TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP

• What's on the Minds of the Leaders Running the Fastest-Growing Companies in the U.S.
• The Future of Work: You Don't Need a Plan. You Need a Commitment.

FINANCING TECHNOLOGY

• L.A. Follows Booming Global Venture Capital Trend
• Emotional AI & Other Moonshot Technologies Could Grow to $6 Trillion Market by 2030, Says BoA

BIG TECH NEWS

• Apple Can No Longer Force Developers to Use In-App Purchasing, Judge Rules in Epic Games Case
• SpaceX's Starlink to Exit Beta Next Month

On October 23-25, Lisa Perrine, CEO of Cibola Systems, will co-facilitate a session on Design Thinking for AV Professionals, at the 2021 InfoComm Conference, in Orlando, FL. Lisa's interactive, in-person session is part of the AVIXA Three-Day Courses, and will demonstrate how thinking like a designer leads to better ideas and more innovative outcomes for your customer. At the end of the course, participants will be able to apply five Design Thinking principles - empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test - and come away with a fresh perspective on how to approach their next AV project. (Lisa Perrine, Ed.D., WLA)

Adam Miller, Founder and Executive Co-Chair of Cornerstone, has been named Executive Co-Chair of Groundswell, a company he co-founded. Groundswell provides a new type of financial service that leverages cutting-edge technology for better giving. Its platform allows companies to create personal foundations for its employees and gift or match employee contributions straight from payroll, like a 401K for giving.
Meanwhile, an all-virtual, free Cornerstone Convergence will take place on November 16-17, offering 50+ sessions across four tracks. (Adam Miller, WLA)

Eckert & Ziegler has started the delivery of Technetium-99 generators in Brazil. The subsidiary EZ Brasil Comercial Ltda. recently received a license from the Brazilian health authority ANVISA as the first and only private company to import and distribute technetium generators. Two leading hospitals in the greater Sao Paulo area are among the first customers, and further orders have already been placed. Technetium generators are a core component for a nuclear medicine diagnostic procedure called SPECT, which is used to detect medical abnormalities. EZ already supplies around 500 hospitals and clinics in Brazil with medical products and radioisotopes. (Frank Yeager, SGV)

Oxford Flow, a flow control equipment specialist for energy, water, and industrial process industries, has announced a recent significant investment from GF Piping Systems into its subsidiary, OFUI. The investment will drive the expansion of OFUI's operations globally as well as focus on product development. This announcement follows OFUI achieving major business milestones over the last 18 months, since GF Piping Systems' initial investment in March 2020. (Mike Smith, SGV)

The Startup Pill includes myKaarma in its recent list of the best Long Beach-based automotive companies - all exceptional companies that are taking a variety of approaches to innovating the industry. Companies were evaluated on innovation, growth, management, and societal impact. (Ujj Nath, WLA)

Upcoming webinars and events from Parasoft include:
>> Get Smart: Use Simulation to Accelerate API Testing webinar, on September 22, at 10 a.m.
>> Push Down the Rising Costs of Avionics Software Testing webinar, on Sept. 29, at 10 a.m.
>> Automated Software Testing & Quality Summit 2021 (virtual), on November 4, at 8 am - noon.
(Elizabeth Kolawa, Ph.D., SGV)

For the third consecutive year, Pegasus One has made the Inc. 5000 list, this year at #3,398. An annual list of America's fastest-growing companies, Inc. 5000 showcases some of the most dynamic independent small businesses in the country. (Tushar Puri, OC)

On the evening of September 23 (click here), John Tanner, Ph.D., of Tanner Research, will present his free Nutrition Science Virtual Workshop, via Zoom, where he will relay to participants the scientific information they need to avoid heart disease and other leading killers with a proper diet. The group will discuss strategies for change and John will field questions, plus give a free book to participants. (John Tanner, Ph.D., SGV)

On September 21, at 5:30 p.m., Vincit will present Vincit Dev Talks, both in person in Phoenix, AZ, and online. The event is "a community for the curious-minded" who are interested in staying up to date with what's happening in tech development, user experience design, and business strategy. (Rachel Valentine, OC)

Cubios, the creator of the WowCube handheld gaming cube, has raised $1.5 million from the founder of Xsolla, Aleksandr [Shurick] Agapitov. WowCube is like a Rubik's Cube with displays on it. The device was conceived of five years ago by a then-13-year-old boy and then built into a company by his father. Cubios is now working on 30+ different games: arcade, puzzles, logic and strategy, gamified educational apps, and more for players of all ages. Shurick's Hand of Midas investment company, a sister firm to Xsolla, led the investment. (Shurick Agapitov, WLA)

