2019-East-Bay-Innovation-Awards
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ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT MARCH 29, 2019 2 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES MARCH 29, 2019 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 3 A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR Keeping innovation alive in the East Bay Disrupting innovations have become the norm and a educating and training our residents. powerful economic engine. As these innovations attain Educational institutions need to realize that being market traction, they require a supply of labor to meet qualified is as important as being educated. But busi- this demand. The management consulting firm, Korn ness must also take ownership of the need for employ- Ferry, anticipates robots and automation will certain- ees to be taught the latest technical skills. In addition ly change the way we work but will never fully replace to creating internships, business can build their own the need for human beings. They foresee a significant apprenticeship and in-house training programs. Busi- human talent deficit in the United States primarily due ness needs to be a strong voice for the fundamental and to projected boomer retirements at a rate of 10,000 each specialized training that best prepares today’s students day for the next nineteen years. By 2030, they estimate for future jobs, many of which we cannot even define at Keith Carson that labor shortages in the U.S. will not only threaten this moment. Business must be more than a funder of Chair, East Bay Economic our technology leadership, but education and training. It must Development Alliance; also cost the nation $1.7 trillion A successful innovative also be an advocate, champion, Supervisor, Alameda in unrealized revenue. mentor and visionary. At the East County District 5, Vice economy such as President, Alameda County The issue is not simply the Bay Economic Development Al- Board of Supervisors number of workers. We are the ours requires a tight liance, we support our business prototype of an innovating econo- partnership between leaders in these roles. my. Our companies require many The innovative businesses, art- new and different skills, but also business and education. ists, and organizations celebrat- workers who can constantly up- ed and showcased at the 2019 grade, communicate well with others, work in ad hoc East Bay Innovation Awards demonstrate creativity, teams and adapt to shifting technologies, organization- risk-taking, knowledge and skills that are beyond stan- al structures, partners and suppliers. dard educational learnings. We must realize that these A successful innovative economy such as ours requires innovations in businesses, community organizations, a tight partnership between business and education. music and dance have evolved from basic skills and Businesses need the skills taught by a liberal arts edu- knowledge, in an environment that enables innovation cation, but also brand new, rapidly evolving technical to flourish. East Bay EDA congratulates our awardees skills in their workers. Supporting this economy will re- and finalists, and working together, the East Bay will quire a disruption in the traditional ways we have been always be a place that nurtures innovation. CONTENTS 4 Investing in the East Bay 10 Clean Tech Award 16 Food Award AWARDEE: Vigilent AWARDEE: Prime Roots Progress is people-powered 5 FINALIST: PolyPlus Battery Company FINALIST: Kikoko 6 Legacy Award 11 Clean tech projects that could deliver big 18 Information and/or Communication Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Technology Award 12 Education Award AWARDEE: Rigetti Computing 7 Catalyst of the Year Award AWARDEE: Scientific Adventures for Girls FINALIST: Trov AWARDEE: Wareham Development/QB3 FINALIST: TechHire Oakland East Bay Innovation Center 19 How to build an engine for innovation FINALIST: Cyclotron Road 13 Early math education: Key to our innovation economy 20 Life Sciences Award 8 East Bay Innovative Artist Awards AWARDEE: Elemeno Health AWARDEE: Tower of Power 14 Engineering & Design Award FINALIST: Gritstone Oncology, Inc. AWARDEE: MC Hammer AWARDEE: Sigray, Inc. FINALIST: AEye 21 2019 Nominees 9 3D printing has come of age 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 partnership serving Alameda and Contra [email protected] (510) 272-6843 (510) 208-3996 Costa Counties. We are the regional voice [email protected] [email protected] and networking resource for strengthening Technology & Trade Director Robert Sakai Senior Economic Economic Development the economy, building the workforce, and (510) 272-3881 Development Analyst Analyst enhancing the quality of life in the East Bay. [email protected] Xian Ballesteros Michael Northam Engage with us! (510) 272-3885 (510) 272-3889 [email protected] [email protected] www.EastBayEDA.org EBEDA Innovation Awards publication: stories by Verb Factory; cover design by Xian Ballesteros; publication design by Carol