containing two penthouses, a restaurant and an urban garden.

Called K1, the project would occupy most of the block bounded by Park, 13th, J and K streets. Completion is scheduled for early 2020.

Level 10 Construction of San Diego is the general contractor. The development team also includes architects DesignARC LA Inc., Rob Wellington Quigley of San Diego, and Large Architecture of Los Angeles, and landscape architect Spurlock Poirier of San Diego. NEXUS

Planning Consultants of San Diego is the land use consultant. Bank of America provided construction financing.

Architectural highlights include a two-story “Sky Lounge” on the 19th floor, a resort-style pool area with spa and fire pits on the fifthfloor podium level and adjoining two-level recreation center with lounge, demonstration kitchen and gym.

Quigley, who designed the Central Library, designed the project’s secondary structure, “The Sliver,” as an idiosyncratic, playful building to animate and give life to the tower. It features a restaurant space that includes generous outdoor seating and two architecturally striking mid-rise penthouses.

The tower is designed to include 58 studios, 87 one-bedroom units and 77 two-bedroom units, and six levels of secure parking.

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COV E R STO RY

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SAN DIEGO SCENE

San Diego Leads the Nation in Solar Panel Installations Environment California Research & Policy Center’s “Shining Cities” report ranked San Diego No. 1 in solar energy capacity nationwide after increasing its solar energy installations over the past year.

According to the report, San Diego has 303 megawatts of installed solar capacity.

Researchers said San Diego currently has enough solar capacity to power the equivalent of nearly 76,000 homes. A year ago, the city had 189 megawatts of installed solar capacity, enough to power 47,000 homes.

“San Diego is setting the standard for other cities across the country when it comes to protecting our environment and creating a cleaner future,” Mayor Kevin Faulconer said. “This new ranking is a testament to the many San Diego residents

and businesses harnessing our natural resources as we march toward our goal of using 100 percent renewable energy throughout the city.”

San Diego leads the nation in total installed solar capacity among the 73 cities surveyed in the report, replacing Los Angeles, which had been a national leader for the past three years. San Diego ranked second in the country for solar installations between 2014 and 2016.

Increasing the amount of solar panels used in San Diego will help meet the ambitious goals in the city’s Climate Action Plan, including using 100 percent renewable energy citywide and cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2035.

For more information on this subject, visit sandiego.gov.

A solar panel installation.

(Credit: SolarNation)

Sycuan Casino to Get 14-Story Hotel and Added Gaming Space

Biotechnology Convention Returns to San Diego in June

The Sycuan Tribal Council has broken ground on a $226 million, 12story hotel and casino expansion that is projected to open in 2019.

The expansion project includes 60,000 square feet in new gaming space. Casino floor space will be able to accommodate 2,500 Class III machines, 300 Class II machines and 80 gaming tables.

The hotel tower will have 300 guest rooms, including 50 suites in a variety of configurations, ranging from the 376-square-foot Urban Suite to the 1,150-square-foot 3-Bay Suite.

The outside will include a resort-style adult pool with cabanas, bar and grill and dedicated family pool. Conferences and events will be supported by an 11,401-square-foot ballroom with a concert seating capacity of 1,200 and a banquet seating capacity of 700.

The BIO International Convention comes to San Diego June 19-22, bringing more than 16,000 attendees, 1,800 exhibitors and an estimated economic impact of more than $56 million.

Staged at the San Diego Convention Center, the event will include a wide range of San Diego business leaders, academics, government officials and life science advocates. It will be hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization.

BIO held its international convention in San Diego in 2008 and 2014. The 2014 event drew 15,667 industry leaders, including nearly 2,500 CEOs from 50 states and 70 countries. Local economic impact was estimated at more than $56 million, which is expected to be surpassed in 2017.

“BIO is pleased to return to San Diego, one of the world’s largest and most innovative centers for biotechnology development,” said BIO President and CEO, Jim Greenwood. “This event provides biotech leaders with opportunities to showcase their breakthrough innovations, partner with C-level executives and network with the global biotech industry. We are excited to see that exhibit space is being reserved at a record rate. We look forward to announcing more details over the next two months as the education sessions are finalized and major speakers are selected.”

Sycuan Hotel rendering. (Courtesy of Sycuan)

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SAN DIEGO SCENE

San Jose Airport Honcho to Take Reins of County Regional Airport Authority Kimberly J. Becker, who has been with San Jose International Airport since 1995, and director since 2013, has been hired as San Diego County Regional Airport Authority’s president/CEO. She succeeds Thella F. Bowens, who retired on March 31.

Angela Shafer-Payne, the Airport Authority’s vice president of operations, will serve as interim president/CEO. Shafer-Payne has been with San Diego International Airport since 1995.

Becker will join the Airport Authority as it adds new nonstop air service, building a new Customs and Border Protection facility to accommodate rapid growth of international arrivals, and planning the replacement of the 50-year-old Terminal 1.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity that I am honored to have,” Becker said. “Thella has built a strong organization and culture.

