Sanfrancisco W 20200515 Si

2019 REAL ESTATE
DEALS OF THE YEAR
WINS
AND
Co
LOSSES
py
rig
ht
©
Chase Center changed the city.

20
We named it our Deal of the Year.

20
Then it went dark.

Am
SPECIAL SECTION, PAGE 17

er
ica
n Ci
ty
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
PPP, BEWARE TAME ‘MONSTER’ BAD TIMING ADVERTISEMENT

What you need to know, from New plan could bring Swinerton’s new CEO took
taxes to bookkeeping to all affordable housing to former over just in time to deal with
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, those legal issues. “Monster in the Mission.” the ravages of Covid-19.
CYBERSECURITY FIRMS PAGE 54 PAGE 3 PAGE 6 PAGE 62
SAN FRANCISCO BREAKING NEWS ONLINE

BUSINESS TIMES
May 15, 2020
r SanFranciscoBusinessTimes.com
Vol. 34, No. 44, $10.00 ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM

275 Battery St. @SFBusinessTimes
Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94111 DAILY EMAIL UPDATES
SanFranciscoBusinessTimes.com/newsletters
2 SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES
CONTACT US
For a complete list
BAY AREA BRIEF

of our staff and their
contact information,
please turn to
Page 60.
Your primer for the week in Bay Area business news
NEWS TIPS
Contact reporters
or send news tips to
Managing
Editor Jim Gardner
at jgardner@
bizjournals.com.
CORRECTIONS
FACE TIME FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Fair and accurate
coverage is at the
SAN MATEO, FALL CLASSES? MUSK UBER LOOKS TWITTER
heart of our mission. S.F. START NOT FOR TWO MAKES A TO EAT UP THE ANNOUNCES
We will promptly TO OPEN UP SYSTEMS THREAT COMPETITION NEW POLICY
print corrections of
Co
substantive errors. San Mateo The California On May 9, Elon Uber is in talks to Twitter, which
If you believe County and San State University Musk sued acquire Grubhub, has roughly
py
incorrect or unfair Francisco said system and San Alameda County its Chicago- 1,900 employees
information has ap- May 13 they will Francisco State and threatened based Uber Eats in San Francisco,
rig
peared in the SFBT,

contact Managing
begin to reopen do not plan to move Tesla’s competitor, announced May
more businesses for students to HQ to Texas or the Wall Street 12 that most
ht
Editor Jim Gardner.

next week, return to physical Nevada if he Journal reports. employees will
SUBSCRIBE becoming the classrooms this wasn’t allowed to It is considering be able to work
©
To make changes, first of the six fall, the schools open his Fremont an offer from from home after
You’ve probably heard of the “pan-
get help or start a
20
demic beard.” One local company, core Bay Area announced this factory. He defied Grubhub of 2.15 shelter-in-place
new subscription
please go to bizjour- Pacific Shaving Co., wants to reverse counties that week, though SF the county’s Uber shares for orders are lifted.
20
nals.com/sanfrancis- that trend. Owners Stan Ades and CC jointly enacted State chief Lynn shutdown order every Grubhub Like, forever. (A
co/subscribe or call Sofronas have launched a campaign their shelter-in- Mahoney said May 11, but the share. The spokesperson
866-853-3661. place orders. some specialized state, county and company also actually used
Am
to raise money for the CDC Founda-

tion — and to get men shaving again. Manufacturing courses may Musk later came announced that word.)
EVENTS
SFBT hosts net-
and retail will be be alllowed to to an agreement plans to require Depending on
er
working, award What is the #ZoomGroomChal- allowed to open meet. Most other that he can start passengers and how many take
and education lenge? We are all living in a world of with conditions, college systems making electric drivers to wear the company up
ica
events throughout Zoom video conferencing, and the as per the haven’t made vehicles again masks and limit on its offer, that
the year. View state’s Phase 2 a call for fall soon. Still, we the number could be bad
idea is to share a video post of you
n
the schedule
giving yourself a speedy shave and reopening plan. semester yet. have a feeling of riders in an news for Mid-
and register at
Ci
bizjournals.com/ the time it took to do so. The faster this isn’t over. UberX. Market.
sanfrancisco/event. the time the better! The details,
ty
techniques are up to each person,

ADVERTISE
and then they tag/challenge others
Bu
For information,
rates, editorial to participate. We’re donating $1 for
every person who participates and
sin
calendar and specs

contact Michael tags #zoomgroomchallenge and also BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?
Fernald at (415) 288- anyone who follows @pacificshaving. It’s no secret that hospitality jobs have been hit hard. But what other sectors in California are
es
4942 or mfernald@
bizjournals.com. suffering the most through the pandemic-induced economic crisis? The Bay Area Council Economic
How much do you expect to raise?
sJ
Institute crunched the numbers. Here are the job losses by industry from March 15 to May 2.
Our goal is to help contribute over
$10,000 to CDCFoundation.org, Food services
ou
589,922
across all of our efforts. and drinking places
rn
Health care
How are sales since the shutdown? services
321,154
als
San Francisco Business

Times is a publication of: Sales slowed down a bit in the first
American City month, but we are seeing them pick Specialty trade
274,316
Business Journals, back up. We think men (and their contractors
-N
120 W. Morehead St., significant others?) are growing a

Charlotte, N.C. 28202 Administrative and
bit tired of the Covid-19 “Vacation 267,128
Whitney Shaw, CEO support services
ot
Ray Shaw, Chairman Beard” and are ready to get back to

(1989-2009) feeling groomed and whole again. Educational
195,495
for
services
Amusements,
168,640
co
gambling and recreation
Social
mm
165,317
The entire contents of this assistance
newspaper are ABOUT THE COVER
copyrighted 2020 by the Professional and
147,356
er
San Francisco Business technical services

Times, a publication of
cia
Business Journal Publica‑ Clothing and

tions Inc., with all rights 139,385
accessories stores
reserved. Reproduction or
lu
use, without permission, Personal and

of editorial or graphic 121,692
laundry services
se
content in any manner is

prohibited. Single Copy:
SOURCE: Bay Area Council Economic Institute
$10, Bay Area Book of
Lists: $81. Back issues
are available for $10. Pe‑
riodicals Postage Paid at
San Francisco, California,
and at additional mailing
offices. The San Francisco
Business Times (ISSN GOOD WEEK, BAD WEEK
0890-0337) is published
weekly by Business Jour‑ CUT-THROAT REAL ESTATE ASHES TO ASHES BE LIKE JACK
nal Publications Inc. 275
Battery St., Suite 600, We recently The Oakland Jack Dorsey
San Francisco CA 94111. told you about City Council pledged to
Subscriptions are 1‑year
print and digital, $140,
restrictions and unamimously donate $1B for
1-year digital, $115. fines on pocket voted to end the Covid-19 reliefs
listings — those sale of all flavored and other causes.
Sports idle: For our Real Estate high-end properties that aim tobacco or e-cig products, He came through in a big
Postmaster: Please Deals cover this year, we opted for to avoid listing on MLS. Not closing a loophole that allowed way for Twitter and Square’s
send address changes to: a shot from Todd Johnson of an so fast, says the Top Agent a surge in “adult-only” tobacco hometown, making a $15M
SanFrancisco Business empty Chase Center with a somber Network. The S.F. group has stores under a 2017 ban. There commitment to Give2SF, the
Times, 275 Battery
St., Suite 600, San treatment from designer Ian Lawson. sued several Realtors groups to are no exemptions this time. city’s emergency relief fund.
Francisco CA 94111 It pretty much sums up our mood. stop the new policy. Got it? No exemptions. The fund now sits at $26.3M.
MAY 15, 2020 3
BAY AREA BRIEF
Co
py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Am
er
ica
n Ci
ty
GETTY IMAGES | SFBT ILLUSTRATION

Bu
GOVERNMENT “We’re a lion “will be deemed to have made setting some of the loan’s benefits
sin
the required certification concern- and resulting in a bigger tax bill for
month in ing the necessity of the loan request some.
PPP: WHAT
es
now, and in good faith.” Dozens of contractor and trade

Prior to this new guidance, com- groups sent a joint letter to Congress
sJ
we still panies were worried about civil and on May 7, arguing that the IRS mea-
don’t have
ou
criminal penalties for failing to sure will magnify a PPP loan recipi-
YOU NEED
meet that certification. ent’s financial pain. The groups esti-
any good
rn
The conflicting guidance has mated the tax burdens could swell
guidance
als
resulted in the equivalent of two as much as 21% for C-corporations

separate programs and sets of and up to 37% for S-corporations.
from the requirements, experts said. Both
-N
TO KNOW
SBA on Mnuchin and SBA officials have FORGIVENESS
hinted that further guidance and The SBA says it will forgive PPP
ot
how for- clarification may be on the way, loans if all of a business’s workers
giveness
for
but until then, legal insiders fore- stay employed for eight weeks and
see problems ahead. the money is used for rent, mort-
is going
co
“It’s a completely different vibe, gage interest, utilities and payroll.

to be cal- and it may be a completely differ- So how do you avoid having to
mm
Editor’s note: The Business Times has been covering the Small Business ent legal animal. Businesses are pay your PPP loan back?
Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, trying to help small busi-
culated.” wondering if there is a ‘gotcha’ in Carefully document how the
er
ness owners navigate a $660 billion loan program aimed at helping them this deal,” said Leonard Johnson, a loan money gets spent — and in a
BARBARA
get back on their feet. More than 40 newsrooms in other American City shareholder at law firm Buchanan, way that you can clearly present the
cia
MORRISON,
Business Journals cities have been doing the same, helping small-business TMC Financing Ingersoll & Rooney PC. information to the bank that closed
owners figure out whether to apply for a loan, how to do so successfully “It will create a legal mess if it your PPP loan.
lu
— and whether the money might come with unexpected consequences. gets tested out. And it almost cer- “What we’re saying to our clients
se
Here’s the latest on the program. tainly will at some point,” Johnson is that transparency and documen-
said. “I do believe it is two different tation — being very diligent about
COMPLIANCE the first PPP round had this assur- standards.” everything you’re doing so you can
When the program was introduced ance to rely on from the agency: tell your story to the banks — is going
April 3, the SBA’s guidance at the “Borrowers and lenders may rely TAXES to be vital,” said Edward Webb, a
time required that businesses only on the laws, rules and guidance Small businesses who got PPP loans partner in advisory services at BPM
certify and attest that “current eco- available at the time of the relevant may find it costs them come tax LLP, a California-based accounting
nomic uncertainty makes this loan application.” time. and consulting firm. “You cannot
request necessary to support the On May 13, the SBA released new The loans are not designed to be over-document. You cannot be too
ongoing operations of the appli- guidance that companies that have taxable. But an IRS rule published transparent.”
cant” — a relatively low bar given taken out PPP loans greater than April 30 is ensuring small business- This phase may actually be hard-
the number of companies affected $2 million and whose audits find es that received PPP funding can’t er than getting the loan.
by the coronavirus’s rapid spread. they did not meet the required cer- “double dip,” according to experts. Some businesses are putting
The SBA has tweaked a handful tification will have an opportunity The rule states that small business- their PPP dollars in an entirely sep-
of rules since — regarding eligibility, to simply pay back the loan unless es that use PPP dollars toward their arate bank account to more easily
covered expenses and what forgive- there is evidence of other fraud. payroll and other covered expens- track spending.
ness would ultimately look like, for Meanwhile, all companies that es can’t then deduct those amounts Loans that aren’t forgiven mature
instance — but initial applicants in took out loans of less than $2 mil- from their taxes, potentially off- at an interest rate of 1%.
BAY AREA BRIEF
COVID-19 DOWNTURN
City’s budget hole grows deeper

BY TED ANDERSEN worse. year budget as result of the eco-
Co
San Francisco facing [email protected] Mayor London Breed announced nomic impact of Covid-19. The city
May 13 that San Francisco is now must close a $250 million shortfall
deficit of $1.7 billion
py
S.F. Mayor For San Francisco’s budget this facing a $1.7 billion deficit in the this year and will then have to deal
London Breed year, things have gone from bad to current year and upcoming two- with a projected $1.5 billion gap
rig
over the following two years, with

ht
these estimates assuming a slow

recovery beginning in late 2020.
©
At the end of March, the city

released a staff report showing
20
that a previously estimated $420

20
million two-year budget deficit

was expected to grow to between
Am
$1.1 billion and $1.7 billion. May-

or Breed’s announcement on May
er
13 now puts the estimated figure

firmly at that previous report’s high
ica
mark.
“The city’s financial outlook has
n
taken a sharp turn for the worse,

Ci
and while our financial preparation

ty
in recent years will soften the blow,

extremely hard choices lie ahead,”
Bu
Small business is no small task. City Controller Ben Rosenfield said

in a statement.
sin
So Progressive offers commercial auto and business

What’s more, budget defi-
insurance that makes protecting yours no big deal. cit totals could rise even high-
es
Local Agent | ProgressiveCommercial.com er depending on several factors.

sJ
According to the report, property,

business, hotel and sales tax reve-
ou
nue account for $3.6 billion of Gen-

eral Fund revenues, and projections
rn
could greatly worsen if economic

als
losses drive a deeper loss or slow-

er recovery of these revenue sourc-
-N
es. For example, a 10% change from

city estimates for these four sourc-
ot
es could exacerbate shortfalls by

about $360 million for 2020-21.
Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. & Affiliates. Business and Workers’ Compensation coverage provided and serviced by affiliated and third party insurers.
for
“With over 100,000 San Fran-

ciscans applying for unemploy-
co
ment and an uncertain timeline for

recovery, we are in for a long, hard
mm
road,” Breed said in a statement.

The two-year deficit projections
er
also do not include any ongoing

cia
emergency response costs, which

are likely to be significant and will
lu
add to the shortfalls. The current

spending for the Covid-19 Emer-
se
gency Response effort is about

$375 million this year, according
to Breed’s office, with portions of
the spending covered by federal
and state support.
The city has delayed its budget
process and the mayor’s office will
issue revised budget instructions
to departments next week. By June
1, the mayor will introduce a bal-
anced interim budget to the Board
of Supervisors, and this will be
followed by a proposed balanced
budget to the Board of Supervi-
sors by Aug. 1. The board will then
have until the end of September to
approve the budget.
MAY 15, 2020 5
WORKING IN THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS

Washington Business Journal
Part of an ongoing series [email protected]@WBJBookofLists
PATIENCE 10 STEPS TO A VACCINE

With average duration
ZERO?
Co
py
EXPLORATORY STAGE PRECLINICAL STAGE

rig
WE GET IT. WE ALL WANT A COVID-19 Two to four years: Laboratories One to two years: Tests in tissue
conduct research to identify the cultures or animal subjects
ht
TREATMENT AND VACCINE — NOW. natural or synthetic antigens that to get an early sense of how
might help prevent or treat the virus. humans may react.
©
HERE’S WHY THAT’S NOT POSSIBLE YET.

20
BY CAROLYN M. PROCTOR
20
Am
ONE QUESTION HAS TOPPED A LOT OF MINDS

PHASE 1 TRIALS
er
INVESTIGATIONAL NEW
IN THE CORONAVIRUS ERA: WHEN WILL WE Less than a year: First clinical trials on DRUG APPLICATION
ica
a small group of human subjects (20 30 days: The research has reached
HAVE A VACCINE? to 80 adults) to test vaccine’s safety. a phase where a company or
n
Must pass each phase to get to next. organization applies to the FDA for
The process of making a vaccine that’s readily available at
Ci
approval for testing in humans.

doctors’ offices is much more complex than most people
ty
realize. In the best-case scenario and speediest of timelines,

Bu
we could possibly have both a treatment and vaccine for the

sin
most at-risk populations … by the end of 2020, but more

likely next year.
es
PHASE 2 TRIALS PHASE 3 TRIALS

sJ
Thus far, the Food and Drug Administration authorized Up to two years: Tests on One to four years: Tests on thousands
several hundred people to study of people in control/placebo groups
only emergency use of an otherwise unapproved antiviral to see efficacy, safety and side effects.
ou
effectiveness, dosage, delivery

drug, remdesivir, made by Gilead Sciences Inc. of Foster method and safety in larger numbers.
rn
City, California, but only for the most severe of cases, where
als
patients have less than 94% blood oxygen levels. And even
then, it’s no cure. Patients in that drug’s latest clinical trial
-N
had recovered in 11 rather than 15 days and showed an

ot
8% rather than 11% mortality rate — progress, but hardly a

for
panacea. MANUFACTURING APPROVAL AND LICENSURE

Timeline depends on product: Mass Up to a year: Products must pass
While many begrudge the need to wait 10 to 15 months for a production of the vaccine. For this all three phases before a Biologics
co
past flu vaccine season, 174.5 million License Application is sent to the FDA
vaccine, take note they normally take doses were distributed nationwide.
mm
for approval. The agency inspects the

10 to 15 years to develop. At right, we map the trek manufacturing plant and labeling.
to a commercial vaccine.
er
cia
lu
se
37
Novel drugs the Food and Drug Administration approves per year on
POSTLICENSURE MONITORING
AND QUALITY CONTROL
FURTHER TESTING
Timeline depends on product: The
In perpetuity: FDA keeps monitoring vaccine maker can opt to launch
average. Yet, an average 1,321 are submitted for trials annually.
vaccine’s production and can further phase 4 testing to further study its
test the product and inspect facilities. safety and efficacy and to look for
SOURCES: FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, MIT additional uses to expand its labeling.
SOURCES: Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Department of Health and Human Services, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEPHANIE REDDING FOR AMERICAN CITY BUSINESS JOURNALS; GETTY IMAGES
IN THE COVID-19
PIPELINE 205 TREATMENTS 123 VACCINES
As of May 6 SOURCE: Milken Institute
STRUCTURES
[email protected] I
415-288-4960
LAURA WAXMANN covers real estate, construction and architecture @Waxmannbiz
DEAL DELAYED HOUSING

PYRAMID
SALE ‘MONSTER’ NO
Co
PUSHED
py
BACK TO Q3
LONGER SO SCARY
rig
ht
Even the most high-profile

©
real estate deals — like

New York real estate mogul
20
Michael Shvo’s acquisition

of San Francisco’s Transa- to allow for taller and denser devel-
20
merica Pyramid — are not ‘Hub District’ deal puts opment and would make improve-
immune to the fallout of the ments to streets and alleys.
affordable housing in
Am
Covid-19 pandemic. Lendlease Development and

Shvo, who along with
partners BVK and Deutsche
play on Mission site Related California — the develop-
er
Finance agreed to pay just ers of two projects in the plan area
over $700 million for the seeking approval at 30 Van Ness Ave.
ica
city’s second-tallest sky- The developer proposing a 55-sto- and 98 Franklin St., respectively —
scraper and two adjacent ry tower at 10 South Van Ness Ave. have confirmed they are also cur-
n
buildings, has been grant-

is involved in talks to acquire the rently involved in talks with com-
Ci
ed an extension to close on
the sale, two sources with now-infamous “Monster in the Mis- munity groups and the city over
ty
knowledge of the deal say. sion” site and make it available for potential concessions, but declined
The closing is now expect- an affordable housing development, to comment on the details of the
Bu
ed in the third quarter. according to multiple sources with negotiations.

A spokesperson for
knowledge of the negotiations. “The Hub hearing is scheduled
sin
Shvo declined to comment

on the source of the delay, Crescent Heights, which is seek- for (May 14) and we are one in a
ing approval to develop the 966-unit number of people who are inter-
es
and a spokesperson for

Transamerica simply told tower, would acquire the site from ested in the outcome of that,” said
sJ
me that the two parties Maximus Real Estate Partners and Matthew Witte, principal at Relat-
“continue to move forward
transfer it to the city or affordable ed California, which has proposed a
toward closing on the
ou
sale of the Transamerica housing organizations as a conces- 31-story, 345-unit residential tower
Pyramid.” sion for the Van Ness project, said on a surface parking lot at 98 Frank-
rn
The delay did not the sources, who were not autho- lin St. It would include new facili-
als
surprise industry veterans I rized to talk because the deal isn’t ties for the French American Inter-
reached out to for com-
done yet. Crescent Heights did not national School.
ment.
-N
“Everything was put on immediately respond to a request The Mayor’s Office of Hous-
pause as soon as Covid for comment. CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO ing and Community Development
ot
hit — including getting The negotiations come as the would have to approve the proposed
financing in place,” said Planning Commission was slated united as the Plaza 16 Coalition have The Hub land dedication of the 1979 Mis-
for
Seth Siegel, executive man-

to consider a new plan May 14 for been working to acquire the 16th District Plan sion site, and the Hub District Plan
aging director at Cushman
& Wakefield, a national a burgeoning 84-acre area around Street BART Station site for afford- covers 84 must ultimately be approved by the
co
commercial real estate bro- Van Ness Avenue and Market Street. able housing and said Maximus is acres around Board of Supervisors. A spokesper-
kerage firm. “A responsible The so-called Hub District Plan asking about $40 million for the site. Van Ness and son for Mayor London Breed did not
mm
seller will give a buyer time. would allow developers to dedicate The proposed concession by Cres- Mission. respond to a request for comment.
It’s not an uncommon thing
land to satisfy mandated affordable cent Heights is one of several deals “If this agreement goes through,
to let the market settle.”
er
The 853-foot pyramid at housing requirements. currently being worked out between it’s going to be an example of what
cia
600 Montgomery St. was Community opposition sus- community groups, the city and we can do when housing advocates,
nearly 90% occupied when tained over seven years killed Max- developers as the Planning Com- City Hall and responsible develop-
lu
it was listed for sale in Au- imus’ plans to build 331 homes at mission prepares to vote on the Hub ers work together,” said District 9
gust. The deal would be the
1979 Mission St., a project derisive- District Plan, officially known as the Supervisor Hillary Ronen, whose
se
first time since the building

was completed in 1972 that ly dubbed “Monster in the Mission” Market Octavia Area Plan Amend- district includes the 1979 Mission
it would change hands. by community groups. Opponents ment. The plan will rezone 18 parcels St. site.
WHAT MUST HAPPEN WHEN OFFICES REOPEN?

California’s businesses are not yet returning to their offices, but the state released industry-specific protocols to guide them in ensuring
employees’ safety when the time comes. The office space guidelines, published May 7 by the California Department of Public health and Cal/
Osha, give employers and office landlords a wide range of specific tasks they will need to accomplish to reopen offices.
RRProvide tem- RREnsure workers RREncourage RREnsure workers RRPrevent work- RRRedesign RRClose or RRDiscourage RRLimit number
perature and/ use any required the use of face clean person- ers sharing work workspaces to restrict com- employees from of employees in
or symptom protective coverings like al work areas supplies, or en- ensure 6-foot mon areas like congregating office at one time
screening for all equipment, masks, which are frequently, and sure disinfection physical distance kitchens or break in bathrooms, using staggered
workers at the including gloves “strongly recom- offer the time between users between worksta- rooms hallways or other schedules,
beginning of for handling mended” in all and supplies to when they must tions “high traffic” ar- alternate days
their shift and for items touched by office settings — do so be shared eas like elevators or continued
any visitors others but not required remote work
7
se
lu
cia
er
mm
co
for
ot
-N
als
rn
ou
sJ
es
sin
Bu
ty
n Ci
ica
er
Am
20
20
©
ht
rig
py
Co
MAY 15, 2020
TECH
[email protected] I
415-288-4945
DAWN KAWAMOTO covers technology, venture capital and the gig economy @dawnkawamoto
GIG ECONOMY “I’ve used it 500-times more fre-

quently this year since Covid-19.
FAIR TRADE: HOW

For the first time in 20 years of run-
ning this company, there were zero
job orders on the board for my 30
Co
plumbers on March 16,” Milling-

ton said, in reference to the day the
py
TO BARTER ONLINE
Bay Area counties issued shelter-in
rig
place orders and the temporary clo-

sure of all nonessential businesses.
ht
Millington, who has been strand-

ed in Colombia since March and has
©
had to run his business from afar,

20
HOW THEY ing guests went into action that day with a
As financial crisis WORK But rather than let this time go by massive marketing campaign to
20
RR BizX, found- without any benefit, owner Anand inform Bay Area residents his com-
worsens, bartering ed in 2002 and Gokel is using his stash of scrip on pany was still open for business.
Am
headquartered
site traffic soars in Seattle with an
the BizX bartering platform to have He used his BizX scrip to cover
office in Berkeley, a carpet cleaning company sham- half of his marketing costs, covering
er
did approximate- poo the hallways and the lobby, billboard advertisements on anti-
ica
Edward Brown, syndicated host of ly $100 million in and also have a painting compa- bacterial hand-washing stations in
“The Best of Investing” on KDOW transactions last ny refresh the entire interior of his front of Safeway stores.
year. The service
n
AM and “Sports Econ 101” on Sports does not charge

48-room, four-story 1890 hotel. “My business has since rebound-
Ci
Byline USA, buys airtime for his a membership Gokel said he was able to save ed and may be doing stronger than
radio shows and then finds spon- fee, but the buy- between $20,500 to $23,500 in cash before the pandemic hit,” Milling-
ty
sors to shoulder the cost. But some- er or seller each by using his BizX scrip. ton said.
pays anywhere
Bu
times, he comes up short. “I couldn’t have done either of Since Covid-19 hit, both barter-
from a 6% to 7.5%
When he does, he make the transaction fee in
these projects right now if I didn’t ing services are noticing a surge of
sin
sponsorships available on the Inter- cash. have my BizX dollars,” said Gokel, interest on their websites.
national Monetary Systems, a bar- who has used bartering services “Our website is getting slammed
es
RR IMS Barter,
tering exchange. Members of the founded in 1985
for over a decade. He’s able to bank and traffic is up at a minimum of 10
exchange can purchase sponsor- BizX credits when other businesses times higher than before Covid-19,”
sJ
and headquar-
ships on the IMS platform using tered in Wiscon- on the platform want to book rooms said John Strabley, CEO of IMS Bar-
sin, handled over
ou
bartering credits instead of cash. GETTY IMAGES at his hotel and he has excess inven- ter. However, he noted enrollment
Brown receives bartering credits $200 million in tory to make the trade. of new clients remains flat. “A lot of
transactions last
rn
that he can later use to purchase cians, attorneys and window wash- year. Businesses
Before Covid-19 halted this year’s new businesses are still in fear. They
als
goods and services from other IMS ers I can,” Brown said. “If I can pay pay a one-time baseball season, Gokel was plan- are just starting to wake up and look
members without a cash outlay. for these with bartering scrip, why membership fee ning to use some of his BizX credits for solutions.”
Brown has used bartering for would I use cash?” of $495 and then on purchasing an Oakland A’s suite IMS and BizX also assist mem-
-N
everything up to a $15,000 plumb- And in a crisis, everyone from 6.5% per transfor a May 2 game. bers on the platform by issuing a
action in cash, or
ing job on a commercial building small businesses to large organiza- Jonathan Millington’s Ace 1099-B at the end of the year, which
ot
no membership
he owns. He estimates he uses it for tions like the Oakland A’s, are inter- fee but a 7.5% Plumbing & Rooter in San Francisco is a form that records the gains and
for
25% of his building maintenance. ested in conserving cash. Bartering transaction fee. conducts $30,000 to $50,000 trans- losses on the bartering exchange
“You can’t pay your PG&E bill exchanges are one way to do that. actions a year on the BizX platform, for that tax year. Companies are
co
with your bartering scrip. If I go to For the Queen Anne Hotel in San largely using it to make purchases required to report this information
Safeway, I can’t use my bartering Francisco, the Covid-19 shelter in for marketing and advertising in even though money did not change
mm
credits. But with plumbers, electri- place orders means a lot fewer pay- exchange for his plumbing services. hands.
er
cia
M&A WATCH
lu
FORGE GLOBAL MAKES PLAY FOR SECONDARY MARKET RIVAL Quotable:

se
Secondary market trading platform Forge Global announced it will buy San Francisco rival SharesPost in a $160 million
cash-and-stock deal. The companies’ combined customer base will total more than 1 million accounts, and they will have
200 employees combined. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter and will not include SharesPost’s mutual
fund of privately held companies, the SharesPost 100 Fund.
What it means: Workforce: Covid surge:

The transaction will bolster San Forge Global recently cut 20% of When companies started issuing
Francisco-based Forge’s presence its workforce, or 40 employees, massive layoffs, employees with
with retail investors as it builds its because of the economic uncertainty their stock option grants turned to
base with corporate accounts of surrounding Covid-19. No further secondary market platforms to unload
privately held companies that want to layoffs are expected. The combined their vested shares and raise some
allow their employees and investors company will have 200 employees money for themselves. There was
to cash in their shares to raise money. spread across Forge’s headquarters in also interest in companies seeing a
These secondary market platforms Salesforce Tower and offices in New surge in demand. Forge experienced “We started talking to SharesPost seriously last November,
provide liquidity to buy and sell shares York, San Carlos, South Dakota and a 300% increase in seller activity in which was before the pandemic,” Forge Global CEO Kelly
in privately held companies. Hong Kong. Greg Brogger will step the beginning of April, but overall, Rodriques told me. “We believe then and now that you need
down as SharesPost CEO and join the value of the trades declined 10% to be a player of scale to serve investors, employees and
Forge Global’s board of directors. to 15% in April across the board and these companies. We could also see there were new com-
prices have begun to stabilize. petitors entering the market and wanted to be in front of it.”
MAY 15, 2020 9
Co
py
rig
A vast fortune
ht
©
is found in people.
20
20
Take away the money,

Am
er
and togetherness
ica
n
is all that matters.

Ci
ty
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
We know what
mm
er
your wealth is really for.

cia
lu
se
Understanding the WHY of Wealth.

®
thewhyofwealth.com
BOP_20_0075_SFBizTimes_10x13_5_Options.indd 2 5/8/20 15:52

BIO & HEALTH

[email protected] I
415-288-4939
RON LEUTY covers biotech, life sciences and medicine @rleuty_biotech
INSTITUTING CHANGE NOT SO FAST

GLADSTONE RE-ORG BIRTHS
TWO NEW RESEARCH UNITS
NO-GO FOR
Co
The Gladstone Institutes is launching two new research units, one
PLANNED GENE
py
focused on Covid-19 and the other targeting genomics and immu-

nology to develop next-generation cell therapies. Both of the new
rig
institutes spring from the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immu-

ht
nology, which had been led by HIV/AIDS pioneer Dr. Warner Greene,
THERAPY SITE
and are taking on two of the hottest areas of scientific research. They
©
also are part of Gladstone President Dr. Deepak Srivastava’s rework-

ing of Gladstone since he took over in 2018.
20
GLADSTONE INSTITUTE GLADSTONE-UCSF INSTITUTE

20
OF VIROLOGY OF GENOMIC IMMUNOLOGY

Head: Head:
Am
Dr. Melanie Dr. Alexan-

Ott, who has der Marson SAN OAKLAND
been at the will lead the Orchard Therapeutics FRANCISCO
er
center of affiliated pair-

will now sublease space
ica
Gladstone’s ing with the 580

work on University of in a cost-saving move HAYWARD
Covid-19 California, 680
n
San Francisco.
Ci
680
Focus: Focus: A year before it was scheduled to 1 101 880
ty
FREMONT
This institute will zero in on The institute will tap gene 800 CORPORATE
92 WAY,
open an $84.5 million gene ther- FREMONT, CA. 94539
Covid-19 and new therapies editing and synthetic biology
Bu
apy manufacturing plant in the

against future infectious technologies to understand the
East Bay, Orchard Therapeutics 262
diseases. levers our genetic codes pull to
sin
control the immune system. plc instead will close it, shutter a 280
Quoted: research center on the Peninsu-
es
“Contrary to the current strategy Quoted: la and chop 25% of its jobs in an 35 84
82
of combining several drugs to “The impetus to start a new effort to save money and target big-
sJ
MAPS4NEWS | SFBT
treat one virus, we want to de- institute was the realization that
ger diseases.
velop one drug against multiple we need to create an ecosystem
ORCHARD,
ou
viruses,” Ott, a senior investiga- to bring together people with Orchard — based in London but Pharmaceutical Inc. and Audentes
tor at Gladstone and a professor different perspectives to think with U.S. headquarters in Boston — BY THE Therapeutics Inc., build out their
NUMBERS
rn
in the UCSF Department of Med- about transformative oppor- said it is chopping two gene ther- own manufacturing to become
icine, said in a statement. “As tunities for how patients can
als
apy programs, consolidating R&D masters of their own fate. In a

antibiotic resistance becomes be treated in the future,” said
functions in Menlo Park with those busy biotech industry, and with
an increasingly urgent problem, Marson, a senior investigator
we will also delve into how we at Gladstone and an associate in London and cutting roughly 60 $125M extremely specialized gene thera-
-N
can use viruses as therapeutics, professor in the departments of of the company’s 250 jobs. py manufacturing gaining steam,
which involves using viruses medicine and of microbiology None of the moves, howev- companies have had to queue at
ot
against themselves or to fight and immunology at UCSF. er, may be more stunning than contractors to get just enough
bacteria.” Cost savings as a
for
the company’s about-face on its result of job cuts drugs to serve patients in clinical
planned 153,000-square-foot man- and shuttering trials.
the Fremont
co
ufacturing site in Fremont. At the Orchard had planned to slow-

J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference facility ly bring the Fremont plant online
mm
in January, the company outlined while using independent contract

NEW BLOOD plans to hire 100 people and move development and manufactur-
Aviv Regev of the Broad
$84.5M
er
about 100 others from Menlo Park ing organizations, or CDMOs, in

Institute has been hired after wrapping up construction in Europe to make its MLD and WAS
cia
as the head of Genen-

tech Inc.’s research and 2021. Now it says it will try to sub- therapies. Now it will rely more
early development team, lease the facility. on those contractors and bring on
lu
Development
replacing Mike Varney. The “It really comes down to when is cost for the a U.S. supplier, Thomas said, and
se
move marks one of the few the need for that capacity and capa- Fremont site look longer term at bringing man-
times that the South San bility relative to the various pro- ufacturing in-house “at a site and
Francisco-based research
team’s leadership will grams we have,” Orchard President location that we think is more fitted
come directly from outside
the organization. Regev
and Chief Operating Officer Frank
Thomas said on an analyst call. $2.8M to what the capacity needs will be.”
Gaspar, the company’s found-
also is the first woman to Orchard outlined plans to cut er and former chief scientific offi-
lead research and early two programs — a next-generation cer who took over as CEO in March
development, or gRED, Annual rent at
for 10,000-employee “bubble boy” therapy and a treat- after Mark Rothera stepped down,
Fremont site
Genentech. Regev, who ment for the blood disorder beta said Orchard studied its operations
will be based in South San thalassemia — but CEO Bobby Gas- over the past six weeks and chose
Francisco, is an expert in par said it plans to use its under- “bold and decisive actions” to build
the molecular circuits that lying technology to deliver genes long-term growth and “sustainable
govern cells, tissues and
organs. and proteins against larger diseas- value” for shareholders.
es, including a subset of frontotem- “This wasn’t just an exercise to
poral dementia and a genetic subset reduce expenses,” Gaspar said.
of Crohn’s disease. Orchard’s Fremont site was
The moves come as other gene leased only in December 2018 in
CASEY ATKINS therapy companies like BioMarin a deal not set to end until 2030.
MAY 15, 2020 11
R E T H A N
M O
Co
NO W L L I N
py
E A
rig
E’R
ht
R , W
©
EVE TOGETHER.
20
20
I S
Am
T H
er
ica
nCi
ty
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.

lu
se
Whether you’re a business owner or their advisor, these are unprecedented times.
As the leaders in online business valuation, BizEquity is here to help.
To download our free Small Business Survival Guide or join an upcoming webinar
Visit BizEquity.com/Together
www.BizEquity.com | [email protected] | 844.249.3789

HOSPITALITY & RETAIL

[email protected] I
650-815-5860
ALEX BARREIRA covers tourism, restaurants, retail and the arts @SFBTHospitality
INSURANCE THE FUTURE

BOUTIQUE SUES FOR DENIAL
OF BUSINESS CLAIM
A LIFELINE
Co
Mudpie, a San Francisco- state. The unspecified damag-

py
TO SURVIVE
based children’s clothing store, es sought include operational
filed a class-action lawsuit costs, such as rent, as well as
rig
against Travelers Insurance, payroll for employees.

ht
alleging the insurer denied Travelers said its standard

claims for relief during the commercial property policies
PAST 2020
©
pandemic shutdown that were that include business inter-

covered by business interrup- ruption coverage have “very
20
tion insurance. specific exclusions stating that

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. losses resulting from a virus or
20
District Court in Northern Cali- bacteria are not covered.”

fornia, says Mudpie and tens of Mudpie, which has sold
thousands of other retailers that children’s clothing, toys,
Am
purchased business interrup- housewares, books and other

tion insurance from Travelers goods at its shop in the Fillmore
er
are entitled to compensation district since 1976, is being

for income losses since Gov. represented by Oakland-based
New report offers ideas
ica
Gavin Newsom’s March 19 order Gibbs Law Group and Cohen S.F. should enanct to
shut down retail across the Milstein Sellers & Toll.
n
help retail, restaurants

Ci
ty
Outdoor street seating. A one-day

Bu
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE permit process. Revenue-adjusted

rent relief.
sin
SALLY GRIMES Two restaurant architects in San

New gig: Francisco, along with brokers, con-
es
CEO, Clif Bar tractors and dozens of restaurateurs,

& Co.
are proposing versions of these
sJ
Effective: changes and others in a 40-page GETTY IMAGES | SFBT ILLUSTRATION

ou
June 1 report that examines ways San

Francisco can keep the restaurant WHY NOT cisco’s restaurants could go out of
rn
Previous gig: and retail industries alive through CONSIDER? business.

