ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT MARCH 29, 2019 2 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS 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 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 2019 Legacy Award 11 Clean tech projects that could deliver big 18 Information/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: 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 Regional Economic Senior Economic The East Bay Economic Development Executive Director Development Director Development Analyst Alliance (East Bay EDA) is a public/private (No name at this time) Jackie Keliiaa Carline Au partnership serving Alameda and Contra (510) 272-3874 (510) 272-6843 (510) 208-3996 (no email at this time) Costa Counties. We are the regional voice [email protected] [email protected] and networking resource for strengthening Technology & Trade Director Senior Economic Economic Development the economy, building the workforce, and Robert Sakai Development Analyst Analyst enhancing the quality of life in the East Bay. (510) 272-3881 Xian Ballesteros Michael Northam Engage with us! [email protected] (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 , 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 KALTSCHMIDT - ROY LAB PAGE / BERKELEY THIS PHOTOS 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. Vigilent in Oakland is using arti- cles. These hallmarks of science fiction es and latitude to explore these sorts of ficial intelligence technology to make that get closer to science fact each day. Often groundbreaking ideas. happen for data centers around the world. these big leaps are in fact the culmination The way we eat has major effects on our of many smaller ones, such as improved Progress for everyone climate and society, and new options that sensors for cars (the focus of Pleasanton’s Finally, there are innovations that don’t directly address technology but focus on the social structure around it. Women and minorities are underrepresented in the sciences, and this lack of diversity means fewer opportunities for those groups and fewer perspectives determining the path the sciences take. Organizations like Sci- entific Adventures for Girls and TechHire bring a needed challenge to the status quo in tech. After all, progress doesn’t mean much if the benefits are reserved for a priv- ileged few. Buoyed by the presence of UC Berkeley and neighboring Silicon Valley, the East Bay is a unique hub for innovation and Scientist Cristina risk-taking. This year’s East Bay Innovation Castanha measures Award finalists illustrate the impressive scope of the East Bay’s contributions to the CO² soil flux at the UC sciences. In a decade or two, when we look Hopland Research and back on how the world has changed, we Extension Center. may see that these companies, nonprofits and initiatives played an integral role. 6 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS 6 LEGACY AWARD

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Science and Left: From these Lab developed microcapsules comes a large task – capturing carbon technology dioxide to reduce the amount of on a mission greenhouse gas.

BY SCOTT WILSON Community and External Relations Officer, LLNL

awrence Livermore National Lab- oratory, a U.S. Department of En- ergy and National Nuclear Secu- rity Administration research and Ldevelopment facility, provides science and technology solutions for some of our nation’s greatest challenges. From the se- curity of the nation to the development and deployment of energy resources, from reducing the global threat of terror- ism and weapons of mass destruction to delivering scientific discoveries, LLNL responds with vision, quality, integrity and technical excellence to address sci- entific issues of national importance. LLNL is managed by Lawrence Liver- more National Se-

curity, LLC, which PHOTOS / LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LAB includes the Uni- versity of California, Bechtel National, BWX Technologies and AECOM. With an annual operating budget of more than $2 billion Scott Wilson, and a workforce of Community and nearly 7,000, LLNL External Relations continues to have Officer, LLNL a positive stimulat- ing effect on the lo- cal, regional and state economies. This Above: STEM Day at the Lab provides the opportunity for under-represented students to manifests itself in a variety of ways, such learn about science and technology careers. as through the procurement of goods and services — $730 million nationwide; many years, LLNL has been a leader in to help promote science and technology $248 million in California — the trans- technology commercialization for the educational opportunities that can main- fer of technologies to the marketplace, U.S. Department of Energy, and it cur- tain and grow the workforce necessary to and the development of research-based rently has more than 100 active commer- continue the vital work of our science and public-private partnerships to improve cial licenses with a variety of businesses, technology institutions, regionally, state- business access to world-class scientif- representing more than $300 million in wide and across the country. ic capabilities found only at a national sales of products based on Lawrence For more information, go to www.llnl.gov laboratory. Livermore technologies. LLNL licensed LLNL’s Innovation and Partnerships technologies have enabled the launch Scott Wilson is the Community Rela- Office serves as a focal point for engage- of numerous new businesses that are tions Officer for the Lawrence Livermore ment with the private sector. Whether helping drive economic growth locally, National Laboratory (LLNL). LLNL was through technology commercialization, regionally and beyond. an East Bay Innovation Awards Finalist encouraging entrepreneurship, or busi- Along with its many economic contri- in the education category with Sandia ness development activities, the Inno- butions, LLNL also prides itself on being a National Laboratories in 2013 and 2015. vation and Partnership Office’s primary good neighbor. From community science LLNL’s “Veterans to Technology” program mission is to grow the economy by ad- lectures and presentations to engagement in partnership with Los Positas College vancing the development and commer- with K-12, community college and under- was the 2017 East Bay Innovation Edu- cialization of scientific discoveries. For graduate students, LLNL is working hard cation Awardee. EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS 7 CATALYST OF THE YEAR

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Catalyzing innovation in the East Bay AWARDEE he QB3 East Bay Innovation Center is one of the more re- Wareham cent additions to the East Bay Development/QB3 incubation market, having Topened its doors in Berkeley in 2011. East Bay Innovation The incubator was created through a Center partnership between Wareham Devel- warehamdevelopment.com opment, the University of California, Berkeley and life sciences institute QB3. Innovation: Creating “The public-private collaboration of innovative spaces for Bay Area Wareham Development, UCB and QB3 startups. to find a solution to the problem of no East Bay location: Berkeley, laboratory space for startups was an in- California novative approach not seen before,” says Partner: Chris Barlow Wareham partner Chris Barlow. The QB3 East Bay Innovation Center helps biotech startups that want to The center represents a new model develop their companies in the Bay Area. Regional significance: for research incubators: operated by the Investing in the region’s private sector, but working in collabora- innovation economy for more “The public-private collaboration tion with public sector biotech experts than 40 years. at QB3. Helping QB3 succeed is its loca- … to find a solution to the East Bay favorite: “The tion right in the heart of one of the larg- diversity and commitment to est life science and technology clusters TODD JOHNSON | SFBT problem of no laboratory space excellence to be found in all in Northern California. for startups was an innovative the companies at our research The QB3 East Bay Innovation Center campuses.” offers 8,000 square feet of lab and office approach not seen before.” space in addition to a fully-equipped lab and a network of research tenants Chris Barlow, Partner, Wareham Development and potential collaborators for any of the startups working within Wareham’s Wareham has a long history of devel- campus in Emeryville. research campuses in Emeryville and oping spaces for technological innova- “Most importantly, the roster of 70 Berkeley. tion in the East Bay, having established QB3 East Bay Innovation Center grad- The Innovation Center benefits start- several similar sites, including nearby uates, which span the life science, bio- ups spinning off from UC Berkeley, EmeryStation and EmeryStation West. tech and green tech spectrum, have Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Gritstone Oncology, a finalist in the stayed within the East Bay when they and UC San Francisco who want to de- life sciences category for the 2019 East have grown to next stage status wheth- velop their companies within the Bay Bay Innovation Awards, is conducting er they remain a Wareham tenant or Area biotech community according to their groundbreaking cancer research at find space elsewhere in the East Bay,” Barlow. the Wareham-developed EmeryStation Barlow says. Empowering inventors to follow their own paths