Succeeding her allows me to leverage all that I have done in San Jose and to build on a very solid foundation.

San Diego International Airport is the nation’s busiest singlerunway airport and last year saw total passenger volume increase to a record 20 million. The airport is owned and operated by the Airport Authority, which is governed by a nine-member Board representing the entire region.

Becker also worked at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and Bur-

bank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport for a total of 10 years. She earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Kimberly Becker

Invested Advisors Announces Expanded Leadership Team Invested Advisors Inc., a San Diego-based business-tobusiness professional and business management consulting firm led by founder and CEO Crystal Sargent, has announced its expanded leadership team.

The company’s leadership team includes: Herman C. Collins, Director, Public Sector; Mary Garrett, Director, Public and Media Relations and Crisis Management; Stephen Kougias, Director, Nonprofit Sector; Andrea Lane, Director of Corporate Engagement; Kati Morton, Chief Marketing Officer; Crystal Sargent Briana Olsen, Director of Operations and Client Services; Greg Parry, Director, The Journey Experience.and Crystal Sargent.

Sargent was marketing director at Torrey Pines Bank from 2005 until she formed Invested Advisors in 2016. The bank grew from $200 million in assets to $2.1 billion during her tenure.

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The Other California

By Joel Kotkin

A flyover state within a state

California may never secede, or divide into different states, but it has effectively split into entities that could not be more different.

On one side is the much-celebrated, post-industrial, coastal California, beneficiary of both the Tech Boom 2.0 and a relentlessly inflating property market. The other California, located in the state’s interior, is still tied to basic industries like homebuilding, manufacturing, energy and agriculture. It is populated largely by working- and middle-class people who, overall, earn roughly half that of those on the coast.

Over the past decade or two, interior California has lost virtually all influence, as Silicon Valley and Bay Area progressives have come to dominate both state politics and state policy. “We don’t have seats at the table,” laments Richard Chapman, president and CEO of the Kern Economic Development Corporation. “We are a flyover state within a state.”

Virtually all the polices now embraced by Sacramento — from water and energy regulations to the embrace of sanctuary status and a $15-an-hour minimum wage — come right out of San Francisco central casting. Little consideration is given to the

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Potholes are visible at the corner of Road 68 and Paige Ave. in Tulare, California

needs of the interior, and little respect is given to their economies.

San Francisco, for example, recently decided to not pump oil from land owned by the city in Kern County, although one wonders what the new rich in that region use to fill the tanks of their BMWs. California’s “enlightened” green policies help boost energy prices 50 percent above those of neighboring states, which makes a bigger difference in the less temperate interior, where many face longer commutes than workers in more compact coastal areas.

The new Bantustans Fresno, Bakersfield, Ontario and San Bernardino are rapidly becoming the Bantustans — the impoverished areas designed for Africans under the racist South African regime — in California’s geographic apartheid. Poverty rates in the Central Valley and Inland Empire reach over a third of the population, well above the share in the Bay Area. By some estimates, rural California counties suffer the highest unemployment rate in the country; six of the 10 metropolitan areas in the country with the highest percentage of jobless are located in the central and eastern parts of the state.

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The interior counties — from San Bernardino to Merced — also suffer the worst health conditions in the state.

Why the interior matters In legislating against the interior, the state is trying to counter the national trend — evident in the most recent census numbers — that shows people seeking less dense, more affordable areas. Both millennial and immigrant populations are growing rapidly in these regions. Between 2000 and 2013, the Inland region experienced a 91 percent jump in its population with bachelor’s degrees or higher, a far more rapid increase than either Orange or Los Angeles counties.

By curtailing new housing supply, California is systematically shutting off this aspirational migration. Chapman University forecaster James Doti notes that, in large part due to regulation, Inland Empire housing prices have jumped 80 percent since 2009 — almost twice the rate for Orange County. Doti links this rapid rise to helping slow the area’s once buoyant job growth in half over the past two years. Population growth has also slowed, particularly in comparison to a decade ago.

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C OCVAELRI FSOTRONRI A Y

Fresno’s Van Ness Avenue entrance. (Photo courtesy of Historic Fresno)

Weighed down by coastal-imposed regulations, the interior is losing its allure for relocating firms. Many firms fleeing regulation, high taxes and housing costs used to head inland. Now, many are migrating to Nevada, Texas, Arizona and other states. “Many of the projects we saw years ago have surfaced in Phoenix,” said Mary Jane Ohlasso, assistant executive officer for San Bernardino County, in an interview.

“The whole way California has grown has been hopelessly terminated,” she said.

Over time, however, constraining the interior will backfire on the coastal enclaves. In recent weeks, coastal technology and professional service providers have raised a growing alarm about attracting and retaining thirtysomething skilled workers. Some have even suggested that new transportation infrastructure — for example, a tunnel between Corona and south Orange County — could provide an alternative for family-aged workers who cannot afford a residence closer to the coast. Others, to keep key employees, are purposely setting up offices in places like San Antonio for workers entering their thirties.