In Take Small Actions and Meet Others, Harrison Barnes, of BCG Attorney Search, suggests that your "greatest successes will come from some of the smallest actions in terms of meeting people. You will cause a 'stacking effect' the more you meet and connect with people; conversely, people cannot connect with you when you are withdrawn. You must do everything in your power to connect with as many people as possible." (Harrison Barnes, JD, WLA)

In Why would you ever "fire yourself?", Dave acknowledges that even the best of us falls into a routine in our jobs. We may recall the enthusiasm we had for the job earlier, how we couldn't wait to initiate a new plan or share a new idea. Dave declares that we can be that person again; it just takes a bit of effort to change our mindset. He shares an example of a CEO who reconfigured his company, delegating many of his previous responsibilities, and "rehired" himself in a new position more strategic to the company, retaining the CEO title. It was an attitude adjustment, self-initiated, and he credits that effort as the start of his company's real growth.
And, in Are you killing innovation in your company, Dave explains how it's up to the CEO to decide if R&D for advanced or next-generation products is a strategic priority. If so, they have a duty to protect their future-focused developers or architects, removing or reducing the pressure of reactionary development work, and isolating them in a space that prevents constant interruption by others focused upon day-to-day work. (Dave Berkus, SGV & WLA)

GetVisible's Always Thinking Blog offers a variety of posts to help us better understand specific aspects of SEO. For example, GV Explains Creating Online Product Descriptions That Sell Successfully describes how online retailers can overcome sensory-related obstacles with visual marketing and strategic product descriptions, combined with SEO tactics.
Other recent "GV Explains" posts discuss: Website ADA Compliance in 2021; Social Media Hashtags on Facebook and Instagram; Core Web Vitals and Organic SEO Rankings; Alt Tags for Your Website Images; and more. (Jason Ciment, WLA)

Intellect is offering a downloadable white paper - Does Your QMS Comply with 21 CFR Part 11? This regulation defines the criteria under which electronic records and signatures are accurate, authentic, trustworthy, reliable, confidential, and equivalent to paper records and handwritten signatures on paper.
Plus, recent blog posts from CEO Romeo Elias include: How to Ensure CAPA Compliance? 5 Steps to Follow and Top 4 Strategies to Influence a Compliance & Quality Culture. (Romeo Elias, WLA)

Ali Payani, CEO of LookinLA, has published an article in Forbes - What Do Millennials Want? Time To Revamp Your Business For Future Decision-Makers, which explores six ways to update your operations in anticipation of the forthcoming Millennial-dominant workforce. Topics include: business values; strong online presence; cross-channel marketing; using honest language; shortening the sales process; and being a thought-leader in your field. (Ali Payani, SGV)

Chris Dyer, CEO of PeopleG2, announced that his TEDx: Why Failure Doesn't Suck! event will premiere on September 26.
Also, Chris was interviewed recently for a Thrive Global article about successful remote working, as well as about his own life and background. In the article, Chris says that minimizing the stress of a company transitioning to remote working falls on the leaders, who need to put time and effort into planning and managing the transition.
Meanwhile, Chris issued a press release - What Microsoft Got Wrong In Remote Work Study, in which he discusses Microsoft's recent study results that were critical of remote work.
And, Chris is interviewed in this video by U.K.-based Remote Worker. (Chris Dyer, SGV)

Alina Trigubenko and her company Profi are spotlighted in a recent Small Business Trends article - Tips on How to Setup Your Professional Services Practice Up for Success, which details Profi's turnkey, holistic tools and workflow automations that help busy professionals increase client engagement, manage teams and services, provide customized and traceable client experiences, securely collaborate, manage and automate payments, and more.
Also, a recent blog post from Profi - Successful Service Providers Swear by Holding These 3 Boundaries in Their Business - discusses time, personal self-disclosure, and accountability. (Alina Trigubenko & Adam Miller, WLA)

In The Ultimate Customer Segmentation Guide, ProProfs says that once you know who your customers are and what makes them tick, you can plan your marketing and sales strategies better. This small guide will cover the concept and types of customer segmentation, its growing relevance, and how to segment customers in five steps.
And, in Conflict Resolution in Project Management: Complete Guide, ProProfs provides powerful strategies to resolve conflicts. (Sameer Bhatia, WLA)

WorkDone CEO Joe Rogers, along with Kirsten Campbell of The Campbell Agency, continue to host online discussions - called WorkDoneLive, which focus on aspects of the Future of Work, and are available to watch on-demand:
>> Reimagining Education.
>> Doing Good, featuring Stephanie Rosso, Ph.D., from TheBestNotary.net.
(Joe Rogers, WLA)

"Defending Yourself & Your Company from Cyberattacks" was an ABL event held on August 4th and is now available to view on-demand by ABL Members. The session featured an expert Panel of Cybercrime and Ransomware Experts led by Oli Thordarson, CEO of Alvaka Networks, with Dave Cunningham, Alvaka's Business Technology Officer, and Len Tateyama, Alvaka's Director of IT, who are joined by Pierson Clair, Managing Director, Cyber Risk, at Kroll, and Scott Koller, Privacy and Data Security Partner at Baker & Hostetler LLP. To access it, go to abl.org, click on "Members Only" on the top far right, and then on "Presentations" in the red bar on the top left. This presentation, and the others that are available on the Members Only website, were presented at ABL's confidential meetings and are meant to be viewed by ABL Members only.