FINALIST or any scientist and engineer with an idea that could change “Without the support we Cyclotron Road the world, there’s a place in provide, talented and driven cyclotronroad.com Berkeley that can turn their vi- Fsion into reality. TODD JOHNSON | SFBT scientists and engineers would Innovation: A unique Cyclotron Road is a two-year pro- fellowship program for gram, managed as a partnership be- lack a viable path to create science entrepreneurs. tween Lawrence Berkeley National real-world products from their Location: Berkeley, Laboratory and Activation Energy, an California independent nonprofit organization, research.” Ilan Gur, Founder, Cyclotron Road Founder: Ilan Gur that provides world-class scientific re- sources and business mentorship for stage. So Gur created Cyclotron Road to ergy companies, such as Opus 12, which Regional significance: people developing new products based give future generations the advantages developed a technology that captures Top talent combines with on their research in physical or biolog- that he and many others didn’t have. carbon dioxide and turns it into useful world-class research ical sciences. Cyclotron Road’s fellows “Without the support we provide, chemicals and fuels. Their work has resources to address have access to the brain trust and re- talented and driven scientists and en- garnered the attention of The New York some of the globe’s most search facilities at Lawrence Berkeley gineers would lack a viable path to Times, Rolling Stone and Fortune. pressing problems. National Laboratory and UC Berkeley. create real-world products from their Other fellows are introducing new Employees: 13 Founder Ilan Gur’s experience research,” says Gur. “So they’ve had tech for energy storage, bio-based East Bay favorite: launching a successful lithium battery to choose between academia, where chemicals and geothermal energy. Fel- “The amazing people it startup showed him the uphill climb they’re not going to be able to have that lows in the microelectronics track are brings together.” entrepreneurs in the physical scienc- singular, focused experience of entre- working toward turning once futuristic es face. These entrepreneurs don’t just preneurship, and taking an industry ideas, such as quantum computers and need a laptop and internet access to job, where they won’t be empowered to brain-computer interfaces, into reality. do their work, they need a full lab and follow their own path.” Startups launched by Cyclotron often years of R&D as well as millions Cyclotron Road has already helped Road fellows have attracted more than in funding just to get to the prototype launch many groundbreaking clean en- $80 million in follow-on funding. 8 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS EAST BAY INNOVATIVE ARTISTS

Soul band put Oakland music scene on the map

milio Castillo has never been ues to attract and maintain a loyal AWARDEE one to chase trends. fanbase. “We did get into the Top 10 Tower of Power Founded in 1968 in Oak- a few times, but we’re more respect- land, California, his band, ed and known for being a musician’s towerofpower.com ETower of Power, started off playing musicians band,” says Castillo. Founded: 1968; Oakland, covers of their favorite soul tracks. “We’re very much a working band, California But at a time when most local acts and our fans appreciate that.” Genre: Soul were trying to emulate exactly what Trends have certainly come and they heard on the record, Castillo and gone in the band’s more than 50 Bandleader, Songwriter his co-founder, Stephen “Doc” Kukpa, years of existence, but Tower of Pow- and Producer: couldn’t help but switch things up. er continues to dazzle fans with its “We’d change up the horn parts, horn-focused, soulful performances. Founding members: change up the rhythm, change up the The band’s rotating coterie of mem- Emilio Castillo and background vocals,” says Castillo, who bers helps keep things fresh, as does Stephen “Doc” Kupka serves as the band’s leader, songwriter their improvisatory nature, says Cas- East Bay favorite: and producer. “But it took Doc to point tillo. “No two performances is ever “The soul is strong in out that to truly do our own thing that the same.” Oakland. It never ceases to meant writing our own songs.” “We make our music to please amaze me how soulful it is The result was the band’s first al- ourselves,” he explains. “We’ve never there compared to other bum, “,” released Tower of Power’s 1970 , “East Bay chased trends. We couldn’t sound like cities.” in 1970. The album is a considered Grease,” was a milestone for the East Bay other bands even if we tried. No mat- a milestone for the East Bay music music scene. The band’s latest album, “Soul ter what we do, we always sound like scene, having helped put the region’s Side of Town,” was released in 2018. Tower of Power.” signature sound — a distinct mixture The East Bay has always figured of rock, soul, jazz and psychedelic influences — on the map. The in their music, and their new 50th anniversary album, “Soul Side biggest hit from the album, “Sparkling in the Sand,” received na- of Town,” continues that tradition, bookended by a set of funky tional airplay. grooves with a chant alluding to the East Bay. Tower of Power will The band’s biggest hits would come later in the decade, with be back in Oakland later this year, playing at the Fox Theater on “,” “You’re Still a Young Man” and “What Is August 24. Tickets and more information can be found at tow- Hip?” becoming enduring radio standards. But the band contin- erofpower.com/tour MARCH 29, 2019 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 9 3D printing has come of age PUSHING THE LIMITS OF MANUFACTURING WITH ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGIES

BY RICH STUMP, Co-Founder & Principal, FATHOM

hile 3D printing is widely used for prototyping throughout product development, It is more additive manufacturing has matured within the last 10 years as a serious means of production. Gartner, a leading research and advisory company, predicts that critical than nearly 65 percent of discrete manufacturers expect to use 3D printers to produce ever that the Wcomponents of the products they sell or service by 2020. They also forecast that additive metals East Bay further and alloys will be critical for replacement part supply chains in commercial, military, and even some consumer markets. its investment FATHOM has spent the last decade working with companies big and small throughout the East in advanced Bay to adopt additive technologies in innovative ways to create better products at speeds not previously possible. Access to enterprise-grade 3D printing has never been more real for orga- manufacturing nizations in industries such as medicine, electronics, consumer goods, motor vehicles, aerospace technologies. and apparel. The East Bay is home to many industry leaders and it is more critical than ever that this region further its investment in advanced manufacturing technologies. Since 2008, the FATHOM team has been busy building a factory of the future, with an expertise in 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Strategically headquartered in the East Bay, FATHOM is honored to have earned recognition as one of the fastest growing private companies in America year-over-year by Inc., the San Francisco Business Times and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC).