If this crisis of the interior is not addressed, the prognosis for California will be ever-growing class and race bifurcation and an everrising demand for welfare and other subsidies for those unable to pay for housing. California needs, in reasonable and sustainable ways, to keep open its regions of opportunity, not to seek to close them off to future generations.

Joel Kotkin is the R.C. Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University in Orange and executive director of the Houstonbased Center for Opportunity Urbanism (www.opportunityurbanism.org). This article originally appeared in the Orange County Register.

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S AN D I E G O’ S BE ST AT TOR N EYS 2017

L E G I S L AT I O N

Robert Francavilla

A CaseyGerry partner for over 30 years, Robert Francavilla has achieved numerous high-profile results over the past year, including a $7.6 million jury verdict in a product liability case, an outstanding plaintiff ’s verdict for a woman injured in an auto vs. pedestrian case and resolutions for other cases ranging from $1 million to $8.5 million. He was voted the Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego for the recent work he did on a complex product liability case. The litigation arose from a 2014 incident when a defective power assist wheelchair failed, seriously injuring the plaintiff. Over the past few years, he has obtained many millions in results for clients in a complex range of cases that relate to aviation, maritime, premises liability, faculty equipment, government tort claims, complex motorcycle accidents and automobile crashes. He is a past president of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, a former board member of the HeadNorth Foundation and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Michael L. Kirby For more than 30 years Michael Kirby has been involved in civil liigation, trying more than 50 jury trials throughout his career, and obtaining total recoveries valued in excess of $275 million as lead counsel. He has received multiple Outstanding Trial Lawyers awards from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. His experience is extensive and covers a variety of practice areas that involve business, partnerships, real estate and investor disputes. He is a founder of Kirby & Kirby, a new boutique law firm in San Diego. He is rated as a Best Lawyer by leading national rating services and has been named a Best Attorney in San Diego by SD METRO Magazine for the past four years.

He is a graduate of the University of Iowa School of Law.

Joseph Martinez is a shareholder at Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek and practices in the areas of real estate and business transactions.

He represents real property and business owners, investors and managers, as well as developers, landlords, tenants, borrowers and lenders. His expertise encompasses a variety of sophisticated matters, including acquisitions, dispositions, equity investment, development, leasing and secured lending tranactions. He is a member of the San Diego Padres Hispanic Community Advisory Council, and a member of the board of directors of Sharp Chula Vista Center. He is on the board of the Southwestern College Foundation and the Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

Chris Marchese is a parner at Fish & Richardson who literally wrote the book on patent damages. His work for clients such as Microsoft, HP, ASSA, AB, VIXS and many more, including a $12.5 million jury verdict last year, has earned him a spot on the National Law Journal’s Top Defense Victories and Appellate Hot Lists and IP Law and Business List of Top 10 Litigation Wins.

He is on the board of California Lawyers for the Arts.

Dan Lacy is an associate at Ferdinand IP. He is a contributing writer to IP Litigator. He is a graduate of the College of Charleston and the California Western School of Law. Lacy is a member of International Licensing Industry Merchandiser’s Association and the Old Aztecs RFC. His practice includes a growing number of intellectual property and corporate practice cases. He was awarded a Justice Anthony Kennedy Scholarship for law school.

Ronson Shamoun is a tax controversy attorney with over 20 years of tax experience. He has received numerous awards, including being honored as a Best Attorney and Metro Mover to Watch by SD METRO Magazine in 2014, and a 40 Under 40 Award honoree by the magazine in 2015. He is a founding partner of RJS Law Firm. Shamoun has received the prestigious AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell, an award that recognizes an attorney’s excellence in legal ability and ethical practice. RJS Law has been recognized as one of the Most Admired Companies in San Diego. Shamoun has extensive experience in representing individuals and businesses before the Internal Revenue Service and the Franchise Tax Board.

Adriana Cara is one of the few Latina attorneys in San Diego who has risen to the rank of partner in an AM law firm, a list that consists of the nation’s highest grossing firms. Before accepting a position at Dinsmore & Shohl, she established her own firm, Cara & Garland.

With no prior experience, she opened her law firm and built a book of business based on her reputation for excellent work product and high ethical standards. When she was approached by Dinsmore & Shohl to head its Labor and Employment Practice, she was humbled to learn she would become its first Latina partner. She spends significant time teaching and mentoring younger female attorneys as well as students in the University of San Diego Paralegal Program. She was recently named a Super Lawyer for 2017.

