Press Releases
MARINA TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER CLIENT MACRONAV SYSTEMS SOFTWARE WINS BEST OF SHOW IN THE CAR TECH AND GPS CATEGORY AT THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW IN LAS VEGAS
MacroNav Systems partners with Azentech to offer a full-onboard PC and a rearview mirror on steroids.
January 26, 2008
Marina Technology Cluster client, MacroNav Systems, has written software for an on-board personal computer (PC) that won of Best of Show in the Car Tech and GPS category at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, beating out well-established rivals Magellan and Garmin.
To be perfectly honest,
said local entrepreneur and MacroNav CEO and Founder Steve Tamagni, I never in my life expected this to happen. We're really excited about this, and inquiries are coming in from all over the world for us to supply product.
The on-board computer is a fully functional PC provided by Azentach. It runs Windows Vista and connects to the internet. According to the CNET (check out http://ces.cnet.com/best-of-ces/?tag=pm), which makes the awards at CES, PC features include GPS navigation, Bluetooth cell-phone integration and audio and media playback. Both versions of the computer offer stereo features, 50-watt built-in amps, FM tuners and upgrade capability to XM or Sirius satellite radio. Screens are 6.5 inches and 7 inches.
MacrNav also featured at the show a rearview mirror that controls 4 cameras in and around the car. Three provide views outside the car for safety purposes, and one allows the driver to observe the back seat - kids, puppies, apple pies - without turning around.
MARINA TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER PARTNER GOLDEN CAPITAL NETWORK CALLS FOR ENTREPRENEURS
GCN opens March venture forum to regional entrepreneurs and funders.
January 23, 2008
Marina Technology Cluster (MTC) partner Golden Capital Network (GCN) (www.GoldenCapital.net) is calling for both investors and entrepreneurs to participate in the inaugural 2008 West Coast Venture Capital Conference at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa on March 10 and 11, 2008.
The conference will feature more than 50 venture capital and angel investors and 40 presenting companies, representing a variety of technology areas, including Life Sciences/Biotech, Communications Technologies, Software and Internet Services, Disruptive Technologies, Clean Energy, Internet Services, New Media and Web 2.0 companies. Additionally, a special session focused on seed-stage investment opportunities will provide additional value to this unique program.
"Golden Capital Network is spearheading solid, innovative projects here in the Monterey Bay Area," said MTC Executive Director Susan Barich. "This funding conference will bring visibility to our outstanding start- ups, and it's a golden opportunity for our high-net- worth individuals to pick ripe, local investment opportunities."
Start-up and early-stage growth companies seeking investors and who wish to present at the 2008 West Coast Venture Capital Conference may submit a 3-page executive summary via e-mail to entrepreneur@goldencapital.net by Friday, February 1. An investor screening committee will select companies that will be invited to present.
Some of the funds to be represented at the conference include Sierra Ventures, Terrapin Partners, Onset Ventures, Akers Capital, DFJ Frontier, UV Partners, Halo Fund, Partech International, Interwest Partners, Red Planet Capital, WavePoint Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Morgenthaler Ventures, Clean Pacific Ventures, among others. Additionally, multiple angel investment groups will be represented. Local high- net-worth individuals who wish to participate should contact Jon Gregory at Jon@GoldenCapital.net or call 530-893-8828.
The $700 Presenting Company fee includes registration for two people for those companies selected to present. Please call the MTC for special discounts.
Golden Capital Network
Golden Capital Network (http://www.GoldenCapital.net) is a non-profit networking, training and consulting group that fosters growth entrepreneurship and early stage investing as an engine for economic growth.
GCN activities include:
Premier Venture Capital Conference Series
"Venture Communities" Economic Development Franchise
Regional and Cross-Regional Entrepreneurship
Training & Development Programs
Investor Networking & Showcasing
Entrepreneur Coaching & Mentoring
Public Policy Leadership & Advising
Early Stage Company Showcasing
MARINA TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER PARTNER MONTEREY INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES RANKED 13 AMONG TOP 25 GRADUATE PROGRAMS
5th Annual Ranking by Entrepreneur Magazine and The Princeton Review give the nod to Fischer Graduate School of International Business
November 19, 2007
The Entrepreneurship Program of the Monterey Institute of International Studies Fisher Graduate School of International Business, a strategic partner of the Marina Technology Cluster (MTC), was ranked 13th out of the top 25 entrepreneurship programs in the country, as recognized by The Princeton Review and Enterpreneur Magazine in Entrepreneur's November, 2007 Issue.
"We are gratified to again be included in the Top 25, as the survey criteria become more rigorous each year," said Dr. Ernest J. Scalberg, dean of the Fisher Graduate School of International Business. "We have a distinctive MBA program in that all of our graduates are able to apply the entrepreneurial way of thinking to international business opportunities. Their focus may be as individual entrepreneurs with a new start-up or as intrapreneurs, who are launching new overseas ventures for existing companies. All of our MBAs are required to do an international business plan in cross-cultural student teams for a real company, and to understand the rigors of the differences in starting and financing a business across borders."