FATHOM is a 2015 East Bay Innovation awardee and the designer and fabricator of the East Bay Innovation Award trophies.

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© 2019 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. IHA-24033 10 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS CLEAN TECH Vigilent’s quest to cool down data centers... Data centers are among the world’s biggest and the planet consumers of energy

AWARDEE e all know how import- “We’re huge fans of Oakland and ant it is to save energy, Vigilent but sometimes one’s its part of the company’s history vigilent.com own individual impact and story. It’s definitely a clean Wcan feel tiny. That’s not the case with Artificial Innovation: Vigilent — a small team operating out tech hub.” intelligence and internet of of Oakland that has a big impact on Dave Hudson, CEO, Vigilent things tech that optimizes some of the world’s largest energy con- energy efficiency in cooling sumers. Vigilent leverages artificial in- systems. telligence and internet of things tech- Location: Oakland, nology to make cooling systems far As a result, data centers, some of the optimal efficiency. California more dynamic and efficient. world’s biggest consumers of energy, use Vigilent’s impact has already been CEO: Dave Hudson Every app and web page — wheth- nearly half of their energy on cooling. enormous: They have over 600 installa- er it’s for news, shopping or buying Vigilent uses machine learning technol- tions around the world, and save over Regional significance: flights — depends on data centers to ogy and sensors placed around the data 700 million pounds of carbon dioxide Establishing Oakland as a operate. The servers that are packed center to automatically optimize the every year. Hudson has found that it’s clean-tech hub. into these data centers work best be- usage of the data center’s many cooling easy to find people in the East Bay who Employees: 38 low certain temperatures, and over- units. The result is a reduction of up to share the vision of leveraging technology East Bay favorite: “All the heating can cause them — and the 40 percent in energy usage. for a cleaner future. great places to work, eat apps that use them — to fail. With this “Because we have sensors through- “We’re huge fans of Oakland and its and hang out.” in mind, data center operators have out the data centers, we can better part of the company’s history and story,” a standard strategy for ensuring that understand how the cooling units in- says Hudson. “It’s definitely a clean tech their servers stay cool enough: over- fluence the room, and influence each hub. People here care about clean tech- kill. When the consequences for fail- other,” explains Dave Hudson, Vigilent’s nology and fighting climate change.” ure are high, better to overshoot on chief executive. Their software uses this A small, impactful clean tech company, cooling than to play it too close. information to adjust cooling units for Vigilent is right at home in the East Bay. On a quest to build a better battery

FINALIST hat would a better bat- “A lot of people want to be in tery mean for society? PolyPlus Battery Batteries are central to Berkeley. It’s known throughout Company everything from per- Asia and Europe, which makes it Wsonal devices like smartphones and polyplus.com tablets to the next generation of cars easy to attract talent .” Innovation: A smaller, and trucks. An upgrade to our batteries lighter lithium-ion Steve Visco, Founder, Chief Executive and CTO, would effectively upgrade all the tech- PolyPlus Battery Company battery. nology around us. Location: Berkeley, Steve Visco, founder, chief executive California and CTO of PolyPlus, has been working appear on the horizon: a smaller, light- cluding solid-state lithium glass lami- Founder, CEO and CTO: to improve battery technology for de- er, rechargeable lithium metal battery. nate, PolyPlus has developed ultra-light Steve Visco cades, and recently his team has made Virtually any battery you might encoun- metallic lithium anodes along with a some big strides. In the near-term, Poly- ter today is lithium ion, and devices are pilot production line to produce them. Regional significance: Plus is developing a battery that works limited by their size and weight. Phones, This makes possible safer, smaller, Developing globally deep underwater by utilizing sea water. laptops and other personal devices, for lighter rechargeable batteries, useful impactful green It has no toxic waste products and is example, lose potential slimness and for a wide range of applications, with technology. impervious to pressure. Once manu- processing power due to the space they twice the energy density of current lithi- Employees: 20 factured, the battery could be a boon to allot to the battery. Electric cars cede um-ion batteries. East Bay Favorite: government projects and corporations some of the distance they can travel on Starting with technology developed “Everyone wants to live that operate 20,000 leagues (give or a single charge due to the weight of their at Lawrence Berkeley National Labora- here.” take) under the sea. huge batteries. The capability and ca- tory, PolyPlus has found Berkeley to be “Those companies [that operate un- pacity of drones — an early target mar- a great location for the talent it needs. derwater] have an exotic array of sen- ket for PolyPlus — are very much lim- “A lot of people want to be in Berkeley,” sors and you need batteries that can ited by the need to carry around their says Visco. “It’s known throughout Asia withstand that pressure,” says Visco. batteries. and Europe, which makes it easy to at- PolyPlus’ bigger goal is starting to Through numerous innovations in- tract talent. For us, it’s the right spot.” MARCH 29, 2019 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 11 Clean tech projects that could deliver big TECHNOLOGIES BEING DEVELOPED AT BERKELEY LAB COULD LOWER ENERGY CONSUMPTION

BY ALIYAH KOVNER, Science Communications Specialist, Berkeley Lab Using machine learning to stop traffic jams After training a first-of-its kind artificial intelligence framework he East Bay is home to three Department of Energy to analyze traffic simulations, Berkeley Lab computer scientists national laboratories. Among them is Lawrence Berke- have begun developing autonomous vehicle control algorithms ley National Laboratory, often shortened to Berkeley that could help ease fuel-guzzling stop-and-go jams. The Lab, which addresses the biggest research challenges project was inspired by past observations that human driving Tthrough team science. Here are three technologies under devel- habits cause backups to form even in the absence of accidents opment at Berkeley Lab that could contribute to a greener future or obstacles, but that just a small percentage of autonomous by lowering energy consumption across the board. vehicles on the road can prevent this phantom congestion. Building a “super window” Field tests, using human drivers responding to the algorithm’s Berkeley Lab researchers are helping major glass manufacturers commands, are slated to begin soon. bring to market a new “super window” that insulates better than Pollution-free, plant-inspired fuel cells 99 percent of the windows currently on the market. As of now, Chemistry researchers at Berkeley Lab recently created a Energy Star-rated windows feature two panels sandwiching a device that produces two energy sources — hydrogen fuel and Berkeley Lab thin reservoir of argon gas and an outer film, known as low-e, electricity — through reactions that use sunlight to split the at- addresses research that minimizes entry of UV and oms in water molecules. Most existing artificial photosynthesis challenges through infrared light. The super win- systems only produce hydrogen gas and have limited efficiency dow being developed at Berke- because most of the excited electrons in each cell are not har- team science ley Lab further reduces heat nessed. But in a significant breakthrough, the group’s prototype transfer by adding a second low-e coating, placing an ultra-thin has been engineered to wrangle the leftover electrons into a third glass panel between the other two, and by swapping the current that is extracted through an outlet on the back of the argon for krypton. cell, boosting overall productivity more than three-fold.

“IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD, LAWRENCE LIVERMORE A NATIONAL NATIONAL LABORATORY LABORATORY Lawrence Livermore National IS WHERE Laboratory, part of the U.S. YOU BELONG.” Department of Energy, promotes a vibrant culture of inclusive diversity that fuels growth and drives innovation. Through strategic collaboration, employees apply skills that significantly contribute to solving the nation’s most critical safety and security challenges. Our employees utilize world-class scientific technology to push the limits of creativity in ways no other entity can.

Visit www.llnl.gov to find out how to join our team.

12 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS 12 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES EDUCATION

“We’re not ‘pinking’ it up. Girls relate to the material more … when it’s helping someone — animals, people, the environment — anything rewarding like that makes them more engaged.” Courtenay Carr Heuer, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Scientific Adventures for Girls Closing the gender gap in STEM before it starts veryone knows that women are underrepresented in AWARDEE science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), SCIENTIFIC but we don’t always appreciate how early in life this gender separation starts. Courtenay Carr Heuer and ADVENTURES ETiffany Sprague noticed that when they took their daughters FOR GIRLS to after-school science classes and workshops, there were very scientificadventures.org few girls, if any, in the classes. This inspired them to co-found Scientific Adventures, and its flagship programs Scientific Ad- Innovation: Science programs ventures for Girls and Scientific Adventures for Families. that provide a nurturing, “We really saw a need,” says Carr Heuer, who serves as Scientific Adventures for Girls’ programs include after- welcoming environment for the organization’s executive director. “There was so much re- school programs, summer camp and family nights. girls and families. search that showed children can start losing interest and get Location: Oakland, intimidated by math and science as early as five. There were mean making it stereotypically feminine. California also very few accessible, afterschool STEM programs for girls “We’re not ‘pinking’ it up,” says Carr Heuer. “Collaboration Co-Founder and in early elementary.” is a big piece of what we do because girls like to work on teams. Executive Director: Starting with a pilot in 2014, Scientific Adventures has grown Girls relate to the material more when it’s something that re- Courtenay Carr Heuer to include hands-on, after-school STEM programs at elementary lates to their lives, especially when it’s helping someone — ani- schools around the East Bay, a free library drop-in program, family mals, people, the environment — anything rewarding like that Regional significance: STEAM (including the “Arts”) nights, and a summer camp. These makes them more engaged.” Elementary school STEM programs make science fun and welcoming for girls, and normal- Recently, Scientific Adventures launched Project Catalyst, programs for girls. ize the notion for their families, brothers and classmates that girls in which female scientists come into the classroom to talk East Bay favorite: “The East belong in STEM fields just as much as boys do. The program has about what they do, and even design part of the curriculum. Bay is very diverse and has grown each year of its existence and Carr Heuer expects it will con- Now in its fifth year, Scientific Adventures plans to celebrate a good sense of community tinue to do so for the foreseeable future. the milestone September 28 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the San and partnership. ” While the curriculum is geared toward girls, this does not Francisco Zoo. Opening tech career doors to the underrepresented ne of the most elusive goals “We’re lucky that the East Bay is FINALIST for many in the tech indus- try has been increasing op- a hub for so many organizations TECHHIRE portunities for underrepre- OAKLAND Osented people of color who come from and companies committed to local areas. techhireoakland.org expanding opportunity to our Enter TechHire Oakland. Innovation: Career Located uptown at the Kapor Cen- amazing, overlooked talent pool.” growth and talent ter, TechHire Oakland’s vision is to help Kirsten Lundgren, Director, TechHire Oakland development for people of 1,000 underrepresented East Bay resi- color in the East Bay. dents into paid internships, apprentice- Location: Oakland, ships and jobs by 2020. promoting skills-based hiring over de- riety of companies in the Bay Area. California TechHire Oakland is helping to lev- gree requirements, says Lundgren. The program places talent into el the playing field for people of color “TechHire Oakland functions as a co- courses in software engineering, de- Director: Kirsten Lundgren in East Bay tech, supporting them with alition between training programs, local sign, tech sales and cyber-security, Regional significance: training, mentorship and job-based government and employers,” she says. among other pathways. It also con- Connecting employers learning to become leading creators of “We’re only as strong as our network of nects talent to paid apprenticeships to underrepresented emerging technology. partners and are lucky that the East Bay that convert to full time roles with Bay tech talent from one of “We’re focused on access to high-pay- is a hub for so many organizations and Area employers like Twilio, Github and the most racially diverse ing, high-demand careers that will be companies committed to expanding Linkedin. regions in the Bay Area less threatened by the forces of automa- opportunity to our amazing, overlooked “We have a great network of people, East Bay favorite: tion,” says Kirsten Lundgren, director of talent pool.” both on the talent side and the employ- “Hiking, running and TechHire Oakland. The TechHire Oakland program seeks er side, who are supportive of our mis- cycling in East Bay The TechHire movement has spread to assist talent of color at all experience sion and making sure that underserved Regional Parks.” to cities nationwide seeking to expand levels, with different programs aimed at residents of color have a bigger piece of opportunities in the tech industry by “upskilling” via tech trainings with a va- the pie,” Lundgren says. MARCH 29, 2019 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 13 Early math education: Key to our innovation economy INVESTMENT IN STEM IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE BAY AREA’S WORKFORCE