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Ben Coughlan, attorney with Gomez Trial Attorneys, was named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers for both 2016 and 2017 and received the Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. He has been named one of San Diego’s Top Ten Personal Injury Attorneys. He is a 2016 graduate of the prestigious ABOTA Natonal Trial College held at Harvard Law School. Before pursuing a legal career, Coughlan worked in the media relations department for the San Diego Padres. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego Law School and holds a bachelor’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

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B E S T AT T O R N E Y S John Gomez is a cum laude graduate of the University of San Diego, where he won Academic All American honors as a member of the Toreros football team. He went on to graduate from the Yale University Law School in 1993. Following law school he was a member of Latham & Watkins’ Los Angeles litigation department. He then returned to San Diego to become an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California. He is the lead attorney and president of Gomez Trial Attorneys, which he founded in 2005. He has established himself as one of California’s most recognized and accomplished trial attorneys. Gomez has been voted one of San Diego’s Best Attorneys by SD METRO Magazine for the past five years. He has recovered over $300 million in settlements and verdicts for his clients with more than 75 separate recoveries of more than $1 million or more.

Jon Singer

is a principal at Fish & Richardson. He is truly a renowned life sciences industry leader and acclaimed trial attorney. He is known throughout the country for his patent/IP litigation skills and is annually named one of the nation’s finest life science trial attorneys. He heads Fish & Richardson’s international life sciences litigation practice. He has done ground-breaking work in some of the country’s most notable patent cases. Singer is recognized as an expert in proceedings under the Hatch-Waxman Act that significantly altered the pharmaceutical industry by establishing government regulations for generic drugs.

Sean Southard is a founding partner of Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP, one of San Diego’s leading commercial real estate law firms. The firm has emerged as San Diego’s largest real estate firms, and is attracting top legal talent from across the country. In four years it has grown from seven attorneys to 21 attorneys, opened an office in Los Angeles and has been involved in some of San Diego’s most highprofile projects, including the development of the recently opened Pendry Hotel downtown. He also played a major role in the development and expansion of Liberty Station.

Evelyn Heidelberg

is a partner in Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson. She is a seasoned land use, environmental and general litigation attorney. Her former work as a city planner laid a firm groundwork for her legal practice. Heidelberg has obtained entitlements for significant redevelopment of community shopping centers and saved clients $720,000 in development impact fees. She serves on the board of directors of the City Ballet and Home Start. She has leveraged her skills to help developers obtain city, county and California Coastal Commission entitlements.

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Suzanne Varco

is managing partner at the Environmental Law Group LLP, one of Southern California’s most influential niche law firms, which she founded 20 years ago. Her influence in environmental and community issues, through her law practice and volunteerism, is extensive. She concentrates on brown fields redevelopment, hazardous waste cleanup, environmental, real estate transactions involving environmental issues, environmental permitting, underground storage tank issues, CEQA compliance and litigation, and environmental litigation. Varco is recognized as a top environmental lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell.

Patrick E. Monroe is of counsel in the San Diego office of Best Best & Krieger, where he serves as general counsel to more than 10 corporations with revenues ranging from $1 million to $50 million. In one of his largest transactions, he represented San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, which annually serves 3 million people throughout San Diego County, in a $100 million buy-out of leveraged lease rights, affecting a lease-to-own situation to save money for the MTS. William Eigner is a partner at Procopio. He is a graduate of Stanford University and earned his law degree at the University of Virginia. He has been acknowledged as a top lawyer by Martindale Hubbell and SD METRO Magazine. He is a director of the San Diego Venture Group and a trustee of the San Diego Police Foundation. Eigner is a prolific author of many legal issues, such as how businesses can recover serious damages from website copyright infringers, and tips for issuing advisers stock options. He has also been considered as the go-to guy for emerging companies.

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ENTREPRENEURS

Successful Alumni ‘Minding Their Business’

By David Ogui Photos by J. Kat Woronowicz

San Diego Community College District provides tools for small business entrepreneurs

Patricia Grooms-Jones owns the upscale salon The Beauty Haven in La Jolla, and also makes presentations at both the International Beauty Show in New York and the Cape Town Hair and Beauty Show in Cape Town, South Africa.

Patricia Grooms-Jones runs a successful La Jolla hair salon and cosmetology consulting firm thanks to the expertise she found at City College.

Olena Shaber owes her new interior design company to the lessons learned at Mesa College.

Tiffany Paulino expanded her skin care establishment thanks to the small business management program at San Diego Continuing Education.

Grooms-Jones, Shaber, and Paulino embody the San Diego Community College District’s impact on the growing small business and entrepreneurship sectors in the region, which employed approximately 568,000 people in 2015, according to the San Diego Workforce Partnership.

Entrepreneurs and small business owners educated at the district are a key reason the SDCCD is responsible for contributing $5.5 billion in spending annually in the regional economy — enough to support more than 74,000 jobs.

“There is a huge demand for programs that provide the tools for entrepreneurial success,” said Mesa College Business Professor Howard Eskew.

Eskew points to a 2011 national survey conducted by the nonprofit group Young Invincibles that found more than half of mil-

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Tiffany Paulino, recently expanded her Pure Skin Lounge in Hillcrest, which offers everything from acne treatment to full-body waxing.

lennials across the country wanted to start their own business rather than work for someone else. Additionally, the Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship ranked the San Diego region No. 7 nationally in its 2016 report, ahead of San Francisco.