Recent Fisher School alumna, Heather Waibel Haddad, credits the entrepreneurial focus of the Fisher School MBA education and the access to Fisher School partner organization, the Marina Technology Cluster, for her recent successful launch of the online cigar shop, www.fumeeworld.com. During her MBA program, she met with two MTC business consultants almost weekly, and pursued a Directed Study project to gain academic credit for writing the financial plan for her company. Haddad hopes to expand to a bricks-and-mortar store in the next year.
The fifth-annual ranking reveals the nation's Top 25 undergraduate and Top 25 graduate programs for entrepreneurship. With this year's findings, a growing number of students selecting entrepreneurship as a focus of their studies have a credible resource for locating the top educational providers in this field. The results of the survey, along with the analysis, appear in the November issue of Entrepreneur, which hit newsstands on October 23rd.
A number of criteria factored in the evaluation of Monterey Institute and other colleges and universities, including an entrepreneurial emphasis of the business curriculum, mentoring, empirical learning, faculty credentials, and the success of graduating students and alumni. High-ranking schools demonstrated a commitment to practical, hands-on experiential learning to provide skills that translate into real-world businesses.
Fisher School students also may pursue a Specialization in Entrepreneurship, taking coursework in areas such as "Creativity & Innovation," "International & Corporate Venture Capital," "Entrepreneurship & Investing for Sustainability," and "Globalization/Localization in Management." Students have access to a group of seasoned entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, who act as mentors to students designing business plans for their own ventures. Local partners such as the Marina Technology Cluster, the U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center, and the Monterey Bay International Trade Association also provide students with entrepreneurial resources, internships and employment opportunities.
Fisher Graduate School of International Studies
The Fisher Graduate School of International Business at the Monterey Institute has been conferring MBA degrees with an international emphasis for over 30 years. Our students are trained as cross-border business specialists, with emphases on quantitative methods, analytical tools, cross- cultural teamwork, language expertise, and international business planning skills. The Fisher School also has been recognized as one of the Global Top 100 schools in Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2007-2008, for significant leadership in integrating social and environmental issues into its MBA curriculum, as one of the Top 100 global MBA programs by the Financial Times, and one of the Best Business Schools by Princeton Review. For more information, visit our website at: http:// fisher.miis.edu/.
MARINA TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER ANNOUNCES SMALL BUSINESS START-UP TRAINING PROGRAM: Income Qualified Individuals Learn how to be Running their own Businesses within a Year
September 21, 2007
The Marina Technology Cluster (MTC) announced today that it is launching a free training and long-term business support program to income-qualified individuals to help them complete solid business plans and move rapidly into the marketplace.
"The goal of Marina's program is to generate a diverse regional economy made up of a healthy blend of small and large companies based on the kinds of innovation being asked for in the global market place," said Vic Desotelle, program designer and trainer.
The Small Business Start-Up Program, funded by a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of the State of California, provides tools, business-planning advice, professional resources, office space, and business coaching free of charge to targeted-income-group (TIG) individuals in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties who earn 80 percent or less of median income for their county. The MTC's CDBG program has provided training and services to approximately 100 regional TIG clients in the last 3 years, along side its program for innovative non-TIG, high-tech entrepreneurs.
The MTC aims to complement the work of local chambers of commerce, SCORE and Small Business Development Centers that provide support for existing businesses.
MARINA TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER CLIENT ELIZABETH MURRAY LECTURES AT THE deYOUNG MUSEUM THIS FRIDAY
"Romancing the Image: Blurring the Edges of Photography and Painting for Intimate Self Expression"
September 18, 2007
A leader in the "painterly photography" movement, artist and MTC client Elizabeth Murray lectures on her photography at the New deYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park this Friday, September 21, at 7:00 p.m. and will also give a demonstration of her technique on Sunday, September 23, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Piazzoni Murals Room of the Koret Auditorium.
Murray's unique images are individually hand- painted from enlarged Polaroids she has drawn on when the emulsion is still soft. Her technique blurs and merges the edges to soften contours and introduce her own vision and color. In her demonstration she will show how to use oils, pastels, and colored pencils to create a unique photograph.
"This is a great honor and opportunity for me to speak about my photography at the deYoung, said Murray. "My photography has been a path of great inspiration and deep personal exploration and experimentation."
Murray's work has been seen in one-woman shows throughout Japan, France, and the United States and is available at Photography West Gallery in Carmel. Visit www.elizabethmurray.com for more information.
Murray participates in an entrepreneur training program at the Marina Technology Cluster that is funded by a Community Development Block Grant of Housing and Community Development from the State of California.