Grimes, 48, was
als
the Covid-19 shutdown and longer RRExpanded Areas where clarity is needed
president of the
term economic recovery to follow. sidewalk seating include business owners’ liability
$10B prepared
food division at The report is meant to provoke RRClosing streets if employees or customers become
-N
Tyson Foods, discussion and nudge the city to and opening sick. And others in the industry
overseeing 20K release guidelines on how restau- them to restau- have told me a big question is what
ot
employees. rants
rants will be allowed to operate. financial support the city would
for
Replaces: With social distancing, it won’t RRA one-day, low- offer restaurants for investments
Co-CEOs and CLIF BAR & CO. make sense for some restaurants to cost permit they would need to make, such as
owners Gary process for
co
reopen, because they may be limit- improvements or PPE equipment,

Erickson and Kit About Clif Bar: Quotable: Covid-19-related
ed to 30% of their capacity. improvements before they’re allowed to reopen.
The Emeryville- “She is just an incredible,
mm
Crawford, the
based company creative innovator. That’s
The report was written by Corey Lee, chef-owner of Benu,
husband-and- RREnding
wife duo who has over 1K really what I appreciated Charles Hemminger and Seth Boor, said the city could make the big-
notification
er
have run Clif employees and about her, is that she can the architects behind Tartine Man- requirements for gest difference with policies linking
Bar for 20 of 28 had $900M in put on a lot of different hats ufactory and Dear Inga, and with principal uses restaurant lease obligations to occu-
cia
years since it was sales in 2019. Its – finance, innovation, mar- representatives of businesses such pancy restrictions. For instance,
founded in 1992. products also keting, sales and HR. The RRSimultaneous
as Wylie Price Design, ACI Con- a restaurant would pay 50% of its
lu
They will remain include Clif Kid skillset alone blew us out of planning
on the board. and Luna. the water,” Crawford said. struction and Maven Commercial. and permit normal rent if only that much of its
se
More than 50 chefs and restaura- processing space is usable due to social distanc-
teurs also chimed in. RRRelaxed zoning ing regulations.
The authors estimate restaurants so restaurants “It is unreasonable to expect
will be down 50% to 70% of their can adapt as landlords and tenants to simply
pre-pandemic revenue over the next multiuse spaces negotiate this, and it is unreason-
THE BIG NUMBER
$20,000,000
18 to 24 months — until December RREstablishing able for landlords to expect full rent
2021 or June 2022 — the time antic- policies that link for a premise that tenants can no
ipated for a vaccine to be developed lease payments longer, due to new government reg-
and become widely available. to usable space ulation, use for their specified pur-
under social
Damages sought in a lawsuit filed by Virgin Hotels against Paradigm Rent deferrals for a few months distancing pose,” Lee said in the report.
Hotels Group, the owner of its one-year-old hotel in San Francisco’s will not nearly be enough for The authors also suggest, and
restaurants to stay in business, and RRMaking many restaurateurs agreed, that
South of Market neighborhood, accusing it of wrongly terminating
such changes
the company’s 20-year contract to manage the hotel. The complaint the goodwill of landlords will need reforms prompted by the pandem-
permanent
says Paradigm CEO Jay Singh used the hotel’s temporary closure to take the form of rent concessions ic could become suitable as per-
due to the Covid-19 pandemic as the basis for issuing a letter
and abatements or policy reforms manent changes to help restaurant
that “prematurely and wrongfully” terminated the management
agreement. A statement from Singh’s attorney says the hotel that would incentivize them to sub- and retail industries that were just
“suffered from gross mismanagement and Virgin Hotels’ failure to sidize rents. The architects estimat- treading water to stay in San Fran-
deliver upon the promise of a national brand.” ed that 50% or more of San Fran- cisco before the pandemic.
MAY 15, 2020 13
MONEY
[email protected] I
415-288-4950
MARK CALVEY covers banking, finance and the economy @SFBTmoney
ON BOARD BATTLE LINES
MUSK’S NEXT FIGHT

Co
py
WITH CALIFORNIA
rig
ht
©
Noted investor and finance

20
exec Alison Davis has

a company SEC filing warning that
joined the board of SVB
Controversial tech if Musk has to put up more collateral
20
Financial Group, the parent

of Silicon Valley Bank. NOW LEAVING or reduce the size of those loans, it
billionaire could face
Davis brings more than 30
CALIFORNIA could hurt Tesla’s share price.
Am
years of experience from $100M tax bill or more YES. WE’RE STILL GOING On the real estate front, Musk
her previous roles at Bar- TO TAX YOUR INCOME.
tweeted this month, “I am selling
clays Global Investors and
er
private equity firm Belve- almost all physical possessions. Will

ica
dere Capital Partners. Cur- Elon Musk might be well advised to own no house.”
rently she is the managing leave California even if he keeps Tes- Musk has listed three California
n
partner for Tiburon-based la’s headquarters in the Bay Area. mansions with list prices totaling
Fifth Era, a family office
Ci
Musk created quite a stir over $75 million, The Wall Street Journal
and venture capital firm.
the weekend, saying that he was reported this month.
ty
moving Tesla’s headquarters out of “I don’t know what to make of

Bu
state. He did not discuss his person- Musk’s saying that he wants to sell
DEAL FLOW
al plans, but accountants say he has all his houses. I guess he might be
sin
at least a billion reasons for moving sincere about wanting to lead a

himself out of the Golden State. more austere life,” Bleeg said. “It’s
es
Musk faces an estimated tax bill hard to have all of these balls in the
of about $100 million in California air and maybe even a genius bene-
sJ
income taxes on just his next antic- fits from simplifying things so they
ou
ipated payout of roughly $750 mil- can concentrate on what it is they

lion. If he earns every payment he’s are good at.”
rn
eligible for under his unusual pay If Musk does decide to leave
als
plan, he could be sending Sacra- GETTY IMAGES | SFBT ILLUSTRATION California, he’ll join a line of oth-
mento as much as $1 billion, CNBC er wealthy residents exiting the
What happened: reported. Tesla CEO and was earned entirely while he state, often seeking to do so qui-
-N
Charles Schwab signaled That is, of course, if he remains a Elon Musk has lived and worked in California, a etly to avoid unwanted attention
its ambitions for fractional Californian and subject to Califor- made signals lot of the income will be taxed by from the Franchise Tax Board. Cal-
ot
trading and direct index

investing with the purchase nia taxes. that he’s California even after he leaves,” ifornia’s taxing authority is legend-
for
of San Mateo-based Motif’s “If I were a betting man, I would ready to leave Paul Bleeg, a partner at Eisner- ary for leaving no stone unturned
technology, patents and say the odds are the taxes are a con- California, but Amper in San Francisco, told me. in attempting to prove a former
other intellectual property.
co
sideration. How could it not be?” that could be “Stock options are income when resident has not satisfied all the
Daniel Morris, a senior partner at an expensive either exercised or later when the requirements to officially leave, and
Background:
mm
Motif said in April that it’s Morris + D’Angelo in San Jose, told proposition. acquired stock is sold.” escape taxation here.
shutting down, and as part CNBC. Musk hasn’t publicly discussed Bleeg, who often advises clients
of a separate deal, transfer-
er
The news network said that personal plans to move out of Cal- exiting California to do it right: find
ring its client accounts to Musk could avoid paying California ifornia. But his decision to sell his new doctors, cancel gym member-
cia
Folio Investing — a Schwab income taxes if he waits to exer- homes could be a step in that direc- ships and avoid traveling back to the
competitor. In this case
cise the options after leaving Cal- tion. Plus, the billionaire’s tax bill state. Or as he puts it:
lu
Schwab seems to want the

fintech’s technology, not its ifornia. But at least one Bay Area could be a growing concern, with “The advice I give my clients is, to
se
clients, as Schwab is bring- accountant, who works with sever- The Wall Street Journal recent- paraphrase the line from ‘Pulp Fic-
ing on board a majority of al wealthy clients leaving the state, ly calling him a cash-poor billion- tion’: ‘You leave town tonight, right
Motif’s development and says not so fast. aire. His borrowings against Tesla now, and when you gone, you stay
investment staff, including
the fintech’s founder and “Because the vesting occurred, shares even garnered a disclosure in gone.’”
CEO Hardeep Walia.
Why now:
Customers are demanding
new features and capabili-
ties from Schwab, with the QUOTABLE
rise of upstart tech-focused
investing services. Schwab “We have been quite successful in helping several hundred non-customer small
recently unveiled its frac-
tional stock trading service,
businesses get PPP loans. They are all so very appreciative and have told us that they
which will debut on June 9. will be transitioning their banking relationships to Mechanics Bank.”
Motif’s tech made it easy to
invest in a basket of stocks
MECHANICS BANK CEO JOHN DECERO, who helped local businessman David Landis get a $150,000 SBA Paycheck Protection Program
based on an investment
loan for his PR firm Landis Communications Inc. after reading about his struggles getting help in the Business Times. Local community banks
theme or through direct
like Mechanics have offered to help select non-customers get PPP loans, providing an entree to win over new clients from a pool of small
index investing.
business owners often too busy running their companies to consider switching banks.
INNOVATION
BRIAN RINKER covers startups, health tech and entrepreneurs
DIGITAL HEALTH ENTREPRENEUR

INVESTORS INJECT
$26M INTO CARBON HEALTH
AI REPLICAS
Co
py
By early March it was clear to
COULD AID
Eren Bali, CEO and co-founder of
rig
Carbon Health, that his network

of Bay Area health clinics would
ht
need to seriously ramp up ser-

vices to meet the growing needs
©
of Covid-19 patients — and it
RESEARCH
20
wasn’t going to be cheap.

Expecting revenue to tank
20
and costs to soar, Bali cut a deal

with existing investor Data Col-
lective for $26 million in a Series
Am
B extension announced May 11.

“When the coronavirus first
started, we knew that this was
er
going to be an uncertain time,” CARBON HEALTH

ica
Bali told me. “So we raised some “We knew that this was go- UNLEARN AI nology on clinical trials focused on
additional capital because we ing to be an uncertain time,” Startup Unlearn AI What it does: developing treatments for Alzhei-
n
knew that whether the patient says co-founder Eren Bali. Creates AI mer’s disease.
load was to go up or down, it clones digital twins versions of drug
Ci
Before a person begins receiv-

was almost certain our costs trial participants
were going to increase.” in virtual care. The startup was for drug trials ing the new treatment under
ty
The money has helped to pro- founded in 2015 and has raised Headquarters: investigation, Unlearn uses a
Bu
pel Carbon Health through the more than $60 million. San Francisco machine-learning model that has
pandemic, growing its workforce The company tested about Machine-learning tech startup ingested reams of historical disease
from 100 to 300, expanding 1,700 people for Covid-19 in its
sin
Unlearn AI has taken the sci-fi con- Founded: data and applies what it learns to
virtual care to other states and clinics, with about 90 positive 2017
testing more than 12,000 people results, but has also helped to cept of cloning a person and applied the person’s medical history and
es
both in and out of its clinics for boost outside testing capacity. it to the world of drug trials. Employees: personal information, creating
Covid-19. Data Collective also In April, Carbon Health The San Francisco-based com- 15 what the company calls a “digital
sJ
invested in Carbon Health back teamed up with San Francisco pany creates digital replicas of twin.”
in June during a $30 million to run the clinical operations of Funding:
ou
participants in clinical drug tri- “Basically, we clone that per-

funding round led by Brookfield a drive-thru testing site at the $17M
Growth Partners. Embarcadero for frontline work- als using artificial intelligence. The son, and then we simulate what
rn
Carbon Health has nine Bay ers. The company then launched result, says Charles Fisher, CEO and Co-founder: would happen to them if they were
Area brick-and-mortar clinics, a mobile testing site, equipped
als
co-founder of Unlearn AI, will be Charles Fisher to receive existing treatments or a

with others in Los Angeles and with the Abbott’s rapid testing more-efficient drug trials that gen- placebo,” Fisher told me.
select cities in Nevada. The com- device, for any person at risk for The big goal:
erate better evidence. This allows researchers to then
-N
pany has also invested heavily the disease. To partner with

Cloning the people who partici- as many pharma
compare the simulation to the
pate in pharmaceutical studies isn’t actual observations of how the tri-
ot
companies as
as creepy as it sounds — although possible, so it al drug is affecting the patient, and,
for
the wide-ranging implications, if it can demonstrate in theory, lead to more robust sta-
works, could transform the future their approach tistical analysis, even though there
EDUCATION IN BRIEF is scientifically
co
of drug research. valid

are fewer participants.
S.F. ART INSTITUTE GALILEO FILES FOR Since the beginning of the year, The digital twins concept has
mm
Unlearn has been testing its tech- been around for decades, helping
REMAINS IN PERIL BANKRUPTCY, FAMILIES
DESPITE FINANCIAL AID ON THE HOOK FOR $12M
er
The San Francisco Art Institute Galileo Learning, an Oak-

cia
has received $4.5 million in land-based summer camp

government aid and private company, filed for Chapter 11 THE FUNDED
lu
donations to keep faculty on bankruptcy after being forced to

the payroll for the first part of close 70 summer camps across Groove Workstream Braid Stilt Inc. StructionSite
se
the summer, but the school three states in response to the Labs Inc. Technologies Health Inc. Inc.
still plans to eliminate degree coronavirus pandemic. Inc.
programs this fall as its searches The 18-year-old company had
for a new model. collected nearly $12 million in
$7M
The 149-year-old institution tuition for summer camps from
secured a Paycheck Protection
Program loan of $1.7 million and
more than 10,000 families, it
said in bankruptcy documents.
$12M $10M $9M $7.5M
a $283,000 CARES Act grant. “By filing for Chapter 11
The school also raised more Galileo will be able to remain in
than $2.5 million in donations. business,” according to a state- San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco Oakland
Sixteen faculty members and ment by Galileo.
about 60 adjunct teachers will Galileo has $6.24 million in Level Equity and Founders Fund Lux Capital led Seed investors in D20 Capital led
keep their jobs through June. its various accounts, including a Capital One Ven- and Basis Set the Series A this provider of the funding of
The school’s president resigned $500,000 disaster loan from the tures co-led the Ventures co-led funding of this financial services this provider of
May 1, said board president Pam SBA and a $2.5 million Paycheck Series A funding the Series A developer of to immigrants reality capture
Rorke Levy. Protection Plan loan. of this sales funding of this AI-powered diag- came from software for con-
The school will rely on fund- Before the pandemic, Galileo engagement provider of hiring nostic tools for Hillsven Capital, struction sites.
raising to get it through the fall had expected a busy summer platform. software for radiology. It was Streamlined
and winter, with a goal of raising with 45,000 children enrolled small businesses. joined by 01 Ad- Ventures, Bragiel
$2.5 million for the 2020-2021 in camps in California, Colorado visors and Rucker Brothers and in-
school year. and Illinois. Park Capital. dividual angels.
APRIL 10,2020
MAY 15, 2020 15
SPONSORED BY [email protected] I
415-288-4923
@BizRinker
QUOTABLE
“Founders were more

engineers build and test high-tech Gimenez said. pessimistic than they
products in a virtual space before The new financing will primar-
Co
actually manufacturing them, but ily be used to double the size of should have been
Unlearn AI has applied it in a whole the company, hiring a number of after the initial shock.
py
new way. people both across technical roles,

They were more in the
rig
Their unique approach has like software engineers and statisti-

caught the eye of venture capital cians and data scientists, as well as mindset of, ‘I guess I
ht
firms. On April 20, the 15-employee people in marketing and business

startup raised a $12 million Series development. have to fire everybody,’
©
A, led by 8VC, bringing their total Unlearn sells its product to instead of, ‘It’s time to
20
funding to $17 million. pharmaceutical companies but

“The market for clinical tri- they’re not so focused on revenue raise some money.’”
20
al improvement is massive,” said growth, at least right now. Their

RUSS HEDDLESTON, co-founder and
8VC’s Francisco Gimenez. “That’s goal over the next one to two years
Am
CEO of San Francisco-based DocSend

why a lot of companies take this is to partner with as many pharma Inc. His startup helps entrepreneurs
on from various ways.” companies as they can, so they can and VCs send thousands of pitch
er
Unlearn’s approach is unique, demonstrate their approach is sci- decks a year. Pitch deck interest
ica
Gimenez added. While other com- entifically valid. plunged in March, according to
DocSend, but recent pitch deck
panies have experimented with tac- Fisher started Unlearn AI in 2017
interest by VCs was about 23% above
n
tics to improve participant recruit- with co-founders Aaron Smith where it was the same time last year.
Ci
ment and retention, Unlearn’s and Jonathan Walsh with the aim Valuations, however, are about 25%
digital twin makes those solutions of using AI and health data to lower according to founder surveys,
ty
unnecessary. improve clinical studies. For them, TODD JOHNSON | SFBT Heddleston said.
Bu
“To paraphrase Henry Ford, the greatest bottleneck in the med- Unlearn AI’s technology can slash the high costs
while everyone is looking for a fast- ical research process was trial par- of clinical trials as well as speed the process, says
sin
er horse, I’m going to build a car,” ticipants. Charles Fisher, co-founder and CEO.
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
Coblentz congratulates the

2019 Real Estate Deals of the
Year winners.
Co
From concept to completion,

py
we are proud to have assisted

rig
ht
clients in creating some of the

©
most unique buildings and

20
spaces that define the Bay

20
Area’s skyline and culture for

Am
more than 130 years.

er
ica
n
Ci
ty
coblentzlaw.com
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
MAY 15, 2020
se
lu
cia
er
mm
co
for
ot
-N
als
rn
ou
sJ
es
sin
Bu
ty
n Ci
ica
er
Am
20
20
TITLE SPONSOR
©
ht
rig
py
Co
REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
FROM OUR EDITOR ABOUT THIS SECTION
A BIG YEAR,
Every year, the Business Times solicits nominations for our Real Estate Deals
of the Year. Our newsroom pores over the projects and adds our own wor-
thy submissions. To qualify, deals must have been signed and projects must
have received their certificates of occupancy in 2019. This year we selected
BLUNTED BY A
24 projects to honor, highlighting seven for what we call superlative awards.
You’ll see these listed as Deal of the Year, Jump-Starter, Perseverance, Game
Changer, etc. So what are our criteria? Size is one component, but we also look
for creativity, perseverance, community impact, complexity — and, of course,
ROUGH 2020
Co
the project better make good financial sense. We also identified the four most
important companies and people of 2019, naming a Dealmaker, Developer and
Broker of the Year along with a Housing Champion.
py
rig
ht
©
Welcome to our Real Estate Deals downs for more than a decade to see
RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS
of 2019 special section, two months their Oakland projects to delivery.
20
The Covid-19 crisis has transformed every industry and real estate is no excep-
belated and a bit more subdued than Speaking of perseverance and
tion. Social distancing requirements have led to the slowdown of a previously
our readers are used to seeing. thorny issues, our Deal of the Year is
20
red-hot market and — prior to recently revised regionwide shelter-in-place orders

We typically publish this section one of the most consequential in the
— the halt of construction not considered essential. The crisis had forced real es-
in March, coupled with a glitzy history of San Francisco — the $1.4
tate companies across the spectrum to reexamine their practices and operations
Am
event recognizing the honorees billion Chase Center in Mission Bay.

and take steps to protect employees and tenants, guard business interests and
and projects that make the Bay We would have loved nothing more
plan for a recovery on the other side of the crisis. Here are some of the steps our
Area sizzle. It’s one of our most than to feature the arena filled with
er
Real Estate Deals of the Year honorees have been taking amid the pandemic.
intensive projects of the year, starting screaming Warriors fans on our cover,
Douglas
ica
in January when we identify the but we felt the tone of the empty
winners. Fruehling arena captured how we are all feeling BioMed Realty including marketing and bookkeep-
This year it wasn’t meant to be. is editor-in- at this time.
n
BioMed Realty has kept properties ing, were able to work from home.
We changed course in mid-March, chief of the So while the world has changed open and accessible to its life science Because of the firm’s large base of
Ci
announcing plans to postpone the San Francisco since we selected and interviewed and technology tenants in order to business in public construction, much
event the week that most of the Bay these honorees, the sentiment aid them in developing new ther- of the company’s work was deemed
ty
Business Times.
Area issued shelter-in-place orders remains the same: We can do this. apies and vaccines to address the essential and allowed to continue.
related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Email him at There’s always a solution, we just global Covid-19 pandemic and other
Bu
We also shelved publication of the dfruehling@ need to put our heads together, work life-threatening illnesses. In accor- Plant Construction
special section, recognizing that it bizjournals. hard and figure it out — that’s the dance with public health guidance, In response to the increased need
sin
wasn’t appropriate to celebrate real com. basis of any good real estate deal. the company has also ramped up its for sanitation amid the outbreak, the
estate achievements during a health We’ve asked some of our honorees cleaning services, procured protec- company has launched a new division
es
and economic crisis. how they’re coping with Covid-19, tive gear and supplies for employees called Plant Facilities Services meant
We expected to be able to bring and we’re happy to bring you some and instituted new social distancing to provide janitorial and sanitation
sJ
you this section in April, but again we of their responses on this page. We rules. services to companies and building
felt the timing was not right with so know there’s plenty of pain right now owners.
ou
much suffering in our region and the as tenants, landlords and investors Emerald Fund
world. suffer. But we take solace in the Emerald Fund Chairman Oz Erickson Presidio Theatre
rn
We understand the timing is still positive ways most of the real estate said the San Francisco developer The recently opened performing arts
imperfect. community has come together to has closed common spaces within venue made an announcement on
als
But as the state and Bay Area work with one another to ease the the company’s apartment and condo April 13 that it would postpone all
begin to reopen for business, we, pain as much as possible. And we buildings. To better guard staff events through May with the hope to
too, want to get back to business. We look forward to telling those stories
-N
and tenants, the company has also resume shows when restrictions are
know so many companies — both our in the Business Times this year and, stepped up its cleaning and sanita- loosened.
corporate titans as well as our small most likely, in our Real Estate Deals of tion regimen. Still, the company is
ot
business brethren — could use some 2020 section. continuing its work by submitting Sares Regis Group
inspiration right now, and we hope We still hope to be able to plans and documents to officials, Sares Regis has made it easier for
for
these stories serve that purpose. celebrate with some of you in person while taking a wait-and-see approach residents to get groceries delivered at
The following pages are filled with when the time is right. We’re not sure to leasing and purchases. their properties, closed amenity areas
co
examples of Bay Area innovation, what that will look like or when it will and sanitized common use spaces in
ingenuity and creativity, just the be, but we’re committed to connect Golden State Warriors accordance with CDC guidelines. The
mm
traits we will need to resurrect our the community like we always have. The Warriors Community Founda- company has also established a relief
economy in the crucial months So, for now, stay tuned. And tion pledged $1 million from players, initiative to support at-risk individuals,
ahead. Consider how SFO found a please, most of all, stay healthy and coaches and team ownership to a small businesses and students who
er
creative way to finance its new Grand safe. disaster relief fund meant to support have seen their education interrupted.
Hyatt. Or how Shorenstein Properties Chase Center employees who are
cia
and Signature Development Douglas Fruehling adversely affected by the suspension Suffolk Construction
persevered through the ups and Editor-in-Chief of events at the arena. In an effort to use technology to guard
lu
against the virus, Suffolk has explored

Grand Hyatt SFO the use of infrared temperature scan-
se
In response to the coronavirus, Hyatt ning to rapidly determine if workers

has waived reservation change and are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms.
cancellation fees, suspended com- The company is also piloting a mon-
mon use amenities and launched new itor placed on hard hats that sounds
INSIDE THIS SECTION hygiene initiatives to train and accred- an alarm when workers walk within six
it staff in hotel-level sanitization. feet of each other to help with social
DEAL OF THE YEAR: CHASE CENTER.........................................20 MARKET CENTER SALE.................................................................. 46
distancing guidelines.
DEALMAKER OF THE YEAR: TIM SCHOEN................................. 22 OAKLAND TRIBUNE TOWER SALE..............................................46
Kilroy Realty Corp.
DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR: RELATED CALIFORNIA................... 24 VF OUTDOOR HQ/ABBOTT LABS SALE...................................... 47
In an earnings call, the company Webcor Builders
HOUSING CHAMPION: OZ ERICKSON....................................... 26 ONE MONTGOMERY ST. BUILDING SALE.................................. 47 said it was pulling back on spec and The contractor initiated a campaign
BROKER OF THE YEAR: LIZ HART............................................... 28 UCSF BAKAR PCMB..................................................................... 48 planned development over the next early in the outbreak to insist that
GAME CHANGER AWARD: 601 CITY CENTER............................30 KAISER PERMANENTE DUBLIN................................................... 48 year. The company also launched a employees who didn’t feel well should
PERSEVERANCE AWARD: BROOKLYN BASIN............................ 32 CADENCE SSF HOUSING............................................................49 Covid-19 relief program covering 90% stay home. On project sites that
HOSPITALITY AWARD: GRAND HYATT AT SFO......................... 34 MASON ON MARIPOSA...............................................................49 of its retail tenants that provides a remained active, Webcor worked to
SALE OF THE YEAR: LEVI’S PLAZA SALE.................................... 36 THE AVERY..................................................................................50 two-month rent deferral for tenants identify staff who could work from
JUMP-STARTER AWARD: VISA HQ LEASE.................................. 38 222 TAYLOR ST. ..........................................................................50 who need assistance. home, implemented social distancing
COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD: PRESIDIO THEATRE.................40 17TH & BROADWAY......................................................................51 measures and implemented new pol-
STANFORD REDWOOD CITY CAMPUS....................................... 42 BLU HARBOR RESIDENTIAL SALE...............................................51 Quattrocchi Kwok Architects icies like daily coronavirus symptom
ZYMERGEN LEASE IN EMERYVILLE............................................ 42 UPS LEASE AT PACIFIC COMMONS........................................... 52 The company made preparations checks, increased clearing and a
STRIPE LEASE AT OYSTER POINT...............................................44 ALAMEDA HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATION................................... 52 to ensure that all architectural and prohibition on tool sharing.
PINTEREST LEASE AT 88 BLUXOME...........................................44 construction administration staff,
MAY 15, 2020 19
EASTDIL SECURED
THANKS OUR VALUED CLIENTS FOR A GREAT 2019
$22.3 BILLION, 95 DEALS CLOSED IN 2019 IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
SELECT PROPERTY SALE, JOINT VENTURE, AND FINANCING TRANSACTIONS
Co
py
rig
ht
PROPERTY SALE
PROPERTY SALE JV/RECAP PROPERTY SALE APPLE FLAGSHIP
©
LEVI’S PLAZA BAYSHORE TECH PARK 50 WEST UNION SQUARE

20
931,000 SF - SAN FRANCISCO 997,000 SF - REDWOOD CITY 367,000 SF – SAN JOSE 24,000 SF - SAN FRANCISCO
20
Am
er
ica
n
PROPERTY SALE PROPERTY SALE

Ci
777 HAMILTON 650 TOWNSEND

ty
195 UNITS - MENLO PARK 685,000 SF - SAN FRANCISCO

Bu
sin
es
sJ
PROPERTY SALE
ou
FINANCING PROPERTY SALE LOEWS REGENCY

101 CALIFORNIA MOSSO SAN FRANCISCO
rn
1,251,000 SF - SAN FRANCISCO 463 UNITS - SAN FRANCISCO 155 ROOMS - SAN FRANCISCO
als
-N
ot
for
JV/RECAP
co
PARK TOWER AT PROPERTY SALE FINANCING

TRANSBAY LAKESHORE PLAZA TOLL HOUSE & LODGE AT TIBURON
mm
765,000 SF - SAN FRANCISCO 123,000 SF – SAN FRANCISCO 218 ROOMS - LOS GATOS & TIBURON
er
cia
lu
se
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TEAM

GREG CIOTH* JASON FLYNN* KRISTIN GANNON ADAM GREENSTONE*
Managing Director Managing Director Managing Director Managing Director
MATTHEW HADEN* NATE JONES* QUYNH LE* JP LEVEQUE*

Director Director Director Director
PAUL NELSON* MARK PENROD* DARWIN RODRIGUEZ* JOSEPH SMOLEN*

Managing Director Managing Director Director Managing Director
LOUIS STERVINOU* STEPHEN VAN DUSEN* JEFF WEBER* ROBB WEHMUELLER* THE GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT BANK
Managing Director Managing Director Managing Director Managing Director WWW.EASTDILSECURED.COM
CA DRE 01116878, 01355019, 01803720, 01471045, 01471367, 01710674, 01764850, 01829337, 01874589,
01737430, 01423874, 01020835, 01294154, 00820820, 01232962
Co
py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Am
er
ica
n Ci
ty
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
INSIDE THE
ot
The Bay Area’s CHAPTER 1: Roaracle

for
gleaming new The Warriors reached the NBA Finals

Chase Center in 2015 — their first trip in four de-
BATTLE TO BUILD
co
sports palace cades. But years earlier, co-owners

Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, who led a
mm
was the result

group that bought the team for $450
of negotiations
million in November 2010, and War-
CHASE CENTER
between two riors President and COO Rick Welts
er
teams and started dreaming about a new arena.

cia
scores of San Welts and San Francisco Mayor Ed

Francisco Lee immediately hit it off. Both had
lu
power players. moved into their positions in 2011,

both grew up in Seattle and both fell
se
in love with the NBA through their

hometown Supersonics. What’s more,
BY RON LEUTY “I remember thinking, shifted to a waiting list of tens of Lee’s best friend in high school was
[email protected] thousands of people. And the team the sister of Welts’ first partner.
‘This is something that wanted a new arena to showcase it all.
Back when the Golden State Warriors The basketball team’s publicly Welts: “We met the mayor for the first
were lucky to win a few games a
will have an impact on leased confines gave way last October time in the Giants’ offices. We wanted
month, fans bought $10 seats from everyone for decades to to Chase Center in San Francisco, a to see if the Giants were interested in
scalpers and packed Oracle Arena. $1.4 billion, Warriors-owned home, perhaps Lot A (on Third Street). We
“To come in there as a visitor and come.’” where the franchise now is a full- could even imagine the two teams
feel the energy in this building — you fledged entertainment company that being one organization.
could tell that the fans loved the RICK WELTS, hosts Eric Clapton and Ariana Grande “The Giants had a couple ideas.
game,” Warriors head coach Steve President and chief operating as well as a landlord to corporate ten- They were never crazy about Lot A, but
Kerr said as the Warriors finished their officer, Golden State Warriors ants like Uber Technologies Inc. they felt Pier 50 was underutilized. So
47th – and final – season at Oracle This is the story of the Warriors’ we talked about Pier 50 being an inter-
Arena last June. “This was a basketball move from Oracle Arena to Chase esting location. We didn’t get far into it
hotbed.” Center — the blocks and layups — and proceeded to Piers 30-32.”
But the perennial losers became through the eyes of some of the
prodigious winners, and cheap tickets players in the real estate game. Larry Baer (San Francisco Giants
MAY 15, 2020 21
DEAL OF THE YEAR | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
Benioff, (U.S. Senator) Dianne Feinstein CHASE for a 45% stake and Alexandria took
and the late Doug Shorenstein and we CENTER a 10% stake. Meanwhile, Uber agreed
all said, ‘What’s going to happen with Address: to pay $1 billion in rent over 20 years
the Warriors?’ We recommended that 1 Warriors Way, starting this year. In all, the deals total
Marc call Joe Lacob and suggest the San Francisco more than $1 billion.
site.” A Game 7 defeat in last year’s NBA
Size: Finals — the team’s fifth straight Finals
Welts: “It’s probably why we’re open.” 2.1M sq. ft., appearance — was its last game in
including the Oakland.
Co
arena and
Just before the Salesforce deal was
two office
announced, Welts called Agnos and Welts: “We had a long time to prepare
py
towers totaling
asked the former mayor to breakfast 580K sq. ft. for it and do it in a way that fans could
near his Potrero Hill home. The two respect the history and our commit-
rig
had struck up a friendship in the pro- Cost: ment to maintain an ongoing presence
ht
cess of their real estate differences. $1.4B in the East Bay. It was not just the last
game but the last season — every
©
Welts: “It was a strange friendship Developer: game we played was celebrating our
built out of respect. It was never per- Golden State time in Oakland.”
20
sonal. We both were just advocating Warriors

for something we felt strongly about.” The Warriors set aside their former
20
General
contractor: practice facility for the Warriors’ bas-
Agnos: “I was not opposed to the Joint venture ketball camps and the team’s former
Am
Warriors coming to San Francisco, of Mortenson offices in downtown Oakland for not-
although I didn’t think it was essen- Construction and for-profit organizations.
er
tial. They had a terrific presence in Clark Construc-

Oakland.” tion Welts: “We were leaving a building; we
ica
were not leaving a city. Everything we

But the move to Mission Bay was Architect: do is focused on kids and hope. The
n
no free throw. Manica with programming there will be better for

Kendall Heaton
Ci
the kids we’re trying to serve. That to

Associates,
CHAPTER 4: Shot clock me is the final piece of the move.”
ty
Gensler and
A group called the Mission Bay Perkins & Will
Bu
Alliance opposed the development, CHAPTER 6: Moving opening

which would include the arena, two Engineer: The Warriors played their first game
sin
office buildings totaling 580,000 MKA (structural), at Chase Center in October without
square feet and a Union Square-sized SSR (MEP), star Kevin Durant, who signed with
SWA (landscape),
es
public plaza. The core of the group the Brooklyn Nets. The arena officially
was wealthy UC San Francisco bene- BKF (civil), opened the month before with a joint
sJ
factors who wanted the space set WJHW (audio, concert of Metallica and the San Fran-
visual and broad-
aside for the university’s expansion. cisco Symphony.
cast),
ou
The group ultimately filed lawsuits Howe Engineers

against the Warriors and UCSF Chan- (smoke control Baer: “It reminds me of the little odys-
rn
cellor Sam Hawgood, who ultimately and life safety) sey that the Giants took. Ballparks and
als
worked out a deal to allay concerns arenas are not quick, flip-the-switch-
about traffic and other issues. Law firm: and-you’re-done projects. They’re
Gibson Dunn usually a better part of a decade or
-N
Welts: “If it wasn’t for Sam Hawgood, more of planning and hearings and
TODD JOHNSON | SFBT the project may not have gotten done. neighborhood development.”
ot
He deserves a huge amount of credit

CEO): “We figured the Giants and the “The notion of building (the arena) for the time and energy to make sure Welts: “I was in a suite and at one
for
Warriors would be connected in some we see now over water on stilts in an UCSF interests were protected.” point in the Metallica show, I looked
way, formally or informally. The first earthquake-prone city was over the up at every seat filled in an 18,000-
co
plan was Pier 50 and then, potentially, top with danger and environmental Agnos: “I was convinced they were seat stadium in San Francisco, and I
to joint venture on a number of things. issues.” going to come to San Francisco, come remember thinking, ‘This is something
mm
“We didn’t have real, precise hell or high water. So the question is, that will have an impact on everyone
economics around it. There are pluses Agnos was there when Welts, what’s the best place. Chase Center for decades to come.’
and minuses. Foot traffic would be heeding the advice of political con-
er
has virtually the same views of the “Nineteen of 20 people when

concentrated and we could plan some sultants, represented the team at a bay as they would have had at Piers they’re asked, ‘What was their first
cia
things together, but on the other hand meeting of the influential Potrero Hill 30-32.” concert?,’ can answer because it’s an
it would have been too close.” Democratic Club. important moment in their life. Things
lu
Still, the opposition forced the War- happen at live events that create these
CHAPTER 2: Tough loss Welts: “Mayor Agnos put me through riors to delay the arena’s completion a lifetime memories.
se
The Warriors settled on the crumbling a Cuisinart in front of a crowd that was year to fall 2019. On the same day that “And we did it in the most-compli-
Piers 30-32. Lee likened the Warriors’ very sympathetic to his point of view. the state Supreme Court declined to cated city in the world.”
plans for an 18,000-seat arena there That night was a wake-up call for me hear the Mission Bay Alliance’s legal
to a West Coast Statue of Liberty. and the Warriors that we had our work case, the team officially broke ground But then …
Not everyone felt that way about cut out for us.” in January 2017.
the Port of San Francisco-controlled CHAPTER 7: Empty net
site. CHAPTER 3: Free-agent pickup CHAPTER 5: Lining up the shot With Durant gone, Klay Thompson out
Just as the Warriors’ regular-season The Warriors first lined up a $300 after suffering a knee injury in Game 7
Art Agnos (former San Francisco schedule was ending in April 2014, million, 20-year naming rights deal in of the Finals in June and Steph Curry
mayor and leader of community Lacob’s phone rang. January 2016 with J.P. Morgan Chase breaking his hand early this season,
opposition to the Warriors’ Piers Homegrown cloud-based software & Co. That was followed by other sig- the Warriors limped to a league-worst
30-32 site): “After the the Loma Prieta company Salesforce determined its nature sponsorships with companies 15 wins before their season finished
earthquake in 1989 — I made one of 12-acre site in Mission Bay was too like Kaiser Permanente and Google with shutdowns caused by Covid-19.
my toughest decisions to demolish small for its projected growth. CEO Cloud. Still, one player in the saga still
the Embarcadero Freeway and open it Marc Benioff called Lacob with an The franchise also formed a joint hasn’t stepped foot in Chase Center.
up to what we see today. I was very fa- offer to sell the site, which ultimately venture with Alexandria Real Estate
miliar with the Embarcadero and what closed at $150 million. Equities Inc. and Uber for the two Agnos: “I’ve been invited a number
it could tolerate in terms of further 11-story office towers along Third of times by Rick. I just haven’t gotten
density and people and traffic. Baer: “I was in a meeting with Marc Street. Uber paid $136 million in cash around to it.”
Co
py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Am
er
ica
n Ci
ty
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
TIM SCHOEN
TIM SCHOEN developer’s biotech and tech reposi-
er
Title: tioning since its 2016 acquisition by

President and Blackstone Group and the hiring of
cia
TAKES BIOMED TO
CEO President and CEO Tim Schoen.
The company shed pieces of its
lu
Company: portfolio and reinvested in the Boston

BioMed Realty area, San Diego and Bay Area sites
se
THE NEXT LEVEL

stretching from Fremont to Em-
Years at eryville through the Peninsula. But
company:
it’s the March 2019 acquisition of the
Four
Emeryville Center of Innovation —
Resume: and the 240,000-square-foot lease
Former executive with Amgen in December — that
vice president make Schoen worthy of recognition
foot Gateway of Pacific project; in and chief finan- as Dealmaker of the Year.
BY RON LEUTY “With us, it’s more buy Emeryville, it bought the former cial officer of Schoen cut his real estate teeth
[email protected]
it, fix it, grow it.” Chiron Corp. headquarters from HCP Inc.; former as a bank liquidation specialist with
Novartis, quickly sealed a lease with vice president the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
BioMed Realty is accustomed to
fast-growing biotech Zymergen Inc. of corporate during the early 1990s savings and
going big. TIM SCHOEN, finance of Kilroy
Now it is doing so on both sides President and CEO, BioMed Realty and put plans in motion for a possible loan crisis. He and Chief Develop-
Realty Corp.;
of San Francisco Bay with iconic 850,000-square-foot expansion. bank liquidation ment Officer Jon Bergschneider
projects in two of the hottest biotech The projects are part of BioMed’s specialist at shifted to BioMed from HCP Inc. (now
hubs in the nation. In South San Fran- global life sciences-rich portfolio of Federal Deposit Healthpeak Properties Inc.) where
cisco, it netted big leases with drug 14 million square feet, some 40% of Insurance Corp. they played pivotal roles in that com-
giants Amgen Inc. and AbbVie Inc. it centered in the Bay Area. What’s pany’s decision to buy a former U.S.
at the potential 1.3 million-square- more, both sites are keystones in the Steel site at Highway 101 and Oyster
MAY 15, 2020 23
DEALMAKER OF THE YEAR | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
NOTABLE Point Boulevard in South San Francis-

2019 DEALS co to build The Cove, which set off
the Bay Area biotech building boom.
RR Amgen lease
at the Gateway Meanwhile, Chief Investment Offi-
of Pacific cer Denis Sullivan, Vice President Salil
Payappilly and Vice President Scott
Location: Altick stayed with BioMed after its
Oyster Point and sale, setting up deals like the buildout
Gateway boule- of Illumina Inc.’s Foster City campus.
Co
vards, South San “Because there are developed re-

Francisco lationships with the city, they call us
py
not just when there are problems or

Details:
when they need something specific,”
rig
The world’s
largest biotech South San Francisco City Manager
ht
Amgen will move Mike Futrell said.

more than 600 Case in point: While building the
©
employees into first phase of Gateway of Pacific,

a nine-story, BioMed decided to connect it to a
20
240,000-square- 300,000-square-foot, already-enti-

foot building in tled project on Eccles Ave. by buying
20
the Gateway of part of an abandoned rail spur. There

Pacific project. was no immediate reason to bring the
Am
city into the process, Futrell said, but

Tenant rep:
James Bennett the BioMed team did so anyway.
er
and Joe Cam- “Deals can be difficult and disrup-

tive, and when you have a good actor
ica
pos Kidder
Mathews. David that partners with the city, instead of
Binswanger, an ‘us-and-them’ mentality, it really
n
Binswanger does make it worthwhile,” Futrell said.