Fueling San Diego startups is the San Diego Technology Incubator, which is run through the Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) at City College. The incubator houses up to 20 startup research and development, and manufacturing companies, which are provided affordable space, administrative support, business development, and technical training. Among the success stories is Teledyne Seabotix, a world-leading manufacturer of remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, equipped with cameras that work underwater. Seabotix got its start at the Technology Incubator, and the company is now at the forefront of manufacturing mini-ROVs, which perform a multitude of tasks, including maritime security, search and recovery, hull and pipeline inspection, and oceanographic research.

At San Diego Continuing Education, the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management Program has become a leader in more modest startups. Established at the César E. Chávez Campus, the program includes courses aimed at arming entrepreneurs

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with the essentials to succeed.

Tiffany Paulino was one of the first students to enroll in the program. “It has definitely helped me tremendously,” said Paulino, who recently expanded her Pure Skin Lounge, which offers everything from acne treatment to full-body waxing. Paulino had set up her business in a small office in Hillcrest when she heard about the Continuing Education program and signed up. “I wanted to make sure I was correctly building a strong foundation and could build an effective business plan.”

Grooms-Jones offers another success story.

She owns the upscale salon The Beauty Haven in La Jolla, and also makes presentations at both the International Beauty Show in New York and the Cape Town Hair and Beauty Show in Cape Town, South Africa.

“I was 27 years old and not really sure about my career path, but I always had a knack for working with hair,” said GroomsJones, who also teaches at City College’s Cosmetology Department. “So I looked at City College and found a program that was affordable, an environment that was very supportive, and instructors who were first class.

Everyone there helped me see the opportunities to not only work in, but thrive in the cosmetology industry.”

Justine Marzoni followed a similar path.

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ENTREPRENEURS

Justine Marzoni and fiancé David Mead with their new venture, Baby Clydesdale Small Batch Hot Sauce, which they are selling at specialty stores from Uncle Keith’s Gourmet Foods in Pacific Beach to the Heatonist in Brooklyn.

Olena Shaber enrolled in the Mesa College Interior Design Program en route to becoming an interior decorator. In December, she opened O Interiors Coronado Kitchen and Bath, an interior design firm and showroom in Imperial Beach.

Marzoni enrolled in a pair of City College courses to help her and her fiancé, David Mead, navigate their new venture, Baby Clydesdale Small Batch Hot Sauce.

“I didn’t have any business background, so I took the Starting a Small Business class that covered creating a business plan, marketing, and financing,” said Marzoni. The result: the couple is selling Baby Clydesdale Small Batch Hot Sauce at specialty stores from Uncle Keith’s Gourmet Foods in Pacific Beach to the Heatonist in Brooklyn, in addition to farmers markets throughout San Diego County.

Mesa College, meanwhile, is preparing to launch a new Associate of Science Degree and a new Certificate of Achievement in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship as early as next fall.

That follows an online Managing the Small Business course introduced last fall and a Developing a Plan for the Small Business course introduced this spring through Miramar College. Both courses are taught online as well as through a concurrent enrollment arrangement at Scripps Ranch High School.

“We’re finding tremendous interest in this pathway,” said Miramar College Business Professor David Wilhelm. “Students and the makeup of our economy are demanding it.”

Olena Shaber headed straight to Mesa College when changing careers even before plans for the Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship programs were in the planning stages. The Ukrainian immigrant was selling clothes in a Hotel del Coronado store when she decided she’d put her artistic talents to use and work for herself.

So Shaber enrolled in the Mesa College Interior Design Program en route to becoming an interior decorator. In December, she opened O Interiors Coronado Kitchen and Bath, an interior design firm and showroom in Imperial Beach.

“Mesa College was accessible, it was easy to enroll, very affordable, and I really loved the program,” said the Coronado resident.

“I’m still impressed that I meet people in the business who also graduated from Mesa. What I learned at Mesa College was nothing less than what people are learning at a university. It was the best decision to go there.”

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T EC H N O LO GY

NUVIZ Promises to Revolutionize The Motorcycle Experience Helmet-mounted device coming to market

By Manny Lopez

The NUVIZ system connects to the motorcycle’s ECU, giving riders access to speed, rpm, gear position and lap times.

San Diego-based technology company a rider.”

The device is about the size of a GPS unit NUVIZ has set out to revolutionize the motorcycle experience by bringing head-up dis- and powered by a rechargeable battery. Users play (HUD) technology and connected can project information onto an existing visor. software solutions for high-speed applica- Since not all riders use faceplates, a second HUD that is outside of the helmet, serves as tions to the market.

Founded in late 2013 by a group of optics the optics that the rider looks through. The experts and motorcycle enthusiasts, NUVIZ optics are designed so that the virtual cockpit has created a weatherproof and transferable the rider sees is projected 30 feet ahead, so device that mounts onto existing motorcycle there is no need to refocus the focal length. helmets with the ultimate goal of bringing cockpit simulation, communication, navigation, music and camera or video capabilities into the rider’s field of view, while keeping their eyes on the road — where they belong.