In How Much Does It Cost to Recover from Ransomware?, Alvaka Networks explains that there are three key variables: the size of your company, the complexity of the network and applications, and the ransomware gang that attacked you. Your estimated Total Cost of Ransomware Recovery can be calculated with a few key numbers entered into Alvaka's Ransomware Recovery Cost Calculator, which will also give you an idea of the time it will take to recover. (Oli Thordarson, ABL-Health OC)

Angle Health is one of the eight finalists in the Accenture HealthTech Innovation Challenge, which brings together leading-edge startups with prominent health companies to tackle some of North America's greatest health challenges. Recently launched, Angle Health is a full-stack, AI-enabled health plan delivering comprehensive healthcare benefits tailored to small and medium-sized businesses. By replacing legacy systems with modern infrastructure, Angle is able to streamline and centralize operations to create an uncomplicated experience across employers, brokers, members, and healthcare providers. Its fully digital platform delivers an employer and member experience that centers around ease of use, personalization, and more equitable access to care. The finalists will participate in the final round and awards ceremony at a virtual event to be held on September 28, 2021. (Andy Leeka, ABL-Health LA)

In Smartphone Blood Pressure App Publishes Clinical Validation, the Journal of mHealth spotlights clinical study results which find that Biospectal's OptiBP meets the ISO 81060-2 international protocol for accuracy for blood pressure measurement devices, and reinforces the clinical accuracy of OptiBP's software-based smartphone app solution to accurately measure blood pressure utilizing transdermal optical sensing with only a fingertip applied to the lens of a smartphone camera.
Also, Biospectal CEO Eliott Jones contributed to two recent Forbes Technology Council articles: 15 Expert Tips For Ensuring A Successful IoT Project and 14 Major Business And Consumer Tech Trends Experts Say Are Here To Stay. (Eliott Jones, ABL-Health SV)

Elemeno Health will provide its data-driven training and microlearning platform to the Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI), which provides precision state-of-the-art care for patients with a wide spectrum of neurological and cranial disorders. In addition to its five locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties, PNI also provides care at affiliated Providence Hospitals throughout Southern California.
Meanwhile, listen to Elemeno Health CEO, Arup Roy-Burman, MD, discuss his company on a recent episode of the Angel Notes podcast. (Arup Roy-Burman, MD, ABL-Health OAK)

In A Turnkey Solution For Back to School COVID Surveillance Testing, LigoLab Information Systems CEO Suren Avunjian says: "For schools and universities to reopen safely, they will need a laboratory testing partner who can help them organize and manage their testing while also providing fast and accurate test results. The key is for laboratories to have a direct connection with the patient and the institution." LigoLab points to its TestDirectly cloud-based patient engagement portal, which integrates with any lab information system and can be implemented within a matter of days. Included in the TestDirectly network is Reditus Laboratories, a fast-growing full-service lab operation and a national leader in COVID-19 testing volumes and turnaround times. (Suren Avunjian, ABL-Health LA)

MedWand Solutions and AMD Global Telemedicine have formed an alliance, with plans to release AMD / MedWand Connect: Virtual Care Clinic - new software which will provide seamless operation from commonly used EHR solutions to support a seamless workflow between scheduling, clinical quality telemedicine consultations, and two-way data exchange. Doctors can now integrate clinical grade diagnostic telemedicine tools into their workflow without interruption to their existing software infrastructure. It's a complete solution that is both elegant and effective for the smallest private practice to the largest provider network. (Bob Rose, ABL-Health OC)

Despite the extreme challenges business owners have lived through since the world stopped in 2020, the rallying cry attributed to Winston Churchill has never rung more true for the fastest-growing companies in the US: They don't waste a good crisis. When Inc. polled the CEOs of the Inc. 5000 this June, their second-biggest concern was continuing to manage fast growth as they emerged from the pandemic and recession. Their chief worry? Their people. Managing the crisis took a steep toll on Inc. 5000 honorees because, for this group of entrepreneurs, business is personal - and it always has been. 36% of these founders cited worry for employees' livelihoods as one of the biggest factors in weighing the decision to start their businesses in the first place.