Ci
BioMed is continuing the Gate-

Landlord rep: way of Pacific buildout with 790,000
ty
Biomed Realty square feet in the second and third

self represented
Bu
phases.
The site of a former Bethlehem
RR Purchase
sin
Steel facility had been redeveloped

and lease of
in the 1990s into a cluster of low-rises
the Emeryville
es
Center of and had been entitled since 2009

Innovation by a local developer for a third act
sJ
to add density and height. That,

Location: however, was in the shadow of the
ou
5300 Chiron Great Recession and even as BioMed,

Way, Emeryville the REIT, bought the site in 2010, it
rn
moved slowly.
Size:
als
Then deep-pocketed Blackstone —

293,358 square known for its buy it, fix it, sell it strat-
feet with entitled
egy — entered with its acquisition of
-N
850,000 square
feet BioMed. The capital allowed BioMed
to move quickly as Blackstone’s bio-
ot
Sale cost: tech development arm.

$135M Together, AbbVie and Amgen have
for
locked up more than half of Gateway

Lease cost: of Pacific.
co
$60 per sq. ft. “With us, it’s more buy it, fix it,
TODD JOHNSON | SFBT grow it,” Schoen said.
mm
Seller: BioMed’s plans are to do exactly

Novartis AG
that in Emeryville as well. It bought
er
Signed tenant: the six-story Novartis site in spring

Zymergen Inc. 2019 for $135 million, then six months
cia
later snared Zymergen with a 12-year

Tenant rep: lease at $60 per square feet.
lu
Zymergen was The Zymergen deal was a mixture

represented by of kismet and relationships. Zymer-
se
Bill Benton and gen was eyeing a campus setting,

Mike Brown of rather than the collection of buildings
Newmark Knight it had assembled with its fast growth,
Frank’s San Fran-
and the company’s vice president of
cisco office
capital projects and real estate had
Landlord rep: worked with BioMed previously.
BioMed was Zymergen is expected to
represented by start moving into the landmark
Jennifer Vergara 293,358-square-foot structure — a
and Mary Hines colorful, angled, Ricardo Legoret-
of Newmark ta-designed project built in 1998 for
Knight Frank’s Chiron Corp. — in 2021. But the site
San Mateo office also is entitled for another 850,000
square feet, potentially including a
200-foot tower. BioMed is working
with Emeryville city officials on de-
BIOMED REALTY | STEELBLUE signing those future buildings.
Above, an office rendering by Steelblue of BioMed Realty’s Gateway of Pacific project in South San Francisco. “That development piece was
Top, Dealmaker of the Year BioMed Realty CEO Tim Schoen. really key to us,” Schoen said.
DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
RELATED chief development officer of Related

CALIFORNIA California.
Headquarters: “It’s really a lifestyle play for any-
San Francisco, one who’s working and living within
Los Angeles the Transbay neighborhood and also
and Irvine the Financial District,” Canori said.
Related approached the Tender-
Bay Area loin Neighborhood Development
employees: Corp. on the affordable housing ele-
Co
194
ment of the Avery and collaborated
on conceptualizing and strategizing.
py
2019
highlights: The Related team is “one of those
very, very rare groups” that has
rig
RR The Avery
420-488 expertise spanning affordable and
ht
Folsom St., market-rate, commercial and residen-

San Francisco tial, and condos and rentals, said Don
©
Falk, CEO of the TNDC. Throughout

Size: their work together, the Related team
20
548 units made it clear that they valued the

TNDC’s participation and insights,
20
Features: Falk said.

Three build- “They know a lot about partner-
Am
ings with 118

ships generally, and they know a lot
for-sale luxury
condominiums, about partnerships with nonprofits
er
280 market-rate in particular,” Falk said. “I feel like

we have learned how to be a good
ica
apartments and
150 affordable partner as well.”
apartments for Related’s other major contribution
n
households of housing stock to San Francisco

Ci
earning up to comes with the Mason on Mariposa in

50% of the area the Potrero Hill neighborhood, tradi-
ty
median income; tionally a difficult area to build hous-

17,000 square
Bu
ing. Related navigated that challenge

feet of neigh-
TODD JOHNSON | SFBT
borhood-serving by going above and beyond baseline
RELATED FOCUSES
sin
retail; public requirements.

open space; a A prerequisite for developing the
es
visual installation site was making 14% of units into

by artist Alicja affordable housing. Related instead
sJ
ON BUILDING
Kwade upped the mix to 20% affordable,
working with the city and neighbors
ou
RR Mason on for three years to create a plan that

Mariposa was viable and would fit in well with
rn
1601
COMMUNITY TIES
the neighborhood, Witte said.
Mariposa St.,
als
As part of their larger community

San Francisco benefits agreement they also made a
$2 million contribution to a planned
-N
Size:
299 units upgrade of Jackson Park, which the
Mason on Mariposa overlooks, and
ot
Features: committed to providing $10,000

Three build- annually to the nearby Daniel Webster
for
Bill Witte, chairman and CEO of “We want to be active said, highlighting how such develop- ings with 239 Elementary School.
Related California, has a counter- ments are usually important goals for market-rate Both the Mason on Mariposa and
stakeholders and
co
point to the common refrain that San cities since they contribute to more apartments and the Avery highlight Related’s ap-
Francisco is a difficult place to build. well-rounded neighborhoods. Related 60 affordable proach to being a long-term owner
neighbors in the
mm
The developer recently delivered two can be prolific in part because it has apartments for rather than a developer that typically
households
housing buildings totaling more than communities in which figured out ways to finance these
earning up to
builds and flips, Witte said.
800 units in the city, each with at kinds of developments efficiently.
er
50% of the area “We want to be active stakehold-

least 20% affordable housing. we develop.” At the Avery, one of Related’s two median income; ers and neighbors in the communities
cia
“We’ve been encouraged by our major projects during the past year in 10,000 square in which we develop,” he said. “Even
experiences here,” Witte said, adding BILL WITTE, San Francisco, they struck a balance feet of neigh- though there has been a lot of oppo-
lu
that the Related team is already at CEO and chairman, by including for-sale condos. Related borhood-serving sition to development in this part of
work on other developments in the Related California could pay more for the land because retail; more than the city, ultimately we were able to
se
city where they believe they can the condos absorbed more of the 20,000 square gain approval with no appeals, which
achieve similar results. cost than rentals. The approach was feet of usable has not necessarily been the norm.”
Related is a prolific developer with a major piece in helping the proposal open space That speaks to the site plan, the
an affordable housing division as well win the Transbay site through a com- design and the community involve-
as a market rate and mixed-income petition held by the city. ment, he said.
division operating throughout Califor- The Avery brings 548 units hous- Witte knows the joke in the indus-
nia. Its Bay Area strategy has been to ing in a gleaming glass exterior to the try that if you win a lot of awards,
develop best-in-class mixed-income Transbay District, which the Related you probably didn’t make any money.
and affordable properties, Witte said. team sees as becoming the “premier While it’s true that being successful in
That’s often done through a pub- neighborhood in downtown.” The leasing out a building to make returns
lic-private partnership for sites that 56-story high-rise residential tower to investors and lenders is important
are purchased on the open market or and two mid-rise buildings that make as a business, he said, it’s also import-
Above, from
won in public bids. up the site are two blocks from the ant that a project is accepted by a
That plan appears to be paying new Salesforce Transit Center and
left: Related
community.
off, with local work and staff growing three blocks from Salesforce Tower. California’s “We believe that’s very import-
significantly in the past decade. With the Avery, it was important Gino Canori, ant to our brand,” Witte said. “The
Producing mixed-income and to be part of the “overall placemak- Bill Witte, success of one building helps build
affordable properties is “really a ques- ing” of the neighborhood, said Gino Jonathan Shum another.”
tion of what matters to cities,” Witte Canori, executive vice president and and Phoebe Yee — Alisha Green
MAY 15, 2020 25
E M E R Y S TAT I O N W E S T
We look forward to great accomplishments from our esteemed tenants, who have been
working hard this spring to get us to the other side.
Co
py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Am
er
ica
nCi
ty
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
Distinguished buildings for noble and Nobel scientists.

warehamdevelopment.com Emeryville Berkeley Richmond Marin County Palo Alto
con Green in South Beach and most

recently 420 units at 450 Van Ness.
What has remained consistent, ac-
cording to Erickson, is a commitment
to honesty and transparency in his
business dealings. It’s a tenet backed
up by people who know him well.
“He’s just an honest man, what
you see is what you get, he is honest
Co
and ethical and would never consid-

er anything else,” said former SPUR
py
Executive Director Jim Chappell. “It’s

part of his moral character and moral
rig
fiber.”
ht
TMG Partners CEO Michael Covar-

rubias, who has worked with Erickson
©
on fundraising efforts and pro-hous-

ing initiatives, said that honesty
20
sometimes gets him in trouble.

“He’s always spectacularly pas-
20
sionate about whatever story he’s tell-

ing and understands the math around
Am
development and housing in the city.

So when he says, ‘I can’t build be-
er
cause of the cost,’ you believe him,”

Covarrubias said. “Sometimes it looks
ica
like he’s about to explode because

he so strongly believes in what he’s
n
saying.”
Ci
The personal makeup of a success-

ful real estate developer often is a bal-
ty
ance between optimism and realism.

Bu
A single-minded belief is necessary

to push projects through econom-
sin
ic, regulatory and political barriers,

TODD JOHNSON | SFBT tempered with the economic realism
es
of making a project pencil in an often
GO BIG OR GO
difficult building environment.
sJ
Emerald Fund’s “To be a successful real estate

Oz Erickson: developer you have to take big risks.
ou
“You have to If you’re not optimistic, you simply
HOME: ERICKSON
won’t do it. You can’t think negatively
rn
take big risks.

or think of the failure, you have to
If you’re not
als
think it’s gonna work,” Erickson said.

optimistic, you He added that while projects gen-
simply won’t erally start with detailed pro formas
STAYS POSITIVE
-N
do it.” and project plans, situations have a

tendency to change quickly. Erickson
ot
quickly ran down a list of the financial

crises that took place through his
for
career, including the savings and loan

crisis in the late 1980s, 9/11 and the
co
Great Recession.
BY KEVIN TRUONG “Oz is ultimately It’s not often that someone grows “You always think that they’re
mm
[email protected] up wanting to be a developer, but Er- going to be successful when you’re

concerned with the ickson said that even as a young man stuck. You certainly hope so anyway,”
Right before sitting down for an he always loved the idea of building
er
Erickson said, laughing. “I would say

interview, Oz Erickson took a call on
public good. He does tangible products like housing that the most important thing is having
cia
his cell phone. On the other end was stuff all the time against made a difference in people’s daily the optimism of hope. When you’re
Mayor London Breed thanking him for lives. After getting his MBA at Stan- optimistic and you’re hopeful, you will
his own self interest
lu
his help on a recent initiative. ford University, he started his career actually be willing to take the risk.”
It’s a scene that has repeated over working with real estate clients at
because it’s the right
se
the decades through the administra- accounting giant Deloitte before A civic responsibility
tions of Willie Brown, Gavin Newsom thing to do.” striking out on his own. Increasing density has always been
and Ed Lee. So it goes for Erickson, After scrounging together some a sticking point in some critics’
a 71-year-old elder statesman of the JIM CHAPPELL, initial capital, he and his original arguments against development, but
San Francisco real estate community, Former SPUR executive director partner Bob Larson did a couple of Erickson has a simple message: Don’t
who has weathered the numerous successful deals starting in 1977, be afraid.
draconian downcycles of the market mainly condo conversions around the “If you go out to the avenues and
and emerged on the other side again region. It was soon after that when you put six-story buildings or five-sto-
and again. Erickson got his first real taste of the ry buildings on the corners and you
His Emerald Fund real estate rapid swings in the real estate indus- make the top two stories of those
group has built more than 3,000 try. Prime interest rates went up to buildings affordable, you can provide
housing units in San Francisco more than 22%, leading his fledgling a ton of affordable housing through
alone, making the company the company to briefly flirt with bankrupt- additional density. That is the secret,”
most prolific housing developer in cy a few years after its start. according to Erickson. “The densest
the city. Across the Bay Area, the Conversions and remodels eventu- place in the city is North Beach. Is
company has erected 5,500 housing ally turned into ground-up construc- that a terrible place to live? When you
units, 420,000 square feet of office, tion starting with 71 condos at 1650 have more density you have more
400,000 square feet of retail and a Jackson St. in Nob Hill in 1989 and restaurants and the other things that
luxury hotel to boot. larger projects like the 326-unit Rin- make life better.”
MAY 15, 2020 27
HOUSING CHAMPION | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
Erickson played a major part in OZ political spectrum including Erickson, BREAKING NEW GROUND
making some of those high-densi- ERICKSON housing activist Calvin Welch and In San Francisco alone, Oz Erickson’s Emerald Fund has built more than 3,000
ty areas possible through his help Title: then-Supervisor Mark Leno. units of housing from the ground up helping to fundamentally shape neighbor-
spearheading new housing policy Chairman “What’s important is working with hoods like North Beach and South Beach.
and his leadership in community everyone to come up with a housing
groups like SPUR. Company: program that is actually supported
Chappell said one of the overrid- Emerald Fund by the city,” Erickson said. “Then, 7.
15.
ing qualities of Erickson throughout once an area is defined, you have to
his career has been a commitment to Housing units see whether your product is the right
Co
built: 3.
civic responsibility. product for the area.”
5,500
“Oz is ultimately concerned with Still, even for a person who lists 6.
py
8.
the public good. He does stuff all Years at optimism as one of his defining traits, 4.
the time against his own self interest Erickson said he’s “concerned” about
rig
company: 10.
because it’s the right thing to do,” 41 the city’s current direction when it 9. 2. 5. 13. 11.
ht
Chappell said. comes to housing development.

Chappell recalled a meeting held “The most important thing to me 1. 14.
©
soon after Willie Brown’s inaugura- is for San Francisco to come up with
tion as mayor in 1996 that included a an appropriate housing policy that
20
1. 100 Van Ness 6. Harbor Lofts 11. Portside II

number of city officials where he and will provide both affordable housing 100 Van Ness Ave. 400 Spear St. 403 Main St.
Erickson pitched the ideas of restart- and market-rate housing, in sufficient
20
(418 apartments) (46 condos) (162 condos)

ing neighborhood-specific plans. supply to keep the market stable and
2. 150 Van Ness 7. North Beach 12. Oceanview Village
“For the entire meeting, Willie sits give people a place to live,” Erickson
Am
150 Van Ness Ave. Malt House 8200

there like a sphinx, a complete dead- said, adding that he is trying to do (420 apartments) 445 Francisco St. Oceanview Ter.
pan expression on his face. After we’re anything within his power to make (88 condos) (370 condos)
er
3. 1650 Jackson St.

done he turned to his planning direc- that happen. 1650 Jackson St. 8. Pacific Place 13. Rincon Green
tor and said ‘Do it,’” Chappell said. A 2013 San Francisco Business
ica
(71 condos) 1800 Washington St. 333 Harrison St.

That meeting eventually led to the Times profile of Erickson character- (149 condos) (326 apartments)
city’s Better Neighborhoods Program, ized him as the “Cal Ripken of San 4. Bridgeview
n
400 Beale St. 9. Petrini Place 14. SoMa Residences

which was launched with the express Francisco housing development,” ow- (245 condos) 2001 McAllister St. 1045 Mission St.
Ci
purpose of building the housing ing to his Iron Man-esque longevity in (134 condos) (278 apartments)
stock up in appropriate settings. A a real estate market that has chewed 12. 5. The Civic
ty
101 Polk St. 10. Portside I 15. Villa North Beach

similar situation helped lead to San up and spit out plenty of prospects. (162 apartments) 38 Bryant St. 650 Chestnut St.
Bu
Francisco’s inclusionary housing What’s even clearer nearly a (68 condos) (117 condos)
ordinance, which was hammered decade later is that Erickson still has
sin
out by figures across San Francisco’s quite a few swings left in his career. MAPS4NEWS | SFBT
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
BROKER OF THE YEAR | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
LIZ HART blue-chip tech companies like Uber,

Title: Zillow and Box.
Vice chairman In 2019, Hart led the Newmark
Knight Frank team working with
Company: client Alexandria Real Estate Equities
Newmark Knight Inc. to land San Francisco’s largest
Frank lease of the year when social media
website Pinterest Inc. signed a
Years with 490,000-square-foot lease in an office
Co
company:
complex at 88 Bluxome St. The deal
14
was the single largest in the city since
py
2019 deal Facebook’s 2018 lease of 755,900

square feet for all of Park Tower.
rig
highlight:
88 Bluxome St., What Hart finds most interesting
ht
San Francisco these days is creating campuses like

the one for Pinterest that speak to
©
Size: “the needs of the company but also

490,000 sq. ft. the needs of the community around
20
it,” she said.

Landlord:
San Francisco “has really led
20
Alexandria Real
Estate Equities the way in community benefits
and having development sites that
Am
Tenant: catalyze those benefits,” Hart said.

Pinterest At 88 Bluxome, she points to the
er
results like an adjacent community

Landlord center with a gym, indoor swimming
ica
brokers: pools, an art walk, a linear park on

Liz Hart, Bluxome Street, affordable housing,
n
Shannon Aja, retail and more.

Cassidy Zerrer,
Ci
“That’s something I’m really

and Terry Haught
focused on and believe is the way
ty
of Newmark
Knight Frank of the future,” Hart said. “Mixed-use
Bu
projects that feature a variety of

Tenant uses coming together, proximate
sin
brokers: to transit, are the most desirable,

Jon Moeller and and those are the projects I’m most
Carl Hansen of
es
interested in working on.”

CBRE Hart calls Alexandria the
sJ
“absolute best in class” full-service

team. She had a history with both
ou
Alexandria and Pinterest, having

represented Alexandria in 2015 in
rn
its 150,000-square-foot lease to

als
Pinterest at 505 Brannan St. in San

Francisco.
Construction of 88 Bluxome is
-N
expected to start this year. While

TODD JOHNSON | SFBT Pinterest is taking one tower of the
ot
HOW LIZ HART

site, there’s another tower Hart will be
helping lease up next. It’s the kind of
for
site where everyone involved can feel

proud of the physical product and the
co
CATALYZES
community benefits that come with
it, Hart said.
mm
“It has the entire package of what

would be an amazing mixed-use
COMMUNITY
er
project,” she said.

The Alexandria team has high
cia
praise for Hart’s efforts, too.

Hart is not only “a fantastic
lu
broker” but “a fantastic person,” said

Terezia Nemeth, senior vice president
se
of development and community

relations for Alexandria. Hart
Liz Hart has been brokering major “Projects that feature a downtown. Being relatively new to understands Alexandria’s mission-
Bay Area real estate deals for tech the business, however, she didn’t find driven focus as a company, she said.
companies for nearly 15 years, seeing variety of uses coming much success with that approach, “We believe in working within the
the industry’s mammoth rise over that she said. communities that we have properties
period.
together ... are the pro- But it turned out to be a classic in in a collaborative way, not in a
That work feels all the more jects I’m most inter- case of “when one door shuts, reactive or confrontational way,”
compelling for her now, given the another one opens,” as she put it, Nemeth said. “And so she takes that
opportunities for catalyzing community ested in working on.” leading her to shift focus to younger With a very seriously and is essentially a
benefits that come with the trend companies and tenants closer to the 490,000- really great extension of our team.”
toward creating large, urban tech LIZ HART, SoMa neighborhood. For Hart, she is guided by a focus
square-foot
campuses. Hart, a vice chairman of Vice chairman, That gave her inroads with young on making sure clients are pleased
Newmark Knight Frank deal for
Newmark Knight Frank, has amassed (at the time) tech companies and with the results.
Pinterest, Liz “And if it’s creative and something
an impressive portfolio of such deals. positioned her well as the industry
As a young broker starting out in began to skyrocket in San Francisco. Hart notched that’s never been done before,” she
2005, she initially focused on trying The clients she’s worked with San Francisco’s added, “that’s just like icing on the
to work with traditional companies representing both landlords and biggest office cake.”
in the legal or finance industries tenants read like a laundry list of deal of 2019. — Alisha Green
29
se
lu
cia
er
mm
co
for
ot
-N
als
rn
ou
sJ
es
sin
Bu
ty
n Ci
ica
er
Am
20
20
©
ht
rig
py
Co
MAY 15, 2020
GAME CHANGER AWARD | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
601 CITY workforce and our local environment,

CENTER while continuing to strengthen the
regional economy,” Oakland Mayor
Address: Libby Schaaf said when Blue Shield
601 12th St., announced its move. ”It also solidifies
Oakland
Oakland’s place at the center of the
Size: East Bay’s health care and technology
600K sq. ft. sectors, adding to the diversity and
strength of our local economy.”
Co
Developer: Blue Shield’s lease was the first

Shorenstein domino in a number of companies
py
Properties including Esurance, Charles River

Associates and public relations firm
rig
Contractor: Weber Shandwick who joined them in

Hathaway
ht
the tower.
Dinwiddie
With the health insurer alone
©
Architect: moving more than 1,400 employees

into the downtown Oakland area,
20
Korth Sunseri
Hagey Architect the project not only changed the
landscape, but also the demographics
20
Engineer: of the neighborhood. Oakland is in the

Nishkian midst of a housing boom, with some
Am
Menninger 9,000 homes under construction as

of last fall.
Tenants:
er
“When you put that many people

Blue Shield
in a location like that it will change
ica
of California,
Esurance, the demographics of who is going to
restaurants, to workout facilities ... and
n
Charles River
Associates to all the amenities that employees
Ci
expect,” said the project’s main broker,

Brokers: John Dolby, executive director at
ty
John Dolby and Cushman Wakefield. “It created a new

Bu
Mark Anderson, neighborhood.”

Cushman & While gym facilities in new
Wakefield
sin
construction are typically planned

in the basement or on street level,
es
developer Shorenstein Realty Services

built a state-of-the-art workout facility
sJ
on the building’s second floor, as

well as a conference center and a
ou
4,000-square-foot roof deck — all

three of which are “mind blowing,”
rn
according to Dolby.
als
So mind blowing that Oakland’s

brokers giving tours of the building
regularly request access, he said.
-N
“We decided that if a broker does

a tour here we will give them two
ot
TODD JOHNSON | SFBT months access (to the gym) and if
OAKLAND’S FIRST
they do a deal in the building we will
for
give six months of access,” he said.

Among the building’s amenities
co
are panoramic views of San Francisco,
OFFICE HIGHRISE
Marin County and the Peninsula.
mm
LEED Gold Certified, the office

tower also represents the largest
er
green Class A building in the East Bay.
IN A DECADE
The building also features double-
cia
pane, door-to-ceiling glass windows,

said Dolby.
lu
Shorenstein originally broke

ground on the 601 City Center in
se
2008, but the Great Recession

placed the project on a nine-year
construction hiatus. As we previously
BY LAURA WAXMANN “It will continue to the Great Recession. reported, the steel was held in storage
[email protected] For years the building site sat in Arizona for eight years, which
attract San Francisco dormant, an on-the-nose symbol allowed the building to be built to
Oakland’s first new ground-up office of Oakland’s sputtering progress. accommodate Blue Shield’s timing for
tower to be built in more than a tenants who want to However, the decision by Blue The wending a new headquarters.
decade is 53% leased — and its get away from San Shield of California to move their development Dolby said that the demand
amenities are described as the “talk of headquarters across the bay with of 601 City for office space “always has been”
the town” within the city’s commercial Francisco rents.” a 255,000-square-foot lease in the Center tracks and continues to remain strong for
real estate community. building helped kickstart the project the City Center neighborhoods, in
with Oakland’s
The 24-story, 600,000-square-foot JOHN DOLBY, back into overdrive. part because of its access to BART
Class A office tower was completed Executive director, own rise in
“With so many of Blue Shield’s freeways, as well as to restaurants and
last year, more than a decade after it Cushman & Wakefield employees already living in Oakland
reputation other establishments.
was first conceived. The project from and other parts of the East Bay, the and status as “It will continue to attract San
developer Shorenstein Properties company’s move to this side of the a business Francisco tenants who want to get
originally broke ground back in 2008, Bay demonstrates a commitment to and real estate away from San Francisco rents,” he
but construction was halted during improving the quality of life for its destination. said about 601 City Center.
MAY 15, 2020 31
Co
py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Am
er
ica
n
Ci
ty
Bu
sin
BUILDING + SUSTAINING
es
sJ
A SPACE MADE OF
ou
rn
SAN FRANCISCO
als
-N
PIER 70
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
Owner: Brookfield Properties Development I Photographed by: Club Soda Production

PERSEVERANCE AWARD | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
BROOKLYN rest of the neighborhood.

BASIN More housing is expected to come
online mid-next year. Zarsion Amer-
Address: ica, through a partnership with the
Brooklyn Basin, Essex Trust, is building 241 units, and
Oakland
occupancy is expected in the second
Size: half of 2021.
3,100 homes, Current residents will soon be
200K sq. ft. able to access the development’s
Co
of commercial first public park and grocery store,

space and from Oakland-based Rocky’s Mar-
py
30 acres of ket. California Canoe and Kayak is

parks. The expected to move from its current
rig
241-unit Orion location at Jack London Square into

apartments was
ht
a 5,000-square-foot retail space at

the first portion
Brooklyn Basin.
of the project to
©
be built Ghielmetti said that negotiations

for a restaurant to move into another
20
Cost: 5,000-square-foot available space are

underway.
20
$2B
“We are optimistic we will sign a
Developer: deal shortly,” he said.
Am
Signature Optimism — and a whole lot of

Development perseverance — are perhaps what got
er
Group and the now approximately $2 billion proj-

Zarsion Holdings ect to this point. The project faced
ica
Group a multitude of challenges, including

public opposition, and it required re-
n
Orion
mediation and litigation. And it lived
contractor:
Ci
Hawk through the Great Recession.

The 10 years it took to earn its
ty
Development
approvals were the most challenging,
Bu
Orion architect: according to Ghielmetti.

BAR Architects “It was a politically sensitive and
sin
very large project with high visibility

Orion engineer: on the waterfront,” he said, adding
BORM
es
that after four years of working to get

TODD JOHNSON | SFBT International and unanimous approval of the project,
sJ
A ‘SIGNATURE’
FBA Structural it got stuck in litigation over “envi-
Engineers
ronmental and historic preservation”
ou
issues for the next five years.

The Sierra Club challenged the
rn
PROJECT FINALLY
project’s environmental impact
als
report, and the project also faced

opposition for lacking a plan for a
school site.
-N
TAKES SHAPE
“The district didn’t need a school
and clearly said so,” said Ghielmetti.
ot
After winning the go-ahead for

the project in appellate court in 2011,
for
the recession was still a factor. City

departments were understaffed and
co
overworked, and more approvals

were needed, including from a num-
mm
BY LAURA WAXMANN “People have been According to Signature President ber of state and federal agencies.
[email protected] Mike Ghielmetti, both developers have A plan to build a UC laboratory at
divorced from the experience building in Oakland and
er
the project site did not materialize,

It took 13 years for Brooklyn Basin’s earlier this year closed on two parcels. but a $28 million investment from
waterfront for 150
cia
developers to break ground on the SRM is drawing up plans for potential- Zarison — secured by then-Oakland
first wave of infrastructure. Nearly years — I think they ly 190 units to be built on a piece of Mayor Jean Quan — ultimately helped
lu
18 years after it was conceived, the land known as Parcel E and Cityview finance the project.
megaproject’s first 241 luxury apart- are very excited for 1.5 plans to build 380 units on Parcel H. In “Her college roommate from China
se
ments began leasing last summer the fall, Anton DevCo purchased a 1.4- happened to know the folks at Zarsion,
and today are over half occupied.
miles of bay trails and acre lot entitled for 232 units known who ultimately became our partners.
Slated to transform Oakland’s eventually 30 acres of as Parcel D and is currently working to I met their principal and we hit it off,”
waterfront, Brooklyn Basin will even- get city approvals. The Orion said Ghielmetti, who said the partner-
tually be a new neighborhood with public parks.” The project’s affordable housing apartments ship was formed in 2013, a year before
3,100 homes, 200,000 square feet was frontloaded and is being devel- (on left) are the project finally broke ground.
of commercial space and 30 acres of MIKE GHIELMETTI, oped by MidPen Housing, with the the only units The development is being built
parks on former industrial land along President, first 165 units on track for occupancy that will be out in four phases, and Ghielmetti
Signature Development Group
the Oakland Estuary. at the end of this year. MidPen is built by master estimates that phases I and II will be
Those 241 apartments are the expected to break ground on another developer completely built out over the next
only units built by master developer 300-unit affordable project this year. Signature four years. He said that it could take
Signature Development Group. In Demand for the units is “just over- another 10 years to fully build out the
Development
partnership with Chinese investor whelming,” MidPen CEO Matt Franklin entire project — and that the wait will
Group, with
Zarsion Holdings Group Ltd., it is said. It’s not unusual for MidPen’s new be worth it.
gradually selling off parcels of the 65- affordable housing developments other sites “People have been divorced from
acre project site to outside develop- to draw 20 applications for each being gradually the waterfront for 150 years — I think
ers. The latest to purchase a stake are available unit, he said, and the goal parceled they are very excited for 1.5 miles of
Seattle-based SRM Development and at Brooklyn Basin is for high-design out to other bay trails and eventually 30 acres of
Cityview in Los Angeles. affordable units to blend in with the developers. public parks,” he said.
33
se
lu
cia
er
mm
co
for
ot
-N
als
rn
ou
sJ
es
sin
Bu
ty
n Ci
ica
er
Am
20
20
©
ht
rig
py
Co
MAY 15, 2020
HOSPITALITY AWARD | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
Co
py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Am
er
ica
nCi
ty
Bu
sin
TODD JOHNSON | SFBT
GRAND HYATT
es
GRAND debt services on the SFBs, and accu-

sJ
HYATT AT SFO mulate reserves enabling the continued

Address: operation and maintenance of the hotel
AT SFO BORN
ou
55 S. during a sluggish economy.

McDonnell Rd, Since the hotel opened last year,
rn
San Francisco the Covid-19 pandemic has ravaged

als
the travel industry, and SFO has seen
OF INNOVATION
Size: a dramatic drop in fliers. But the hotel
351 rooms has stayed open, albeit at occupancy
-N
around 25%, and the airport has

Cost:
$237M received $254 million via the CARES
ot
Act, some of which will be used to

Developer: cover debt payments. Airlines are
for
Airport Commis- still responsible for paying their set

sion of the City airport costs, and the airport has
co
BY ALEX BARREIRA “You do see a developer Instead, SFO oversaw design and con- and County of substantial cash reserves that could
[email protected] struction itself, then set up a 10-year San Francisco keep operations running for about
mm
model in a lot of other leasing agreement for operation — ef- 300 days, Satero said.
Before 2017, there had not been a fectively gaining two to three decades General The Grand Hyatt has 351 guest
four-diamond hotel directly serving
airports, but you don’t of control that would normally be
contractor:
rooms and suites, space for events
er
Webcor Builders
San Francisco International Airport in get the full benefit of its ceded to a third party. and conferences, a fitness center,
cia
over three decades. That all changed “You do see a developer model in Architect: restaurant, bar and market in a curv-
with the Grand Hyatt at SFO, the profitability.” a lot of other airports, but you don’t Hornberger+ ing, glass-enclosed, 274,000-square-
lu
centerpiece of a $7.4 billion overhaul get the full benefit of its profitability,” Worstell/ED2I foot structure.
spanning more than 50 projects IVAR SATERO, Satero said. “We need to respond to With proximity to the airport, rooms
se
aimed at elevating the airport’s travel- Airport director, SFO what’s a pretty dynamic industry and Engineer: were designed to all but eliminate the
er experience. be able to use our facility to the most Arup noise of air traffic with triple-insulating
SFO creatively utilized bonds to efficient use for airport operation.” glaze on the floor-to-ceiling windows.
finance the $237 million hotel project, What made it all possible was a The hotel also earned a LEED Gold
while avoiding the use of taxpayer cutting-edge financing structure for Certification for environmental and
dollars. This bit of financial maneuver- the hotel that used two kinds of bonds energy and efficiency.
ing helped the project move forward — tax-exempt variable rate general “People rave about how quiet the
despite concerns of an approaching airport revenue bonds (GARBS) and guest rooms are,” said Mark Hornberg-
recession and regional construction fixed-rate hotel specialty facility bonds er, founding principal at the architec-
costs that rose 10%-12% year-over-year (SFBS), which are held by the airport tural firm Hornberger+Worstell behind
during the three-year construction and not publicly traded. SFO sold the Financing the the design.
period. GARBS to finance the AirTrain system “You get this really unusual sense
project required
Ivar Satero, airport director at SFO, that connects the hotel lobby with all of being in California, being at the
two kinds of
said the more common model for terminals. Then the airport used the airport but with this respite from
this kind of project would be to hire a proceeds from the SFBs to fund hotel tax-exempt the activity and demands of travel,”
developer with an established brand design and related costs. bonds, one for Hornberger, said, describing the “near
and agree to a 30- to 40-year ground Essentially, with bonds doing the the hotel and seamless” transition from the airport
lease, with the developer assuming heavy lifting, hotel revenues alone could one for the to the hotel via the AirTrain, eliminat-
risk for the hotel’s performance. sufficiently cover hotel operations, pay AirTrain. ing the need to go outside.
35
se
lu
cia
er
mm
co
for
ot
-N
als
rn
ou
sJ
es
sin
Bu
ty
n Ci
ica
er
Am
20
20
©
ht
rig
py
Co
MAY 15, 2020
SALE OF THE YEAR | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
LEVI’S PLAZA for Levi’s Plaza community members

Address: to help them access amenities and
1155 Battery St., mass transportation.
San Francisco Levi’s Plaza, built in the early
1980s, features brick-clad, build-
Size: ing-block structures that evoke Mine-
930K sq. ft. craft long before the popular video
game appeared. It has nine buildings
Price: across 9.4 acres and 930,000 square
Co
$825M
feet of office space.
As for part of the reason why orig-
py
Buyer:
Jamestown LP inal developer Gerson Bakar decided
to sell, Senior Vice President Stephen
rig
Seller: LoPresti said, “We’re sort of focused

ht
Gerson Bakar on multifamily at this point in time.”

& Associates Buyer interest in the campus partly
©
came from the fact that it’s “well

Broker: known and has a sort of openness”
20
Eastdil Secured with the accompanying public spaces

and park land, LoPresti said. “It’s also
20
attractive because the area tends to

be the cleaner part of the city.”
Am
The Business Times was first to

report that Jamestown was pursuing
er
the campus, which was built in 1981

and remains the headquarters for the
ica
jeans and clothing maker Levi Strauss

& Co. Levi’s takes up around 354,000
n
square feet, or about 40% of the

Ci
complex.
The single acquisition nearly dou-
ty
bled Jamestown’s commercial port-

Bu
folio in the city. The company also

owns the neighboring office campus
sin
Waterfront Plaza, landmark Ghirardelli

Square and smaller properties such
es
as 731 Market St. and 660 Market St.