“It’s really the first time that anybody has integrated all of these features that riders want into one product,” said Malte Laass, cofounder and chief strategy officer of NUVIZ. “In the past, if you wanted these features, you would have to buy different systems for each application. We’ve now brought all of these features into one unit and actually enabled the HUD experience in order to see information where it belongs — in front of you as The NUVIZ device attached to a helmet.

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Even if a user wears glasses, the image will always remain in focus.

At launch there will be navigation features such as GPS with maps preloaded into the product to avoid problems caused by connectivity issues. Voice communication functions will allow riders to make and receive calls along with caller ID using Bluetooth to pair the unit with smartphones. Riders can scroll through key features such as caller lists and stored music playlists using bar-mounted controller buttons.

The NUVIZ system connects to the motorcycle’s ECU, giving riders access to speed, rpm, gear position and lap times. A camera is integrated offering a choice between video recording and still photography.

Laass added that one thing that is important to point out is that NUVIZ’s user experience and interface is very minimalistic. He said that while riders won’t be able to see the Super Bowl results or other potentially distracting information, they will be able to see information that matters when they ride.

“NUVIZ is set to release one of the most

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TECHNOLOGY anticipated motorcycle products of the year,” said Stefan Pierer, chief executive of KTM Group, an investor in NUVIZ, in a statement. “We look forward to working with NUVIZ as they unveil new heads-up display and connectivity capabilities that stand to transform the motorcycling experience as we know it.”

A launch date for the product has not yet been made public. Laass said that initially, the device will be sold on the NUVIZ website and later through established motorcycle retailers. He added that the price will be in the middle of what motorcyclists are accustomed to spending for their various technology gadgets.

According to Laass, you don't have to be a professional or pro racer to find interest in NUVIZ’s product. He said that its technology that appeals to all levels of rider, whether it’s a person who just takes a bike for a Saturday drive, cross-country adventure or does laps around the racetrack.

“Our research has shown that customers from all different motorcycle backgrounds, whether it be sports bikes, Harley Davidson's or adventure bikes find the features that we offer useful,” Laass said. “It's not made for a specific subgroup of the market, however it appeals to riders that want to stay connected on the bike and have a certain technology affinity. That definitely is something that I guess is an underlying commonality.”

Although HUD systems were originally developed for military aviation in the late 1950’s, they are now used in commercial aircraft, cars, and motorcycles. The name originated from a pilot being able to read

NUVIZ founders Marcel Rogalla, left, and Malte Laass.

instrumentation information while in the head-up position and looking forward as opposed to looking down at instrumentation. Another advantage of HUD systems is that users do not need to refocus their eyes after looking away from the optics.

More information on NUVIZ can be found at www.ridenuviz.com or by calling (619) 736-0006.

Ferdinand IP congratulates Dan Lacy on being named as one of San Diego’s Top Attorneys in 2017

Ferdinand IP is a boutique law firm that handles all facets of intellectual property, licensing, corporate law and litigation.

2255 Avenida de la Playa, Suite 3 La Jolla, CA 92037 P: ( 858) 412-4515

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SMALL BUSINESS

THE CLEANUP MAN

By Manny Cruz

Mike Bilodeau’s environmental and remediation firm’s success earns him a major national award Mike Bilodeau is much too modest of a man to name his company after himself. Plus there’s the worry that people might mispronounce it. (It’s a French name, pronounced “bill uh doe.”

So to eliminate any confusion, he got his two children into the mix. He named his environmental cleanup and remediation company IO Environmental and Infrastructure Inc. The “I” is for Ian, his 16-year-old son attending San Diego High. The “O” is for Olivia, his 14-year-old daughter attending the Academy of Our Lady of Peace.

If only Mike could have snuck in another letter — “H” — for wife Hilary, it could have become a true family name for a business.

But all names aside, Bilodeau, 49, is a much sought-after business owner for the work IOEI does for goverment agencies and commercial enterprises — environmental clean up and remediation and, most recently, habitat restoration.

Bilodeau’s company is what the gov-

ernment calls a “service-disabled veteran-owned smalll business,” a classification that is not only a reference to a hand injury he suffered while in the U.S. Coast Guard, but qualifies it for hundreds of thousands of dollars in government and private contracts.

Many government agencies — and private companies as well — either have mandates to award contracts to veteran-owned businesses or do so voluntarily.

Bilodeau’s company has been so successful in capturing many of these contracts that he has been named the national Subcontractor of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. “The award is being given to Mike Bilodeau,but I do not get to where I am without all my super dedicated staff and these agencies that support us small businesses,” he says.