BY DR. LEROY MORISHITA, President, California State University East Bay Education at Cal State East Bay has identified ways each of us can help. he Bay Area is one of the world’s most productive cen- — Families can count and sort with their children, and “talk ters of innovation in science, technology, engineering math” on a walk or around the kitchen table. (For a booklet and mathematics, also known as STEM. Maintaining this showing simple activities, go to bit.ly/EMBooklet) standing means investing in a world-class STEM work- — Business leaders can view the East Bay STEM Network’s Tforce, while making sure that STEM career opportunities are avail- Early Math Policy recommendations: http://bit.ly/EMPolicy. To able to all. add your signature, contact bruce.simon@ According to the Organization for Eco- The math achievement csueastbay.edu. nomic Cooperation and Development, the gap leaves low-income — We can all educate policymakers — U. S. ranks 41st worldwide in math prepara- school board members, principals, state leg- tion — behind China, Vietnam, Russia, Latvia, children of color starting islators — about the importance of early math and many others. The problem starts early. A kindergarten 20 months education for young students and for their demonstrated math achievement gap leaves teachers (preschool and elementary teachers low-income children of color starting kinder- behind their more get woefully little training in math education). garten 20 months behind their more fortu- fortunate peers. Many of our new leaders in Sacramento nate peers. This gap only widens as students have voiced their commitment to improving move through the grades. public education. As we celebrate today’s inspiring East Bay As president of one of the nation’s most diverse universities, I STEM innovators, let’s each do our part to make sure the ambi- am here to tell you that our future workforce depends on actions tions of our new law makers produce the workforce tomorrow’s we take now, with our youngest learners. The Institute for STEM economy needs, and the equal opportunity all our citizens deserve.

EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS

Proud to be in the East Bay

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B ILWU L A

Bayer.us EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS 14 14 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES ENGINEERING & DESIGN

“The East Bay already X-ray technology has a ton of very capable x-ray pioneers, including former synchrotron empowering project leaders.” Father-daughter innovation team Sylvia Lewis, Co-Founder and Vice advanced analysis Wenbing Yun and Sylvia Lewis. President, Sigray

hat do researchers he founded Sigray with the mission of AWARDEE studying cancer, de- providing synchrotron-grade measure- SIGRAY INC. veloping the next-gen- ment systems to laboratories. eration semiconductor The father-daughter duo patent- sigray.com Wprocessors, and mining companies ed a method that takes advantage of Innovation: Patented searching for the next mother lode the thermal properties of diamonds. x-ray optics technology for have in common? They all use x-ray “Using a diamond substrate filled laboratory settings. microscopes! with micron-sized metals as our x-ray Location: Pacheco, However, when it comes to x-rays, source enables us to essentially shoot California the best results are obtained using a more electrons at the x-ray-producing synchrotron, a special kind of parti- target,” says Lewis, who also serves as Co-Founder and Vice cle accelerator that produces intense vice president for the company. “That’s President: Sylvia Lewis x-ray beams enabling superior chem- what allows us to create a brighter, Regional significance: ical analysis. The cost and logistics of more laser-like beam of x-rays within Enabling breakthrough using a synchrotron have so far limit- the laboratory source, which removes research at powerhouse ed the pace of advanced research. An the major bottleneck of limited x-ray West Coast universities and award-winning researcher and veter- source brightness.” R&D centers. an in the field of optics, Wenbing Yun With its inspiring scientific vision Employees: 30 wanted to use his expertise to empower and broad applications, Yun and Lew- smaller groups and industrial R&D labs is’ company has attracted talent from East Bay favorite: “The to achieve the same research capabili- across the nation. However, Lew- close proximity to top ties as a synchrotron. is — who was born and raised in the universities, the beautiful Yun first came to California to work East Bay — says they have no trouble weather year-round, and the for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Image of a Daphnia water flea sourcing talent that already lives here. “The central location, accessible Inspired by the entrepreneurial atmosphere used to study bioaccumulation East Bay already has a ton of very capable to both San Francisco and of the East Bay, he started an x-ray micro- of toxic metals to determine x-ray pioneers, including former synchro- Napa Valley.” scope company in 1999, which he then sold environmental standards. tron project leaders, since we have two of to the German optical systems manufactur- Sigray’s x-ray microscope uses a the handful of synchrotron light sources er Zeiss in 2013. However, Yun felt that the synchroton particle accelerator around the world right here in Berkeley challenges of conventional x-ray technolo- that enables superior chemical and in Stanford. The company feels privi- gy had not yet been fully addressed. Togeth- analysis. leged to collaborate with so many talented er with his eldest daughter Sylvia Lewis, experts in the area.” Better safety and precision for self-driving cars FINALIST natural progression of tech- “There’s an opportunity to nology is that first we build AEYE tools to perform a task in a save 40,000 lives per year aeye.ai simple way, then those tools in the U.S. alone.” Aget more nuanced and better adapt- Innovation: iDAR ed to their circumstances. The team at Luis Dussan, Founder and CEO, AEye intelligent data collection AEye is working to become that second for autonomous vehicles. stage for the visual processing tools that Location: Pleasanton, enable self-driving cars. The company, California which will soon move from their current Founder and CEO: Luis Pleasanton site to a larger space near rid of useless data and reduces latency.” is exciting, and it comes with the poten- Dussan the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, The iDAR technology will be on the tial to do a tremendous amount of good could be a major piece of the puzzle in road in various trials later this year. One for the world. Regional significance: modernizing how people travel through key innovation of iDAR is that it can “One of the reasons we love the au- Replicating human the world. identify objects and zero in on them, tonomous industry is that there’s an op- perception promises to The dominant visual technology in which makes it more efficient than a portunity to save 40,000 lives per year in make sensors smarter. automated vehicles is LiDAR, which blanket approach. This allows AEye’s the U.S. alone,” says Dussan, referring Employees: 60 sends out pulses of light, and then forms system to make better use of process- primarily to traffic fatalities. The pros- East Bay favorite: a 3-D picture of the world from the re- ing power. pect of cars switching to autonomous “The mix of urban and rural flections they create. AEye offers a more “We collect less data, but much operation could make for much saf- environments.” dynamic alternative: iDAR. more information,” says Dussan. “You er roads, less stressful commutes and “LiDAR gathers a ton of data, most of want data about the road and the ob- greatly reduced traffic. AEye is scaling which is useless,” explains AEye founder stacles and anything that moves ex- the business to address the market, and and chief executive Luis Dussan. “This tremely fast.” plans to double its team of sixty in the wastes bandwidth and time. iDar gets Working on cutting-edge technology next six to 12 months. MARCH 29, 2019 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 15

Congratulations to all 2019 Innovation Award Winners Photo: Deane Little Deane Photo:

Briones Regional Park, Ours to Protect Lafayette and Martinez For 85 years, the East Bay Regional Park District’s mission continues to preserve, restore and provide public access to beautiful open spaces in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Discover your 73 regional parks and be inspired! 16 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS 16 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES FOOD A sustainable food source from fungi