Elsewhere in the Bay Area, James-
sJ
town properties include the re-

tail-and-restaurant destination Fourth
ou
Street Berkeley and office buildings

2000 and 2001 Clayton in Concord.
rn
Eastdil Secured brokered the Levi’s

als
Plaza deal.
Levi’s Plaza made it onto an exclu-
sive list of San Francisco properties
-N
TODD JOHNSON | SFBT that traded for more than $800 mil-
LEVI’S PLAZA
lion, joining 1 Market Plaza, Embar-
ot
cadero Center, 555 California St. and

101 California St.
for
According to commercial real
JOINS TOP S.F. LIST

estate services firm Cushman &
co
Wakefield in its fourth quarter 2019

office market report, San Francis-
mm
co investment activity totaled $6.3
WITH $825M SALE

billion at that point compared to the
er
previous year’s $2.3 billion.

About 30 transactions totaled 6.4
cia
million square feet – closing citywide

at $971 per square foot on average,
lu
the report said.

Certainly, the current coronavi-
se
rus situation will have a say in office

A wonky but iconic office complex “The office market is way that encourages community and investments moving forward. It will
along the Embarcadero in San collaboration,” Jamestown President “color perceptions,” LoPresti said. But
Francisco represented one of the still strong. The city Michael Phillips said. otherwise, “the office market is still
biggest commercial transactions in The new owner also has its own strong. The city itself is quite strong.”
city history.
itself is quite strong.” vision for the property that goes The disease outbreak and related
Levi’s Plaza at 1155 Battery St. beyond its mostly office nature. factors “are going to impact activity
traded hands for $825 million, or STEPHEN LOPRESTI, Jamestown recognizes “how much on a short horizon,” Phillips said.
Senior vice president,
$859 a square foot, becoming one of opportunity there is to transform this “Our focus is always long term in
Gerson Bakar & Associates
just a few corporate campuses in the campus into the core of the north nature. Employers are thinking fun-
city to exceed the $800 million mark. waterfront,” Phillips said. “There is Buyer damentally about where people want
Atlanta real estate investor James- already great community space but a to live and work and the type of envi-
Jamestown
town LP bought the campus north of lot of opportunity for new food, retail ronment that makes employees most
LP hopes to
the Financial District from longtime and services.” happy and productive. Our portfolio
owner Gerson Bakar & Associates. The company has already started transform in San Francisco is well positioned in
“We were interested in Levi’s Plaza to make tenant improvements includ- Levi’s Plaza that regard, and we continue to inno-
because of how unique the property ing adding a Lyft BayWheels bicycle into the core of vate and work with our tenants be a
is within the San Francisco market station and is installing racks for bikes the city’s north great real-estate partner for them.”
– designed around green space in a and scooters and launching an app waterfront. — Neil Gonzales
37
se
lu
cia
er
mm
co
for
ot
-N
als
rn
ou
sJ
es
sin
Bu
ty
n Ci
ica
er
Am
20
20
©
ht
rig
py
Co
MAY 15, 2020
JUMP-STARTER AWARD | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
VISA HQ sponsorship of the Giants.

Mission Rock “It really became a very easy
Parcel G, conversation because we knew each
San Francisco other very well, not just CEO to CEO,
but up and down the company,” said
Size: Giants CEO Larry Baer.
302K sq. ft. Once complete, Mission Rock will
boast 11 buildings featuring 1.2 million
Landlord: square feet of office and commercial
Co
SF Giants and
space, 1,200 rental housing units with
Tishman Speyer
40% affordable, 200,000 square feet
py
(Port of San
Francisco ground of retail space and 8 acres of park-
land and open space.
rig
lessor)
On what is currently a parking lot
ht
Landlord broker: will stand “a new waterfront neigh-

Tishman Speyer borhood” that opens up a prominent
©
– but previously inaccessible – part of

Tenant broker: the city.
20
CBRE Mission Rock marks the Giants’

first foray into real estate develop-
20
ment in partnership with Tishman

Speyer. The Giants offer the prestige
Am
of a storied sporting franchise and

years of sponsor relations, while Tish-
er
man brings a reputation for delivering

ambitious projects, including many
ica
that dot the San Francisco skyline.

According to Baer, the Giants’
n
bold plans have caught the attention

Ci
of other sports franchises interested

in exploring real estate developments
ty
of their own.
Bu
From Visa’s perspective, the ele-

gant new premium office space will
sin
serve as a real recruitment driver.

“The war for talent is an important
es
part of any company’s real estate de-

cisions today and was a central piece
sJ
of Visa’s logic in selecting Mission

Rock,” said Tishman Speyer Senior
ou
Managing Director Carl Shannon.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the
rn
Giants with Mission Rock, which went

als
through 10 years of planning and

ultimately required ballot approval by
voters to proceed. The resounding
-N
74% vote indicated strong support

from San Francisco residents.
ot
The Mission Rock lease is some-

thing of a triumphant homecoming
for
for Visa, which first left San Francisco

for San Mateo in 1985. The payments
co
HENNING LARSEN giant will redevelop its Foster City
WITH DEAL FOR

campus into a space for product and
mm
technology teams and close a smaller

Palo Alto office.
er
“For over 60 years, Visa’s roots
NEW HQ, VISA IS

have been in the Bay Area and we
cia
want to reinvest in San Francisco

and Foster City to better support
lu
our talented team of employees and
READY TO ROCK
growing business needs,” Visa CEO
se
and Chairman Al Kelly said in a state-

ment announcing the lease.
The 300,000- At Mission Rock, the Giants and
square-foot, Tishman have delivered a vision with
13-story office appeal far beyond baseball fans or
building Visa office workers. Opening up the wa-
will occupy is terfront could be game changing for
BY SIMON CAMPBELL “It became a very easy companies. among 11 the residents, workers and tourists.
[email protected] Visa, which signed up before the Giants and “There is nowhere along the Bay
conversation because project had even broken ground, will Tishman Speyer waterfront downtown where you can
Visa Inc.’s decision to relocate its take a 13-story, 300,000-square-foot really get down to the water,” Shan-
headquarters to the new waterfront
we knew each other building when the first phase of Mis-
will develop at
non said. “It gives you the ability to
Mission Rock,
development at Mission Rock caused very well ... up and sion Rock is complete in 2024.
with 1.2 million
play in the tidal steps, to walk down
quite a splash. It was a home run To be sure, landing Visa as a to the water, to put a kayak into the
for developers San Francisco Giants down the company.” tenant was a major vote of confi- square feet of water if you want. That commitment
and Tishman Speyer and a show of dence for the baseball team turned office space, to open space and making it attrac-
faith in the future of San Francisco LARRY BAER, commercial real estate developers. 1,200 homes and tive for everyone in San Francisco
from a Fortune 500 business amid CEO, San Francisco Giants But the relationship was built on the 200,000 square was a foundation of the Giants’
the departure of several high-profile payments company’s 25 years of feet of retail. approach.”
MAY 15, 2020 39
Co
py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Gateway of Pacific II and III

Am
er
ica
n
Ci
ty
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
Traverse, Gateway of Pacific’s 50,000 SF amenity building

co
mm
er
Discover
Congratulations to Tim Schoen and the BioMed Realty team for
cia
winning both the San Francisco Business Time’s Deal Maker and
lu
Deal of the Year Awards. These awards are a culmination of the
Here
se
many deals completed across our core markets – a testament to our

®
knowledgeable and experienced team, together with our unique,
fully-integrated platform.
BioMed Realty is excited to welcome our new tenants Abbvie

and Amgen to Gateway of Pacific and Zymergen to our Emeryville
Center of Innovation!
www.gatewayofpacific.com
COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
PRESIDIO Hornberger, the idea of restoring

THEATRE or renovating the vacant space had
99 Moraga Ave., arisen before, but was stymied by a
San Francisco lack of financial resources.
“For a long time nothing hap-
Size: pened, because nobody figured out
600-seat theater a way to make it work,” Hornberger
said. “That was until Peggy came
Cost: along.”
Co
$40M
But the process was not simple.
Haas was in negotiations with the
py
Developers:
Margaret E. Haas Presidio Trust for years to hammer
out the lease and development plan,
rig
Fund and the

Presidio Trust which relied on the use of Federal
ht
Historic Tax Credits. The talks result-

General ed in the formation of an indepen-
©
contractor: dent nonprofit to manage the theater

Plant with a 60-year lease agreement with
20
Construction Co. the Presidio.

“Neither the Presidio or myself
20
Architect:
Hornberger knew what we were getting into. We
+ Worstell were willing to work with each other,
Am
but it took time,” Haas said. “Much to

Historic everyone’s surprise and happiness, it
er
preservation worked out.”

consultant: The theater was in rough shape
ica
Knapp Architects after sitting empty for 20 years, Horn-

berger said. Rain poured through
n
holes in the roof, damaging the build-

Ci
ing, and peeling paint and crumbling

drywall lined the interior.
ty
Through the historical rehabilita-

Bu
tion process, run through the Nation-

al Park Service, the developers were
sin
able to restore the site to its former

glory, while updating it for use as a
es
modern venue.
“Everyone had to work together
sJ
and take into consideration what was

historical and doable to make the
ou
theater into a real active performing

TODD JOHNSON | SFBT space,” said Presidio Theatre Execu-
rn
PRESIDIO THEATRE
tive Director Robert Martin.
als
That transformation posed a

number of challenges. For one, the
proscenium – or front portion of the
-N
RAISES CURTAIN
stage – was far too shallow to support
a full theater, dance or musical pro-
ot
duction. The project designers moved

the stage forward 16 feet in order to
for
FOR A SECOND ACT

make it suitable for performances.
Additionally, the developers dug
co
into the basement area of the com-

plex, filled with decades of dirt and
mm
detritus, in order to build out new

green rooms, dressing rooms and
er
storage space for performers and

install deeper foundations.
cia
BY KEVIN TRUONG “Neither the Presidio heart of the Presidio’s Main Post. The rehabilitation team restored
[email protected] Thus kicked off her five-year and the venue’s historic details while also
lu
or myself knew what $40 million Herculean effort to bring adding pavilions with new facilities
For more than 20 years, the shuttered the Presidio Theatre back to life as a and circulation spaces. To meet
we were getting into.
se
Presidio Theatre held only the poten- modern performing arts center. historic preservation requirements,
tial of performance. Much to everyone’s Through her philanthropic work the team painstakingly restored the
The vacant facility originally with a variety of cultural and arts orga- building’s original sign, roof tiles and
opened back in the 1930s and played surprise and happiness, nizations, Haas discovered a number interior. Haas even found the original
host to celebrities like Jack Benny and of groups were having issues finding seat makers to create a new set of
Bob Hope who entertained scores of
it worked out.” the space they needed to rehearse larger seats for the space.
soldiers. But since the departure of and perform. The partnership between The first performance in the re-
MARGARET “PEGGY” HAAS,
the U.S. Army from the Presidio back the Margaret E. Haas Fund and the opened venue took place September
Board chair, Presidio Theatre
in 1994, the theater has been awaiting Presidio Trust to restore the venue was Vacant for 2019 and showcased an array of local
its second act. intended to create a new affordable 20 years, the performers including the San Francis-
Margaret “Peggy” Haas was and accessible performing arts space reborn 600- co Girls Chorus, members of “Beach
brought to the theater as a teen- in a city where that cultural resource Blanket Babylon” and the Polynesian
seat Presidio
ager by her late father, the former has become increasingly rare. dance troupe Te Mana O Te Ra.
Theatre fills a
Levi’s CEO Peter Haas, to catch Hal The 600-seat theater is meant to “There’s an energy in there that’s
Holbrook performing his hit one-man fill a gap between San Francisco’s gap between so happy it’s alive again,” Haas said.
show “Mark Twain Tonight!” Decades massive civic performing arts venues S.F.’s cavernous “I hope it becomes a real centerpoint
later she was walking by the closed and the small spaces carved out to performing arts for artists coming up and flourishing
facility when the eureka moment hit foster nascent talent. venues and and growing and a place where other
to revitalize the theater located in the According to architect Mike small halls. artists can find a home.”
MAY 15, 2020 41
WE ARE REAL ESTATE

Co
py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Am
er
ica
n Ci
ty
Bu
sin
es
Pacific Commons Industrial Center

sJ
814,852 SF | Fully Leased Upon Completion

San Francisco Business Times Industrial Lease of the Year
ou
rn
als
-N
DRIVEN TO DEVELOP
ot
INVESTMENTS THAT LAST

for
co
mm
Relationships built on trust. Investor partnerships that build

er
returns. Developments that build economic engines for the

cia
communities we live and work in. It’s a history of honesty,

lu
determination, and expertise. It’s the foundation we’re building on.

se
Thank you to our longtime partners, American Realty Advisors

and CBRE, for making Pacific Commons Industrial Center the
San Francisco Business Times Industrial Lease of the Year.
CALIFORNIA | ILLINOIS | ARIZONA | TEXAS

www.conorcommercial.com
OFFICE DEVELOPMENT | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
STANFORD REDWOOD Address:

505 Broadway,
CITY CAMPUS Redwood City
Size:
Stanford University’s first major expansion outside its flag- 600K sq. ft.
ship campus in Palo Alto is bringing various non-academic
entities together in one state-of-the-art setting. Cost:
Stanford Redwood City features more than 600,000 $500M
Co
square feet of space, including four gleaming office build-

ings, an employee wellness complex, a child care center, Developer:
a café and outdoor plazas. Stanford
py
Tabbed at more than $500 million, the satellite opened University

rig
in March 2019 off Highway 101 about a mile from down-

General
town Redwood City. The new campus brings together contractor:
ht
formerly disparate administrative departments in a space Devcon

designed for collaboration and group work.
©
The project broke ground May 2017 and is just part of Architect:
20
a larger development planned on 35 acres to create 1.5 ZGF and

million square feet in all for about 2,700 employees from Clive Wilkinson
20
such areas as the School of Medicine administration, busi-

ness affairs and human resources. Engineer:
The next phase includes a proposal for a medical office BKF
Am
building being developed by Stanford Health Care to sup-

port new outpatient services. Construction on this phase
er
could begin in the fall and finish in 2023 at the earliest.

ica
— Neil Gonzales
n
Ci
ty
Bu
sin
CHRISTINE BAKER
es
sJ
OFFICE LEASE | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR

ou
rn
als
ZYMERGEN LEASE Address:

5300 Chiron
-N
IN EMERYVILLE Way, Emeryville

ot
Size:
Zymergen Inc.’s lease of the former Chiron Corp. head- 293,358 sq. ft.
for
quarters in Emeryville represents a coming-of-age for a

rapidly growing company. Cost:
Since its founding in 2013, Zymergen has raised nearly $250M
co
$600 million and expanded to 800 employees. This 12-

Landlord:
mm
year, $250 million lease for 293,358 square feet of space

offers the company, which specializes in machine learn- BioMed Realty
ing-assisted microbe engineering, the chance to grow on
Tenant:
er
its own corporate campus.

Zymergen Inc.
cia
To this point, Zymergen has had to straddle office

space as it grows. The company headquarters has been Landlord
stretched across three buildings in Emeryville since 2017.
lu
brokers:
Zymergen’s planned 2021 move will allow for a more Newmark
se
closely integrated workspace, increased headcount and Knight Frank

future expansion in one location.
The deal is also a big win for Blackstone Group sub- Tenant brokers:
sidiary BioMed Realty, which closed a $135 million deal Newmark
for the prominent cubist building just six months before Knight Frank
signing on Zymergen.
Law firm:
BioMed Realty has made several notable Bay Area bio- Coblentz Patch
tech deals in recent years. The developer is also in talks to Duffy & Bass
build out the project further with 830,000 square feet of
lab and office space already entitled, a fact that will surely
appeal to Zymergen as it continues to zoom forward.
— Simon Campbell
STEVEN GREGORY PHOTOGRAPHY | BIOMED REALTY

43
se
lu
cia
er
mm
co
for
ot
-N
als
rn
ou
sJ
es
sin
Bu
ty
n Ci
ica
er
Am
20
20
©
ht
rig
py
Co
MAY 15, 2020
OFFICE LEASE | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
STRIPE LEASE Address:

352-354
AT OYSTER POINT Oyster Point,
South San
Francisco
Stripe is building a new 421,000-square-foot headquarters
in Kilroy Realty Corp.’s massive Oyster Point Boulevard Size:
project, marking the largest grab for space by a tech com- 421,K sq. ft.
pany in South San Francisco.
Typically, tech companies gravitate toward Silicon Landlord:
Co
Valley or San Francisco when building out their headquar- Kilroy Realty
ters, but Stripe’s lease may be the start of a new trend of
py
more tech companies moving to South City in search of Tenant:

Stripe
rig
cheaper space on the Peninsula.

Tech companies generally don’t need the same caliber
Tenant broker:
ht
of tenant improvement dollars as biotech companies. Kidder Matthews

However, they tend to be willing to pay just as much in
©
rent. Landlord broker:

Kilroy noted it is “agnostic” on whether it rents to tech
20
Savills
or biotech companies at its South San Francisco water-
20
front site, which rents for $72 per square foot and beyond.
Stripe, a fintech company, fully leased the $560 million
first phase of Kilroy Oyster Point nearly two years ahead of
Am
schedule. The growing payments company is scheduled

to move some 1,000 employees into its new digs in the
er
second half of 2021.

ica
— Dawn Kawamoto
n
Ci
ty
Bu
sin
KILROY REALTY CORP.

es
sJ
ou
rn
als
PINTEREST LEASE Address:

-N
88 Bluxome St.,
AT 88 BLUXOME San Francisco
ot
Size:
Pinterest’s lease at 88 Bluxome, the former San Francisco 490K sq. ft.
for
Tennis Club, was the single largest office lease deal in

2019 and a symbol of big tech’s dominance of the city’s Landlord:
co
real estate market. Alexandria

The 490,000-square-foot lease in the 1.7 million- Real Estate
mm
square-foot, mixed-use property was inked before the Equities and

project was even approved, but helped to kickstart 88 TMG Partners
Bluxome into high gear. In July, the project from develop-
er
Tenant:
ers Alexandria Real Estate Equities and TMG Partners was
cia
Pinterest
unanimously approved by San Francisco as one of the
most recent Prop. M allocations in the city. Landlord
lu
Long mired in legal and regulatory issues, the project brokers:

was able to move forward with the settlement of the chal- Liz Hart,
se
lenges to the Central SoMa plan, which helped pave the Shannon Aja,
way for the redevelopment of the tennis club. Alexandria Cassidy Zerrer,
took over the development of the project in a $140 million Terry Haught
land deal in 2017. with Newmark
Pinterest’s massive lease also represents a coming of Knight Frank
age for the social media company as it joins the ranks of
Tenant brokers:
fellow tech giants like Facebook and Salesforce in the size
Jon Moeller,
and scale of their ambitions in San Francisco. Carl Hansen,
Scheduled to break ground in 2020, the building will Jenny Kuang
feature two high-rise office buildings over ground floor with CBRE
retail, an underground recreation center with 12 indoor
tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool and recreation
center. The project also includes a dedicated parcel for
affordable housing to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and
Community Development.
— Ahalya Srikant
TMG PARTNERS
MAY 15, 2020 45
A world-class
Co
py
rig
arena and district in

ht
©
20
San Francisco built

20
Am
for the community.

er
ica
n
Ci
ty
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
OFFICE SALE | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
Co
py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Am
er
ica
n Ci
ty
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
SFBT FILE TODD JOHNSON | SFBT
SAN FRANCISCO Address:

OAKLAND TRIBUNE Address:
co
555 and 575 409 13th St.,

MARKET CENTER SALE Market St., TOWER SALE Oakland
mm
San Francisco
Size:
In the Bay Area’s red-hot commercial real estate market, Oakland’s Tribune Tower earned national attention nearly
Size: 95K sq. ft.
er
it’s hard to stand out from the crowd, but Paramount 753K sq. ft. a century ago when Harry Houdini escaped from a
Group Inc.’s purchase of the historic Market Center ranks straitjacket while dangling from its ninth story. But it’s the Price:
cia
highly in sheer scale. Price: iconic building’s ownership that dominated headlines in $48M
For decades, the trophy property between First and $723M recent years.
lu
Second streets in San Francisco’s Financial District was Highbridge Equity’s $48 million purchase represented Buyers:
Buyers: a big payday for seller Harvest Properties, which under- Highbridge
se
known as the Chevron Towers. The buildings housed the

Paramount took a major renovation. Current tenants include machine Equity
oil giant’s headquarters before it decamped to San Ramon
Group Inc. learning company Zorroa, digital marketing agency Ayima
in 2001. Originally erected by Chevron, the complex now
Sellers:
houses a mix of tenants including real estate, law firms and mental health company Two Chairs.
Sellers: Harvest
and tech companies like Uber and Medallia. Originally built in 1923, the historic 95,000-square-foot
Blackstone Properties
Private equity firm Blackstone Group Inc. acquired the Group Inc. building at 409 13th St. was home to the Oakland Tribune
complex for $510 million in 2016 and realized a nearly newspaper until 2007, but has changed hands frequently
42% return on its investment after selling the property to since then. Tom Henderson paid $8 million for it in 2012
Paramount for $723 million, or roughly $950 per square but lost control following a controversial lawsuit. Harvest
foot. Properties spent millions upgrading the tower after ac-
Market Center represented the second big play for quiring it for $20.4 million in 2016.
New York-based Paramount in San Francisco last year. The “We view this is as such an Oakland icon,” said Harvest
public REIT closed a deal in August for the KPMG building Properties Partner Kathryn Collins back when the compa-
at 55 Second St. for approximately $408 million. ny acquired it. “We want to bring back vitality to an asset
— Simon Campbell that was a zombie. We want to make sure it will be around
for another 100 years.”
It’s clear that the company’s efforts mean that the
building’s striking features and dazzling neon display will
remain a significant feature on Oakland’s skyline.
— Simon Campbell
MAY 15, 2020 47
OFFICE SALE | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
VF OUTDOOR HQ / Address:
2701 Harbor
ABBOTT LABS SALE Bay Parkway,
Alameda
(2601-2901
With brands such as Vans, Timberland and The North Face Harbor Bay
in its coterie, it was no surprise that the former headquar- Parkway and
ters of VF Outdoor embraced exercise and the environ- 2321 N.
ment. Loop Road)
The office campus on Alameda, sold for $66 million
Co
to Abbott Laboratories, was built to suit by SRMErnst Size:

Development Partners and was the first net-zero-electric 216,484 sq. ft.
py
corporate complex when VF took occupancy in 2012. The

Price: $66M
rig
company moved their headquarters to Denver in 2019

amid a growing Bay Area exodus.
Buyer:
ht
The 216,484-square-foot waterfront facility features Abbott

a fitness center, climbing wall, bike shop, vegetable Laboratories
©
garden and electric vehicle charging station. Electricity

is generated through solar panels and wind turbines. No Seller:
20
emission-causing coolants are used in the campus’ HVAC VF Outdoor

20
system.
Abbott’s purchase is part of Alameda’s biotech renais- Buyers brokers:
sance that has seen companies including Exelixis and Jason Parr, Adam
Am
Lasoff, Seth
Penumbra snap up office space there. SRMErnst has part-
Siegel, Steve
nered with Ross Perot Jr.’s Hillwood Development Co. LLC
Hermann,
er
on a couple of 200,000-square-foot projects that are set Eric Fox,

ica
to further expand the island city’s biotech footprint. Ryan Venezia,

— Simon Campbell Phil Lombardo of
n
Cushman
& Wakefield)
Ci
Sellers brokers:
ty
Mark Kol and

Bu
John Morris of
CBRE
sin
TODD QUAM | DIGITAL SKY

es
sJ
ou
rn
als
ONE MONTGOMERY ST. Address:

-N
1 Montgomery
BUILDING SALE St., San
Francisco
ot
An iconic piece of history sold for $82 million last year, Size:
for
when Palo Alto-based REDCO Development and Bos- 100K sq. ft.
ton-based AEW Capital Management LP snapped up One
co
Montgomery St. Price: $82.2M

The two-story, 100,000-square foot office building in
mm
the north Financial District has undergone a substantial Buyers:

change over its 112-year history and its current high-densi- REDCO
ty zoning makes it ripe for future development. Development/
er
AEW Capital
One Montgomery St. started life as a 12-story building
cia
Management
from by well-known San Francisco architect Willis Polk in
1908. But in the 1980s, owner Crocker Bank had the build- Sellers:
lu
ing’s top 10 floors removed when the adjacent Crocker The 601W
Galleria and One Montgomery Tower were constructed Companies
se
across the street from One Montgomery St.

That remodeling project left One Montgomery St. as a Sellers brokers:
two-story building occupied by Wells Fargo with a rooftop Mike Taquino,
deck and garden. Wells moved out late last year when its Kyle Kovac of
lease ended, and the new owners have been mum about CBRE
their plans, other than to say they plan to reposition it.
In speaking about its purchase of One Montgomery
St., Chris Freise, managing partner with REDCO, said in a
previous interview with the San Francisco Times that it’s a
unique property.
“We think it’s in one of — if not the — best locations in
San Francisco,” Freise said, pointing to its close proximity
to the Montgomery BART station and other downtown San
Francisco amenities.
— Dawn Kawamoto
TODD JOHNSON | SFBT

HEALTH CARE DEVELOPMENT | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
UCSF BAKAR PCMB Address:

1825 Fourth St.,
DEVELOPMENT San Francisco
Size:
The Bakar Precision Cancer Medicine Building is UCSF’s 170K sq. ft.
new one-stop-shop complex fostering cutting-edge treat-
ments and innovative delivery to patients. Cost:
The adult outpatient center opened in June 2019 on $275M
the Mission Bay campus of University of California, San
Co
Francisco, housing under one roof physicians from vari- Developer:

ous specialties and other leaders in cancer research and University of
py
care. California,
San Francisco
rig
The six-story, 170,000-square-foot building has the

space and equipment to provide patients the latest
General
ht
treatment methods such as infusion with genetically contractor:

engineered viruses aimed at specific cancer cells and Rudolph and
©
advanced testing such as genetic sequencing of tumors. Sletten

The building also allows UCSF to offer for the first time
20
a single registration process for all its services. Patients Architect:

20
upon arrival are able to check in for appointments, take Stantec

care of all co-pays and receive a schedule with scanna-
ble barcodes linked to their pertinent information for the
Am
departments they need to visit. PCMB treats an estimated

700 patients every day and employs about 300 faculty
er
and staff members.

ica
About four years in the making, PCMB cost $275 mil-

lion, including equipment and furnishings. It has 120 exam
n
rooms, 47 chemotherapy infusion bays and 20 consulta-

tion rooms for an array of services from genetic counsel-
Ci
ing to yoga.
ty
— Neil Gonzales
Bu
sin
UC SAN FRANCISCO
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
KAISER PERMANENTE Address:

-N
3100 Dublin
DUBLIN DEVELOPMENT Blvd., Dublin
ot
Size:
The new Dublin Medical Offices and Cancer Center rep- 220K sq. ft.
for
resents the start of Kaiser Permanente’s expanded foray in

the Tri-Valley. Cost:
co
The multifaceted, state-of-the-art facility opened in $124M

May 2019 and is eyed as the centerpiece of a major medi-
mm
cal campus to be finished in about another 20 years. Developer:

“The multispecialty care center represents a new Kaiser
approach for Kaiser Permanente and new trends in health Permanente
er
care delivery that address a growing consumer demand

cia
General
for convenience, quality and affordability,” said Kaiser
contractor:
Permanente spokesman Jonathan Bair. “Many services McCarthy
lu
provided at the center were previously only available at Building

hospitals. Additionally, this expansion of care reflects the Companies Inc.
se
rapid growth of the Tri-Valley region.”

The $124 million development consists of 220,000 Architect:
square feet, housing 500 employees and numerous ser- SmithGroup
vices such as 24/7 urgent care, surgery, high-tech cancer
treatment, women’s health, cardiology and neurology. The Engineer:
Arup
project is Kaiser Permanente’s first multiservice care hub
in Northern California, enhancing the existing programs
already available to the health care system’s 135,000
members in the Tri-Valley.
The project broke ground in late 2016 and is just part
of the overall Kaiser Dublin Medical Center effort, which is
projected to develop 1.2 million square feet in all.
Future phases on the 58-acre site include proposals for
retail and office space, a business park, ancillary health-re-
lated buildings and a possible hospital.
— Neil Gonzales
KAISER PERMANENTE
MAY 15, 2020 49
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
CADENCE SSF HOUSING Address:

400 Cypress
DEVELOPMENT Avenue, South
San Francisco
It’s no small feat to transform an industrial corridor into a Size:
vibrant community, but in the heart of downtown South 260 units
San Francisco prolific developer Sares Regis Group of
Northern California has done just that with Cadence SSF, Cost:
a green luxury housing complex sitting on the site of a $108M
Co
former Ford dealership.

Sprawled across two acres, the property features twin Developer:
py
buildings with 260 apartments and unique amenities that Sares Regis
Group of
rig
include a dog spa, maker workshop, courtyard firepit,

Northern
a rooftop deck, Peloton bikes, electric vehicle charging
California
ht
stations and listening room with record player.

Situated off Highway 101 and steps from the new Cal- General
©
train station scheduled to open later this year, Cadence contractor:

is positioned for easy access to San Francisco and jobs
20
Devcon
in South City’s booming biotech hub. The nearby marina
20
and Grand Avenue shopping district offers a wide range of Architect:

recreational activities and shopping TCA Architects
Sares Regis has played a pivotal role in South City’s
Am
Landscape
housing boom, spearheading the first and largest devel-
architect:
opment in the city’s revitalization plan. Phase II is expect-
The Guzzardo
er
ed to add another 195 units bringing the total number Partnership

ica
of apartments to 455 by 2022. The developer has also

committed to making South San Francisco a world-class Structural
n
destination with community improvement projects like engineer:

financial contributions to the nearby Caltrain project and Nishkian-
Ci
the addition of community parks and stormwater infra- Menniger

ty
structure.
— Martine Paris Civil engineer:
Bu
Wilsey Ham
Law firm:
sin
Holland & Knight

CAROLYN SENG | SFBT
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
MASON ON MARIPOSA Address:

-N
1601 Mariposa St.,

DEVELOPMENT San Francisco
ot
Size:
The picturesque village of Mason on Mariposa, nestled 299 units
for
amidst 3.36 sunny acres in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill, is

a testament to how communities can flourish. Cost:
co
The brainchild of developer Related California, the $222M

project adds 299 much-needed units to the neighbor-
mm
hood, with 60 set aside at below market rents. Mason on Developer:

Mariposa also adds 10,000 square feet of retail space to Related California
the 18th Street corridor.
er
General
Where once there was a concrete parking lot, ware-
contractor:
cia
house and offices, now thrives a greenway where three GL Builders

four-story buildings now stand amid landscaping, wildlife
lu
and Japanese cherry blossom trees. The roof deck offers a Architect:
panorama of downtown San Francisco, spanning from the David Baker +
se
Bay Bridge all the way to the Design District. Partners (Design)
Related’s willingness to working with the community / Ankrom Moisan
on design and benefits arrangements helped the project Architects
move smoothly forward in a neighborhood not known for
being friendly to new development. Engineer:
DCI Engineers
“We don’t have to create a neighborhood feel because
it already exists,” Related California’s Bill Witte said upon
unveiling the project.
Amenities include a gym, coworking space, a lobby
with a lounge and library, conference rooms, party room
with a large kitchen, outdoor barbecues, bike parking, the
rooftop deck and access to Hello Alfred, a butler service
that includes weekly cleaning. Even Fido and the kids are
provided for with a pet spa and playroom.
— Martine Paris
BINYAN STUDIOS
Co
py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Am
er
ica
n Ci
ty
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
RELATED CALIFORNIA DAVID BAKER ARCHITECTS | TENDERLOIN NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORP.
THE AVERY RESIDENTIAL 222 TAYLOR ST.

ot
Address: Address:
420-488 222 Taylor St.,
DEVELOPMENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING
for
Folsom St., San Francisco

San Francisco
Cost:
co
One of the most striking additions to an increasingly Size: Few areas of San Francisco have felt the bite of the city’s $52M
crowded neighborhood of high-rises, Related California’s 548 units affordable housing crisis more strongly than the Tender-
mm
Avery development not only makes an impression with its loin. The 113-unit affordable housing complex at 222 Taylor Developer:
sheer sculpted glass face, but for its emphasis on creating Cost: $600M St. is a shining example of what is possible despite the Tenderloin
challenges that have beset development in the city. Neighborhood
er
a diverse community in a city where that’s increasingly rare.

With its tower soaring 56 stories, it is the newest and Developer: The complex was praised for its community focus and Development
cia
Related California bold design when it finally opened in summer 2019. But Corp.
largest mixed-income, mixed-use development in the
city. Located in the heart of the Transbay District, just two the fact it took 11 years to reach that point says a lot about
General
lu
General
blocks from the Salesforce Tower, The Avery provides the challenges of delivering housing projects in San Fran-
contractor: contractor:
548 units to a diverse set of dwellers. Its residential mix cisco, especially those meant for the people most in need.
se
Webcor Builders Cahill

includes 118 premium condos, 280 luxury rentals, and 150 Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp. (TNDC) Contractors
below-market rate apartments for low-income families, Architect: originally bought the former parking lot spot on the cor-
which were created in partnership with the Tenderloin OMA, ner of Eddy and Taylor for $10 million back in 2008. Plans Architect:
Neighborhood Development Corp. The amenities list is Fougeron for a 15-story residential tower were shelved when the David Baker
vast with unique offerings that include a private movie Architecture, financial crisis saw funding disappear and it wasn’t until Architects
theater, lap pool, chef’s table, business center and restor- HKS 2015 that a smaller, eight-story plan was approved.
TNDC spent years trying to secure private investment Engineer:
ative meditation spaces.
Engineer: Cahill
The complex spans three buildings, offers 17,000 for a mixed-income development but it was money from
Magnusson Contractors
square feet of retail on Avery Lane with diagonal passage California’s carbon emission cap-and-trade program that
Klemencic
between Clementina and Fremont streets, and is fronted ultimately saw the development greenlit. Affordable hous- Law firm:
Associates
by a sculpture by acclaimed Berlin artist Alicja Kwade ing projects often face labor and sustainability costs that Gubb
which produces an optical illusion of dimensionality, in- Interior market-rate developments can sidestep. The challenge at & Barshay LLP
tending to give passersby a sense of scale of the universe. designer: 222 Taylor was to deliver quality housing without scrimp-
While the transit center serves as the focal point of the Clodagh Design ing on cost while respecting the local community.
neighborhood, new housing projects like the Avery have The result? With its high ceilings, marble worktops,
been springing up for several years, transforming the courtyard and rooftop urban farm, the complex is an
district from a city plan to a real neighborhood and center invaluable contribution to the San Francisco housing
of gravity in SoMa. market.
— Martine Paris — Simon Campbell
MAY 15, 2020 51
17TH & BROADWAY Address:

447 17th St.,
DEVELOPMENT Oakland
Size:
Towering over downtown Oakland, 17th & Broadway shim- 254 units
mers as one of the tallest buildings ever to grace the city’s
skyline. A world-class luxury residence that has broken re- Cost:
cords for some of Oakland’s highest apartment rents, the $200M
Co
34-story high rise at 447 17th St. offers its 254 apartments
a range of curated amenities for professionals seeking a Developer:
respite from the urban bustle below. Lennar
py
Developer Lennar Multifamily Communities (LMC) saw Multifamily

Communities
rig
the site as ideal to build at scale near ample transit and

a growing job center and urban nightlife destination. In General
ht
collaboration with architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz, the contractor:

developers worked to craft a unique project with design Build Group
©
touches like brass accents, work from local Oakland

Architect:
20
artists and unusual touches like wallpaper in the mailroom

that resembles newspaper print. Solomon
20
Amenities include sparkling pools on a sunlit roof deck, Cordwell Buenz

a climbing wall in the gym and a barber shop-themed
dog wash. The open-air lounge features a fire pit and Engineer:
Am
Magnusson
barbeque grill, and there are intimate nooks throughout
Klemencic
the community penthouse that include a game room Associates
er
with billiards and shuffleboard and a chair swing where

ica
dwellers can kick back and enjoy panoramic cityscapes. Law firm:
For those working from home, 17th & Broadway includes a Pelosi Law Group
n
vibrant coworking space, private conference rooms, and a

top-floor ballroom available for rent as an event space.
Ci
17th & Broadway represents a big bet from LMC on the

ty
potential of Oakland that signals the city’s emergence as

a cosmopolitan location with a distinct personality all its
Bu
own.
— Martine Paris
sin
JEAN-PAUL TOSHIRO | LENNAR MULTIFAMILY COMMUNITIES

es
sJ
RESIDENTIAL SALE | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR

ou
rn
als
BLU HARBOR Address:

1 Blu Harbor Blvd,
-N
RESIDENTIAL SALE Redwood City

ot
Size:
The $325.62 million sale of the 1 Blu Harbor apartment 402 units
for
community in Redwood City was one of the biggest resi-

dential transactions on the Peninsula last year. Price:
GID, a Boston-based investment firm purchased $326M
co
Blu Harbor from Pauls Corp. and Fortress Investment

Buyers:
mm
Group. The size of the deal for the 402-unit, one, two and
three-bedroom complex underlines the area’s market GID
demand.
Sellers:
er
Redwood City has emerged as a hub for some of

Pauls Corp.
cia
Silicon Valley’s most innovative companies in recent years and Fortress

with Oracle, Electronic Arts and Box calling the city home. Investment
It has become an attractive place for young, affluent
lu
Group
people seeking space in the crowded Bay Area housing
se
market. Brokers:
Sitting on approximately two thirds of a mile of Pen- Newmark
insula waterfront, Blu Harbor features a host of aquatic Knight Frank
amenities including a saltwater pool, 64-berth marina and
complimentary kayaks. Blu Harbor’s proximity to Highway
101 is ideal for San Francisco or Silicon Valley commutes
while the 3,000-acre Bair Island State Marine Park offers
abundant natural tranquility.
GID has approximately $15 billion of assets including
Bay Area apartment complexes in San Francisco, San
Jose, Oakland, Dublin, Pleasanton, Pleasant Hill, Sunny-
vale and Fremont.
— Simon Campbell
BLU HARBOR
INDUSTRIAL LEASE | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR
UPS LEASE AT Address:

5588 Cushing
PACIFIC COMMONS Parkway,
Fremont
When Conor Commercial Real Estate and American Realty Size:

Advisors wrapped up their industrial facility in Fremont on 814,901 sq. ft.
spec in 2019, the LEED Silver building was clearly de-
signed for package deliveries. Landlord:
Conor
Co
After all, it included more than 1,000 parking spaces,

a 36-foot clear height, 141 dock-high doors and 183 trailer Commercial
parking stalls. The building at 5588 Cushing Parkway is Real Estate and
py
part of the 42-acre Pacific Commons Industrial Center American Realty

Advisors
rig
near Highway 880 and the new BART Warm Springs Fre-
mont station. Tenant:
ht
In October, the landlords signed on shipping giant UPS

United Parcel Service in major lease for 814,901 square
©
feet that ranks as the largest speculative industrial Landlord

brokers:
20
building deal in the Bay Area. Beginning in January 2020,

the 10-year lease will help meet the growing demand for Rob Shannon,
20
e-commerce same-day delivery in the region. Chip Sutherland

“Pacific Commons was designed to offer many logis- and Doug Norton
tical advantages for its tenant,” John Dobrott, president with CBRE
Am
of industrial for Conor Commercial Real Estate, said in a

Tenant brokers:
statement. Jeff Huberman
er
Conor Commercial purchased the Pacific Commons and Craig

ica
property in 2017 and worked closely with the city of Hagglund of

Fremont on entitling the former Cisco Systems site to de- Lee & Associates
n
velop the industrial center. Construction on 5588 Cushing

Parkway began in mid-2018 and was completed in the fall
Ci
of 2019. McShane Construction Co. was the project’s gen-

ty
eral contractor and HPA Architecture was the architect.