Collier 4 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES Investing in the East Bay THRIVING ECONOMY OFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO BALANCE PROSPERITY AND FAIRNESS BY SCOTT MCGREW, Television Host and News Anchor, NBC Bay Area I’ve covered tech in the Bay Area for decades and have watched as “Silicon Valley” spread both beyond the valley and meryville has more entrepreneurial clout than Dallas, beyond silicon itself into robotics, Software as a Service and Texas. Companies in Hayward have raised more ven- biosciences — three of the East Bay’s big economic drivers. ture capital than those in Portland, Oregon. Pleasanton Robotics fascinate me — creating industries we have never more than Miami, Florida. In 2018, the East Bay received before thought of while making us wonder if we will all have jobs Ealmost $5 billion in venture investment and $1.25 billion just for in the future. Biosciences have proven themselves as big money clean tech. These numbers – first reported makers. And I’m still trying to explain SaaS by my colleague Joanna Glasner — proba- In 2018, the East Bay to my parents. bly don’t surprise you. Nor do they surprise As we watch companies flee ludicrous me. The East Bay is an incredible economic received almost property prices in San Francisco, the East engine. East Bay CEOs and entrepreneurs $5 billion in venture Bay grows. As other cities and indeed are frequent guests on my television show, other countries discover our talented Press:Here on NBC Bay Area. investment. workforce, the East Bay grows. This gives But we are the choir. We need to spread us a unique opportunity to get it right: the East Bay message to the world outside the San Francisco economic growth and prosperity as companies move in, but with Bay Area, and the East Bay Economic Development Alliance is fair treatment, affordable housing and opportunity for those who doing a fantastic job as a preacher. I am incredibly proud and were here first. It’s something San Francisco and San Jose have flattered to be a part of spreading that message through the East struggled to get right — lessons the East Bay must get right. Bay Innovation Awards. And we can get it right. Scott McGrew is the host of Press:Here, seen Sunday mornings at 9am on NBC Bay Area and online at pressheretv.com. He is also the host of the new podcast, Sand Hill Road, available on iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. The Oakland A’S are proud to SUPPORT THE EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS 2019 #ROOTEDINOAKLAND MARCH 29, 2019 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 5 Progress is people-powered 2019 INNOVATION AWARDS NOMINEES ILLUSTRATE THE SCOPE OF THE EAST BAY’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO PHOTOS THIS / BERKELEY PAGE LAB - ROY KALTSCHMIDT THE SCIENCES BY OWEN POINDEXTER e often say that “technol- ogy progresses” as if tech- nology were some kind of autonomous force. But in Wreality progress is the result of tireless ex- perimentation and innovation by the sci- entists, engineers and entrepreneurs mov- ing our world forward. There is nothing inevitable about the speed and direction of progress. Rather, it is our investment Above: Berkeley Lab Workforce in the sciences that ratchets us toward a Development & Education more connected, efficient and dynamic intern Kirk Larsen and mentor world. The East Bay is a leader both in re- Daniel Slaughter study search and with large, socially conscious initiatives in the sciences It is a global hub chemical sciences. for powerful, thoughtful progress and the people who make it happen. Left: Berkeley Lab scientist Kristin Persson and her team The incremental and exponential are speeding up the search Progress is often benchmarked by game- for next generation battery changing technologies, such as the com- puter and automobile, but just as im- chemistry with their Electrolyte portant as tomorrow’s innovations is Genome project. yesterday’s technology getting better, fast- er and cheaper. A more efficient battery, save energy and space could be the way of AEye), faster processing for computers, for instance, would impact everything the future. Prime Roots, based in San Le- and new techniques in storing data. For from cars to handheld devices, and that’s andro, is one biotech business making that every major breakthrough there are count- why PolyPlus Battery Company, based in happen with its fungi-based food. less attempts and iterations that, whether West Berkeley, has made that their cause. Then there are the eye-catching tech- successful or not, bring researchers closer More efficient utilities, such as heating nologies that truly don’t look like anything to cracking the problem. The fellows at and cooling systems, could do wonders to- that came before: quantum computing, Cyclotron Road, based at the University of ward reducing energy use in a nearly invis- artificial intelligence, autonomous vehi- California, Berkeley, are given the resourc- ible way.