AWARDEE roducing, processing and dis- Prime Roots tributing meat can be harmful A more to the environment. It requires sustainable primeroots.com the use of fertilizer, water, pes- kind of bacon. Pticides and feed — all of which lead Innovation: Turning fungi into an alternative for meat. to the production of greenhouse gas Location: San Leandro, emissions. And as the global population California grows, so does the demand for meat. By eating plant-based alternatives, CEO: Kimberlie Le consumers can still get their protein Regional significance: without causing as much harm to the Fungi-based meat environment. That’s where East Bay na- alternative that could help tive Kimberlie Le, Co-Founder and CEO eliminate pollution from of Prime Roots, comes in. In 2017, she global factory farming. spun the company out of research com- Employees: 10 pleted at the University of California, East Bay favorite: “There’s Berkeley in its Alternative Meats Lab. a lot of great authentic “Basically, scientists and entrepre- ethnic food. The foodie neurs get together to make sustainable, community is strong.” delicious alternatives to meat,” she ex- plains. “For us, that meant fungi. It’s a su- “It’s a super-protein, so it’s more sustainable and per-protein, so it’s more sustainable and nutritious than the vast majority of plant nutritious than the vast majority of plant and and animal sources of protein. Plus, we animal sources of protein.” can turn it into any form factor we want, it’s truly a new natural ingredient.” Kimberlie Le, Co-Founder and CEO, Prime Roots Fungi are more similar to meat than vegetables, she adds. “Using the age-old food, mimicking these flavors is just as quality product, finding out what cus- process of fermentation, the roots of important, if not more, than chicken and tomers want, and getting their feedback the fungi grow similar to muscle fibers burgers. Overfishing is a huge problem. on what’s produced. and the texture is similar to meat. Fungi Farmed shrimp can actually be worse for The company is currently holding also contain one of the five basic tastes: the environment than beef. A lot of peo- tasting dinners and other events for its umami.” ple don’t know that. But we want to get members. Membership is free for now, Le says the company is initially tar- that message out there.” while the company is still in its early geting various meats and seafoods with Prime Roots is still in the develop- stages. “We do hold public events. But their products because the spaces are ment stage and hasn’t yet sold its prod- being a member is the best way to try our currently underserved by alternative ucts commercially. Right now, the com- products and to get involved with our meats vendors. “Particularly with sea- pany is focused on making the highest mission,” she says. Startup leads next wave in medicinal cannabis

women-owned medicinal can- “The Emeryville City Council has FINALIST nabis business, Kikoko was the Kikoko first company to create organ- also been sincere in welcoming ic cannabis teas designed to cannabis operators, particularly kikoko.com Ahelp treat illnesses, addiction and other Innovation: Organic medical conditions. a women-owned startup .” cannabis-infused herbal At the heart of Kikoko’s success is the Jennifer Chapin, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Kikoko teas for everyday wellness. company’s culture of care, says Jennifer Chapin, Co-Founder and Co-CEO. “What Location: Emeryville, drives us is our desire to assist people in California alleviating their reliance on alcohol or The idea of Kikoko first surfaced when Chapin says. Kikoko’s teas are rigorous- Co-Founder and Co-CEO: pharmaceutical drugs. We’re passionate a friend was dying of cancer and told ly tested at least five times to ensure Jennifer Chapin about creating beneficial and impactful Chapin and Jones she wished for a canna- the cannabinoid ratios are right before Regional significance: products.” bis product that she could trust and didn’t they’re approved for sale. The company Helping to alleviate the Located in Emeryville, Kikoko was involve smoking. Before long, the two left also works closely with the State of Cal- nation’s overdependence launched in January 2015 by Chapin and their professional careers to found Kikoko. ifornia licensing agency and the Bureau on alcohol and her Co-CEO, Amanda Jones. The two have Chapin and Jones approached their of Cannabis Control, and was among pharmaceuticals. complementary skill sets: Chapin heads business methodically. They surveyed lo- the first cannabis companies to be fully up operations; Jones leads product devel- cal women about their views, concluding compliant with state regulations. Employees: 30 employees opment, branding and design. that there was an untapped market for low Kikoko finds its East Bay location plus contractors The history of Chapin and Jones’ dose cannabis-infused herbal teas. Kikoko convenient, as most of its employees live East Bay favorite: “The friendship is just as unique as their busi- has since launched four teas which can in the area. “The Emeryville City Coun- sunsets, the restaurants ness. They’ve been friends for 25 years and help with sleep, pain, libido and mood, as cil has also been sincere in welcoming and Tilden Park.” previously founded a nonprofit together well as two infused honey products. cannabis operators, particularly a wom- called Cynthia’s Sisters, which supports There are huge layers of science, en-owned startup,” says Chapin. “We young Congolese women aspiring to get complexity and due diligence involved appreciate the incredible support from into law school. in creating cannabis wellness drinks, our local community.” MARCH 29, 2019 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 17 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS 18 18 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES INFORMATION/ COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Building a more powerful computer

adhav Thattai, COO of Rigetti, reassures us that quantum computers will AWARDEE not eclipse the need for current devices. Rigetti creates computing solutions that optimize various industries by providing a way for existing technolo- RIGETTI gy to interface with a quantum computer, to solve highly complex business COMPUTING Mproblems faster and affordably. Rigetti was created originally by Chad Rigetti, a Yale University Ph.D. graduate. After rigetti.com studying experimental quantum computing, he launched his own computing company Innovation: Cloud-based in 2013 aimed at bringing together the benefits of classical and quantum computing. quantum computing Within five years, his company expanded to its current size. platform. This company’s mission is to build powerful computers that maintain performance Location: Berkeley and as they scale. “We do everything from the design and manufacturing of quantum in- Fremont, California tegrated circuits, the actual quantum chips,” Thattai explains. “Our product is called ‘Quantum Cloud Services,’ which is a cloud-access model Chief Operating Officer: allowing people to learn how to program quantum comput- Madhav Thattai ers and also experiment and develop applications that run Regional significance: on computers. Giving researchers access “Classic examples of its potential uses are in a supply to quantum computing chain, or solving logistics problems,” adds Thattai. “Imagine power to help solve FedEx, that has incredibly complex logistics using quantum major problems in today’s computers to solve very difficult optimization problems to industries. increase the efficiency of their routes, or reduce the cost in- Employees: 100 volved in delivery.” employees across two But these are just a few applications of the technology. For locations “We think that instance, it’s notoriously difficult for computers to simulate molecules, but a quantum computer can make calculations East Bay favorite: “The Quantum in ways current scientific methods cannot. “You can also diversity of talent and imagine problems in the financial industry, where banks at- experience in the East Bay Advantage is a tempt to optimize portfolios or manage assets differently.” has made it an incredible Thattai is proud to add that Rigetti Computing is the sec- place to build a business. milestone.” ond company after IBM to provide public access to working The fact that it’s a great Madhav Thattai, Chief quantum computers. This interconnection with the public place to live with beautiful Operating Officer, Rigetti has inspired Rigetti to launch their Quantum Advantage outdoors is something our Prize of $1 million. Using a real-world problem, a team has team really enjoys.” to demonstrate that an algorithm running on their platform has either computed its Rigetti’s quantum computers