— Christine Kilpatrick
Bu
sin
DANIEL GAINES
es
sJ
EDUCATION REHAB | REAL ESTATE DEALS OF THE YEAR

ou
rn
als
ALAMEDA HIGH SCHOOL Address:

2200 Central
RENOVATION
-N
Ave., Alameda
ot
The restoration of Alameda High School not only reinstat- Size:

ed a historic landmark to its original grandeur and made it 100K sq. ft.
for
seismically safe, but it also brought the buildings into the

Cost:
modern age.
$57M
co
Originally constructed in 1924, the 100,000-square-

foot, multistory neoclassical school is listed on the Nation- Developer:
mm
al Register of Historic Places. Due to seismic concerns, Alameda Unified

1978 was the last time students used the campus. School District
er
With considerable restoration and seismic upgrades

needed to combat liquefiable soils and weak structural General
cia
connections, the $57 million cost was an initial hurdle. contractor:

But city leaders and community activists rallied support Lathrop
lu
for the project, leading to the passage in 2014 of Bond Construction

Associates
Measure I, which provided much of the money needed
se
to restore the school rather than demolish and replace it. Architect:
The seismic retrofit and modernization began May 2017. Quattrocchi
Project architect Quattrocchi Kwok Architects carefully Kwok Architects
balanced preserving the original buildings’ exteriors and
main lobbies while designing the classroom and function- Engineer:
al spaces to be more contemporary and technologically ZFA Structural
up to date for the school’s 1,800 students. The meticulous Engineers
restoration included 350 wood windows, 600 tons of new
steel bracing and 1,200 cubic yards of soil grout injection District’s
law firm:
for stabilization.
Orbach Huff
Finishing in time for the 2019-20 school year, it’s now Suarez &
being used by students for the first time in four decades. Henderson LLP
— Julia Cooper
TIM MALONEY | TECHNICAL IMAGERY STUDIOS

MAY 15, 2020 53
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE PA I D A DV E RT I S I N G
NEW HIRE NEW HIRE NEW HIRE
Pamela Raumer Dr. Sandra Schmid Joel Williams

Assistant Vice President, Marketing Chief Scientific Officer Project Manager
Chicago Deferred Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Quattrocchi Kwok Architects
Exchange Company Dr. Sandra Schmid has been Quattrocchi Kwok Architects
Pamela Raumer joins Chicago named as the first Chief (QKA), a leading planning and
Deferred Exchange Company Scientific Officer at the Chan design firm serving Northern
as Assistant Vice President Zuckerberg Biohub, a nonprofit California’s education sector,
of Marketing responsible for research organization setting has named Joel Williams to head
marketing CDEC services to law the standard for collaborative its Pleasanton office as project
firms, real estate companies, science. The CZ Biohub is also manager and studio lead. His 15
Co
CPA firms, commercial brokers, pleased to announce that years of experience — including
title companies and investors in Dr. Schmid has been elected over a decade specializing in
py
Northern California/San Francisco Bay Area. Raumer has 20 to the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Schmid joins the high-performance public and private school projects — range
years of sales and marketing experience in financial services. CZ Biohub staff from the University of Texas, Southwestern in scale from university master plans to small classroom
rig
She brings to CDEC expertise in branding, event planning, Medical Center, where she served as Chair of the renovations and integrate recycled and renewable resource
communications, and business development. Department of Cell Biology. strategies with innovative structural solutions.
ht
©
NEW HIRE NEW HIRE PROMOTION

20
Ryan Hauck Sandy Mendler Matt Rossie

Director Education Practice Area Leader Chief Operating Officer
20
Harvest Properties Inc. Gensler Webcor

Ryan joined Harvest Properties’ Sandy Mendler joins Gensler as San Francisco-based general
Am
development team in April 2020 the Regional Education Practice contractor Webcor elevated
as Director where he will leverage Area Leader. A nationally longtime company leader Matt
his experience in residential and recognized architect, planner Rossie to chief operating officer
er
mixed-use development and and design industry thought and member of the Board of
construction to oversee and leader, Sandy creates innovative Directors. As COO, Rossie leads
ica
implement the firm’s diverse range new models for buildings, Webcor’s executive management
of projects across the Bay Area. campuses and neighborhoods. and operational functions.
n
Prior to working at Harvest, Ryan Her projects include dynamic Rossie has served in numerous
served as Regional Vice President at Lennar Homes, overseeing workplaces for collaborative research and student centered, executive leadership roles at Webcor since joining in 2001, most
Ci
all day-to-day development execution for several high-profile, experiential learning. Through writing, public speaking and recently as senior vice president and member of the executive
ty
complex projects including Hunters Point Shipyard and Treasure projects, she is a passionate advocate for design that meets team. Rossie has successfully overseen some of Webcor’s
Island in San Francisco. the urgent challenges of health, climate and equity. largest and most complex projects.
Bu
sin
TO SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION: James Beckner | [email protected] | 415.288.4930

es
sJ
ou
rn
Get the Visibility Your

als
Company Deserves
-N
ot
for
co
mm
BizSpotlight
er
cia
A MULTI-CHANNEL PRESS RELEASE

lu
se
Announce your company’s news, awards, press releases & more
Tell your story with up to 5000 characters Include a call-to-action link to drive results
Include your logo & image of your choice Guaranteed promotion in print & online
Invest in Your Company

LEARN MORE AT sanfranciscobusinesstimes.com/bizspotlight
OR CONTACT: James Beckner | [email protected] | 415.288.4930

Compiled by Ahalya Srikant

415-288-4962, @AhalyaSrikant
[email protected]
AI COMPANIES IN THE GREATER BAY AREA R CLOSER LOOK

RANKED BY VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDING RECEIVED IN 2019
Sum of
11
Companies in San
Co
Business name Address equity Investment

Website Phone or email invested Sample of investors stage Business description Top local executive Francisco, the most of any
city on the List, followed by
py
100 California St. Accel Partners & Co. Inc., two companies each in:
1 Segment San Francisco, CA 94111
$175
e.ventures, GV Management Expansion Customer data platform Peter Reinhardt, CEO
segment.com million
415-603-6900 Co. LLC
Menlo Park
rig
SambaNova Systems 2100 Geng Rd. Atlantic Bridge Ventures, GV

Mountain View
$141.6 Platform to run computing
2 Inc. Palo Alto, CA 94303 Management Co. LLC, Intel Early stage Rodrigo Liang, CEO Palo Alto
ht
million systems
sambanova.ai 650-263-1153 Capital Corp. Redwood City
Sunnyvale
©
305 Main St. Battery Ventures LP, Franklin Provides cloud-based

3 Sumo Logic Inc. Redwood City, CA 94063
$110
Templeton, Investimentos Later stage machine data analytics
Ramin Sayar,
57%
sumologic.com million President/CEO
650-810-8700 Brasil Ltd. service
20
814 Mission St. Sequoia Capital Operations

Gong IO Ltd.
20
$105 Conversation intelligence

4 gong.io
San Francisco, CA 94103
million
LLC, Wing Venture Partners Expansion
platform for sales
Amit Bendov, CEO Of companies surveyed by
650-276-3068 LP the Consumer Technology
Association did not expect
Am
Moveworks Inc. 909 San Rafael Ave.

$105
Lightspeed Management Provides cloud based AI to displace any of their
5 moveworks.com
Mountain View, CA 94043
million
Company LLC, Sapphire Early stage artificial intelligence (AI) Bhavin Shah, CEO workers in the next five
[email protected] Ventures LLC platform
years
er
8 Homewood Pl.
6 Globality Inc. Menlo Park, CA 94025
$100 SoftBank Investment
Early stage Business consultancy services Joel Hyatt, CEO
ica
globality.com million Advisers

650-352-8900
NEW LIST: This is a
Accel Partners & Co. Inc., new list this year, ranking
n
303 2nd St.

7 Scale AI Inc. San Francisco, CA 94107
$100 Coatue Management LLC,
Early stage Data annotation Alexandr Wang, CEO companies in the artificial
scale.com million Founders Fund, Index
415-382-9382
Ci
Ventures SA intelligence space.

ty
548 Market St. General Catalyst Partners Provides artificial intelligence

8 Grammarly Inc. San Francisco, CA 94105
$90
LLC, Institutional Venture Later stage (AI)-enabled digital writing Brad Hoover, CEO
Data is provided by Refinitiv
grammarly.com NR
million
Partners assistant. and ranked companies
Bu
in the categories of:

2307 Leghorn St.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, artificial intelligence
9 H2O AI Inc. Mountain View, CA 94043
$72.5 Nexus Venture Partners, Ping
Early stage
Open source parallel
Sri Satish Ambati, CEO related software, expert
sin
h2o.ai million An Life Insurance Company of processing prediction engine

650-227-4572
China Ltd. systems, natural language,
computer-aided instruction,
575 Market St. artificial intelligence
es
10 Medallia Inc. San Francisco, CA 94105

$70
Undisclosed firm Later stage
Provides a customer Leslie Stretch,
programming aids, other
medallia.com million experience platform President/CEO
650-321-3000 artificial intelligence related
sJ
fields.
288 7th St.
11 Bolt Financial Inc. San Francisco, CA 94103
$68 Activant Capital Group LLC,
Early stage
Financial software
Ryan Breslow, CEO
million Tribe Capital Partners LLC development company ABOUT THE LIST
ou
bolt.com 800-265-8053
This List includes artificial
intelligence companies in
rn
1154 Sonora Ct. Bain Capital Venture Partners

12 Clari Inc. Sunnyvale, CA 94086
$60
LLC, Lehman Brothers Expansion Auto lock systems Andy Byrne, CEO Alameda, Contra Costa,
clari.com million
650-265-2111 Venture Partners LP Marin, Napa, San Francisco,
als
San Mateo, Santa Clara,

GV Management Co. LLC, Solano and Sonoma
116 New Montgomery St.
12 Harness Inc. San Francisco, CA 94105
$60 Institutional Venture
Expansion
Providing a delivery-as-a-
Jyoti Bansal, CEO counties that received
harness.io million Partners, Menlo Ventures, service platform
-N
[email protected] venture capital funding in

ServiceNow Ventures
Caixa Capital BV, e.ventures, 2019.
2 Embarcadero Ctr.
Unbabel Inc. $60 Faber Ventures, FundersClub
ot
12 unbabel.com
million Inc., Greycroft Partners LLC,
Expansion Human translation platform Vasco Pedro, CEO
WANT TO BE
415-786-7846
Indico Capital Partners
ON THE LIST?
for
18780 Cox Ave. LG Electronics Inc., Motorola If you wish to be surveyed

15 Mojo Vision Inc. Saratoga, CA 95070
$58
Solutions Venture Capital, Early stage Smart contact lens Drew Perkins, CEO when The List is next
mojo.vision million
408-370-7303 StartX updated, or if you wish to
co
be considered for other

LeanTaaS Inc. 469 El Camino Real
$54 Health care technology Mohan Giridharadas, Lists, email your contact
16
mm
Santa Clara, CA 95050 Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Later stage information to Ahalya
leantaas.com million software CEO
650-409-3247
Srikant at asrikant@
bizjournals.com.
530 Howard St. Andreessen Horowitz LLC,
Sisu Data Inc. $52.58 Provides diagnostic platform
er
17 sisu.ai
million
Green Bay Advisors LLC, New Early Stage
for structured data
Peter Bailis, CEO
NEED A COPY OF THE
[email protected] Enterprise Associates Inc.
LIST?
cia
1263 Connecticut St. Bain Capital Venture Partners For information on

18 Ike Robotics Inc. San Francisco, CA 94107
$52
LLC, Basis Set Ventures LLC, Startup/Seed Trucking technology Alden Woodrow, CEO obtaining commemorative
million
lu
ikerobotics.com NR Fontinalis Partners LLC plaques, reprints or web

permissions, contact Lacey
8VC, Andreessen Horowitz
se
OpenGov 955 Charter St.

$51 LLC, JC2 Ventures LLC,
Expansion
Business intelligence and Zachary Bookman, Patterson at 415-288-
19 opengov.com
Redwood City, CA 94063
million Weatherford Capital
Buyout/
transparency software CEO 4961, or at lpatterson@
650-336-7167 Acquisition
Management LLC bizjournals.com.
3000 El Camino Real Bunge Ventures, Chevron
20 Orbital Insight Inc. Palo Alto, CA 94306 $50
Technology Ventures LLC, Expansion Geospatial big data company James Crawford, CEO WANT TO SEE OUR FULL
orbitalinsight.com million
650-353-2060 Clearvision Ventures LISTS ONLINE?
To see this and other lists
Coatue Management LLC, online (often including more
6201 America Center Dr.
21 AppZen Inc. San Jose, CA 95002
$50 Lightspeed Management
Expansion Back office automation Anant Kale, CEO listings and information
appzen.com million Company LLC, Redpoint
408-647-5253 not shown in print),
Ventures
visit bizjournals.com/
Saama Technologies 900 E. Hamilton Ave.
$40 sanfrancisco/datacenter/
22 Inc. Campbell, CA 95008
million
Perceptive Advisors LLC Later stage Big data services Suresh Katta, CEO
lists.
saama.com 408-371-1900
1391 Los Arboles Ave. Andreessen Horowitz LLC,

22 Applied Intuition Inc. Sunnyvale, CA 94087
$40
Floodgate Fund LP, General Early stage
Software development
Qasar Younis, CEO
appliedintuition.com million company
NR Catalyst Partners LLC
929 Market St. BMW i Ventures LLC, Provides technology that

24 Zendrive Inc. San Francisco, CA 94103
$37
HearstLab, Nyca Partners, Expansion measures and describes Jonathan Matus, CEO
zendrive.com million
NR Sherpa Capital, Signalfire LLC driver behavior
855 Oak Grove Ave.

25 One Concern Inc. Menlo Park, CA 94025
$36.56 New Enterprise Associates
Early stage
Software to detect natural
Ahmad Wani, CEO
oneconcern.com million Inc. disasters
650-272-9317
MAY 15, 2020 55
FOCUS ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
MAJOR
LEAGUES
Co
py
PUT AI ON
rig
ht
©
ROSTER
20
20
Am
to customer’s questions, whereas

er
Conversica’s virtual intelligent virtual assistants can ini-

ica
tiate conversations with customers,

assistants help keep as well as respond to their queries.
n
sports fanatics engaged In 80% of the cases, Conversica’s

Ci
intelligent virtual assistants will

use email to communicate with
ty
BY DAWN KAWAMOTO customers and about a third of the

Bu
[email protected] recipients will continue the conver-

sation, Kaminski noted. The other
sin
If you’re a sports fan, chances are 20% of the cases rely on text mes-
you’ve received an email or text sage conversations, he said.
es
from a major league team on any- Currently, the 13-year-old com-

thing from how to get ticket refunds pany does not have a voice-to-text
sJ
for canceled games to what players offering for its virtual assistants, but
ou
are doing during this Covid-19-in- it is exploring different communi-

duced lockdown. cation capabilities its IVAs can sup- GETTY IMAGES | SFBT ILLUSTRATION
rn
Those are just some of the tasks port yet still provide a human-like
“The teams
als
undertaken by Foster City-based experience. year’s seasons due to Covid-19. The penetration rate into US profession-
Conversica’s AI-based intelligent When it comes to clients in the enticements offered by the virtual sports teams, that segment only
virtual assistants (IVA), which work customer relationship manage- aren’t al assistant may range from season represents over 2% of its total cus-
-N
with approximately 30 major league ment (CRM) arena where Conver- using AI ticket packages to options for secur- tomer base.
sports teams. Founded in 2007, the sica supports marketing and sales ing tickets for next season. The rest of the company’s cus-
ot
company generated nearly $31.8 customers, many are asking for to replace Conversica’s AI virtual assis- tomers include printer company
human
for
million in revenue in 2018, accord- voice-to-text. tants also contact major league Epson America, enterprise software
ing to the Business Times’ Fast 100 “It will be a significant area in the ticket holders en masse for real- maker Oracle, and health care com-
jobs but
co
edition last year. And from 2018 to future,” said Ilona Hansen, a senior time ticket exchanges for canceled pany Sutter Health. Conversica’s
2019, the company’s revenues have director at research firm Gartner. to free up games or games likely to be post- intelligent virtual assistants reach
mm
grown 31.3%, according to Conversi- poned. The assistants can handle out to potential clients using emails
ca, which has more than 140 employ- A full court press
humans both single-ticket exchanges and or texts to help a sales team land a
from the
er
ees at its headquarters and offices in Conversica’s major league cus- more complicated ticket packages. deal from scheduling appointments
Seattle and Bellingham, Washington. tomers include the NBA basketball “Teams also use the AI virtual or determine how interested a pro-
grunt
cia
Across the nation, 20% of pro- teams Sacramento Kings, Orlando assistants to reach out to fans and spective user may be in buying
fessional sports teams are using Magic, Denver Nuggets, and NHL work ...” inform them of what is happening products or services.
lu
Conversica to market tickets, sea- hockey teams Washington Capitals with the team, so when the games “Conversica is a pioneer in the
se
son passes, and events — and, more and Colorado Avalanche. The Kings resume the fans will be excited,” IVA space. They’ve been successful
recently keep fans engaged and marked the first team to join Con- Kaminski said. “Some teams use and have been on Gartner’s radar
informed as seasons have been can- versica approximately two years ago this opportunity to make offers like for the past five years,” Hansen said.
celed or put on ice. But even before and the most recent team joined in free parking or reduced prices on She noted that while Conversi-
Covid-19, Conversica has been January of this year. merchandise at the stadium.” ca is growing fast, industry giants
working with major league teams “The teams aren’t using AI to A fourth way teams deploy Con- Oracle, SAP and Microsoft are mov-
for more than two years. replace human jobs but to free up versica’s AI virtual assistants is to ing into its market and presenting a
humans from the grunt work to keep fans up to date and conversa- potential challenge for the company.
How it works do more tactical kinds of work,” BRIAN tion flowing on upcoming events However, Hansen noted that
“Our virtual assistants provide two- Kaminski said. KAMINSKI, such as virtual parties with team it’s difficult for industry giants
way communications between the The major league teams typi- Chief customer members. to embed new technologies, like
officer, Conversica
teams and the fans. They can initi- cally use Conversica’s IVAs to per- “Many times the ROI is north of AI-based intelligent virtual assis-
ate conversations and then follow form one or more of every four tasks 10 times on revenue for the team tants, into their core technology.
with more conversations,” Brian since Covid-19 hit, Kaminski said. versus the cost of leveraging our “If they can stay ahead of
Kaminski, chief customer officer One use is driving interest among service,” Kaminski said. the giants and add more features
of Conversica, told me in a recent season ticket holders to purchase like voice-to-text that will help
interview. He noted traditional another season package for next A look into Conversica them to continue to deliver,” Han-
chatbots are largely used to respond year, despite having lost out on this Although Conversica has a healthy sen noted.
Compiled by Julia Cooper

415-288-4958, @SFBIZJuliaC
[email protected]
CYBERSECURITY COMPANIES IN THE GREATER BAY AREA

RANKED BY NUMBER OF GREATER BAY AREA CYBERSECURITY EMPLOYEES
R CLOSER LOOK
2020 Bay Area Year
Business name/Prior rank Address cybersecurity Companywide Description of cybersecurity business or founded Top local
Co
58
Website Phone employees employees services locally executive(s)
Palo Alto Networks 3000 Tannery Way Security company that helps organizations
py
Nikesh Arora,
1 Inc. 1 Santa Clara, CA 95054 2,0001 7,0142 prevent cyber breaches; provides firewalls, 2005
Chairman/CEO
paloaltonetworks.com 408-753-4000 endpoint security, SaaS security Number of companies
included in the online
rig
899 Kifer Rd.

2 Fortinet Inc.
fortinet.com
* Sunnyvale, CA 94086 1,0003 7,082
Secures enterprise, service provider and
government organizations
2000
Ken Xie, Chairman/
CEO
version of this List
ht
408-235-7700
Want to see all 58 companies
892 Ross Dr. Helps companies stop targeted threats, online? Visit bizjournals.com/
Proofpoint Inc.
©
3 proofpoint.com
2 Sunnyvale, CA 94089 900 3,600 safeguard data and make their users more 2002 Gary Steele, CEO sanfrancisco/datacenter/lists
408-517-4710 resilient against cyber attacks
20
WE ASKED: What steps

101 Townsend St. Security, performance, and reliability should companies be
4 Cloudflare Inc. 6 San Francisco, CA 94107 578 1,267 company that protects and accelerates 2009 Matthew Prince, CEO
cloudflare.com taking to educate their
20
888-993-5273 Internet applications online

workforce about Covid-
Produces business and consumer products to 19-related cyberattacks?
2821 Mission College Blvd.
5 McAfee 3 Santa Clara, CA 95054 488 6,876
secure computers, endpoints, networks and
1987 Peter Leav, CEO
Am
mcafee.com the cloud from viruses, malware and other

888-847-8766
security threats “Teaching employees what
to do about phishing emails.
601 McCarthy Blvd.
6 FireEye Inc. 5 Cybersecurity technology, intelligence and The answer is not ‘be careful
er
Milpitas, CA 95035 448 3,386 2004 Kevin Mandia, CEO

fireeye.com services
408-321-6300 what you click on’ and it’s
not to make employees the
ica
Barracuda Networks 3175 Winchester Blvd. last (or only) line of defense
7 Inc. 7 Campbell, CA 95008 390 1,538 Cloud-enabled security and data protection 2003 BJ Jenkins, CEO — instead, employees should
888-268-4772
n
barracuda.com know exactly who to forward

suspicious emails to or what
Ci
120 Holger Way Helps organizations create fast, secure

8 Zscaler 8 San Jose, CA 95134 388 1,819 connections between users and applications, 2007 Jay Chaudhry, CEO action to take if they suspect
zscaler.com 408-533-0288 regardless of device, location or network a phishing attack.”
ty
Provides coverage for web browsers, mobile — Dylan Tweney, VP of

2445 Augustine Dr. 3rd Fl.
9 Netskope Inc. 10 apps and services, as well as synchronization communications and
Bu
Santa Clara, CA 95054 350 1,050 2012 Sanjay Beri, CEO

netskope.com 800-979-6988
clients that access the cloud for data and research, Valimail
service
Unified network visibility and analytics on all “Employee cyber hygiene.
sin
3300 Olcott St.

10 Gigamon Inc. 9 Santa Clara, CA 95054 350 975
information in motion, from raw packets to
2004 Paul Hooper, CEO This includes making
gigamon.com apps, across physical, virtual and cloud
408-831-4000 sure they are set up with
infrastructure
es
multi-factor authentication
2755 Augustine Dr. 8th Fl. Provides omnichannel protection for web
11 Shape Security
shapesecurity.com
* Santa Clara, CA 95054 300 400 applications, mobile applications and API 2011 Derek Smith, CEO (MfA), using good password
managers such as iPassword,
sJ
650-399-0400 interfaces
and are instructed to
Enterprise security with a mobile-centric
MobileIron4 490 E. Middlefield Rd.
platform built on the foundation of unified Simon Biddiscombe, disconnect from the
12 4
ou
Mountain View, CA 94043 280 865 2007 corporate VPN when no

mobileiron.com endpoint management to secure access and CEO
650-919-8100
protect data longer in use, allowing the
rn
Burt Podbere, CFO corporate IT infrastructure

Mike Carpenter, more room to breathe.
CrowdStrike Holdings Cloud-delivered endpoint protection;
150 Mathilda Pl. #300 President, global
als
leverages AI to offer visibility and protection

13 Inc. 11 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 274 2,487
across the enterprise and prevent attacks on
2011 sales Employees should make sure
crowdstrike.com 888-512-8906
endpoints
J.C. Herrera, Chief their home routers are up
human resources to date, secure with strong
officer
passwords and equipped
-N
2300 Orchard Pkwy. with WPA2 security or higher.

14 A10 Networks
a10networks.com
* San Jose, CA 95131
408-325-8668
260 800
Helps protect networks from cybersecurity
attacks that threaten network availability
2004
Dhrupad Trivedi,
President/CEO Encourage employees not
ot
to install new apps without

Check Point Software 959 Skyway Rd. #300 approval from IT; to be
Protection from cyberattacks, including
15 Technologies Ltd. 12 San Carlos, CA 94070 244 5,404 1993 Peter Alexander, CMO mindful of sharing online
for
malware and other types of threats

checkpoint.com 650-628-2000 meeting IDs and URLs on
social media; and to be on
1051 E. Hillsdale Blvd. 4th Fl. Security information and event management
Exabeam Inc. * the lookout for phishing
co
16 exabeam.com
Foster City, CA 94404 234 499 (SIEM) company that helps security teams 2013 Nir Polak, CEO
scams that can be spread via
844-392-2326 detect and respond to cyberattacks
text, email or social media.”
mm
2625 Broadway St. Offers products that protect people from — Aaron Zander, Head of IT,
17 Avast Software 15 Redwood City, CA 94063 145 1,800 threats on the internet and the IoT threat 2016
Gagan Singh, SVP/
HackerOne
avast.com Chief product officer
NR landscape
er
Prevents online fraud via a SaaS based ABOUT THE LIST

123 Mission St. #2000
18 Sift * San Francisco, CA 94105 135 200
platform that leverages learnings from
2011 Jason Tan, CEO This List includes
cia
siftscience.com billions of signals across its network to help

415-882-7709
companies assess fraud risk cybersecurity companies
located in the Greater Bay
3400 Bridge Pkwy. Area, which is defined as
Imperva Inc.
lu
19 imperva.com
13 Redwood Shores, CA 94065 130 1,066 Data security software 2003 Pam Murphy, CEO
Alameda, Contra Costa,
650-345-9000
Marin, Napa, San Francisco,
se
2540 N. 1st St. #300

Revenue protection — protects against fraud San Mateo, Santa Clara,
20 Signifyd 14 San Jose, CA 95131 115 244
and chargebacks; abuse protection — INR,
2011
Rajesh Ramanand, Solano and Sonoma
signifyd.com SNAD chargeback protection and friendly CEO
866-893-0777 counties.
fraud protection; payments compliance
1741 Technology Dr. #300

21 WhiteHat Security
whitehatsec.com
* San Jose, CA 95110
408-343-8300
112 367
Platform to secure applications that run
businesses
2001 Craig Hinkley, CEO
Information was
obtained from company
representatives. In case
275 Battery St. #200 of ties, companywide
22 Lookout
lookout.com
* San Francisco, CA 94111
415-281-2820
105 318 Mobile endpoint security for iOS and Android 2007 Jim Dolce, CEO employees was used as
secondary ranking criteria.
Marten Mickos, CEO HyTrust (ranked No. 18
22 4th St. 5th Fl. Connects organizations with a crowd of
23 HackerOne
hackerone.com
* San Francisco, CA 94103
415-891-0777
105 290 ethical hackers to find security vulnerabilities
before they can be exploited by criminals
2012
Alex Rice, CTO
Michiel Prins, Co-
on last year’s List) did not
respond to requests for
founder
information.
1194 N. Mathilda Ave. Security architecture delivers automated
24 Juniper Networks
juniper.net
* Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1206
888-586-4737
100 9,400 enforcement, increased visibility and cloud
protection to safeguard organizations
1996 Rami Rahim, CEO NEED A COPY
OF THE LIST?
201 Mission St. #2900 For information on obtaining
25 ForgeRock 17 San Francisco, CA 94105 90 620
Digital identity and access management
2012 Fran Rosch, CEO commemorative plaques,
forgerock.com software
415-599-1100 reprints or web permissions,
contact Lacey Patterson
1 Estimate as of November 2019. 4 MobileIron's Bay Area cybersecurity employee count was misreported as 600 on last year's List; it should
2 Employees as of July 31, 2019. have been 299.
at 415-288-4961, or at
3 Estimate of more than 1,000 employees. [email protected]
NOTES: * - did not rank. NR - not reported.

MAY 15, 2020 57
FOCUS ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
THREE
QUESTIONS
CYBERSECURITY’S
WHEN
USING AI
MAY NOT BE
NEWEST WEAPON SO SMART
Co
py
Artificial intelligence tech-

nology can be a big power
rig
play for businesses — im-

proving efficiency, cutting
ht
labor costs or wrangling

AI can fight for either huge amounts of data. AI
©
has been applied to nearly

side as cybersecurity
20
every industry, from retail

to biotech, and the current
arms race heats up
20
pandemic could strengthen

the trend further.
But the wisdom of using
Am
BY AHALYA SRIKANT AI depends heavily on the

[email protected] Mike Banic, VP Carolyn Alexander Mike Lloyd, Howie Xu, nature of the business, said
er
Vicky Lee, global chair-

of marketing Crandall, chief Garcia Tobar, CTO of RedSeal VP of AI and woman of the technology
ica
The world of cybersecurity is a war at Lookout deception CEO of Valimail machine sector at DLA Piper. Lee
between cybercriminals attacking officer and learning at spoke with me on the risks
n
company computers and the pro- CMO at Attivo Zscaler and rewards of using AI.
— Christine Kilpatrick
Ci
tective measures installed by secu- Networks

rity companies. And fighting on
ty
both sides of this battle is artificial either already known or which the A DOUBLE- ating system is. Lloyd points out
EDGED SWORD
Bu
intelligence. AI can discover.” that since networks are constant-

The use of AI is inevitable in the AI technology can work around Both cyber- ly changing and modifying, the AI
sin
cybersecurity space, said Mike Ban- the clock and provide security attackers and system can deliver an unnecessary
defenders see
ic, vice president of marketing at San teams with new insights because number of false positives of attacks
advantages to
es
Francisco cybersecurity firm Look- of the speed and scale on which it using artificial to just normal network growth.
out Inc. While Banic agrees that no operates and it can greatly reduce ... García-Tobar has noticed a sim-
sJ
intelligence in
current AI can replace a human er ... human error. It is growing and their efforts. ilar trend in the drawbacks of AI in
ou
being, the “asymmetric war” with changing for the better, according to the field. “Cybersecurity AI solu-
For attackers,
cybercriminals needs the speed of Howie Xu, vice president of AI and tions can also hinder analysis giv-
AI can ...
rn
a computer on its side. machine learning at Zscaler. en that attacks are highly varied Vicky Lee
RRMake attacks
als
“There aren’t enough trained “With the convergence of easy and usage patterns in larger com-
cheaper and What kinds of companies
professionals to throw at the chal- access to cloud computing and the more cost- panies aren’t consistent. This has a
are well suited for AI?
lenge. Tony Stark may be incredi- ability to integrate large datasets, effective tendency to create a large number
-N
Where there is a lot of

bly smart, but even he has Jarvis to we’re seeing the positive impacts of of false positives (alerts/alarms),” high-volume, recurring ac-
help him,” says Banic. “Cyber-at- AI increase,” Xu said. “Cybersecuri- RRHelp tweak he said. “AI solutions need to con- tivity. I worked with a client
ot
attacks to slip implementing an AI solu-

tackers are business people, so they ty firms are a lot better at handling stantly be trained since the facts on
around new tion where they were laying
for
will employ AI techniques to reduce ‘unknown threats.’ For instance, a software updates the ground are constantly shifting.”
fabric on machines to cut
their costs and increase their profit. malware that has never appeared García-Tobar sees AI-based the fabric for apparel. At
For defenders,
co
You can’t win an arms race by sit- in the past, a web host that has just cybersecurity as “positioned as a tech companies, we see (AI
ting on the sidelines.” created. AI technology can detect AI can ... supplemental technology, rather solutions) most often in in-
mm
As cybersecurity companies up and block this type of unknown RRManage huge than a complete replacement for house legal departments to
their current AI products, many threat effectively.” amounts of data human intelligence.” He believes manage contracts or track
and recognize large amounts of data.
er
cybercriminals use similar tech- But AI-cybersecurity is not a roles-based and policy-based solu-
patterns
nology to formulate their attacks, catch-all for threats the way it is tions will always be the foundation What companies might
cia
according to Carolyn Crandall, chief currently built. RRHelp eliminate of good cybersecurity. think twice about AI?
deception officer and CMO at Fre- “Current AI mechanisms human error AI is here to stay, and plays as Where a level of creativity
lu
mont-based Attivo Networks. (machine learning and deep learn- vital a role as search engines do in or humanity is involved.
RRPlay a In an HR context, one can
se
“Attackers will aggressively use ing) are good at spotting patterns our online lives, said Lloyd. “How- use AI tools to identify and
secondary
AI to quickly repackage attacks to that they have been trained to rec- role, but can’t ever, AI has been wildly over-hyped, optimize performance, but
stay one step ahead of signature and ognize, but are bad at novel pat- replace human with many people thinking we are I can’t see something that
the software updates that will be terns, despite vendor claims, and intelligence on the verge of independent, learn- spits out an automated
required to stop them,” according are hopeless at generalizing or finding machines that are creative, con- performance review form.
to Crandall. “AI-based behavioral ing root causes,” said Mike Lloyd, scious, or can generalize from pat- You decide that AI could
or pattern matching detection will CTO of Redseal. “So current AI can terns to draw new conclusions. work for your business.
require constant tuning and updat- be very useful for, say, anti-fraud, These dreams are similar to ideas What might go wrong?
ing to remain effective.” because people trying to defraud of jetpacks, or flying cars.” The implementation. If
Cybersecurity experts in the banks and websites often reinvent Such technology excels at spot- you spend a bunch of time
and money procuring an
field are in short supply, particu- the same basic ideas, and automa- ting patterns, especially well-es- AI solution but you haven’t
larly those specializing in AI cyber- tion can be taught to find these nee- tablished patterns, Lloyd said. “AI done the legwork to see
security, said Alexander García-To- dles in the vast haystacks of data we researchers, though,” he added, how it’s going to be imple-
bar, CEO of San Francisco-based generate.” “have said for about the last 50 years mented, you’ve just wasted
Vailimail. “AI technologies can be But AI cannot easily detect that we seem to be about 10 years a bunch of time and
money. If people are not
very useful when there’s enormous unknown attack signatures, Lloyd away from a breakthrough into gen- embracing the solution, it
amounts of data to parse, and that said, since it needs a programmed eral intelligence. It remains as elu- would be more difficult to
data is patterned in a way that is knowledge of what a normal oper- sive as it ever was.” get the data.
BIZLEADS
Information to build your business
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because of government ABOUT THIS SECTION Employment Consulting,

2269 Chestnut St. #125, San
94110.
closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Francisco 94123.
Jane Nguyen, Love Cheni,
READER’S GUIDE WHAT’S INSIDE 5332 Geary Blvd., San
our ability to bring you complete BizLeads Sharon Gill, Agentextra, Francisco 94121.
this issue and in the foreseeable future has The Business Leads is a collection of information Abstract of Judgments...................xx 891 Beach St., San Francisco Mysa Day Spa, 339a W.
been limited. We will make every effort to gathered from San Francisco area courthouses, Bankruptcies...................................xx 94109. Portal Ave., San Francisco
gather and run all data when it becomes government offices and informational Web sites. Civil Suits................................. 58, 59 Paul Younan, Claremont 94127.
Co
Group, 891 Beach St., San

available. Thank you for your understanding. We gather these public records so you can build Federal Tax Liens.............................xx Francisco 94109.
Left Space, 2055 Bryant St.,
San Francisco 94110.
your business. No matter what business you are in, Federal Tax Liens Released.............xx Doris Gilbert-Stieger, DGS Ronald Sperry, Maid In San
py
you can gain a competitive edge by reading the Mechanics’ Liens.............................. xx Development Group, 49 Francisco, 154 2nd Ave., San
Hoffman Ave., San Francisco
Business Leads. Find new and expanding businesses New Fictitious 94114.
Francisco 94118.
rig
and new customers. Find out the area’s commer- Heidi Imbus, Nannies by the
Names Registered............................ 58 BLG Registered Agent, 2181 Bay, 1240 Bush St. #11, San
cial and residential hot spots. Find clues about the Greenwich St., San Francisco
R R New Fictitious
The Crafted Prints, 325 State Tax Liens................................xx Francisco 94109.
ht
Birch St., Brentwood 94513. financial condition of your vendors, customers or 94123.
Names State Tax Liens Released................xx BLG Properties, 2181
Fogcutter Tours, 124 Benton
Jeff Finazzo, Insite competitors. Listings for each category may vary St., San Francisco 94112.
Registered Real Estate Transactions.................xx Greenwich St., San Francisco
©
Engineering, 506 Stratford

Way, Brentwood 94513.
from week to week because of information availabili- 94123.
ty and space constraints. GMFC Properties LLC, 2172 RR Civil Suits
20
CONTRA COSTA Jose Lepe, Lepe Engineering,

1608 Sunhill Ct., Martinez Chestnut St., San Francisco
COUNTY (Note: *Indicates listings are not available for this week.)
94553. 94123. SAN FRANCISCO
20
Plumbing Heroes Inc., 1191 COUNTY

MBA Structural Engineers Hoshinoya, 1740 Buchanan
Linden Dr., Concord 94520. St., San Francisco 94115.
Inc., 1717 N. California Blvd. Diego Sanchez vs.
Allison Blair, Nurtured #2A, Walnut Creek 94596. EMAIL EDITION Bistro Central Parc, 560 Monsanto Co./Wilbur-
Potential Teaching/Nurtured
Am
Central Ave., San Francisco Ellis Co. LLC/Wilbur-Ellis

Potential, 94 Sylvia Dr., Christy Dumlao, CCR To buy Leads information for San Francisco and more than 40 other markets, call 877-593-4157, Nutrition LLC, product
Consulting, 330 Mendocino 94117.
Pleasant Hill 94523.
Way, Discovery Bay 94505. or see bizjournals.com/leads. The information is available on disk or via e-mail and arrives earli- The Pig and Whistle, 2801
liability, case #CGCU20
Whitney Buschkoetter, 584250, 04/13/20.
er than the published version.
er
Robert Comeau, RC Geary Blvd., San Francisco

Wild Ruby, 512 El Cerrito Plz. 94118. Ecological Rights
Consulting Services, 4693
#215, El Cerrito 94531. Foundation vs. Staples
Brenda Cir., Concord 94521.
ica
Leslee Savvy, Savor-It Bar, Inc./BestBuy.com LLC/

Walnut Creek 1446 17th Ave. #3, San
John Elissiry, Garrison WobbleWorks Inc., toxic
Prosthodontics and Dental Francisco 94122.
Security Consulting, 1044 tort, case #CGCU20 584232,
Implants, 1802 San Miguel
n
Alicante Dr., Danville 94526. Sophia Smith, Butter & 04/24/20.