CITY OF MARINA IS AWARDED $500,000 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT TO PROVIDE ENTREPRENEUR TRAINING AT THE MARINA TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER
Technology Incubator Will Continue Training Targeted-Income-Group Entreprenuers
May 14, 2007
The City of Marina has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the State of California's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to deliver business start-up training and business incubation services to targeted-income group (TIG) individuals in the Monterey Bay Crescent through its business incubator, the Marina Technology Cluster.
"We are delighted that the State has seen fit to continue to support our program for training targeted-income-group entrepreneurs," said Susan Barich, director of the technology incubator located in Marina near the airport. "This grant will enable us to continue to develop new training and programs that will help our community create jobs and wealth for the region."
This is the second micro-enterprise training grant the City has received for incubator programs in the last 3 years. The previous grant, which is slated to run out of funds later this year, has served 60 TIG clients with both in-house incubation services and non-resident training programs. These help clients learn the nuts and bolts of entrepreneurship, from their vision for their company to preparation of pro-forma financial statements to the creation of a business plan.
The incubator partners with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Cabrillo College in Aptos for preliminary training. Consulting staff such as Khan-Bernier and inKNOWvate develop and deliver collaborative workshops and one-on-one consulting to follow on the SBDC's seminars and drill down more deeply into the details of business development. The grant also pays for rent at the incubator for those technology companies that qualify for the residence program.
California State Senator Abel Maldonado, Assemblyperson John Laird and Congressperson San Farr all joined the Marina City Council in supporting the City's application for the grant.
ELECTRONIC TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPER SEEKS TECHNOLOGIES AT TECHNET
April 20, 2007
At the Marina Technology Cluster's May 10 TechNet, Bob Garzee, application manager of the Electronic Transportation Development Center (ETDC) and Danan Campbell, ETDC homeland security application manager, will describe opportunities for Monterey region companies to apply their technologies to an entirely new platform and new market -- surface transportation -- through working with the ETDC in San Jose.
"We are launching an initiative to propel the city and the region into the advanced transportation industry," said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. "At the ETDC, companies will collaborate on designing, prototyping and commercializing alternative fuel vehicles that provide solutions to environmental, energy, homeland security and transportation safety needs, all priorities of local, national and global importance."
The ETDC's search for technologies has brought them to the Monterey Bay Crescent and the Marina Technology Cluster where the core technologies of several client and affiliate companies can be applied to increased safety and efficiency of surface transportation, such as buses, trains and trucks. Some of these technologies include global positioning systems hardware and location based services software from MacroNav Systems LLC, alternative en-route charging and hydrogen-fuel technologies from Blue Line Power and emergency cell-phone networking from BOMA Systems.
Besides employing new fuel and transportation technologies, the project also affords an opportunity for the region to develop an entirely new market for its rich expertise in electronics, battery, wireless and telephony technologies.
The City of San Jose and the San Jose Redevelopment Agency have partnered with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (U.S. EDA) and others to fund the planning and development of the ETDC.
MARINA TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER'S FAMILY THRIVE WINS SIERRA CLUB AWARD
Teen Thrive Earth Fest Awarded for Education and Conservation
April 10, 2007
Marina Technology Cluster client company FamilyThrive.com and their Teen Thrive Earth Fest, scheduled for Sunday, April 29, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at the incubator in Marina, have been awarded $500 by the Ventana Chapter of the Sierra Club.
"This award is presented to deserving groups in Marina for Earth Day activities such as plantings, habitat restoration, green improvements to the community and educational fora," said Steve Zmak, Ventana Chapter executive committee member. "We are truly delighted to make this presentation to Family Thrive for their work in producing this Earth Day event for teens in the region."
Teen Thrive Earth Fest will hail the launch of TeenThrive.com, the teen brand for FamilyThrive.com, with live music, food donated by Whole Foods, solar-car races, ocean movies, panels and demonstrations to inspire young adults to have a positive impact on people and the environment. The mission of Family Thrive founder Rob Franklin is to empower the next generation of leaders.
The mission of the Sierra Club is, "To explore, enjoy, preserve and protect the nation's forests, waters, wildlife and wilderness."
Teen Thrive Earth Fest is a free of charge and will be held at the Marina Technology Cluster at 3180 Imjin Road in Marina, under the checkered water tower at the Marina Airport.
MARINA TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER PARTNERS WITH FISHER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TO HELP U.S. COMPANIES GET ESTABLISHED ABROAD
Fisher School Awarded $183,000 from the Department of Education to Establish Center
April 27, 2005
The Marina Technology Cluster announced today that it will partner with the Monterey Institute of International Studies' Fisher Graduate School of International Business on a two-year, $183,000 grant from the United States Department of Education's Business and International Education (BIE) Program to establish a Center for the Globalization and Localization of Business Exports (GLOBE) that will assist companies to adapt their products and services for foreign markets.