solution faster, more efficiently or more cost-effectively. are poised to advance beyond JUSTIN FANTL “We think that Quantum Advantage is a milestone that this industry is going to the capability of existing achieve in the next five years,” says Thattai. “We bet that Rigetti is going to make it hap- computer technology. pen in the next three years.”

Atomizing insurance, and giving consumers agency

FINALIST illennials and their interac- “What if we disassembled the core tion with technology have Trov transformed industries components of how insurance trov.com from software development works and rebuilt it with smart Mto food preparation, to the delight — Innovation: Personalized, and dismay — of many. With Trov, Scott technology from the ground up?” granular, on-demand Walchek is bringing those changes to insurance. Scott Walchek, Founder, CEO and Chairman, Trov one of the most monolithic industries Location: Danville, on the planet: insurance. California Walchek founded Trov in 2012 when he Founder, CEO and saw an opportunity for a new kind of en- Tinder-like swiping system to give users more flexibility and transparency—prop- Chairman: Scott Walchek gagement with personal insurance. this ability for many of their registered ositions traditional insurance models “We had a modest insurance back- possessions, including photo equipment, weren’t offering. Regional significance: ground, (but) we had a consumer engage- skis and other valuables. Users see their That philosophy drove the develop- Changing the insurance ment background, and so we decided to “trove” of covered items, swipe right on ment of the Trov app that Walchek says landscape for millennial focus first on the user,” Walchek said. “We anything from their guitar to their game brings much-needed “digital transforma- consumers. asked ourselves what would happen if we console, and self-select their price per day tion” to the insurance space. East Bay favorite: could atomize the experience? What if we with another simple slider. After that, one Trov launched its services in the U.S. “Work-life balance for disassembled the core components of how more tap seals the deal. last year, but a significant part of their professionals and families.” insurance works and rebuilt it with smart If a user assesses that the item is no lon- primary team has been based in Danville technology from the ground up? When we ger at risk, they simply swipe left on it in since the company was founded. did this, it unearthed a remarkable sim- their Trov app and protection is removed. “There’s a lot of amazing talent out in plicity. We could give people the ability to If they want to file a claim, they swipe right the East Bay that doesn’t just reside in the protect what they want, when they want, on an item that already has protection. city and we get to come to those folks and for whatever duration they need.” Walchek and his co-founders knew and say ‘hey, we can save you 15 hours a week The Trov app implements a unique, understood millennial customers needed in your commute,” said Walchek. EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS MARCH 29, 2019 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 19 How to build an engine for innovation PILOTCITY CONNECTS SCHOOL PROGRAMS TO WORKPLACE EXPERIENCES

BY DERICK LEE, Founder, PilotCity es curricula with the relevance of rapidly transforming industries through project-based work experiences driven by the challenges of inety-eight percent of all cities in the United States our employers in the innovation economy. This model enables access have under 100,000 people. Alameda County cities to local, pre-vetted talent pools, scalability of quality work-based average 75,000 in population and Contra Costa Coun- learning, and production of sustaining industry-designed curricula. ty cities average 19,500. The majority of these cities Since launching in Fall 2017, PilotCity has grown by 200 Ndo not have the robust innovation ecosystem or economic devel- percent each semester. From five employers, 10 teachers, and opment engine to compare to their nearest metropolitan center, 250-plus students across 16 classrooms in the first semester to let alone a magnet for talent to have others build it for them. This 20 employers, 30 teachers, and over 1,750 students across 120 prompts the question, how do we build an engine for innovation for classrooms in their third semester. The first school year led to more cities, counties and regions powered by local talent and citizens in than 110 internship applications with a 30 percent employment an increasingly global society? rate. After their second school year, PilotCity anticipates around While we determine the future of work as a society, classrooms 400 applicants at the same employment rate resulting in up to 120 are teaching a curriculum irrelevant to the problems of today’s rapidly internship placements this summer. transforming industries. We continue to direct students toward Participating employers have included past East Bay Innovation potentially obsolescent opportunities, resulting in a loss of productive Awards awardees and finalists such as Velodyne LiDAR, Tech Ex- talent for employers during a transformative time in history when change and OSIsoft. Students have come from Oakland, Richmond, talent matters most. Fremont, Antioch, Hayward, Pittsburgh, Berkeley, San Leandro, PilotCity connects teachers with employers to deliver in-class- Alameda, San Lorenzo and Emeryville classrooms. room work experiences for students. These connections generate If you’re an employer, teacher or government official interested talent for employers and lead directly to at-workplace internships, in investing in our future workforce, partner with PilotCity: derick- entrepreneurial fellowships and entry-level jobs. PilotCity supercharg- [email protected] or (510) 676–5861.

PilotCity was the 2018 East Bay Innovation Awards awardee in the education category. PilotCity students served as youth award presenters at the 2019 East Bay Innovation Awards. SAN LEANDRO We make Things!

San Leandro is building on its deep manufacturing history, transforming into an innovation and advanced manfucaturing hub. With a business friendly climate, easy transporation access, ultra high speed internet, and a diverse housing and employment base, San Leandro is the place to grow your business.