Dr., Walnut Creek 94596.
Grow in Real Estate, 5421 Trina Harvey, Seal Notary 1630 Challenge Dr. #A, Xiao-Hong Liang, Jasmine Deanna Tisone, Deanna Crumble, 2355 Chestnut St., Laurence Vinocur vs.
Ci
E-Manage Inc. dba Green Beaver Ln., Discovery Bay San Francisco 94123.
Services, 4464 Lone Tree Way Concord 94520. Fine Art Academy, 311 Balboa Tisone, 2949 Larkin St., San Best Buy Co. Inc./Canon
Planet Landscape, 2989 94505. #517, Antioch 94531. St., San Francisco 94118. Francisco 94109. Allyson Gwozdz, Curate USA Inc., toxic tort,
Eclipse Place, Brentwood Alexandra Anton, Adaptive
ty
Vineyards at Marsh Interiors, 59 Manzanita Ave., case #CGCU20 584233,

94513. Green Bay Locksmith, 110 Aging, 6210 Chattswood Dr., Paradise Cay Advisors BPS Agency, 3717 20th St.,
Creek, 1700 Trilogy Pkwy., San Francisco 94118. 04/24/20.
Hogan Ct., Walnut Creek Martinez 94553. Wealth Management & San Francisco 94110.
Lilia Crisostomo, Pineda’s Brentwood 94513. Klein Financial Corp./
Bu
94598. Insurance Services, 600 Andrew Steinberg, Small

Tree Service, 2925 Willow Blue Star Holistic Healing, Robin Mann, Green Designs, Westridge KFC Staff
Rd., San Pablo 94806. Prosper Development Earn & Learn, 1839 Ygnacio 1310 Tara Hills Dr. #B102, Montgomery St. #1600, San 71 29th St., San Francisco Works, 1113 Connecticut St.
Partners, 1037 Shary Cir. #C, Francisco 94111. #3, San Francisco 94107. Ownership Group LLC vs.
Valley Rd., Walnut Creek Pinole 94564. 94110.
David Austin, Law Offices Menlo Westridge Investors
sin
Concord 94518. 94598. 14th Street Oliveira Gold Hand Sanitizer, 950
of David M. Austin, 2836 Michael Morris, CMS Thomas Koren, PPE - SF Bay Member LLC/Menlo Capital
Bollinger Canyon Rd., San Walter Vann, Digital Canvas Software/ Chiropratic, 640 14th St. Area, 174 20th Ave. #305, Monterey Blvd., San Francisco Management LLC/Menlo
Training, 279 Avalon Cir.,
Ramon 94583. Movement Realtors, 3603 Assemblage Software, Office B, San Francisco San Francisco 94121. 94127. Capital Group LLC, breach
Pittsburg 94565.
es
Camino Ramon #200, San 3060 El Cerrito Plz. #241, El 94114. William Davis, Apex Office of contract, case #CGCU20
Andrew Smothers, Smothers Ramon 94583. Cerrito 94530. Irene Nelson, Irene Retain and Expand, 587
William Gee, Golden Gate Machines, 1609 Felton St., 584237, 04/27/20.
Legal, 1449 Treat Blvd. #814, Bean Wellness/Body 39th Ave., San Francisco
sJ
Walnut Creek 94597. Thomas Darnell, The San L.C. Fuller Jr., Teamfuller. Park Bed & Breakfast, 555 94121. San Francisco 94134. Sharon Aguila vs. City and
Francisco Sause, 1500 Brainstorming, 29 Acorn Ct.,
com, 1588 Fitzgerald Dr. Walnut Creek 94595. 20th Ave., San Francisco Bespoke Private Service County of San Francisco,
Ashley Provost Design Inc., Mellissa Ct., Antioch 94509. #271, Pinole 94564. 94121. Laura Mandracchia,
Agency, 3717 20th St., San employment discrimination,
1077 Shary Cir. #5, Concord Catherine Dieterich, Bridge Unsalted Butter, 1708 Filbert
ou
Brian Freeman, BFreedogs L.C. Fuller Jr., Emily Prescott, Prescott Francisco 94110. case #CGCU20 584239,
94518. to Inspire, 2201 Oakvale Rd., St. #4, San Francisco 94123.
Catering, 24830 Broadmore LCFFoundation.com, 1588 Law, 2269 Chestnut St. #125, 04/27/20.
Walnut Creek 94597. North Bend Designs, 2181 Scott Leung, Castle Notaries,
Jeselements LLC, 4882 Alro Ave., Hayward 94544. Fitzgerald Dr. #271, Pinole San Francisco 94123. Larry Wasserman vs.
270 Morningside Dr., San
rn
Ave., Concord 94521. 94564. Apex Analytical, 3994 Greenwich St., San Francisco Cisco Bros. Corp., breach
True Food Communion, Bend Law Group, 2181 94123. Francisco 94132.
Tradition and Tribe, 4800 2717 Carmen Ct., Pinole Arbolado Dr., Walnut Creek of contract, case #CGCU20
L.C. Fuller Jr., 24-7 Real Greenwich St., San Francisco
als
94598. The Sundance Association, Alan J. Blair Personnel 584244, 04/27/20.

Wolf Way, Concord 94521. 94564. Estate.com, 1588 Fitzgerald 94123.
1314 Noe St., San Francisco Services Inc., 214 Grant Ave.
DLC Group Inc., 5 Horten Melissa Thornton, Thornton Dr. #271, Pinole 94564. Tony Hoong, The CPA #350, San Francisco 94108. Complete Fabrications
Marvin Lovo, Mlovo Iron 94131.
Ct., Pleasant Hill 94523. Trade Resource Group, 926 Technology Services N Dude, 3346 Park Ridge Dr., Inc. vs. Hughes and Co.
Work, 259 Wheeler Ave., San AODocs, 650 California St.
Richmond 94806.
-N
Richard Ln., Danville 94526. More, 2149 Stewart Ave., Mouhamet Dia, KMD Construction Inc./Geoffrey
My Way Interment Francisco 94134. Fl. 4, San Francisco 94108.
Walnut Creek 94596. At Your Service Home International, 21606 Justco L. Weber/Priscilla C.
Specialties, 6300 Village 7 Eleven 38732A, 1050 Joel Talevi, Orange, 380 Hung, breach of contract,
Health Agency, 6300 Village Ln., Castro Valley 94552. Aquilmar Systems, 518
Pkwy., Dublin 94568. Laurel Rd., Oakley 94561. Norcal Cheer and Dance, Guerrero St., San Francisco case #CGCU20 584245,
Ashbury St., San Francisco
ot
3901 Walnut Creek Blvd. #B, Pkwy., Dublin 94568. Aristides Cisneros, Ariart
Siva Raja, Trislog, 304 Central Pharmacy, 2300 94103. 94117. 04/27/20.
Brentwood 94513. Multimedia & Design, 105
Pearlgrass Ln., San Ramon MacDonald Ave., Richmond SAN FRANCISCO Marche LLC, 100 Potrero Zurich American Insurance
Russia Ave., San Francisco Sundance Saloon, 1314 Noe
94582. 94804. Austin White, Stickz Music,
for
COUNTY Ave., San Francisco 94103. 94112. St., San Francisco 94131. Co./Levi’s Plaza T.I.C. vs.
Marcella Silva, LYVYB, Carol Worsdell, Carol R. 2154 Connie Ln., Oakley Exxact Corp., property
94561. Signz SF, 710 C St. #206, Medallion, 201 Folsom St., Jessica Weikers, Fog City Latalante, 129 Amber Dr.,
202 Veritas Ct., San Ramon Worsdell CSR 11365, 4124 San Rafael 94901. damage, case #CGCU20
San Francisco 94105. Counseling, 870 Market St. San Francisco 94131.
94582. Cobblestone Dr., Concord Paul Riley, Body Work by 584247, 04/27/20.
co
94521. Green Signz & Co., 710 C St. Shilian Group, 1699 Van #845, San Francisco 94102. Holiday Cleaners S.F.,
Mariah Miller, Fay Frenchies, Paul, 2968 Begonia Ct., Coalition Inc. vs. Alex
Brentwood 94513. #206, San Rafael 94901. Ness Ave., San Francisco Lindsay Russell, 10R 1820 Polk St., San Francisco
910 Independence St., Taraneh Nourian, Tara’s Becker/Apollo Brokers Inc./
94109. Consulting, 149 Leese St., 94109.
mm
Brentwood 94513. Funds Recovery, 6324 Octavia Bond, 008 Training, Eamon Lowth, Tara Roofing, John Loeber, intellectual
Fairmont Ave. #2657, El 4 Villa Maria Ct., Novato San Francisco 94110. RJ Muna Pictures, 2055 property, case #CGCU20
Cerrito 94530. 94947. Emily Prescott, Public Bryant St., San Francisco 584249, 04/27/20.
er
cia
lu
se
The Details Get the leads & start

DISCOVER the top people
& companies in a variety efficiently growing your
of industries
business.
UNLOCK immediate access
to 24 MONTHS worth of data
& information
Connect with us.
bookoflists.com
UNLIMITED downloads in a
sortable format
ADDITIONAL contacts not
available in print
MAY 15, 2020 59
BIZLEADS
Marian Schock/Henry 04/28/20. practice, case #CSM20 Corp., breach of contract, Thomas Inc., construction Fertility Institute for case #CGCU20 584258, Pax Labs Inc./Ploom
V. Schock Jr. vs. Abigail 863086, 04/28/20. case #CGCU20 584254, defect, case #CGCU20 Education and Research 04/29/20. Inc., product liability,
Glynn/Davis Realty Co. Tia Woolfson/Ivana Inc./ScriptDash Inc./
Woolfson vs. United Sheedy Drayage Co. vs. 04/29/20. 584256, 04/29/20. Brian Yaden/Katy Marczika case #CGCU20 584262,
Inc., professional negligence, dba Alto Pharmacy,
case #CGCU20 584253, Airlines Inc., unfair business GCI Inc./Kilroy Realty C. Overaa and Co. vs. F.D. Nazaret Woldu vs. Lane unfair business practice, vs. JUUL Labs Inc./dba 04/30/20.
S A N F R A N C I S C O B U S I N E S S T I M E S B U S I N E S S E XC H A N G E / M AY 1 5, 2 0 2 0
Co
LU X U RY L I V I N G E M P LOY M E N T
py
Software Engineers
rig
Designers Software Engineers (Multiple Positions)

(Multiple Positions) (Multiple Positions) Twitter, Inc. has career opportunities in San Francisco for
ht
Square, Inc. has career

Stitch Fix, Inc. has career Engineers including: Software, Quality Assurance, Applications,
opportunities in San Francisco
40 LINCOLN AVENUE, PIEDMONT opportunities in San
©
&/or Oakland, CA for Systems, Hadoop, Oracle, Front-End, Network, Site Reliability,
Engineers including: Software, Francisco, CA for Designers
CLASSIFIED AD
User Experience, Full Stack & Machine Learning(ML).
20
Test, Data, IOS, Android, including: Product, UX, UI,

Positions include: Junior, Senior, and Management positions.
Network, Systems. Positions UI/UX. Positions include:
20
include: Junior, Senior, and

Management positions.
junior, senior & management
Positions require BA/BS, MA/MS, MBA or PhD. Multiple
positions/openings. Submit resume w/ ref. (including the type of
Date: __
positions. Positions require
Am
Positions require BA/BS, MA/125 S. Market Street. 11th Floor

BA/BS, MA/MS, MBA or PhD.
MS, MBA or PhD. MultipleSan Jose, CA 95113
To: _____________________________________
engineering role(s) you are applying for) to: Req: #SWE100SF
Multiple positions/openings. at: ATTN: Global Mobility, Twitter, Inc., 1355 Market Street,
positions/openings. SubmitTel. (408) 295-3800
FAX # __________________________________
er
resume w/ ref. (include the Mail resume w/ references Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103.
FAX (408) 295-5028
type of engineering role(s) to: Req.#: DES10ST at:
ica
⊲ CALL FOR INFORMATION ⊳ you are applying for) to: ATTN: Corinna Lee, People Company: ______________________________
Director Business Planning Program Dir., Decarbon.
This magnificent Albert Farr designed Mediterranean Villa is Req.# SWE100SQ at: ATTN: and Program Management,
n
Ops Mgr., Stitch Fix, Inc., Fossil Energy (Clean Air Task
a uniquely private residence located in one of Piedmont‘s Veronica Raygoza, Global
Client: Park Advertising
1 Montgomery Street, Ste. Monique
Deg’d sought by Sutherland Faylor
From: ___________________________ Phone _
Ci
Immigration Manager, Square, Force, Inc.; San Francisco,

most coveted neighborhoods. Cited on almost half an acre 1500, San Francisco,
Global Services. 30% us/int’l
Inc., 1455 Market St., SuiteSlug:
600, Coinbase_051520_51241
this timeless and sophisticated home offers chic interiors Message ________________________________
travel for corporate meetings,
CA): dvlp tech understng &
ty
San Francisco, CA 94103. CA 94104.

40% work from home & must
and beautifully manicured grounds. Designer: J. Sherry monitor’g new policy & market
Bu
Rep: Monique Faylor ________________________________________

be willing to work on Pacific
Time.Work at 5000 Executivedvlpmnts in carbon capture,
5BR • 5++BA • $6,800,000 40Lincoln.com Software Engineers (Multiple Positions)
sin
Salesforce.com, Inc. has multiple career opportunities in San ________________________________________

Prkwy, Ste. 515 San Ramon utilization & sequestration
Anian Pettit Tunney Adrienne Krumins Francisco & San Mateo, CA for Engineers including: Software (Contra Costa) CA 94583. tech. E-mail resume to
es
Engineer (Req.# SWE101SF/SM); Quality Assurance Engineer Reply to: Shilpa Reddy Konda
CalDRE #00812754 CalDRE #01296734 [email protected] w/ “Ref:
(Req.# SWE102SF/SM); Applications Engineer (Req.# SWE103SF/ at ShilpaReddy.Konda@
C: 510.928.7447 C: 510.928.4521
sJ
SM); Systems Engineer (Req.# SWE104SF/SM); Data Architect sutherlandglobal.com DN36378” in subject line.
[email protected] [email protected]
Engineer (Req.# SWE105SF/SM); IT Applications Engineer (Req.#
SWE106SF/SM); User Interface Engineer (Req.# SWE107SF/ 1x2
ou
SM); Localization Engineer (Req.# SWE108SF/SM); Site Reliability Coinbase, Inc.

rn
E M P LOY M E N T Engineer (Req.# SWE109SF/SM); Web UI Engineer (Req.# seeks a Backend

SWE110SF/SM); Automation Engineer (Req.# SWE111SF/SM);
als
Network Engineer (Req.# SWE112SF/SM); Program Architect Software Engineer

Engineer (Req.# SWE113SF/SM); Performance Engineer (Req.#
- Risk & Fraud in
-N
SWE114SF/SM); Information Security Engineer (Req.# SWE115SF/

SM). Positions include: Junior (including entry level), Senior, &
San Francisco, CA.
Management positions. Positions require BA/BS, MA/MS, MBA or
ot
PhD. Multiple positions/openings. Please mail resume w/ ref. to: Apply @ https://job-
Req.# at: Salesforce.com HQ, Rincon Post Office PO Box #192244,
for
San Francisco, CA 94105. Salesforce.com is an Equal Opportunity postingtoday.com/

& Affirmative Action Employer. Education, experience and criminal
Ref #51241
co
background checks will be conducted.

mm
Senior Design Quality Assurance Engineer, Fresenius USA, Square, Inc. has the following jobs available in San Francisco
Inc., a Fresenius Medical Care N.A. company, Concord, CA. and/or Oakland, CA:
er
Resp. for engineering quality in product & design control process · Business Systems Analyst, Oracle Supply Chain (Req.#
18-6198): Work on complex biz problems, leveraging Oracle
cia
through appropriate application of Quality Eng. skill sets &

Procure to Pay, Quote, Cash & our supply chain. Lead full
target first-class
understanding of product. Req’s: Master’s (or foreign equiv.)
projects from concept to launch. Req’s: BS(or equiv.)+5 yrs.
lu
in Biotech., Bioeng., or closely rel. & 1 yr. exp. as a Design/ exp.
candidates Quality Engineer for med. device products or Bachelor’s (or · Software Engineering Manager (Req.# 18-4807): Manage
se
foreign equiv.) in same & 3 yrs. exp as a Design/Quality Engineer an engineering team capable of dvlping & maintaining critical
systems. Req’s: 3 yrs. exp.
Contact Kathy Biddick for med. device products. For full job descr. & reqs. & apply at
Submit resume w/ ref. to: (include Req. No.) at: ATTN: Veronica
415-288-4925 or [email protected] https://jobs.fmcna.com/ under “Senior Design Quality Assurance Raygoza, Global Immigration Manager, Square, Inc., 1455
Engineer”, (Job ID #20000822). Market St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94103.
Vice President / Operations Research Analyst II sought by Software Engineers (Multiple Positions) Validation Engineer II, Fresenius USA, Inc.,
Bank of America N.A. to develop strategic and tactical volume Pinterest, Inc. has career opportunities in San Francisco for a Fresenius Medical Care N.A. company, Concord, CA
forecasts that predict incoming flow of hundreds of millions Engineers including: Software, QA, Web Development, Software Support validation protocols, validation performance qualification
of checks and images per month. Reqs: Master’s degree or Developers, Database and Data Warehouse. Positions include: summary reports, & maintain validation sys. at large med. device
equiv. & 2 yrs exp. performing multivariate regression, time mfg. facility. Monitor validation status of equipment, processes, &
junior, senior, and management positions. Positions require BA/BS,
series, & statistical modeling using SAS & R; Evaluating test methods, & ensure validation activities are made in adherence
MA/MS, MBA or PhD. Multiple positions/openings. Submit resume
performance of alt forecasting tools & techniques to provide to local & corp. validation procedures. Req’s: Bachelor’s (or foreign
w/ ref. (including type of engineering role(s) you are applying for)
optimal methods in predictive modeling. Emplyr will accept equiv.) in Biomed., Mech. or Electric Eng. & 5 yrs. exp. as Validation
pre or post Master’s degree exp. Job Site: Concord, CA. Ref# to: Req: #SWE100PIN at: ATTN: Amy Jennison, Pinterest, Inc., Eng. in med. device industry or Master’s (or foreign equiv.) in same
4589551 & submit resume to Bank of America N.A. NY1-050- 505 Brannan St., San Francisco, CA 94107.Equal Opportunity & & 3 yrs. exp. as Validation Eng. in med. device industry. For full job
03-01, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020. No phone Affirmative Action Employer. Education, experience and criminal descr. & reqs. & apply at https://jobs.fmcna.com/ under “Validation
calls or emails. EOE. background checks will be conducted. Engineer II”, (Job ID #200007W8).
VIEWPOINT Send letters and columns

to Editor-in-Chief Douglas Fruehling
The San Francisco Business Times welcomes contributions to this page at [email protected]
EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
A UNIQUE
Co
275 Battery St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94111
CHANCE TO
(415) 989-2522 | [email protected]
py
rig
BAY AREA MARKET PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Mary Huss
ht
START OVER
415-288-4934 | [email protected]
©
20
EDITORIAL
20
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SENIOR RESEARCHERS

Douglas Fruehling STAFF REPORTER Julia Cooper
If your workplace is like ours, you truly a good use of the time, mon- 415-288-4910 Mark Calvey 415-288-4958
Am
are probably starting to think seri- ey and disruption of everyone dfruehling 415-288-4950 juliacooper
ously about how soon, and under involved? Couldn’t it be done just @bizjournals.com mcalvey @bizjournals.com
er
@bizjournals.com
what conditions, your company or as well virtually at a lower cost and MANAGING EDITOR Ahalya Srikant
ica
your job will be able to return to smaller carbon footprint? How Jim Gardner STAFF REPORTERS 415-288-4962
its previous life in an office — and much responsibility, and authority, 415-288-4955 Alex Barreira asrikant
n
how different things will be once should everyone have for decisions jgardner 415-288-4927 @bizjournals.com
@bizjournals.com abarreira
Ci
you do. regarding their personal safety and

@bizjournals.com VISUAL
The best answer available seems Jim Gardner that of their colleagues? How do we
ty
DEPUTY JOURNALIST
to be that it will be totally differ- is managing deal with those who act without MANAGING EDITOR Dawn Kawamoto Todd Johnson
Bu
ent, perhaps even more differ- editor of the that regard, or require others to? Christine Kilpatrick 415-288-4945 415-288-4970
ent than we can yet imagine. The San Francisco There are surely hundreds or 415-288-4933 dkawamoto tjohnson
sin
more one thinks about it, the more Business Times. thousands of such questions we ckilpatrick @bizjournals.com @bizjournals.com
@bizjournals.com
it seems that there will be almost will face as we assemble the work Ron Leuty LEAD DESIGNER,
es
nothing we knew from the “old world that will follow Covid-19. DIGITAL 415-288-4939 EDITORIAL
world” of business that remains But the bottom line is we’ve EDITOR rleuty@ Ian Lawson
sJ
untouched and undisturbed as we all learned different ways of doing Ted Andersen bizjournals.com 415-288-4947
415-288-4904 ilawson
ou
work through the Covid-19 pan- things over the last two months,
tandersen Brian Rinker @bizjournals.com
demic. On both a corporate level because we had to. We need to keep @bizjournals.com 415-288-4923
rn
and a personal one, we will soon be the best of them. brinker INTERN
als
making dozens of decisions a day And on a local level, perhaps SPECIAL PROJECTS @bizjournals.com Simon Campbell
to define what the new world that we can think anew about the Bay EDITOR 415-288-4951
replaces it will look like. Area while we are at it. We’ve been Kevin Truong Laura Waxmann scampbell
-N
415-288-4916 415-288-4960 @bizjournals.com

From your morning commute famously bad in letting our pre- ktruong lwaxmann
to your workstation design to your vious crises go to waste: The dot- @bizjournals.com @bizjournals.com
ot
lunch options to your daily interac- com crash and the Great Reces-
for
tions with colleagues and custom- sion each offered a pause to some
ers and the world at large, every- of the underlying problems that SALES
co
thing is going to be new, everything afflict this prosperous and famous- ADVERTISING ADVERTISING PRODUCT
is going to be unsettled, every- ly innovative region. We passed up DIRECTOR ACCT. EXECUTIVES ACCT. EXECUTIVES
mm
thing is going to have to be figured the chance to deal meaningfully Michael Fernald Alex Meurer Lacey Patterson
out with safety as the overarching with homelessness, housing inaf- 415-288-4942 415-288-4920 415-288-4961
mfernald@ ameurer lpatterson@
er
imperative. fordability, income inequality and

bizjournals.com @bizjournals.com bizjournals.com
Therein lies an opportunity — an aging, Balkanized transit system
cia
alongside, unquestionably, the that is inadequate to our needs on a ASSOCIATE Kierstyn Moore James Beckner
danger. Looking beyond the virus, nearly daily basis. They re-emerged SALES DIRECTOR 415-288-4932 415-288-4930
lu
this is our chance. It’s the closest unscathed in the economic recov- Corinne Crncich kmoore jbeckner@
415-288-4931 @bizjournals.com bizjournals.com
se
thing we’ll ever get to a blank slate ery that followed, even tougher to
ccrncich
for us collectively to think anew tame than before. @bizjournals.com Josh Tavares LEAD DESIGNER,
about every aspect of the modern This crisis will be different, if 415-288-4926 ADVERSITING/
workplace while we reconstruct it. only because it is far worse than SENIOR MANAGER, jtavares EVENTS
How can it be made more humane any that came before and because MAJOR ACCOUNTS @bizjournals.com Jeff Patingan
Siggi Reavis 415-288-4959
and less stressful, more conducive it doesn’t recommend our atten-
415-288-4928 jpatingan
to meaningful interactions and a tion. It commands it, with illness, sreavis @bizjournals.com
greater contributor to our well-be- dislocation and economic devas- @bizjournals.com
ing? By better caring for the pro- tation that will (hopefully) not be
ducers, or giving them autonomy equalled in our lifetime.
to better care for themselves, could Given all that, there will be
it become even more productive? times when we all pine for the EVENTS ADMIN
Specifically, who needs to be world we lost, the comforting EVENTS OFFICE ASSISTANT
tethered to an office? Why? What familiarity of the way things used DIRECTOR MANAGER TO THE PUBLISHER/
work should be done there and to be. But we need to face it, that Felicia Brown Kathy Biddick PROJECT MANAGER
415-288-4936 415-288-4925 Tom Thompson
what is best done elsewhere? What world is mostly gone. The ques- fbrown@ kbiddick@ 415-288-4919
business travel, whether it’s down tion for us is: What do we want to bizjournals.com bizjournals.com tthompson@
the street or around the globe, is replace it? bizjournals.com
MAY 15, 2020 61
TITLE SPONSOR
REAL ESTATE DEALS

Co
OF THE YEAR 2019

py
rig
ht
©
20
20
Am
er
Watch for the Event

ica
n
Ci
ty
Date Announcement
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
2019 WINNERS
-N
ot
HOUSING CHAMPION
Oz Erickson, Founder & Principal, Emerald Fund
for
co
17th & Broadway Elizabeth Hart, Related California

Newmark Knight Frank
mm
222 Taylor Street Stanford Redwood City Campus

601 City Center Grand Hyatt SFO Stripe lease at Oyster Point
er
Tim Schoen, Kaiser Permanente The Avery

cia
BioMed Realty Dublin Medical Offices

and Cancer Center Tribune Tower sale
Alameda
lu
Levi’s Plaza sale UCSF Bakar Precision Cancer

High School Medicine Building
se
Blu Harbor sale Market Center sale

VF Outdoor HQ/Abbott
Brooklyn Basin Mason on Mariposa Laboratories sale
Cadence Apartments One Montgomery sale Visa lease at Mission Rock
Chase Center Pacific Commons Industrial Center Zymergen
Pinterest lease at 88 Bluxome St. lease in Emeryville
Presidio Theatre
PARTNERING ASSOCIATIONS
ABOUT FOSTER graphically into the mid-Atlantic

EXECUTIVE PROFILE Education:
B.S. from Univer-
and New England areas. We will
get through this Covid-19 thing
sity of California, and continue with that vision. It
Berkeley
hasn’t changed one bit.
The resume:
Foster has spent What is it like being a new CEO
his entire career during this crisis, and what les-
at Swinerton, sons have you learned from the
Co
starting as a
project engineer
pandemic? I think tenure with a
company and knowledge of how
py
for the compa-

ny’s San Fran- it operates is super important. If I
rig
cisco structural were a brand-new CEO from the

division and outside, these times would proba-
ht
rising from proj-

ect manager to
bly be very stressful. But because
of knowing the people and hav-
©
division manager
to, most recently, ing a team in place, it’s been pret-
20
president and ty seamless. There’s been nothing

chief operating like this pandemic in my ten-
20
officer.
ure, but there have been a num-
Most passionate ber of times where we had to react
Am
causes: quickly, like the dot-com bust and

Sensible gun the Great Recession. Those were
er
control and crisis management events, and

amyotrophic
ica
lateral sclerosis
you go into the same techniques or
(Lou Gehrig’s strategies of how to manage your
n
disease) business. You’ve got to have a good

Ci
crisis management plan in place.

With some businesses, when times
ty
SWINERTON
INC.
are good you put your crisis man-
Bu
agement plan on the shelf and I

Headquarters:
San Francisco
think that’s a mistake.
sin
Employees: What advice would you give other

es
3,500 new CEOs in regard to crisis man-

agement? Surround yourself with
sJ
2019 revenue:
$4.4 billion
a talented team that is unafraid to
ou
make decisions and challenge your

Founded: opinion.
rn
BRIAN DOLL 1888

als
If you had to change careers

What it does:
tomorrow, what path would you
ERIC FOSTER
General contract-
ing and construc- take? I wouldn’t change careers
-N
tion company as I am fascinated with construc-

tion. However as a younger man
ot
THE (NEW) I thought about being a science

CEO, SWINERTON ROUTINE
for
teacher and basketball coach.

Morning get-
A
away:
co
s a lifetime employee of general contractor Swinerton, Eric Fos- will consider it. You don’t need Rides through
What are you watching on Net-
ter’s nearly four decades at the company couldn’t prepare him for to jump, you need to continually the French Rhone flix? I Just started “Ozark”
mm
a global pandemic with potential lasting impacts on the construc- improve. Alps on his wife’s although it’s pretty dark. I am bal-
tion industry, but it helped him keep calm and react quickly. When con- Peloton ancing it with “Modern Love.”
You had a billion in revenue in the
er
struction sites were shuttered in March as part of a Bay Area-wide shel-

Setting
ter-in-place order, Foster, who was named CEO last summer, turned to Bay Area last year and total rev- What’s on your reading list? I
cia
the stage:
technology to ensure continuity of the company’s operations by rolling enue of $4.4 billion. Where does Joins the read almost exclusively history and
out a job site text system that would enable regular communication while your revenue come from? Our Covid-19 task biographies. I just finished “Grant”
lu
following social distancing measures. Foster also quickly placed the com- largest revenue is in California. We force call at 7 by Ron Chernow and have started
a.m.
se
pany on a crisis management plan that has seen use in a number of pre- are in Hawaii, Portland, Seattle, “Edison” by Edmund Morris.
vious emergencies. Last year, Swinerton broke ground on a long-awaited Denver, Austin, Dallas, Atlanta and Full schedule:
affordable housing project in San Francisco’s Mission District, and many Charlotte in North Carolina. Half Most of the day What is your favorite restaurant?
of the company’s projects include public infrastructure work, which was of our revenue is California-based is taken up by Alan Wong in Honolulu. The five-
defined as “essential” in the shelter-in-place order. Still, social distancing and the other half in those other Microsoft Teams course dinner with wine pairing is
protocols have impacted workflow and productivity and are among the areas. Renewable energy is about calls and emails amazing.
from his make-
challenges already emerging as a result of Covid-19. Foster has estimated 25% of our total revenue. We are shift home office.
that the company is likely to experience a 25% revenue decline this year doing renewable energy through- What was your hardest lesson
and a 15% drop in 2021. out the whole country — Florida, learned in your career? Nothing
Texas, any place were there is sun, is as good as it seems and noth-
What led to the change of lead- What has kept you at Swinerton we go. ing is as bad as it seems. Take a
ership at Swinerton? Jeff Hoopes, through all these years? We are deep breath and keep things in
who was our CEO and chairman a 100% employee-owned compa- What was your focus after taking perspective.
of the board, decided to retire ny. If you have a voice to change over, and has that changed since
after 35-36 years with the compa- policy and procedure within the the Covid-19 breakout? We have a What advice would you give your
ny. I was COO so it was a natural company, why would you jump? I 10-year-vision — the march to 2030 younger self? Practice humility
progression that was planned for stress that to the younger employ- — and the big thing is to become a and kindness more often.
many years. ees. If you have a great idea, we national builder by expanding geo- — Laura Waxmann
MAY 15, 2020 63
Call for Donations

Co
py
rig
Join leaders at these

To help fight COVID-19, the Silicon Valley Leadership community-minded
ht
Group, in partnership with our member companies and companies who have
©
already helped:
20
county health systems, has issued a call for donations + Adobe

20
+ AMD
of vitally needed medical supplies & equipment. + Bank of America
Am
+ BD Biosciences
+ BYD
er
+ CAL Water
+ C itrix
To date, the Silicon Valley COVID-19 Aid Coalition
ica
+ Cupertino Electric, Inc.