In many ways, these founders defined the real victories, and heartbreaking losses, of the past year by how effectively they could care for their people, and they told Inc. they were more likely to cut executive pay or costs in other areas of the business than they were to lay off employees. And while shoring up capabilities like maintaining a supply chain and managing the demands of growth are now top of mind, one of the biggest weights on their shoulders, they said, is knowing their employees are fighting burnout - and wanting to help them through it.

As always, there also remains the task of finding the next great employee. Inc. 5000 honorees cited hiring and retaining solid talent as the biggest obstacle for their businesses going forward. Click to read what else is on the minds of the leaders running the fastest-growing companies in the country. (https://www.inc.com/magazine/202109/lindsay-blakely/ceo-survey-people-management-inc-5000-2021.html)

In a CEOWorld magazine article, Leo Bottary shares that a recent PwC Pulse Survey revealed that 65% of employees are looking for a new job and 36% of Chief HR Officers see building inclusive leadership as a top priority. They are doing this mainly because the balance of power has shifted to the employees. Right now, employees want a work situation that meets their personal preferences. If they can't find it in their current job, they know they have options - lots of them. As a result, CHROs are laser-focused on retaining and attracting good people now more than ever. This situation is a dilemma for many CEOs who feel as forced to reimagine how to lead their companies as they did to close their offices to in-person work 18 months ago. For those inclined to order people back to the office, they risk a mass exodus. For others who are ready to embrace remote or hybrid work more intentionally, there's the question of how to make that happen. Thomas Jefferson once said, "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." I believe CEOs can do both, Leo Bottary explains. (https://ceoworld.biz/2021/08/23/the-future-of-work-you-dont-need-a-plan-you-need-a-commitment/)

Amplify.LA shares that Global venture capital funding has hit an all time high in the first half of 2021, and Los Angeles is certainly following the same trend, with a record-breaking $330.2mm in Seed dollars raised across 116 companies so far this year. According to Amplify.LA: "Digging into the data, in the past year, we see how the pandemic has accelerated growth for ecommerce and consumer products/services companies - reflected in their 21% share of financings in 1H'21. This trend covered everything from SaaS companies building tools to streamline ecommerce at scale, to new digitally native brands, and innovative remote marketplace models. Moreover, we also continue to see the increasing dominance of LA SaaS businesses at the Seed stage, an area that has been historically underrepresented since our initial reporting. These companies operate across a diverse range of verticals - creating applications for Business Intelligence, FinTech, Health & Wellness, Media & Entertainment, and more - including a growing number of companies working on blockchain/decentralized computing applications." (https://blog.amplify.la/1h-2021-los-angeles-seed-deal-report-2b446bff782d)

A team of Bank of America strategists highlights 14 potentially lucrative new technologies that represent a $330 billion market now that could be worth $6 trillion by the next decade. They say a paradigm shift in the explosion of data, faster processing power and the rise of artificial intelligence will bring about the "fastest rollout of disruptive tech in history." Here are the 14 technologies: 6G, brain computer interfacing (BCI), emotional artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, immortality, bionic humans, eVTOL (electrical vertical takeoff and landing vehicles), wireless electricity, holograms, metaverse, next-gen batteries, oceantech (ocean energy, precision fishing, etc.), green mining and CCS (negative-emissions technology that captures and stores carbon dioxide before it can be released). (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/emotional-ai-and-other-moonshot-technologies-could-grow-to-6-trillion-market-by-2030-says-bank-of-america-11631790395)

Apple's lucrative App Store business received a major blow last week thanks to a federal judge's decision in the company's legal battle with Epic Games. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers handed down the decision in the closely watched trial and issued an injunction that said Apple will no longer be allowed to prohibit developers from providing links or other communications that direct users away from Apple in-app purchasing. Apple typically takes a 15% to 30% cut of gross sales. (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/10/epic-games-v-apple-judge-reaches-decision-.html)

According to CEO Elon Musk, Starlink, the "satellite internet constellation system operated by SpaceX which aims to provide satellite Internet access to most of the earth" will exit beta next month. Exiting beta usually signals that a service is stable and ready for a wider rollout. Starlink is currently serving 100,000 users across a dozen countries, including the US. However, the system has a backlog of over 500,000 users still waiting to try out the satellite broadband service. The ending of the beta may also signal speed increases for the service. The official Starlink website currently says beta users can expect data speeds "from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms in most locations." However, Musk himself has been promising Starlink's speeds will get even faster and reach 300 Mb/s later this year. (https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacexs-starlink-to-exit-beta-next-month and Wikipedia)

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