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 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS 20 20 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES LIFE SCIENCES

Elemeno’s platform enables Consumer medical professionals to easily access an extensive knowledge base technology of procedures and best practices.

enabling better HEALTH ELEMENO patient care s a longtime pediatrician, Dr. AWARDEE Arup Roy-Burman witnessed “We transform … best practices Elemeno Health countless historic advances in the practice of medicine. into digestible micro-learning, elemenohealth.com AWhat he strongly believed the health making it easy for the folks on the Innovation: Providing care industry lacked, however, was a intuitive, efficient platform that could be accessed in real front line to do the right thing.” knowledge and skill- time by front-line medical profession- Arup Roy-Burman, M.D., sharing for front-line als to immediately access best practices, Co-Founder, and CEO, Elemeno Health workers in the healthcare surgical breakthroughs, and other stan- industry. dards to strengthen and enhance patient Location: Oakland, care and safety. Medical Center, the Elemeno platform the stakes are so much higher?” California Four years after he formulated a vi- provides “just-in-time” training, which Using gamification and a shared li- sion and made a pitch to leading video includes interactive guidelines, smart brary of best practices allows Elemeno CEO and Co-Founder: game designer Ed Nanale while chap- checklists, how-to videos and other “di- to “democratize knowledge-sharing” Arup Roy-Burman, M.D. eroning their children’s school camping gestible micro-learning” to benefit doc- according to Roy-Burman, and give Regional significance: trip, Elemeno Health has become one of tors, nurses, key staff and other practi- healthcare applications the convenience Promotes better the leading cloud-based platforms now tioners, according to Roy-Burman. In of consumer technology. Users can find communication, training utilized in county health systems and ac- addition, Nanale developed social and intuitive directions for every procedure and collaboration among ademic medical centers throughout the “gamification” elements that allow medi- they need. health professionals. United States. cal teams to hold competitions and pro- “We transform these best practices East Bay favorite: “I’ve seen an explosion of best practic- vide managers with a platform to recog- into digestible micro-learning, making it “Eat! The East Bay is the es and institutional knowledge,” Roy-Bur- nize and motivate employees. easy for the folks on the front line to do intersection of cultures, man said. “It has far outpaced the capac- “In our consumer lives technology is an the right thing,” Roy-Burman said. cuisines, artisans and ity of any one of the folks on the frontline enabler, it helps us to close that informa- Oakland-based since its founding, El- innovators.” to master all of the things that they’re re- tion gap,” Roy-Burman said. “So why don’t emeno Health’s promise has been recog- sponsible for.” we have the convenience of consumer nized by recently being named one of the Developed in collaboration with UCSF technology in the healthcare space, where “Fierce 15” by FierceHealthcare. Potential breakthrough against cancer

FINALIST ancer treatment is one of the “You’re harnessing the power of most compelling scientific Gritstone challenges of our time, having the patient’s own immune system Oncology absorbed years of research to try and destroy their cancer.” Cfocused on fighting to rid the body of the gritstoneoncology.com potentially deadly disease. Emeryville’s Andrew Allen, M.D., Co-Founder and CEO, Gritstone Innovation: Personalized Gritstone Oncology is a clinical-stage bio- Oncology immunotherapies. technology company developing the next Location: Emeryville, generation of cancer immunotherapies to California fight multiple cancer types. CEO and Co-Founder: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Offi- is that cancer is made up of one’s own RNA in a tumor to identify the mutations Andrew Allen, M.D., Ph.D. cer Andrew Allen envisions major break- cells that have merely undergone muta- that make the best targets for an immune through possibilities. “We’re about to dose tions and are thus harder to recognize as system response. Simply put, “we take a Regional significance: our first patient very soon now that we dangerous. But those mutations can also piece of the patient’s tumor, we character- Individualized have FDA clearance for the trial,” he says. lead to what Allen calls “foreign proteins,” ize it with DNA sequencing, and we create approach could Allen believes that a patient’s own im- which can allow the immune system to a very targeted and potentially potent vac- enhance the benefits of mune system is the best tool that scientists identify cancer cells and destroy them. cine,” says Allen. immunotherapy. have to combat the disease, explaining “We believe we can help the patient The East Bay has been a good area for East Bay favorite: that “the notion is that you’re harnessing if we can do two things,” says Allen. “For the company to grow due to the pool of “The high-caliber the power of the patient’s own immune each patient, identify what their foreign high caliber professionals that are based employee base.” system to try and destroy their cancer and proteins are. Then introduce those foreign locally. eliminate the cancer cells. Nature invent- proteins to the patient in vaccine form “A primary benefit is that we have a lot ed this extremely clever defense mecha- with the goal of inducing a strong immune of people who live here who now don’t nism comprising an immune system that response.” need to commute across the Bay Bridge. has the ability to recognize essentially Gritstone Oncology’s unique product We have a lot of sophisticated and highly anything foreign to your body.” involves a deep learning model of their educated workers… and they don’t need The trouble with cancer, Allen says, own design that sequences the DNA and to destroy hours of their day,” Allen says. EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS MARCH 29, 2019 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 21

Celebrating these Wareham Development tenants who have been recognized by the East Bay EDA for their innovation this year and in the recent past.

Distinguished buildings for noble and Nobel innovators since 1977. Emeryville Berkeley Richmond Marin County Palo Alto warehamdevelopment.com 22 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES

PRESENTING SPONSOR ••• �t� KAISER PERMANENTE® GOLD East Bay� Regional Park District ® www.ebparks.org Southwest ���IHlHil REGIONAL PARKS Foundation Supponing East Bay Regional Parks WAREHAMDEVEL OPME NT

SILVER BRONZE

CITY OF OAKLAND CBRE ------Lawrence Livermore EAST BAY 111 ■ �� City S>fc �tJ:l�ryville COMMUNITY � National Laboratory FOUNDATION

TABLE SPONSORS

Aduro Biotech, Inc. Gritstone Oncology StopWaste Alameda County Workforce Hon. Keith Carson, Alameda County The Clorox Company Development Board ICA Fund Good Jobs Town of Danville/Trov Bank of America Intrepid Electronic Systems/ TRI Commercial Real Estate Services Brown Gee & Wenger, LLP NECA, NorCal Chapter UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland California State University, East Bay Kapor Center Workforce Development Board of City of Berkeley Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Contra Costa County EBMUD/Biocom Bay Area OSlsoft Employment Training Panel Port of Oakland

GIFT SPONSORS MEDIA PARTNERS MUSIC SPONSOR

�� COMCAST

Southwest® SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS OAKLANDISH NBC� Hon. Libby Schaaf, Mayor, City of Oakland BAY AREA Alameda County Berkeley High School Jazz Band PilotCity WFAMILYE NTESTATES'E MCGRAIL TROPHY SPONSOR San Leandro High School Jefferson Awards VINEYARDS Multiplying Good Students in Action Club RED CARPET CREW rnv,tFR;lit-JDWER ;.¾; FATHOM Ryan Fong Jacqueline Yu Warren Fung MARCH 29, 2019 EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARDS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 23 Congratulations, 2019 East Bay Innovation Award Winners. Kudos from Kaiser Permanente. We know you’re going to continue to do great things. kp.org/choosebetter

Choose Better. Choose Kaiser Permanente.

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