+ Deloitte
n
has raised $5.7 million in supplies, equipment + Fujifilm

Ci
+ IBM
and cash, but much more is needed by our frontline

ty
+ Inphi
+ Intuitive Surgical
Bu
+ K LA Corporation
healthcare workers to effectively combat this public + Lam Research
sin
+ Lumileds
health crisis. + Maxim Integrated
es
+ Morgan Family Foundation

sJ
+ PwC
+ Rambus
ou
+ San Jose State University

Join the employers and individuals who have already + Sand Hill Property Christian Fund
rn
+ S ilicon Valley Bank

contributed to our community effort. To find out more
als
+ Sunpower
+ SunRun
and to make a donation visit + Supermicro

-N
+ Synaptics
+ Synopsys
svlg.org/covid-19-updates/.
ot
+ Tech CU
for
+ T SMC
+ Western Digital
+ Xilinx
co
+ Zoom
mm
er
URGENTLY NEEDED SUPPLIES

cia
lu
se
+ Nitrile Gloves 10,000,000 Pairs + Bleach Wipes 250,000 Containers

+ Procedural or Surgical Masks 4,500,000 Units + Sani-Wipes 200,000 Containers
+ Isolation Gowns—Disposable 1,025,000 Units + CAPR Disposable Face Shields 100,000 Units
+ Hand Sanitizer, 12 oz bottles 600,000 Units + Isolation Gowns—Washable 20,000 Units
+ Viral Testing Media OR + Infrared Thermometers 500 Units
Universal Transport Media 500,000 Units + CAPR Units 2,000 Units
SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES
se
lu
cia
er
mm
co
for
ot
-N
als
rn
ou
sJ
es
sin
Bu
ty
n Ci
ica
er
Am
20
20
©
ht
rig
py
Co
64
SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES | ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT | MAY 15, 2020
Co
py
ri
gh
t©
20
20
A me
ric
an
C ity
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
2 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES
Co
py
ri gh
t©
20
20
A
me
ric
an
C
ity
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
MAY 15, 2020 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 3
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Innovation in a post-pandemic world

Thirty years ago, the East Bay Economic Development Alliance, then known as the Economic Development Ad-
visory Board, began out of a need to address regional transportation challenges our businesses were facing. In
the years since, we have worked on other regional solutions such as brokering an agreement that solved an in-
tractable harbor dredging problem for the Port of Oakland, dealing with major plant closures, helping small
and medium-sized manufacturers compete more effectively by creating Manex, and securing over $85 million
in below prime Industrial Development Bond financing for small and medium-sized manufacturers. Even with
all of that work we realized that there was not a strong enough spotlight on the amazing innovative work being
Co
done here in the East Bay — and so the Innovation Awards were born.
py
While it feels obvious in hindsight, the initial decision to postpone the 2020 East Bay Innovation Awards event
was a difficult one to make. Less than two months since the initial regionwide shelter-in-place order was insti-
ri
tuted across six Bay Area counties, our businesses, communities and entire way of life have been upended in
gh
Keith Carson previously unfathomable ways. New terms such as “social distancing” have come to define our current existence
t©
Chair, East Bay Economic as we all try and mount a collective response that meets the moment brought upon by the pandemic. Despite
Development Alliance; highly lauded efforts here in the region to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and “flatten the curve”, thousands
Supervisor, Alameda
20
of area residents have been infected with the virus, more than 250 of whom have died. Meanwhile, as our nation
County District 5, Vice and world continue to grapple with the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, East Bay EDA and
20
President, Alameda County

its network of regional partners are working hard to respond to new realities gripping the regional economy.
Board of Supervisors
Now, as a result of the most serious pandemic we have ever experienced, we face a new set of major chal-
A
lenges — physical, emotional and economic. At the time of this writing it remains to be seen how much the
me
structure and habits of our daily lives will be affected going forward. What will the recovery environment mean
for the travel and leisure industry? Will there be required changes in the way work is done in hospitals, stores,
ric
and offices? How much will the market for consumer goods change? As a result of the pandemic, will new ven-
an
ture, angel and private equity investment objectives alter the growth pattern of innovation in the Bay Area? Will
the housing market change? And how will that affect our communities? How much will we recover to “business
C
as usual,” and how much will we recover to a “new normal”?

ity
Whatever the post-pandemic reality turns out to be, there are certain to be opportunities for new solutions.
With their demonstrated track record, East Bay talents will be engaged in addressing our region’s needs.
Bu
I am sure that future East Bay Innovation Awards events will continue to celebrate businesses and organizations
who exemplify the ingenuity, persistence and hard work that now, more than ever, will be needed to address
sin
the challenges that lie ahead.

es
CONTENTS
sJ
3 A new decade of East Bay innovation 10 Community Impact Award 16 Life Sciences Award
ou
East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation EnChroma

5 Advanced Manufacturing Award
rn
Oakland Genomics Center Pivot Bio

C3Nano
a
Mizuho OSI 11 Education Award 17 Judges and Facilitators

ls
Legacy Award
Idea Builder Labs 18 Sustainability Award
-N
6
Ohlone College, Smart Manufacturing Back to the Roots
Port of Oakland
Technology Program
ot
Porifera
7 Arts and Culture Award 19 Pilot City: Project-based learning
12 Engineering & Design Award
for
Berkeley Repertory Theatre 20 Technology Award

Bolt Threads
Zoo Labs (Oakland)
co
Enovix Medinas Health

Zymergen
mm
8 Built Environment Award

13 Cal State East Bay: Investing in STEM
Designing Justice Designing Spaces 21 List of 2020 nominees
14 Food Award
er
UrbanBloc Inc.
22 East Bay Innovation Awards 2020 Sponsors
Perfect Day
cia
Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Company 23 East Bay EDA Members

lu
se
About the East Bay Economic For more information, contact:

Development Alliance Executive Director Regional Economic Senior Economic
The East Bay Economic Development Stephen Baiter Development Director Development Analyst
Alliance (East Bay EDA) is a public/private (510) 272-3874 Jackie Keliiaa Carline Au
[email protected] (510) 272-6843 (510) 208-3996
partnership serving Alameda and Contra
[email protected] [email protected]
Costa Counties. We are the regional voice
and networking resource for strengthening Technology & Trade Director Senior Economic Administrative Associate
the economy, building the workforce, and Robert Sakai Development Analyst Maribel Purificacion
enhancing the quality of life in the East Bay. (510) 272-3881 Xian Ballesteros (510) 272-6745
Engage with us! [email protected] (510) 272-3885 [email protected]
[email protected]
www.EastBayEDA.org
Stories by Verb Factory | Cover design by Jackie Keliiaa & Xian Ballesteros
Co
py
ri gh
t©
20
20
A
me
ric
an
C
ity
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
MAY 15, 2020 EAST BAY INNOVATION
EAST BAYAWARDS
INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 55
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING — FINALISTS
“Lean” method revamps manufacturing

T
he story of Mizuho OSI’s transfor- Specialty
mation is at its core an operational surgical
story. From its founding in 1978 up tables made
MIZUHO OSI until just a few years ago, the Union City- by Mizuho
mizuhosi.com based specialty surgical table manufactur- OSI are found
Co
er had been a build-to-stock, workorder in thousands

Innovation: Lean
based business. of hospitals.
manufacturing
py
That all changed four years ago, howev-

principles minimize
er, when the company began implement-
ri
waste and maximize

gh
ing Lean manufacturing principles. Lean

productivity
manufacturing is a production method
t©
Location: Union City that has its origins in the Toyota Way, ini-
MIZUHOSI.COM
VP, Operations: tially outlined by the Toyota Motor Corpo-
ration in 1930 for use in its factories. As its
20
Kevin Thorne
name suggests, Lean methodology is de-
Regional
20
signed to minimize waste while maximiz-

significance: East
Bay manufacturing
ing productivity. Mizuho OSI shortened its be found at upwards of 5,000 hospitals in
A
And that’s just what Mizuho OSI found the United States, and the company re-
facility serves global manufacturing cycle time from
me
after adopting Lean methodology at their ports it has a secure 85% market share in
market for specialty
manufacturing facility. The company’s rev- more than three weeks to just the specialty surgical tables industry.
surgical tables
nine hours, with an on-time
ric
enue has grown by 44%, while the size of Another key to Mizuho OSI’s suc-
Employees: 400 its labor force has remained flat. They’ve cess that should not be overlooked is the
delivery rate of 100%.
an
East Bay favorite: shortened their manufacturing cycle time company’s East Bay workforce. With more
“I love the diversity. … from more than three weeks to just nine than 300 skilled workers required to staff
C
The East Bay has it in hours. And their on-time delivery rate, de- table that allows the surgeon to replace the the company’s 160,000 square foot facili-
ity
abundance.” fined as the percentage of products deliv- hip through just a single incision, an ap- ty in Union City, having access to an abun-
ered within 30 days, has reached 100%, proach that is proven to have better out- dance and a variety of talent is key, says VP
Bu
with upwards of 90% of those orders being comes for patients. of operations Kevin Thorne.
delivered within 5 days. Mizuho OSI’s innovation of its manu- “The East Bay corridor [is] ideal because
sin
The result is that hospitals get the equip- facturing processes and operations has it’s close to public transportation, it’s close
ment they need to effectively treat patients helped the company cement its status as a to logistics distribution centers, … we can
es
faster — such as the company’s Hana or- leader in its corner of the surgical devices draw [talent] all the way from Morgan Hill
thopedic table, a state-of-the-art operating market. Today, Mizuho OSI’s products can out to Tracy,” Thorne says.
sJ
ou
Flexible materials to transform touchscreens

rn
a
F
ls
olding, curving and other- C3 Nano’s Hayward location has

-N
wise flexible smartphones helped it recruit top talent.

C3NANO have seemingly been just on
ot
the horizon since the release of the

c3nano.com original iPhone in 2007. But 2020 C3Nano’s films are made from silver
for
Innovation: Silver may be the year these technologies nanowire, a durable, flexible ink that’s
nanowire-based actually go mainstream, and that’s also cheaper to produce than indium
co
transparent in large part thanks to innovations tin oxide films. C3Nano reports that
mm
conductive films in touchscreen technologies from its ActiveGrid films can be dynami-
manufacturers like C3Nano. cally flexed over 200,000 times.
Location: Hayward
C3Nano was founded in 2010 Morris attributes C3Nano’s abili-
er
CEO: Cliff Morris as a spin-out of doctoral research ty to innovate so quickly to the com-
cia
Regional performed by co-founder Ajay pany’s approach to talent acquisition

significance: Virkar under the tutelage of Stan- and people management. “We try to
C3 NANO
lu
Company’s ford chemical engineering profes- hire the best people available, then
growing domestic sor and fellow C3Nano co-found- we immediately make them stake-
se
manufacturing and er Zhenan Bao. Early-stage startup holders,” Morris says. “We treat them
R&D facilities reflect veteran Cliff Morris was recruited to serve as the company’s CEO, with respect — we treat everyone the same.”
C3Nano’s strategic after which the company quickly closed a $3.2 million Series A Moreover, “we have since Day 1 approached our business as
commitment to the funding round to productize Virkar’s discoveries about how to im- being transparent to our employees,” he adds. “[Employees] are
East Bay prove the performance of thin films. privy to most of what we do. This enables people and it makes
The fruits of that project can be found in C3Nano’s current Ac- people part of the process.”
Employees: 50
tiveGrid line of transparent conducting films, or TCFs. Optical- Finding the right talent to staff its advanced nanomaterial
East Bay favorite: ly transparent and electrically conductive, TCFs are an integral manufacturing facilities was thus a top consideration for C3Na-
“The East Bay has a component in touchscreens, as well as displays and photovolta- no when deciding where to locate. Morris says that while C3Nano
really good blend of ics. C3Nano’s films offer superior flexibility over the films current- considered other spaces in the Peninsula and South Bay, they in-
location, workforce ly used in commercial smartphones, an innovation that has made evitably found themselves returning to Hayward.
and city governments the company the go-to supplier for these materials. Two of the “It’s a good location because we’re somewhat midway between
that know what world’s first flexible smartphones rely on C3Nano’s technologies. Berkeley and Stanford, so there’s lots of scientific talent to draw
companies need to The key innovation in C3Nano’s films has been the company’s from,” Morris says. “Plus, also just from our local area, Hayward
get things done.” NanoGlue technology. Unlike typical smartphone films, which has lots of good talent. So we’re quite happy, and we feel we’re in
make use of a ceramic-like material called indium tin oxide, a good location from that perspective alone.”
Everyone’s Port
PORT OF OAKLAND SEAPORT AND AIRPORT ARE ESSENTIAL
BY MARILYN SANDIFUR  
PORT OF OAKLAND SPOKESPERSON
O
Co
ur way of life has changed. Shelter-

in-place in the wake of COVID-19
py
has saved lives while putting mil-

ri
lions of Americans on unemploy-

gh
ment and companies, big and small, at risk. We

t©
do not know what business in Northern Cali-

fornia, across the nation, and around the world
20
will look like in the next few months or the next

few years. However, the Port of Oakland is do-
20
ing what it can to be ready for change.

A
The Port of Oakland is open for business
PHOTOS: PORT OF OAKLAND

me
The Port of Oakland supplies essential infra-

ric
structure and operations. Although significant-

ly fewer in numbers, ships and flights are arriv-
an
ing and departing from the Oakland Seaport and

Oakland International Airport (OAK).
C
“During this extraordinary time, I extend my

ity
sincere thanks to the thousands of men and Port of Oakland seaport (above) and airport (below) are rising to the challenges of the times.
women who keep
Bu
the seaport and air-

port operating and
EAST BAY
sin
cargo and people

INNOVATION
AWARDS moving,” said the
es
Port of Oakland’s
executive director
sJ
Danny Wan. “At the

ou
same time, we are

vigilant about social
rn
distancing, wash-
LEGACY ing hands, and wear-
a
AWARD
ls
ing masks to protect

PORT OF OAKLAND our loved ones and “Our workforce
-N
community.” is innovative
Every day heroes
and dedicated
ot
are among us: At the

Oakland Seaport there are dockworkers, truck- to serving our
for
ers, marine terminal operators, ship crews, federal officers, Seeking financial relief customers, our
warehouse workers, port staff and railroad crews; and at Oak- Despite a drop of more than 90% of our Aviation passenger
communities
co
land International Airport we have custodians, maintenance business, OAK remains open. Shipping lines have scrubbed 20
workers, concessions employees, air traffic controllers, law en- May and June voyages at Oakland. The result could be a 5-15% and each other,
mm
forcement, firefighters, port staff, and airline personnel. drop in containerized cargo volume heading into summer. while keeping
The Federal Aviation Administration announced $10 billion
ourselves as safe
er
Health directives
in CARES Act aid for U.S. Airports. OAK is to receive about $44
The Port of Oakland is supporting and promoting the new million. Although appreciative of this support, airports includ- as possible.”
cia
health directives aimed at protecting workers and the public by ing OAK expect that the grant funds will fall far short of reve- Danny Wan, Executive
lu
making personal protective equipment available to port staff at nue loss. Director, Port of Oakland
both the airport and seaport and through consistent commu- The Port of Oakland does not receive local tax revenues. It
se
nications about best practices for staying healthy during the relies on the revenues it generates to fund operations. The port
pandemic. will be looking for state and federal relief to help weather this
Marine terminal operators are deep-cleaning work areas and economic storm.
equipment at the Oakland Seaport terminals nightly. Port staff
Legacy of strength, innovation, and commitment
repeatedly clean and sanitize Oakland International Airport.
As a humanitarian effort, in March, the Port of Oakland sup- The Port of Oakland’s 93-year presence shows its ability to get
ported a federal and state operation to screen and process over through tough times. It has implemented many creative pro-
2,000 Grand Princess cruise ship passengers after several tested grams and technology in its history to overcome obstacles, and
positive for COVID-19 while at sea. All passengers began a 14- improve its operational efficiency, sustainability and custom-
day quarantine after taken by bus to Travis Air Force Base or to er service. Although no one can predict how long the impacts
chartered planes launched from OAK to domestic and interna- from this pandemic will be, port staff are already adapting and
tional destinations. planning for change.
The ship left Oakland March 16 from berth 22. Thorough “Our workforce is innovative and dedicated to serving our
sanitizing of the 11-acre area was completed March 26. Fed- customers, our communities and each other, while keeping
eral officials said the area could be safely reoccupied for com- ourselves as safe as possible,” said Mr. Wan.
mercial purposes. “We’ll get through this together.”
EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS
ARTS & CULTURE — FINALISTS

7
Advancing creative and economic growth

O
nly long-time East Bay residents
will remember that what we to-
day call the Berkeley Arts Dis-
BERKELEY trict was once an ailing row of auto repair
REPERTORY
Co
shops. It was the Berkeley Repertory The-

THEATRE atre’s decision 30 years ago to locate their
py
theater there that kickstarted the area’s

berkeleyrep.org
transformation into the thriving arts dis-
ri
Innovation: Giving
gh
trict we know it as today.

more than 700 artists Arts-focused groups and venues that
the opportunity to
t©
have grown up around Berkeley Rep’s

participate in new play home on Addison Street in the last 30
development activity years include the Aurora Theatre Com-
20
since 2011 pany, the Freight and Salvage Coffee-

20
Location: Berkeley house, the Berkeley Jazz Conservatory,
BERKELEY REP
and the UC Theatre. Berkeley Rep’s op-
Managing Director:
A
erations have expanded significantly too,

Susan Medak
me
with the organization’s 400-seat Peet’s

Regional significance: Theatre, 600-seat Roda Theatre, and the Berkeley Rep invests in the long-term development of new plays.
Helping to build
ric
Nevo Education Center all located on

a critical-minded, that same block of Addison Street. (The imately $27 million of annual economic So in 2011, the organization launched
an
engaged and organization also operates a spacious activity locally. The Ground Floor, which serves as Berke-
empathetic citizenry 62,000 square foot campus in West Berke- In addition to producing plays and ley Rep’s center for creation and develop-
C
Employees: 150 full- and ley.) Meanwhile, a plan to build 45 apart- managing its venues, the organization ment of all new work. Since 2011, more
ity
part-time ment units for visiting artists and two new also operates a School of Theatre that ev- than 700 artists have participated in
School of Theatre classrooms could fur- ery year serves over 20,000 children, teens Ground Floor programming, Berkeley
East Bay favorite: “The
Bu
ther revitalize Downtown Berkeley. and adults. They’ve also made a name for Rep reports.
constantly contradictory
Throughout its history, the nonprof- themselves by investing in the long-term In keeping with Berkeley Rep’s tra-
nature of being here:
sin
it has served not only as a cultural land- development of new plays. dition of innovation, The Ground Floor
you have urban and rural,
mark, but also as an engine of econom- “We realized a number of years ago takes on projects that other theater com-
mountains and ocean.
es
ic activity, hosting over 5 million people that it was very difficult for early-career panies might reject. “And it’s not just
… We are progressive
across some 500 shows — 12 of which it writers to be able to find a place to de- writers,” she adds. “We work with com-
sJ
but we are intensely

has sent to Broadway since its inception. velop their work, to find companies that posers, writers, directors, even video
committed to the past.”
ou
One analysis of Berkely Rep indicated that were willing to invest in that work early game designers, [anybody] who want to
the nonprofit was responsible for approx- on,” says Susan Medak. make a story.”
rn
a
Empowering artists as entrepreneurs

ls
-N
W
ot
hat would happen if you treat- mentorship and capital. To date, Zoo Labs
ed artists like startup entrepre- has to date gifted some $1.5 million dollars
for
ZOO LABS neurs, and taught them how to in resources to artists worldwide, with 60%
think about their business, how to access of those resources being given to artists in
co
zoolabs.org resources around them, and how to deploy the Bay Area, primarily in the East Bay.
mm
Innovation: Music their art to shape culture in positive ways? At Zoo Labs, entrepreneurship and mu-
entrepreneurship That’s the question that inspired Vin- sical innovation share top billing, Watson
accelerator treats itha Watson to create Zoo Labs, a West emphasizes. “We really encourage our art-
er
artists like startup Oakland-based nonprofit and artist ists to take big risks with their art, while
cia
entrepreneurs accelerator. being surrounded with resources and kind

A veteran of the technology industry, of a safety net. We also drive our artists to
Location: Oakland
lu
Watson founded Zoo Labs in 2013 after really find their audiences, and really fig-
ZOO LABS / LEA SALANON
Founder: Vinitha Watson witnessing first-hand how artists were be- ure out, how does their art fit into people’s
se
Regional significance: ing left behind and not benefitting from lives? Why do people need it? All while
Musical and professional the “new Gold Rush” of the Bay Area’s tech staying true to the artist’s vision.”
resources strengthen industry. Having obtained an MBA from A trained singer herself and performer
East Bay arts community California College of the Arts, Watson was of Carnatic (a type of southern Indian clas-
and help curb trained to think about the arts through stra- sical music), Watson feels a strong sense of
displacement of artists tegic and entrepreneurial lenses. Finding At Zoo Labs, entrepreneurship and connection to the East Bay’s arts commu-
that many artists who had achieved mod- musical innovation share top billing. nity. “The East Bay has such a rich, diverse
Employees: 5
erate or even high degrees of success were arts community,” she says “Specifically
East Bay favorite: nonetheless still struggling, she concluded preneurs, they’re working as entrepreneur- here in Oakland, the density that you find
“How innovative the food that artists are too often operating on very ial engines,” Watson explains. “That’s not here makes the city come alive.”
here is.” narrow business strategies, and that the only innovative, it’s revolutionary.” To see that community threatened
industry lacks viable business frameworks Those accepted into Zoo Labs’ four- “gives us the urgency of providing our
and venture support. month music entrepreneurship accelera- work,” she adds. “We feel like the East Bay
That’s where Zoo Labs comes in. “Zoo tor are provided with a steady diet of pro- is the perfect place to do what we do be-
Labs is really changing the narrative be- fessional development workshops, studio cause we’re building on the legacy of all the
cause we’re acknowledge artists as entre- time, office space, and access to networks, artists that came before us.”
8
BUILT ENVIRONMENT — FINALISTS
Architecture to address roots of injustice

A
round the country, jails and A mobile classroom by Designing
prisons are closing as com- Justice + Designing Space is a
munities increasingly recog- restorative investment in community.
DESIGNING nize the role they play in mass incar-
JUSTICE + ceration. But what will replace pris-
DESIGNING
Co
ons? How will justice be conducted? Davis speak about restorative justice as
SPACES And what will happen to the spaces sort of an old way of doing justice, as a
py
themselves? sort of an indigenous reigniting of that

designingjustice.org
One Oakland-based architecture way of doing things, I’d never heard of it
ri
Innovation: Building
gh
and real estate nonprofit, Design- before,” says Van Buren. But after learn-
physical infrastructure ing Justice + Designing Space, thinks ing more about it, she decided that “as
t©
EMILY HAGOPIAN
to enable the growth of it might have the answers to some of an architect, I wanted to support that
restorative justice those questions. The organization’s system, I wanted to commit myself to a
mission is to end mass incarceration larger social shift from punitive models
20
Location: Oakland
by building infrastructure that ad- to restorative models,” she says.
Executive Director:
20
dresses its root causes, including pov- Unlike our current system of jus-
Deanna Van Buren
erty, racism, unequal access to resources, ed Designing Justice for a Neighborhood tice, which focuses on punishing offend-
Regional significance:
A
and the justice system itself. Voices grant to help the organization de- ers on the grounds that they’ve committed
Promoting strong
me
To that end, Designing Justice follows velop mobile spaces for Pop-Up Village’s a wrong against society, restorative justice
communities an interdisciplinary approach, working to events in West Oakland. And just last year, is a nonviolent and noncoercive system of
throughout Oakland and
ric
re-purpose defunct criminal justice infra- Designing Justice opened the country’s justice in which victim and offender en-
across the country structure, build new re-entry facilities for first center for restorative justice and re- gage in mediation to address wrongs. The
an
Employees: 10 offenders, and make restorative reinvest- storative economics, Restore Oakland, in emphasis isn’t just on restoring to the vic-
ments in communities. Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood. tim what was lost and the offender taking
East Bay favorite:
C
Founded in 2015, the organization has If you’re not familiar with restorative responsibility, but also on empowering the
“The natural world.”
ity
already built prototypes for spaces that justice, you’re not alone — even Design- community in which they both live.
serve as peacemaking centers, mobile vil- ing Justice co-founder Deanna Van Buren Ultimately, Van Buren wants to see “a
Bu
lages and workforce development hubs. hadn’t heard of the term as recently as 2007. world where this is the normal way of do-
The City of Oakland also recently select- “When I heard Angela Davis and Fania ing justice,” she says.
sin
Containers see new use as social spaces

es
sJ
E
ou
ver had espresso from Oakland’s UrbanBloc

rn
Red Bay Coffee? Grabbed food from upcycles

URBANBLOC inside a shipping container at Ur- shipping
als
ban Remedy? Had ice cream at Humphry containers

urbanbloc.net Slocombe in Uptown? to create
-N
Innovation: If so, then you’ve interacted with one of inviting

Upcycling used UrbanBloc’s innovative retail designs. The gathering
ot
shipping containers firm’s projects have quickly made a splash places

to create attractive, against the urban landscapes of the East with low
for
sustainable, cost- Bay with its restaurants, cafes and oth- building
effective social er designs carved out of reused shipping costs.
co
gathering spaces containers.

URBAN BLOC
mm
The idea for UrbanBloc grew out of

Location: San
founder Matha Trela’s fascination with the
Leandro
possibilities shipping containers present-
er
CEO: Martha Trela ed for creating pop-ups and other tem-

“The East Bay has been
cia
Regional porary transitional developments. Find- the only California state-licensed, com-
significance: ing that there was sufficient demand for wonderful for us on mercial modular manufacturer located in
lu
UrbanBloc shipping buildings that disconnect the land and the the Bay Area.
numerous levels.”
containers are real estate from the construction phase of Although UrbanBloc is still relative-
se
swiftly transforming development, Trela and her business part- Martha Trela, co-founder, Urban Bloc ly young, the company has in the last six
vacant properties ner, architect Jerry Jameson, founded Ur- years made major investments in the East
throughout ban Bloc in San Leandro in 2014. known as “creative reuse,” upcycling is a Bay. The company purchases most of its
California into “We both felt like it was of value not form of recycling that transforms what materials from local suppliers. They’ve
dynamic retail and only from a building perspective, but also would otherwise be industrial or com- also recruited several employees from lo-
social spaces from a societal perspective to create these mercial waste into a more useful, sustain- cal community colleges and work pro-
very unique, intimate gathering spots for able product. grams. And they’ve proved to be a strong
Employees: 8
people to ‘chill’ after a hard day of work The company is also a leader in the supporter of San Leandro High School,
East Bay favorite: … [to] get out of our lonely environment growing modular movement in design having hosted multiple manufacturing
“The East Bay is so behind our computer desks,” Trela says. and construction. With construction costs day tours, hired interns from the school,
creative. Everything “The business model, the social innova- ballooning and labor shortages rising, the and participated in youth development
here is driven by a tion of these small gathering spaces that demand for modular, factory-built con- programs such as Pilot City.
mindset of creativity.” could be embedded really quickly into cit- struction is growing quickly. To that end, “The East Bay has been wonderful for us
ies was compelling.” UrbanBloc’s products enable easy “plug- on numerous levels,” Trela says. “The City of
UrbanBloc’s approach to design is a and-play” site installation (and de-instal- San Leandro has been absolutely amazing.
form of what’s called “upcycling.” Also lation). The company says it’s currently … We consider them a strategic partner.”
Together,
Together,
We AreWe
Powering
Are Powering
Jobs J
Co
and Empowering
and Empowering
Communities!
Communit
py
ri
gh
t©
20
20
Ame
ric
an
C
Generating Over 73,000

Generating 73,000
Over Jobs In The
JobsRegion
In The R
ity
Bu
sin
and827,000
and Nearly Nearly 827,000
Jobs Across
JobsThe
Across
Country
The C
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
Port of Oakland @PortofOakland

Port of Oakland @Port
ot
www.portofoakland.com www.portofoakland.com
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
10
COMMUNITY IMPACT — FINALISTS
Taking action to preserve affordable housing

I
t’s obvious to anyone who Casa Arabella in Oakland
lives or works in Oakland provides 94 units of transit-
EAST BAY that The Town is current- oriented affordable housing.
ly experiencing a construc-
ASIAN LOCAL
Co
tion boom. That’s good news

DEVELOPMENT for the increasing numbers of tion has already converted 250
CORPORATION
py
businesses looking to make market units into affordable

(EBALDC) Oakland their home. housing through the fund as of
ri
gh
But with the city’s growing February 2020.

ebaldc.org/
status also comes new chal- What distinguishes EBLADC
t©
Innovation: Preserving lenges, the biggest of which is is its ability to partner with nu-
affordable housing by
EBALDC
housing affordability. Rents in merous other organizations,
purchasing existing the East Bay continue to rise both public and private, to ad-
20
multifamily properties faster than wages and infla- vance its goals. The Housing for
20
Location: Oakland tion. And while the City of Oakland has “The housing crisis has never Health Fund, for instance, brings togeth-
permitted 22,000 new housing units since er Kaiser Permanente, Enterprise Com-
Executive Director: been as bad as it is now…
A
2016, only about 2,000 of those are afford- munity Partners, the City of Oakland and
Joshua Simon
So we decided to innovate.”
me
able units, The Mercury News reports. EBALDC. The creation of the fund al-
Regional significance: The East Bay Asian Local Development lowed for the purchase last year of a 41-
Joshua Simon, executive director, EBALDC
Housing the Bay Area’s
ric
Corporation, or EBALDC for short, has unit market rate building in Oakland’s
diverse workforce needs been building affordable housing com- San Antonio neighborhood.
an
while preserving the munities for the past 45 years, working to out and ending up on the street faster EBALDC’s next big step? Developing
character of the East Bay make Oakland a more equitable, livable than anyone has seen since World War II,” the Lake Merritt BART station, Simon
C
East Bay favorite: “My and compassionate place to live. Four Simon says. “So we decided to innovate.” says. “Working in joint venture with the
ity
favorite thing about the years ago, the organization made the de- Observing that it’s easier to preserve private developer [Strada] we’re able to
East Bay is its culture and cision to expand its activities to help meet existing affordable housing than build achieve 44% affordability in the com-
Bu
creativity. the unique demands the Bay Area econo- new affordable communities, EBALDC plex, and to include an innovative com-
my is placing on the city, as executive di- in 2016 created its Housing Acquisition mercial portion.”
sin
rector Joshua Simon explains. Fund, which the organization uses to The organization plans to use the
“The housing crisis has never been as purchase existing market rate units and commercial portion to “incubat[e] op-
es
bad as it is now in the 40 years I’ve been stabilize rents so residents have the opportunity” for small businesses and non-
doing this work. People are being priced tion to stay in their homes. The organiza- profit organizations, he says.
sJ
ou
Sharing resources to step up innovation

rn
a
A
ls
nyone who works in the At Oakland Genomics Center,

-N
biotech industry knows researchers share lab space

OAKLAND all too well that even ba- and specialized equipment.
ot
sic equipment can be prohib-

GENOMICS CENTER
itively expensive. But what if
for
ogc.bio companies could share equip- In addition to getting access

Innovation: Shared lab ment, and disperse those steep to the equipment they need, Jay-
co
space and equipment costs? aprakash says that the capaci-

OAKLAND GENOMICS CENTER
mm
encourages collaboration That question is the driv- ty for sharing talent is what al-
and lowers barrier to entry ing force behind Oakland Ge- lows member companies to inno-
for biotech startups nomics Center, a Downtown vate at such a fast piece. “Biotech
er
Oakland-based shared work- startups have to think very broad-

Location: Oakland
cia
space and incubator for biotech ly, so having varied expertise in

CEO: Anitha Jayaprakash startups. the same building helps us move
lu
Regional significance: Organizationally, the cen- much, much faster and helps us
Putting Oakland on the map ter functions as an extension of be innovative, because you’re lit-
se
as a destination for biotech founder Anitha Jayaprakash’s biotech The premise of Oakland Genomics erally bringing a group of innovators to-
startups startup, Girihlet, which develops DNA Center was simple: in addition to shar- gether in one building.”
sequencing technologies to help diag- ing open lab space and basic wetware, Since 2015, Oakland Genomics Cen-
Employees: 5
nose and treat autoimmune diseases. member companies bring in specialized ter has enabled more than 15 biotech
East Bay favorite: “The food. After working in the biotech space for a equipment that they agree to share with startups to make Oakland their home.
… It has a great food culture. number of years, Jayaprakash come up other members. Five years later, mem- And those companies have created
And the people.” with idea for Oakland Genomics Center bers have access to a multitude of bio- more than 60 skilled biotech jobs for the
in 2015 when she noticed that one of the tech equipment, including second- and East Bay.
Girihlet’s biggest capital investments, its third-generation sequencers, analytic Startups that have outgrown the cen-
DNA sequencer, wasn’t being used a lot instruments for measuring nucleic ac- ter haven’t gone far either, renting space
of the time. ids, containment facilities for work with in nearby office building. Oakland Ge-
“We had so much down time on our biological samples, and advanced robot- nomics Center thus functions as a nucle-
sequencer, it was like, ‘why can’t other ics technologies. us around which a major biotech indus-
startups just have access to my sequenc- “Together, we have all the resources we try could be built. “Each startup contrib-
er and still continue doing their work?’” need, from instrumentation … [to] talent utes to a community that will help each
says Jayaprakash. … [to] expertise,” says Jayaprakash. other grow,” Jayaprakash says.
MAY 15, 2020 ADVERTISING SUPPLE- EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS MENT 1111
EDUCATION — FINALISTS
“Fab labs” address region’s skills gap

A
city that produces everything it The typical
consumes isn’t some far-off sci- Idea Builder
IDEA BUILDER ence fiction scenario. It’s in the fab lab offers
LABS City of Oakland’s near future, at least as citizens access
Co
far as Danny Beesley is concerned. to a mixture

ideabuilderlabs.com Beesley is the founder of Idea Build- of traditional
py
Innovation: Fab er Labs, an East Bay builder of fab labs and advanced
labs give laypeople (short for “fabrication labs”), facilities manufacturing
ri
equipment.
gh
access to advanced where citizens can gain access to the

manufacturing kinds of machinery and tools that con-
t©
equipment to help stitute the modern means of produc-

develop marketable tion. Beesley says Idea Builders’ fab labs
skills in a rapidly shifting are addressing the region’s growing skills
20
IDEA BUILDER LABS

economy gap — the disconnect between what em-
20
ployers and the economy require and the

Location: Alameda &
skills students and employees actually
Oakland
A
have — today to lay the groundwork for

Founder and Principal:
me
Oakland becoming a “fab city” by 2054.

Danny Beesley Beesley isn’t the only one who thinks Alto. The typical Idea Builder fab lab rang- Beesley says moving to the East Bay
ric
Regional significance: Oakland can achieve that admittedly lofty es in size from around 1200 square feet to was pivotal to making his vision of cre-
Bringing the City of goal: the City of Oakland, along with 28 nearly 6000 square feet, and features a ating a network of fab labs come to life.
an
Oakland closer to its other cities, has taken the Fab City Pledge, mixture of traditional and advanced man- “There’s a lot of money here, there’s a lot of
goal of becoming a “fab which commits the city to establishing a ufacturing equipment, such as laser cut- interest here, and there’s a lot of business
C
city,” in which the city fully circular economy in less than 40 ters, 3D printers and CNC routers. There happening,” he says. “So it makes it much
ity
produces everything it years. Idea Labs was instrumental in per- are often technicians on hand to help peo- easier for me to push big ideas.”
consumes suading the City of Oakland to take the ple use the machines and hold workshops. Moreover, he “strongly feel[s] that the
Bu
pledge. In providing citizens with opportuni- East Bay, and Oakland in particular, is be-
Employees: 2
So far Idea Builder has built three fab ties to train on high-tech manufacturing ginning to pull some of the spotlight over
sin
East Bay favorite: labs in the East Bay, one each at Laney equipment, Idea Builders says its fab labs to focus on what’s happening here, be-
“There’s nearly infinite College, College of Alameda and Castle- have already resulted in the launch of new cause we can see what hasn’t worked in
es
opportunity here.” mont High School, as well as five labs for businesses and the placement of dozens San Francisco and Silicon Valley and be-
Ravenswood School District in East Palo of students into local industry. gin to approach things differently.”
sJ
ou
College program in touch with industry needs

rn
a
F
ls
rom semiconductors to cleantech Ohlone

-N
to food and beverage production, college is

OHLONE COLLEGE Fremont, California has in the past training
ot
decade become a global hub for ad- students for

Smart Manufacturing vanced manufacturing. The Fremont In- the “Fourth
for
Technology Program novation District, located in the city’s Industrial

ohlone.edu/smart- Warm Springs neighborhood, is home to Revolution.”
co
manufacturing- such household names as Tesla, Seagate,

mm
technology ThermoFisher and Boston scientific, as

well as numerous startups driving inno-
Innovation: Industry-
vation in the manufacturing sector.
er
academic engagement
All that production needs workers —
creates college
cia
more precisely, skilled workers — but

OHLONE COLLEGE
curriculum responsive to
filling those needs can be tricky business
industry needs
lu
for Bay Area companies. A 2018 Accen-

Location: Fremont ture survey found that 70% of business
se
Coordinator: Rose- leaders reported finding the right talent

Margaret Eking-Itua is a major challenge for their company.
That’s where Ohlone Community Col- “The smart manufacturing program ing students for the skills that will be re-
lege’s new Smart Manufacturing Technol- was really born out of the need from man- quired by the “Fourth Industrial Revo-
Developing the skillsets
ogy Program comes in. The program’s cur- ufacturing companies in Fremont and in lution.” As such, the program furnish-
needed to power the
riculum was developed in collaboration the Silicon Valley,” explains Rose-Marga- es students with knowledge and skills
East Bay’s advanced
with an industry advisor roundtable com- ret Eking-Itua, professor of engineering needed to succeed in “Industry 4.0” fields
manufacturing hub
prised of local business leaders, economic at Ohlone College and coordinator of the such as industrial IoT, additive manufac-
East Bay favorite: “I development officers, policymakers, and Smart Manufacturing Program. turing and other emerging manufactur-
love the East Bay for regional workforce and education part- Noticing that there was “quite a bit of ing disciplines.
its rich diversity of ners. The goal of the program is to sup- disconnect” between industry and aca- Although the program only just
cultures, the beautiful ply Fremont and other Bay Area manu- demia, Eking-Itua says of the program, launched last Fall with a Smart Ad-
landscapes and the facturers with a stream of talent to power “we decided to really listen to what indus- vanced Manufacturing Summit, Ohlone
amazing opportunities its core activities while also creating path- try was saying and we’ve put ourselves at College says companies have already
for collaborative ways to careers in advanced manufactur- the forefront of bridging that gap.” expressed interest in hiring interns
innovations.” ing for its diverse student population. Eking-Itua says the program is train- through the program.
12
ENGINEERING & DESIGN — FINALISTS
Sustainable materials replace animal products

M
ost people know by now that Bolt Thread’s microsilk has the
leather products carry with them softness and durability of silk.
a high carbon footprint. What
BOLT THREADS
people may not realize is that most of high tensile strength, elasticity, durability
boltthreads.com the alternatives, including vegan leather, and softness. Bolt Threads says it has de-
Co
Innovation: Developing are actually petroleum products, mean- veloped technology to replicate this pro-
sustainable, animal ing they bring with them carbon burdens cess sustainably at large scale.
py
product-free textiles of their own. That’s a problem for people The company has also developed an an-
avoiding animal products not just for eth- imal-free alternative to silk protein, a pop-
ri
using biology
gh
and cutting-edge ical reasons, but also to reduce their car- ular cosmetics ingredient, called B-silk.
technologies bon footprint. Breslauer and his co-founders Dan
t©
Enter: Bolt Threads. Based in Em- Widmaier and Ethan Mirsky initially
Location: Emeryville
eryville, California, Bolt Threads has de- founded Bolt Threads in San Francisco in
Co-Founder and Chief veloped innovative ways of recreating 2009, but they quickly relocated the com-
20
Science Officer: David popular animal-derived textiles and other pany to the East Bay, where they were able
20
Breslauer materials. Mylo, the company’s alternative to take advantage of a number of benefits.
Regional significance: leather product, for instance, is harvested “It is a great area with a ton of bio-
A
Innovative products from an unlikely source: mushrooms. technology companies that we can in-
me
have drawn attention More precisely, it’s made up of myceli- teract with,” says Breslauer. “The real es-
to the East Bay’s dense um, the branching underground structure tate companies and the city government
ric
cluster of synthetic of fungi (mushrooms are actually the fruit- have a very strong understanding of how
biology companies ing bodies of the organism). Bolt Threads to work with deep science companies. It’s
an
developed Mylo from mycelium cells by a really complete and effective infrastruc-
Employees: 95
engineering them to assemble themselves ture all around.”
C
East Bay favorite: “It’s into a supple, yet durable, material. Unlike Although Breslauer asks readers to
ity
close to my parents. Hi, leather, which requires years of raising a “keep following us in 2020 for some very
mom and dad!” cow to produce — with all the waste and exciting announcements that should real-
Bu
pollution that entails — Bolt Threads says BOLT THREADS ly bring Bolt Threads into your daily lives,”
Mylo can be produced in a matter of days. consumers can already find the compa-
sin
“No dead cows, no dead dinosaurs — it’s ny’s materials in several products. The
a perfect solution,” says David Breslauer, company collaborated with Stella McCa-
es
co-founder and chief science officer. rtney and Adidas, for instance, last year to
Mylo isn’t the only material Bolt No dead cows, no dead produce a Microsilk tennis dress.
sJ
Threads has managed to recreate using dinosaurs — it’s a perfect It also launched a skincare line, Eigh-
ou
sustainable methods. The company de- teen B, which makes use of the company’s
solution,”
scribes its Microsilk product as “spider B-silk protein. The company says users can
rn
silk made by humans.” Spider silk fiber is David Breslauer, co-founder and chief expect to see improvement in their skin’s
remarkable among natural fibers for its science officer barrier function in as little as four weeks.
a ls
-N
Building a better battery to power the future

ot
I
for
n nearly every respect, our mobile high-capacity silicon anodes, cathodes

devices are better than they’ve ever Enovix’s silicon and separators. The best part?
co
been. They’re faster, they have better anode technology Three-quarters of the pro-
ENOVIX
mm
screens, and they support more features. represents a 30- duction process is identical to
enovix.com But when it comes to battery life, it’s hard 80% increase in that used for conventional lith-
Innovation: Patented not think there’s been a regression. energy density ium ion batteries. That could al-
er
three-dimensional The problem is that as batteries be- over existing low manufacturers to retrofit their
cia
battery architecture come denser and more efficient, new and batteries. existing lines with only a small cap-
enables high-capacity existing software programs and appli- ital investment, resulting in an im-
lu
silicon anode cations increase their demands on the mediate 30% or greater increase in line
hardware. The result is that you’re still production (when measured in Mega-
se
Location: Fremont hard pressed to go more than a day with- watt hours).
CEO and Co-Founder:
ENOVIX
out charging your smartphone or laptop. Having raised $160 million in funding
Harrold Rust Enovix is out to change that. anodes have long already, Rust says Enovix’s next step is to
Regional significance: “There hasn’t been much, if any, in- been held up by the industry for their po- build their first factory, which is currently
East Bay factory will novation in lithium ion batteries since tential to improve battery density, due to slated to be built near their headquarters
create more than 100 Sony invented them in 1991,” Harrold silicon’s high capacity. in Fremont. The company expects the fac-
jobs and help cement Rust, Enovix co-founder and chief execu- While refinements of existing lithium tory to create at least 100 manufacturing
region’s status as high- tive, explains. “If you look at the track re- ion technologies result in an average 5% jobs for the East Bay once it comes online.
tech manufacturing hub cord, the rate of improvement has been increase in density each year, Enovix’s sil- Of their East Bay headquarters, Rust
very slow, and it’s been driven almost en- icon anode technology represents a 30- says “Fremont … has turned into kind of
Employees: 65 tirely by advancements in materials and 80% increase in energy density over bat- a nexus for energy innovation and clean
East Bay Favorite: chemistry.” teries on the market today. tech, which has been very helpful for us
“The East Bay is a great Enovix has taken a different approach, The key innovation enabling Enovix’s in attracting talent. … It’s well-located to
place to combine the he says. Their focus is on battery archi- high-silicon percentage anode is the attract talent from all of the Bay Area …
talent and resources for tecture — more specifically, developing company’s patented three-dimensional both in terms of engineering talent and
battery innovation.” a high-silicon percentage anode. Silicon cell architecture, which vertically stacks production workers.”
Investing in STEM transforms lives

NEW APPLIED SCIENCES CENTER TO LEAD THE REGION
LEROY MORISHITA
tion and genomic profiling institute in a California public
President, California State University, East Bay university, will be housed in the Applied Sciences Center.
This flagship research lab is one of the many learning
Cal State East Bay’s partnership with innovation leaders spaces that will allow students to develop hands-on ex-
throughout the East Bay and Silicon Valley results in thou- perience and build their industry-specific networks before
Co
sands of educated graduates with diverse perspectives and graduation. Importantly, we are committed to opening this
py
essential skills entering highly competitive fields. More than new building entirely through private support. To date, we
80% of our graduates contribute to the local have raised more than $24 million towards
ri
economy by working in the Bay Area. In this We are preparing the $30 million project.
gh
time of global crisis, our university continues early learners to The College of Science is our fastest
t©
to prepare students for careers with potential growing college, with engineering, com-
enter college with
for growth to meet the region’s future indus- puter science, construction management
their sights set
20
try needs. and health sciences undergraduate majors

on STEM-related
20
Improving and expanding access to STEM having each more than doubled since 2010.
education is critical to the health and eco- careers. In that same time, traditionally underrep-
A
nomic strength of the East Bay and broader resented populations in STEM education
me
region. Cal State East Bay’s Institute for STEM Education have increased 117%. In recognition of our achievements,
hosts multiple community-facing programs to build the Money Magazine recently rated us as the 14th most trans-
ric
pipeline into STEM from the K-12 level. We are prepar- formative university in the United States.
an
ing early learners to enter college with their sights set on Our alumni tell us their degrees significantly changed
STEM-related careers. their and their families’ lives and their communities. As
C
Plans are underway to build an Applied Sciences Cen- president of Cal State East Bay, I am proud that our stu-
ity
ter with interdisciplinary space and leading-edge labs for dents not only reflect the vibrant, creative, and multicultur-
innovative student and faculty research projects. The new- al Bay Area but are poised to unlock innovative solutions
Bu
ly created Green Biome Institute, the first plant conserva- to the critical problems facing society today.
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
Wareham Development and the stellar research and tech companies at our vibrant
for
Emeryville and Berkeley campuses are proud employers of CSUEB grads on STEM
career paths.
co
mm
It's time to build an Applied Sciences Center so that the College of Science, CSUEB's
fastest-growing college, continues to meet the needs of the region while significantly
increasing its population of students from traditionally underrepresented populations
er
in engineering, computer sciences, construction management, and health sciences.

cia
Please contact William Johnson, vice president for University Advancement at CSUEB,
lu
510-885-4710, for investment opportunities and to match our pledge.

se
Distinguished buildings for noble and Nobel innovators since 1977.