The company, which is headquartered on Adams Avenue, recorded $12.5 million in revenue during 2016 and expects to earn $14 million or $15 million in 2017. “We have been named one of the top 100 inner-city compa-

Mike Bilodeau, CEO and owner of IO Environmental and Infrastructure Inc., was named national Subcontractor of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

WOMEN WHO

IMPACT SAN DIEGO COMING IN THE MAY 2017 ISSUE

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SMALL BUSINESS

Mike Bilodeau with his wife, Hilary, son Ian and daughter Olivia in a photo taken soon after he launched IO Environmental and Infrastructure Inc. in 2006.

nies in the country by Forbes,” he says.

IOEI not only receives veteran-owned contract awards, but awards subcontracts to other veteran-owned firms, to the tune of over $4 million in the last four years. And because Bilobeau values veterans and their service to the country, 40 percent of his workforce are veterans.

Bilodeau established IO Environmental and Infrastructure in 2006. This was after spending several years in government. After completing service in the U.S. Coast Guard, he joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Seattle area working for five years as an environmental project manager, and on environmental remediation.

Later he transferred to the Corps of Engineers in Europe for a five-year tour with duties ranging from drafting the German Final Governing Standards, to being deployed in Kosovo during the war there and chairing source-selection boards for both environmental and construction contracts totaling over $200 million.

He finished his government career as a remedial project engi-

neer for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest.

This is the second time Bilodeau has been honored by the SBA. In 2014 he was the recipient of the Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year award from the U.S. Small Business Administration San Diego District office.

“The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business community – and IOEI could not have succeeded without the help of the Marine Corps team at Naval Facilities Engineering Command South West (NAVFAC SW),” says Bilodeau. “They have supported the disabled veteran business owners like no other with a $30 million environmental remediation contract and a five-year, $40 million habitat restoration contract all set aside for us disabled veteran business owners. All told, NAVFAC SW has let over $100 million worth of contracts for us SDVOSB’s in the last five years, just on the environmental remediation and habitat restoration. That’s more than any agency in the whole Department of Defense.

“We have a joke in our community that it’s the DoD that created us disabled veteran’s in the first place, but the Marine Corps team of NAVFAC SW is one of the few agencies that seem to reach out to us SDVOSB business owners.”

The company has grown to such an extent that it has offices in Long Beach, Seattle and Lexington, Ky., with headquarters in San Diego.

Mike Bilodeau, second from left, on a slope stabilization job for the San Diego Unified School District. Also pictured are Jose Ruiz, left, Candelario Sauzeta and Dan Parker.

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MY MENDOCINO It keeps calling

T R AV E L

you back

A front-door view of the Pacific Ocean.

By Bob Page

The Ole Whale Watch Bar.

Elegant setting for a delicious meal.

Dining room of the Little River Inn, which has graciously greeted guests for five generations with tradition and warmth.

Marc, a skillfully trained chef, manages the dining room and the Ole Whale Watch Bar.

It takes no effort to describe Mendocino as quaint. It’s always had a certain hold on me, a special place which it seems I simply can’t get enough of.

Mendocino is too small and too quiet for my wandering instincts but never too far to stay away from, or to find the time to return as often as possible.

With its world-class Mendocino Arts Center and a residency of fewer than 900, you’ll find more than your share of urban sophistication. If you’re like me, it will keep calling you back.

Mendocino is the perfect escape for those needing a break from a daily drumbeat of big city living.

The restaurant scene is first class. You won’t struggle in search of a good meal.

Our choice has always been The Little River Inn with its front door view to the Pacific Ocean.

You’ll dine in a home built in 1863 by Silas Coombs, the great-great grandfather of Cally Dym, who along with her husband, Marc, are the current guardians of this long-standing Mendocino family in-

stitution. Cally’s grandparents turned the house into an inn seven decades ago.

The old Coombs homestead now includes 65 ocean-view rooms, a day spa and Cally’s grandfather’s challenging nine-hole golf course.

Marc, a skillfully trained chef, manages the dining room and the Ole Whale Watch Bar. The Little River Inn has graciously greeted guests for five generations, with tradition and warmth. Its elegance and charm make it very special.

The locals version of a “greasy spoon,” although that would be an unfair characterization, is Patterson’s Pub. It’s a folksy Irish hangout with comfort food, a selection of global beers and TVs turned to sports.

More sophisticated options in the same vane as The Little River Inn include the legendary Café Beaujolais which serves California-style French cuisine; the Victorian dining room at the Mendocino Hotel and the MacCallum House.

Further north of Mendocino is the Inn at Newport Ranch. It’s part of a 2,000-acre

costal cattle ranch on the site of the former town of Newport. Conde Nast Traveler calls it one of the best new hotels in the United States.

It holds a mile of oceanfront, three miles of ridge tops, panoramic coastal views and 20 miles of world class hiking through redwoods and along the coast.

The property consists of the Main Building, the Redwood House and Sean Drum, which is the owners’ ocean side vacation home. The Inn is a unique private domain for vacations, conferences, weddings and events.

Route 128 off the 101 Freeway north of Cloverdale and through the Anderson Valley should be everyone’s route of choice to Mendocino. Anderson Valley wineries are known for their pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.