These funds will be matched by funds from a $2 million challenge grant from the Robert and Marilyn Fisher Family Foundation for total program funding of $366,000.
"This is an exciting project for the Fisher School," said Dr. Ernest Scalberg, Dean of the Fisher Graduate School of International Business, recognized as one of the "Top 100 International MBA Programs" by Financial Times. "The GLOBE Center will provide consulting, education and research to businesses. At the same time, the project provides students with the opportunity to construct business plans for companies from the Marina Technology Cluster needing localization assistance."
Localization involves tailoring a product or marketing strategy to the differences in culture, language or regulations of customers in foreign countries, a service for which more and more U.S. companies are recognizing the need.
The Marina Technology Cluster will provide clients to the project and assist with consultation. The Fisher School will also collaborate on the program with the three other graduate schools at the Monterey Institute as well as the Monterey Bay International Trade Association and the U.S. Export Assistance Center of the United States Department of Commerce in Monterey to develop the GLOBE Center.
The Fisher School, which has been recognized as a premier business education provider by Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2003 and Princeton Review's "Best 147 Business Schools" for cutting-edge curriculum and international perspective, will develop curriculum for globalization and localization that will be used in their MBA courses and training programs.
MARINA TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER AWARDED $300K GRANT
December 21, 2004 -
The City of Marina and its technology-business incubator, the Marina Technology Cluster, have been awarded a $300 thousand Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant from the State of California's Department of Housing and Community Development to provide business training to targeted-income-group (TIG) entrepreneurs in the Monterey Bay Area.
Defense Research- DENIAL IMPEDES AMERICA'S PREPAREDNESS
Sept. 6, 2004
Although Americans view international terrorism and the possible spread of weapons of mass destruction as the two most critical threats facing this country, most of the population has neglected taking basic steps to defend itself.
One of the most accessible and comprehensive guides ever created for the general public, Terrorism Preparedness: The Citizens' Emergency Response eGuide, has just been released on a digitally formatted CD-ROM with step-by-step recommendations to prepare for and react to specific types of terrorist attacks.
"The Citizens' Emergency Response eGuide provides users with a powerful personal weapon in the global war against terrorism, and it is truly a major contribution to bringing the national homeland security policy to individual Americans," said Bruce Aitken, President, Homeland Security Industries Association in Washington, D.C.
"My initial concern before reading the eGuide was that it might be a fear-mongering document," said Susan Hillier-Parks, Ph.D., Program Chair, Professor Gerontology, Sonoma State University. "It is not. It is informative, practical, comprehensible, and provides very sensible action guidelines for ordinary people."
The eGuide is available on Amazon.com.
HIGHLANDS SOIL & WATER'S COMPOST TEA CERTIFIED ORGANIC BY USDA FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
September 2, 2004
Highlands Soils & Water, a subsidiary of Western Applied Technologies and an agricultural start-up located at the Marina Technology Cluster has won organic certification for the second year in a row from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
WESTERN APPLIED TECHNOLOGY'S HIGHLANDS SOIL & WATER IS THE FIRST TO OFFER THE BUGS FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE ON A COMMERCIAL SCALE
April 1, 2003
The secret"s in the bugs, and, at the Marina Small Business Incubator, Highlands Soils & Water, a subsidiary of Western Applied Technologies (WAT) (www.healthysoil.com), is the first company to offer California's agricultural and horticultural industries, on a commercial scale, beneficial micro-organisms, fungi and nematodes that restore life to languishing soils and reduce water, power and chemical consumption.
"Highlands' real focus is on creating economically viable programs for growers," said Highlands President & CEO Tom Piatkowski. "Our product, on the scale we are able to produce it and with the high levels of active bacterial, fungal and protozoa biomass we are able to present, will save farmers money on pesticides, fertilizers, water and energy and will contain and lower productions costs."
Municipalities and school districts are another target for Highlands' vegetation management services. Their strategy is to offer services that reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides on public recreational grounds and schools to improve and maintain playability.
Compost Tea is the product that promises to restore life to California's farms and soccer fields, increasing the soil's ability to hold water and fight off opportunistic diseases that have come to the fore with the ever-increasing use of broad-spectrum pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Though compost tea is not a new term in agriculture, Highlands has perfected a brewing process that produces a clean and robust tea in quantities great enough to apply to the largest agricultural enterprise. In laboratory testing, Highlands' Compost Tea provided 65 time the industry's desired average of total biomass, and costs half as much as applying compost.
Piatkowski has spent the last 14 years providing solutions to California agricultural customers as a representative of Goemar Laboratories, Cytozyme Laboratories and, most recently, as the national bioscience products manager for Helena Chemical company, one of the world's largest distributors of chemicals and technology for agricultural use.