WAREHAM
www.warehamdevelopment.com Emeryville • Berkeley • Richmond • Marin County · Palo Alto DEVEL OPME NT
14
FOOD — FINALISTS
Take a break, Bessie...They’ve got milk covered

T
oday’s ethically- and environmen- Perfect Day plant-based products
tally-conscious eaters enjoy a slew reproduce the combination of
PERFECT DAY of widely available milk alterna- sugars, fats and proteins found in
tives, including soy, almond, cashew and cow’s milk.
perfectdayfoods.com
Co
oat-based products. But even with all

Innovation: Using these alternatives on the shelves, it’s hard nents like vitamins, probiotics and en-
py
fermentation to create not to still pine for the singular flavor — zymes, Pandya and his team got to work
milk proteins that are not to mention nutrition — found in reg- on developing their dairy-free milk using
ri
nutritionally identical to
gh
ular old milk. this safe and proven process. By ground-

those in cow’s milk Enter Perfect Day, an Emeryville-based ing their product in established food sci-
t©
Location: Emeryville producer of animal-free dairy prod- ence, the company was able to bring their
PERFECT DAY
ucts. Using fermented plant sugars, Per- milk to the market in just five years.
CEO and Co-Founder:
fect Day has developed a completely an- The result is that Perfect Day’s milk
20
Ryan Pandya
imal-free milk product that mimics the can provide the creamy, je-ne-sais-quoi-
20
Perfect Day is one of
complex mixture of proteins, sugars and “We’ve loved it here; we never ness so often lacking in dairy alternatives
fats found in cow’s milk, but without all without all the harmful effects associat-
a growing number of want to move.”
A
the downsides. ed with animal agriculture. Perfect Day

innovative meat- and
me
The company was founded in 2014 Ryan Pandya, Co-founder, Perfect Day milk requires significantly less water and
animal product- by Ryan Pandya and Perumal Ghandi. energy to produce than cow’s milk, and
alternative producers
ric
Pandya, a chemistry and biological en- it generates far fewer greenhouse gasses.
calling the East Bay their gineering grad who contributed to Tufts cation not to think about milk and cows It also allows consumers to completely
an
home University’s seminal research on lab-cre- as magic, but as biology and chemistry,” avoid supporting the cruelty associated
Employees: 100 ated meat, was working in the pharma- Pandya says. “If only that magic, whatev- with factory farming of animals.
C
ceutical industry when he realized that er it is, was in a plant-based milk, now all While in its early years the company
East Bay favorite: “The
ity
some of the technologies the industry of a sudden you have the ability to make rented spaces in Menlo Park and South San
views and the quiet from
uses to make medicines could be applied everything milk can make.” Francisco, by its second year the compa-
the Berkeley fire trails.”
Bu
to solve other problems, like creating bet- Recognizing the important role that ny was already feeling at home in its Em-
ter dairy alternatives. fermentation already played in the food eryville headquarters. “We’ve loved it here;
sin
“I was already primed from my edu- industry to create common food compo- we never want to move,” Pandya says.
es
Sustainable fish farming ready to scale up

sJ
ou
W
rn
ith a name like Tsar Nicoulai,

you might expect the caviar you
als
TSAR NICOULAI bought to come from some-

where in Eastern Europe, where caviar is
CAVIAR COMPANY
-N
traditionally found. In fact, every can of

tsarnicoulai.com Tsar Nicoulai caviar comes from the com-
ot
Innovation: Waste pany’s Northern California sturgeon farm.

Founded in 1984 by Iranian immi-
for
stream nutrient recovery

technology enables grants who thought the name “Tsar
more sustainable Nicoulai” would furnish their brand-new
co
sturgeon farming caviar brand with a sense of heritage and

mm
prestige, the company today operates the

Location: Concord
TSAR NICOULAI
only eco-certified sturgeon farm in the

President: Ali Balourchi United States.
er
Regional significance: While raising sturgeon for caviar has

cia
Company’s Concord a reputation for being a water-intensive

headquarters brings a process, Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Company Nutrients extracted from the waste water of fish tanks feed a crop of hydroponic
lu
unique, innovative ag has developed an innovative method of butter lettuce, while the roots of the plants filter the water.
business presence to recycling water that reduces water con-
se
the East Bay sumption by 70%. They’ve created the patented, which will enable Tsar Nicou- near Sacramento, where a small cadre
first and only aquaponics caviar opera- lai to share the technology with oth- of sturgeon farmers that supplies nearly
Employees: 40 tion in the world, in which sturgeon are er sturgeon farmers through licensing 80% of U.S. demand for caviar exists, the
East Bay favorite: “I’m raised in waters that also include an ar- agreements. company’s headquarters are in Concord.
a monster foodie. So ray of plants and bacteria. How do the results of Tsar Nicoulai’s That means employment for East Bay
my East Bay favorite is It’s a complete ecosystem: nutrients sustainable sturgeon farming stack up residents and tax revenue for the City of
the diverse foods and extracted from the waste water of the against Old World producers? Three Best Concord and Contra Costa County.
cultures. … You can sturgeon tanks feed thousands of heads in the Country awards from Good Foods Of the company’s East Bay headquar-
find a little pocket of of butter lettuce — their roots suspend- and a Sofi Award from the Specialty Food ters, Tsar Nicoulai president Ali Balourchi
everything.” ed in water — which act as natural filters Association are nothing to sneeze at. calls finding their headquarters space in
for the water. But the perfect symbol of the status Tsar Concord “a lucky bounce.” After nearly six
The key innovation is the company’s Nicoulai caviar has attained globally may years there, Balourchi says “we wouldn’t
waste stream nutrient recovery system, be NASA’s selecting the company’s prod- have it any other way. Concord is our new
which uses probiotics and natural en- uct as a gift to send to Russian astronauts home. And we try to publicize Concord as
zymes to extract nutrients from the waste aboard the International Space Station. much as we can. It’s a great business city,
water. The technology is currently being While Tsar Nicoulai’s farm is located and it’s also a great family city.”
Co
py
righ
t©
20
20
A me
ric
an
C ity
Bu
sin
es
sJ
HOME OF INNOVATORS SINCE 1852

ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
Congratulations to the Oakland finalists in the Learn more about Oakland’s central location,
2020 East Bay Innovation Awards: vibrant arts scene, abundant green spaces,
• Back to the Roots and hopping bars and restaurants, along with
• Designing Justice Designing Spaces details on our efforts to
• East Bay Asian Local Development Corp. make Oakland an easy,
• Idea Builder Labs efficient, and prosperous
• Oakland Genomics Center place to do business at
• Zoo Labs Business2Oakland.com.
16
LIFE SCIENCES — FINALISTS
Color blindness seen as a thing of the past

T
he standard color range of Glasses made with EnChroma’s
human perception is esti- optical filters can help many
mated to consist of more
ENCHROMA of those affected by color
than 1 million distinct hues and blindness.
enchroma.com colors. Individuals with color blind-
Co
Innovation: Special ness, by comparison, see just 10% It’s not just technological in-
optical filters allow or fewer of those. novation that makes EnChro-
py
colorblind individuals It’s a disparity that affects peo- ma such a champion to the color
ple’s lives. For decades, eye care pro- blind community. Last year, the
ri
to experience the full

gh
spectrum of visual fessionals have told patients with company launched its EnChro-
perception color blindness that there’s noth- ma Glasses Loaner and Color Ac-
t©
ing they can do for them. That’s all cessibility program at the Georgia
Location: Berkeley while color blind individuals suf- O’Keeffe Museum in New Mexico.
CEO and Co-Founder: fer daily from major obstacles and The program enables public ven-
20
Andrew Schmeder frustrations, from inability to match ues, schools, state parks, librar-
20
Regional significance: clothes or pick ripe fruit, to inability ies and other organizations to
EnChroma has helped to see stoplights or interpret graphs address color accessibility — an
A
put the East Bay on and diagrams. issue that has until recently gone
me
the map for optical Founded in 2010 by Don McPher- mostly unacknowledged — by
ENCHROMA
innovation and made the son, a doctor of glass science, and loaning EnChroma glasses out to
ric
East Bay the epicenter Andy Schmeder, a mathematician, color blind guests and students.
for the color blind EnChroma is dedicated to allowing EnChroma was founded and
an
every one of the 350 million people remains in Berkeley, where the
Employees: 50 with color blindness — that’s one in 12 men and 1 in 200 wom- vertically integrated company’s eyewear is designed, assembled
C
East Bay favorite: “The en — to experience clear, vibrant color and overcome those ev- and shipped. The company today occupies a 20,000 square foot-
ity
East Bay hills. I love eryday obstacles. plus building in West Berkeley, where approximately 50 employ-
being able to escape the The key innovation is the company’s special optical filters. ees — up from a team of just eight in 2014 — come to work.
Bu
city and be in nature.” The filters cut out small slices of light where the problematic “The East Bay is a really interesting place because it com-
overlap of red and green occurs, enabling color blind individ- bines an incredible talent pool, some of the smartest people in
sin
uals to see more of the broad spectrum of light most people the world, honestly, as well as incredible diversity,” says Andy
just take for granted. EnChroma spent years refining its glass, Schmeder, co-founder and CEO. “But it also has great infra-
es
conducting clinical trials at Cal and UC Davis. In the process, structure. … We’re able to tap into multiple different talent
it created a brand-new market — one that EnChroma current- pools as well as the logistical infrastructure [we need] to do all
sJ
ly dominates — for color blind eyewear. this activity.”

ou
rn
Microbes make a fertilizer that doesn’t pollute

als
B
-N
efore there was commercial fertil- Pivot Bio has developed microbes
izer, there were microbes. that use natural processes to produce
ot
PIVOT BIO More precisely, there were natu- all the nitrogen crops need.
rally occurring microbes in the soil that
for
pivotbio.com performed the same function that syn- the corn plant, producing all the nitro-
Innovation: Naturally thetic fertilizers do today. Over the last gen the plant needs to grow big. Because
co
occurring microbes 120 years, however, farmers have re- the nitrogen is transferred directly to the
mm
replace polluting placed this naturally occurring fertiliz- plant, it’s not just better for the environ-
synthetic fertilizers er almost entirely with commercial syn- ment, it’s also more reliable and consis-
thetic fertilizers. tent, Pivot Bio claims.
Location: Berkeley
er
That innovation has allowed crops to If Pivot Bio is successful at replac-

CEO: Karsten Temme
cia
grow bigger, increasing the productivity ing synthetic fertilizers with their nat-
Regional significance: of farming. But it has also led to pollu- ural solution, Temme says they could
lu
Nearly 70 scientists tion — a lot of pollution. Studies estimate stop around a gigaton of carbon emis-
applying their that as much as 60% of fertilizer isn’t cap- sions from being released into the atmo-
PIVOT BIO
se
knowledge to tap tured by the crop. The fertilizer that isn’t sphere each year. That translates into ac-
into the potential of absorbed by the plant decomposes into tual tenths of a degree Celsius in global
microbes nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is warming per year, he says. That’s in ad-
responsible for about 5% of global warm- “Our innovation is to use the microbes dition to the positive impact their natu-
Employees: 100
ing. Runoff from chemical fertilizer also that [fertilize crops] naturally and build a ral fertilizer would have on downstream
East Bay favorite: contributes to algae blooms, which can product that is more efficient and doesn’t effects like water quality and soil health.
“The amount of hiking suffocate fish and harm ecosystems. have half of it turning into pollution,” ex- Pivot Bio has its origins in graduate re-
and trails we have Pivot Bio aims to replace the $212 bil- plains Karsten Temme, co-founder and search that Temme and his co-founder, Al-
throughout the East Bay lion chemical fertilizer industry with a chief executive. vin Tamsir, conducted at the University of
hills is phenomenal.” natural alternative. To develop that alter- After years of development, the com- California. The company spent some time
native, the company harnessed the pow- pany’s first product, PROVEN, is available in QB3’s incubator for life science start-
er of not only biology, but also machine across most of the U.S. in time for the ups in Mission Bay before moving to the
learning and computational modeling 2020 corn growing season. With PROVEN, East Bay, initially setting up headquarters
to “remodel” microbes so that they pro- farmers simply plant their corn along- in Wareham’s offices in Emeryville, before
duce the level of nitrogen today’s farm- side Pivot Bio’s microbes. These microbes moving to a Wareham property in Berke-
ers need. then form a symbiotic relationship with ley, where they’ve been ever since.
Co
py
ri gh
t©
20
20
A me
ric
an
C
ity
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ADVANCED
ou
MANUFACTURING
rn
LABORATORY
a ls
TECHNOLOGY TRACKS
-N
At the AML, our leadership and expertise

in manufacturing science helps LLNL and
ot
The new Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory (AML) its collaborators address a wide range of
technology challenges. We have established
brings together science and engineering expertise, High-performance materials, devices,
for
five technology tracks that leverage unique

leading edge technology, academic partners, and LLNL capabilities to explore some of industry’s components, and assemblies enabled by
industry experience under one roof. most promising opportunities. innovative HPC modeling and simulation
co
Located in the heart of the Livermore Valley Open

mm
Campus and adjacent to Lawrence Livermore National

Laboratory’s main campus, the AML is the birthplace
er
of tomorrow’s most innovative manufacturing

cia
processes and products.

lu
The 10,000-square-foot AML houses the most

advanced and capable equipment in the field of
se
Unique, custom, high-quality feedstocks and Laser systems, advanced optics, multimaterial
advanced/additive manufacturing, some of which
nanomaterials solutions, precision motion, extrusion, and
are not yet commercially available. Additional post-processing techniques
resources include material evaluation and
characterization equipment, high-performance
computing (HPC) modeling and simulation systems,
and manufacturing capabilities from several active
LLNL programs.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT US ONLINE

adv-manufacturing.llnl.gov
Novel technologies and products to transform Process simulation, in situ diagnostics,
transportation, energy, medical, and national characterization, testing, and evaluation
security sectors of reliable products
7000 East Avenue • Livermore, CA 94550 This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.
18
SUSTAINABILITY — FINALISTS
Organic gardens in a kit for urban dwellers

I
t’s not often that the results Back to the Roots offers
of an experiment cooked up more than 21 types of home
in a fraternity kitchen end up gardening kits.
BACK TO THE being sold in more than 10,000
ROOTS
Co
stores across the country. But ter mushrooms. The coffee

that’s exactly what happened grounds they used to experi-
backtotheroots.com
py
for Oakland-based indoor gar- ment were originally collect-

Innovation: Indoor dening innovator Back to the ed from Peet’s Coffee, an East
ri
gardening kits empower

gh
Roots. Bay institution whose original

ordinary people to grow
BACK TO THE ROOTS

Classmates Nikhil Arora and location is in North Berkeley.
their own food
t©
Alejandro Velez founded Back And the company recently re-

Location: Oakland to the Roots in 2010 when they ceived a little extra push from
were still college students. Rec- Golden State Warriors point
20
Co-Founders: Nikhil
ognizing that millennials are an guard Steph Curry and his wife,
Arora and Alejandro
20
increasingly urban demograph- Ayesha, with whom they cre-

Velez, Co-Founders
ic, the pair saw an opportunity to create Home Depot and Target. Those kits range ated a co-branded gardening kit called
A
a gardening experience tailored to those from an aquaponics fish tank and wa- Kitchen Herb Garden by Ayesha Curry.
Small East Bay team is
me
who have disconnected from the land, for ter garden, to self-watering planters, to “We are so lucky we went to school in
helping people across instance, those who don’t have a green old-fashioned dill seeds and soil in a can. the East Bay, and Back to the Roots is still
the country re-engage
ric
thumb or didn’t grow up with a backyard. Back to the Roots says the kits have given based in the East Bay,” says Velez. “The
with growing food That idea coalesced with the compa- more than a million people the opportu- mentorship, the access to capital, and
an
Employees: 12 ny’s first product, a grow-your-own mush- nity to grow their own organic gardens. just the ability to expand from a frater-
room kit, inspired by a lecture in which Founded when Arora and Velez were nity kitchen to now over 10,000 stores is
C
their professor mentioned that coffee both UC Berkeley undergrads, Back to something that, frankly, I can’t imagine
ity
grounds, which cafes usually throw out, the Roots has found the East Bay to be having [done] anywhere else.”
make an excellent compost — the sub- an unparalleled source of talent and Says Arora: “The East Bay, it’s resilient,
Bu
stance upon which mushrooms thrive. support for the company. Alice Waters, it’s innovative, for us it’s the hub of sus-
That mushroom kit is still available Chez Panisse head chef, gave the pair tainability, of the food movement, of en-
sin
today, along with a diverse line of more the confidence they needed early on to trepreneurship. All that comes together
than 21 indoor gardening kits, which keep pursuing their project with her pos- in the East Bay, so we can’t imagine being
es
can be found at stores like Lowe’s, The itive reaction to their home-grown oys- anywhere else.”
sJ
Filtration process can cut shipping impact

ou
rn
W
als
e’re all familiar with food concen- Porifera’s

trate: it’s that ingredient in juice filtration
-N
or soup you want to avoid, right? removes some

PORIFERA If that’s your full impression of food of the water
ot
porifera.com concentrates, then San Leandro-based from foods

Porifera has developed an innovative and beverages,
for
Innovation:
technology that’s sure to change how you decreasing
Unique membrane
think about concentrates. their volume
co
concentration
Conventional concentration meth- so less fuel
technology gently
mm
ods require the application of heat to needed to

removes water from
the product, which can indeed irrevers- transport them
beverages, foods and
ibly damage delicate flavor compounds. to market.
other products to create
er
Porifera’s unique membrane concentra-

high-value concentrates
cia
tion technology, on the other hand, gen-

Location: San Leandro tly removes the water by leveraging a pro-
lu
CEO: Olgica Bakajin cess called forward osmosis, which uses

PORIFERA
a semipermeable membrane to separate

se
water from stuff that’s dissolved in it.
Headquartered in
The upshot is that Porifera’s technolo-
San Leandro, with a
gy can be relied upon to process even the “If we can shrink the volume of global CO2 emissions in 2050,” founder
production facility in
Hayward, Porifera’s
most challenging liquids that tend to clog of what we ship by one-tenth Olgica Bakajin notes. “But if we can shrink
or foul other membrane technologies. the volume of what we ship by one-tenth
technologies are having … that’s where we save money
What would motivate someone to want … and still deliver great, fresh product,
a global impact on
to make a concentrate out of painstaking- on shipping and are more that’s where we save money on shipping
shipping and waste
ly-prepared beverages like wine or beer sustainable.” and are more sustainable.”
Employees: 28 in the first place? The same reason any In addition to reducing the volumes
Olgica Bakajin, founder, Porifera
East Bay favorite: “I love commercial food manufacturer would: of food and beverage products, Porifera’s
the farmer’s markets. concentrating food or beverages reduc- forward osmosis process can be used to
… It’s this wonderful es transport costs and increases shelf life. There’s also the environmental impact concentrate waste while extracting clean
experience of getting The company says its technology can re- — concentrated products weigh less and water. The company has already helped
your food, and it’s all duce the volume of stored or shipped thus require less fuel to transport. multiple East Bay breweries and winer-
fresh, and it’s personal.” products by as much as 20 times while “Shipping contributes huge amounts ies separate post-brewing waste into wa-
preserving taste, color and nutrition. of CO2 emissions. It’s projected to be 17% ter and solids.
COVID-19 clinical studies ramp up quickly

across Kaiser Permanente Northern California
DRUG CLINICAL TRIALS AND BLOOD PLASMA PROGRAMS ARE IN PLACE IN MULTIPLE HOSPITALS
BY JAN GREENE, Some of these trials include:

KAISER PERMANENTE DIVISION OF RESEARCH — Remdesivir, an investigational antiviral drug made by Gilead Sciences.
Kaiser Permanente Northern California is taking part in Phase 3 clinical
Co
In the race to find safe and effective treatments for seriously ill patients trials, along with more than 150 other medical facilities worldwide, which
with COVID-19, Kaiser Permanente in Northern California is enrolling pa- currently include six KP NCAL hospitals as well as Kaiser Permanente
py
tients in nationwide clinical trials and participating in an expanded access hospitals in other regions. Hospitalized patients are being enrolled to
ri
program of a novel treatment strategy that uses blood receive the intravenous medication in one of two trial
gh
plasma from recovered patients. “There are no shortcuts to protocols, one for severe disease and another for
t©
Kaiser Permanente’s research division in Northern

rigorous research. So, we’re moderate disease.
California is taking a careful approach to choose the
working to build a lasting —Selinexor, a selective inhibitor of nuclear export, or
20
most promising investigational treatments to protect

patients and produce reliable evidence, explained Dr. infrastructure to evaluate SINE, agent being tested by Karyopharm Therapeu-
20
Alan S. Go, regional medical director of the Kaiser new therapies. tics as an antiviral and anti-inflammatory therapy for
Permanente Northern California, or KP NCAL, Clini- Dr. Jacek Skarbinski, COVID-19.
A
KP NCAL is also participating in an expanded

me
cal Trials Program based out of the group’s Division of Infectious disease specialist
Research in Oakland. access program to give selected COVID-19 patients
ric
“There’s tremendous pressure,” Go said. “Our treating clinicians are convalescent blood plasma, taken from COVID-19 patients who have
doing the best they can to provide supportive care for people who are re- clinically recovered from the infection. Researchers believe blood plasma
an
ally ill. We want to make sure we’re supporting the evidence base so that from recovered patients could provide antibodies to attack the virus and
help critically ill COVID-19 patients recover more quickly.
C
at the end of the day, we have some treatments we can say really work
“It’s going to take time,” said Dr. Jacek Skarbinski, an infectious disease
ity
rather than relying on anecdotal reports or uncontrolled studies.”

Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California are participating in specialist and principal investigator for several of KP NCAL’s COVID-19
Bu
clinical trials sponsored by industry that compare patients who receive the clinical trials. “There are no shortcuts to rigorous research. So, we’re
new medications with similar patients who do not, considered an important working to build a lasting infrastructure to evaluate new therapies that are
sin
design element to produce reliable results. going to help us in the long run.”
es
sJ
ou
rn
a ls
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
20
TECHNOLOGY — FINALISTS
Mountain of waste gets a new life

I
t might surprise you to learn that even
with all the money you and your insur-
MEDINAS ance company might seem to pay them,
not-for-profit hospitals have on average an
Co
medinas.com operating margin of just 1.7%. Many hos-

Innovation: Used pitals can barely afford to keep their doors
py
healthcare equipment open, much less expand their services or

marketplace and open new wings.
righ
cloud-based asset One source of this dire state is admin-

management software istrative waste: the U.S. healthcare sys-
t©
help hospitals recoup tem generates an estimated $765 billion

costs and divert toxic in waste each year.
It’s that astounding magnitude of waste
20
chemicals from landfills
MEDINAS
that inspired Berkeley-based tech startup
Location: Berkeley
20
Medinas to want to make a dent in the

CEO: Chloe Alpert problem. Founder Chloe Alpert started An online marketplace for pre-owned medical equipment has helped hospitals
A
Regional significance: the company in 2017 after learning that save millions of dollars.
me
Diverting waste from billions of dollars’ worth of perfectly func-

landfills helps protect tional medical equipment ends up in land- dinas’s mission is equally urgent. By con- World award, a $360,000 WeWork Region-
ric
the environment of the fills each year because hospitals don’t have necting buyers and sellers of used medical al Creator award, and a $1 million WeWork
East Bay and the world an easy way of connecting with prospec- equipment, Medinas reports it has helped Global Creator award. Those amounts are
an
tive buyers. divert more than 33,000 pounds of equip- on top of the $5 million in venture capital
Employees: 25
Her solution? An online marketplace for ment from landfills over the past year- the company has raised so far.
C
East Bay favorite: “The pre-owned equipment to connect buyers and-a-half. Ninety-six percent of that was Headquartered in Berkeley, Medinas
juxtaposition of city and
ity
with sellers and a sophisticated based as- e-waste containing toxic chemicals such is part of a growing faction of innovative
nature is what makes set management system that gets hospi- as poly-chlorinated biphenyls, or “PCBs,” startups looking across the San Francisco
Bu
the East Bay so unique. tal administrators out of spreadsheets and as well as heavy metals like lead, mercu- Bay to set up shop.
One minute you can be into the cloud. ry and cadmium. One-quarter of all divert- “It’s a market of untapped potential,”
sin
in a cafe reading and the Medinas’s solutions alone are helping ed waste, Medinas says, contained radio- says Alpert of the East Bay. “Everyone al-
next you can be going the company’s customers reclaim any- active materials, such as Cobalt 60, which ways looks at San Francisco as the des-
es
on a hike.” where from 5% to 20% of their capital bud- has a half-life of more than five years. tination, [but] we realized that the East
get, Alpert says. And to date, Medinas has The company’s innovative approach to Bay is where there are such diverse peo-
sJ
helped hospitals save a combined $70 mil- tackling healthcare waste has earned Me- ple and lives and perspectives. … Being
ou
lion in sales equivalency, she adds. dinas and Alpert a number of cash awards, in the East Bay enables us to focus a little
The sustainability component to Me- including a $500,000 Forbes Change the bit more on what we’re doing.”
rn
a
Edging out oil in the new industrial revolution

ls
-N
I
ot
f the last 100 years of industrial Development of new

progress were driven by advance- chemical building blocks is
for
ZYMERGEN ments in petroleum materials, the transforming the materials

next 100 will be driven by the mar- for many everyday
co
zymergen.com riage of biology and technology. products.

mm
Innovation: Computing At least, that’s the principle upon

platform fusing which Zymergen has staked its Industrial Revolution technolo-
automation, machine success. gies to drive financial and oper-
er
learning, and biology The average person might not re- ational impact.
cia
as a source of new alize it, but much of what we see, Perhaps most impressive-
chemical building blocks. touch and use in our everyday lives ly, clients of Zymergen have to
ZYMERGEN
lu
is derived from petroleum. Zymer- date sold a combined billion

Location: Emeryville
gen’s breakthrough moment came dollars’ worth of products that
se
Co-Founder, VP when the company’s founders, Josh- were made using the compa-
of Operations and ua Hoffman, Zach Serber and Jed ny’s microbes.
Engineering: Jed Dean Dean, observed that the pace of industri- that Zymergen could become catalyst for Building their business in the East Bay
Regional significance: al progress has slowed over the last cen- a new industrial revolution that creates a has been “critical” to Zymergen’s success,
Zymergen has become tury, as humans have exhausted the ways more vibrant, sustainable future. says Jed Dean, co-founder and VP of op-
the second-largest in which existing processes and materi- By all accounts, Zymergen’s bet has paid erations and engineering. “We see Em-
employer in Emeryville als can be combined to create new things. off. The company has seen explosive growth, eryville as a critical hub not only with-
What was missing, they surmised, was a growing from a team of just three founders in the Bay Area broadly, but within the
Employees: 850
lack of new molecular building blocks. in 2014 to more than 800 employees as of world. Our ability to bring together folks
East Bay favorite: So in 2014, Hoffman, Serber and Dean February 2020. It also raised over $400 mil- whose expertise comes from these dif-
“Getting lost in the green founded Zymergen. And to enable the lion in its most recently funding round, for ferent critical dimensions, from machine
hills of Briones.” creation of those new building blocks, a total of nearly $574 million since found- learning, from automation, from biology
they looked toward then-emerging ma- ing. And in July 2019, Zymergen was recog- and chemistry, and all into one location
chine learning and artificial intelligence nized as a ‘lighthouse’ in the Global Light- — and here in this part of the world —
technologies. Marrying these technolo- house Network by The World Economic Fo- was essential in making the choice of Em-
gies with the power of biology, they bet rum for its leadership in applying Fourth eryville as the home for Zymergen.”
Co
py
righ
t©
20
20
A me
ric
an
C ity
Bu
sin
es
sJ
SAN LEANDRO
ou
rn
a
ls
We make Things!
-N
ot
San Leandro is building on its deep manufacturing history, transforming into an innovation and advanced
for
manufacturing hub. With a business friendly climate, easy transportation access, ultra high speed
internet, and a diverse housing and employment base, San Leandro is the place to grow your business.
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
TORANI • PCC STRUCTURALS • 21ST AMENDMENT • GHIRARDELLI • ENERGY RECOVERY

VANTAGE ROBOTICS • DRAKE’S • MI RANCHO • SCANDIC SPRINGS • FREEWIRE TECH • COCA-COLA
BUILDING AN INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

[email protected] (510) 577-3311
Sponsors - pg. 22
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

PRESENTING SPONSOR
Co
PLATINUM
py
ri
gh
t©
20
20
A
GOLD
me
ric
an
C ity
Bu
sin
SILVER
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
PROGRAM SPONSORS
co
Bank of America City of San Leandro Southwest Airlines UrbanBloc Inc.

mm
Brown Gee & Wenger LLP Comcast StopWaste Vice President Keith Carson,
C3Nano Lawrence Berkeley National TRI Commercial Alameda County BOS
er
Cal State East Bay Laboratory Tsar Nicoulai Caviar

cia
City of Emeryville Pivot Bio Company

City of Fremont Port of Oakland The Clorox Company
lu
se
GIFT SPONSORS MEDIA PARTNERS SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Hon. Libby Schaaf, Mayor, City of Oakland
Alameda County
Berkeley High School Jazz Band
Jacqueline Yu
PilotCity
California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime)
Co
py
ri
gh
t©
20
20
A
me
ric
an
C
ity
Bu
sin
es
sJ
ou
rn
als
-N
ot
for
co
mm
er
cia
lu
se
East Bay
Economic Development Alliance
Co
py
ri
BECOME A MEMBER CONNECT TODAY!

gh
t©
Join the premier network of public and private sector

leaders working to promote and strengthen the East www.eastbayeda.org
20
Bay’s economic success.

20
NETWORK LEAD INFLUENCE BRAND

@eastbayeda
A
me
[email protected]
ric
(510) 272-6746
an
C
ity
Bu
sin
es
sJ
2020 The Building

ou
Blocks to
rn
SPRING MEMBERSHIP
a
MEETING
ls
Recovery
-N
ot
THURSDAY, MAY 21
for
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
co
mm
PRESENTATIONS BY
Christopher Thornberg, PhD
er
Founding Partner, Beacon

cia
Economics
lu
se
Danny Wan
Executive Director,
Port of Oakland
PROGRAM & RESEARCH SPONSORS REGISTER FOR ZOOM LINK

Bank of America bit.ly/SpringMember2020

Sanfrancisco W 20200515 Si

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sanfrancisco W 20200515 Si

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sanfrancisco W 20200515 Si

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2019 REAL ESTATE

DEALS OF THE YEAR

Chase Center changed the city.

We named it our Deal of the Year.

Then it went dark.

SPECIAL SECTION, PAGE 17

PPP, BEWARE TAME ‘MONSTER’ BAD TIMING ADVERTISEMENT

SAN FRANCISCO BREAKING NEWS ONLINE

Vol. 34, No. 44, $10.00 ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM

BAY AREA BRIEF

peared in the SFBT,

Editor Jim Gardner.

to raise money for the CDC Founda-

techniques are up to each person,

calendar and specs

San Francisco Business

120 W. Morehead St., significant others?) are growing a

Ray Shaw, Chairman Beard” and are ready to get back to

gambling and recreation

San Francisco Business technical services

Business Journal Publica‑ Clothing and

use, without permission, Personal and

content in any manner is

BAY AREA BRIEF

GETTY IMAGES | SFBT ILLUSTRATION

now, and in good faith.” Dozens of contractor and trade

resulted in the equivalent of two as much as 21% for C-corporations

“It’s a completely different vibe, gage interest, utilities and payroll.

BAY AREA BRIEF

City’s budget hole grows deeper

over the following two years, with

these estimates assuming a slow

At the end of March, the city

that a previously estimated $420

million two-year budget deficit

$1.1 billion and $1.7 billion. May-

13 now puts the estimated figure

taken a sharp turn for the worse,

and while our financial preparation

in recent years will soften the blow,

Small business is no small task. City Controller Ben Rosenfield said

So Progressive offers commercial auto and business

Local Agent | ProgressiveCommercial.com er depending on several factors.

According to the report, property,

nue account for $3.6 billion of Gen-

could greatly worsen if economic

losses drive a deeper loss or slow-

es. For example, a 10% change from

es could exacerbate shortfalls by

“With over 100,000 San Fran-

ment and an uncertain timeline for

road,” Breed said in a statement.

also do not include any ongoing

emergency response costs, which

add to the shortfalls. The current

gency Response effort is about

WORKING IN THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS

PATIENCE 10 STEPS TO A VACCINE

EXPLORATORY STAGE PRECLINICAL STAGE