Take your time to visit Lula Cellers and Navarro Vineyards.

Jeff Hansen at Lula is a veteran winemaker who is producing three Pinot Noir labels. Hansen is an exquisite winemaker.

Make the stop.

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DINING

ISLAND PRIME - At The Point Starbucks is practically ubiquitous. It seems that wherever I travel, there’s bound to be a location nearby. Well, David Cohn doesn’t have quite the same reach but here in San Diego, a David Cohn restaurant is seemingly within a short drive.

At my last count, 19 of his 21 operations are within San Diego County. Another is in Long Beach, the last in Hawaii.

What’s different about Cohn’s organization, though, is that they are not all cut from the same cloth. Many have different themes, cuisine, interiors. Blue Point, a seafood restaurant, is quite different from Draft Republic, a sports bar, from Corvette Diner, a “gamers garage” that is great for family dinners and kids parties. Cohn accomplishes this diversity by working deals with chefpartners, whose creativity help him to flesh out the concepts.

To my knowledge, Cohn is not a chef. But he understands that use of funds and finance to make a restaurant become a reality and stay in business. And, like President Trump, he has his wonderful family at his side in the boardroom. Finally, like a good businessman, Cohn also knows when, occasionally, to restructure or close a restaurant.

Because of his history, reputation and financial strength, Cohn was able to obtain the rights to develop one of the most choice locations for restaurants in our city, the end point of Harbor Island. Old timers here may remember the low, long building that housed Reubens and where the Mississipi-like paddleboat Reuben E. Lee restaurant stood for many years. Both of these died of old age and stood empty for years, until Cohn came along to redevelop them.

The boat was the second to go. The paddleboat was consigned to “Mississippi heaven” and a new building now houses

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Coasterra, serving Mexican cuisine. Where Reuben’s once stood, Cohn created a new property that houses — not one but two restaurants — C Level (sea level, get it?) and Island Prime.

What makes the location so special? First, it is right on the water’s edge of the bay. Second, it has the most amazing view of the action on the water and, behind that, the structures and lights of downtown, Coronado and the bridge.

To get to the restaurant, one has to go towards the airport, then turn onto Harbor Island, which is across the street. Then one has to navigate a few sem-roundabouts and drive a short stretch of coastline before entering a large parking lot. It is easiest to drive up to the parking valet and just leave the car.

The door to the restaurants is huge and heavy but swings easily to welcome guests.

Then, although the two restaurants share a building, it is easy to know which is which.

Turn left for C Level. Turn right for Island Prime. C Level is mostly located on an outdoor deck and is more casual. Island Prime is interior and more “formal,” although little is really formal in San Diego dining.

Cohn developed these restaurants with chef-partner Deborah Scott, with whom he worked since the old “Indigo Grill” days and perhaps earlier.

Island Prime is a steakhouse, as the name implies. “Prime” meat is a superior grade with amazing tenderness, juiciness, flavor and fine texture. It has the highest degree of fat marbling and is derived from the younger beef. That's why Prime is generally featured at the most exclusive upscale steakhouse restaurants. In other words, it is delicious.

My favorite starter is the Lobster Bisque, with sherry, cream and lobster. How can one go wrong with that combination. Other

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By David Rottenberg

starters include Seared Ahi Steak, with avocado, papaya-mango salsa and caviar. Or, try Pepita and Sesame Crusted Brie, created by Chef Scott. Or try a simple BLT Wedge.

The steaks are described by cut and place of origin. For example, the filet comes from Nebraska and the bone in rib eye comes from Arizona. Several cuts of Wagyu beef come from Australia even though the breed originates in Japan. My companion ordered the 32 oz Nebraska porterhouse that filled the plate and was at least two inches high.

He surprised me by making a significant dent into it, although he told me later that he had food for three days.

“Any Turf Can Surf ” lists all the seafood that can accompany the beef – prawns, lobster, crab legs. Sides include incredible mushrooms and sharp mac n’cheese, along with fries, prosciutto wrapped asparagus and more.

“Deborah’s (Scott) Compositions” round out the menu with seafood, chicken, pork and lamb dishes. These range from a savory Macadama Crusted Mahi Mahi to a Braised Volcano Cut Lamb Shank. And, if all else fails, there is Pomagranate glazed Tofu.

On the alcohol side, there is a large list of specialty cocktails and, of course, an amazing wine list. The list of “wines by the glass” is also very impressive, offering a variety of tastes to augment the flavors of the food preparations.

Island Prime and its “sister” restaurants have become very popular, for good reason — location, location, location. Add good food and drinks and easy parking and you’ve got winners. But, along with quality comes price. Those at Island Prime are on the high side but only marginally so. The ambiance makes up for it.

Island Prime is located at the point of Harbor Island. Call (619) 698-6802 for information and reservations.

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SECTION TITLE

Presort Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 2325 SAN DIEGO, CA

100% Prime

NEW LOCATION: 1250 Prospect Street

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