From October 22, to 24th the Crypto Invest Summit (CIS) took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Discussions centered around Sustainable Investing in Blockchain Technologies and was crucial for crypto experts globally. Lots of new and up-and-coming projects; new partners; with 5-6000 participants.
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Putting the Pot in Pottery
There are many approaches to ceramics. In Los Angeles, a recent one has been the brainchild of Mandy Kolahi and her friend Amber Arias. Named POT, the business partners set up their 1,200 square foot space last year in Echo Park, specifically chosen in an effort to “hold down brown space.” Kolahi explained:
“We fantasized for a while about creating a space run by women of color or people of color where we can attract people like us. We wanted to create a space where we feel comfortable expressing ourselves, which is a big thing because LGBTQ and POC artists can feel censored in artistic spaces.”
Although the women were initially advised to focus on the “older white people” market they went against that and created the “brown space.”
In other ceramic news, Sharon Brush’s Sculptural Vessels exhibition opened yesterday at the UNM-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) Library. Featured there are her pieces that are between 25 to 27 inches tall. Techniques she uses in construction include coil, pinch and slab. She uses traditional glazes on the exteriors, creating a more matt finish.
Silver Lake Business News
Five new businesses have recently opened their doors in LA’s Silver Lake. These are: chef Charles Olalia’s Filipino restaurant Ma’am Sir; modern Mexican restaurant XoK; Indigo Fitness infamous for its Spindigo class; Yolo Foot Spa and consignment store Golden Age Hollywood.
In addition, a complete refurbishment has resulted in the transformation of a local LA 1930s warehouse. Silverlake Conservatory of Music has taken the Bestor Architects building on Hollywood Boulevard and transformed it into a modern music village, featuring acoustic pods. All pods have top acoustic materials; light fixtures comprise wood (instead of metal, etc.).
Body Scanners at LA’s metro
The LA Metropolitan Transit Authority will be the first Transit Authority in America to use body scanners at its subway. These will be portable ones which will have the capacity to scan 2,000 people per hour from a distance of 30 feet.
The scanners do not come cheap; each one is $100,000. But technologically they are extremely advanced, utilizing radio waves to see guns and explosives underneath clothing and show them on a split screen display. According to Alex Wiggins, Chief Law Enforcement office at LA MTA:
“We’re looking specifically for weapons that have the ability to cause a mass-casualty event. We’re looking for explosive vests, we’re looking for assault rifles. We’re not necessarily looking for smaller weapons that don’t have the ability to inflict mass casualties.”
Benefits of Living in Downtown LA
We know that LA is famous for the entertainment industry. But are there any other reasons that make it a great place to live? According to a video by Loft Sales Management, at least 10. Here they are:
Vietnamese-LA Collaboration
An economic alliance has been created between LA and Ho Chi Minh City (in Vietnam) to advance collaboration and information sharing on infrastructure and the development of solar energy. This is being conducted through the following organizations:
• The Los Angeles Business Council (LABC)
• American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham)
• Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)
All three organizations signed an MoU on the establishment of this body at the end of last month.
BIZCON SoCal 2018
Last month the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza hosted the 2018 BIZCON SoCal. The full day conference held on June 20 focused on four main areas:
- Business development (including marketing and tech tools)
- Gaining access to capital
- Networking
- Procurement
People shared stories of what worked well and those that did not, as entrepreneurs, new business leaders and managers networked for future ideas. The event was hosted by the LA Area Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the US Small Business Administration in LA.
Summertime in LA
And the livin’ is easy and there’s so much to do and it’s such a great atmosphere. Why not take your friends/significant other downtown to enjoy a Modern Family Drama. The Humans was described by The LA Times as “quite possibly the best cast of actors you can see anywhere.” It’s on til the 29th July so catch it while you can!
If you don’t yet have plans for the weekend, why not enjoy a Wine Tasting afternoon in Santa Monica? Head out to the Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club and taste up to 200 wines! Meet the different winemakers (from smaller wineries) and help “bring the California wine country to the city” at The Garagist Festival. Or if music is more your thing then head South East to Anaheim’s Honda Center to enjoy Brad Paisley, Kane Brown and Dan Tyminski.
LA is a great place to be anytime of year, but summertime is something really special!
DTLA Developments
There have been some interesting developments/transactions in the DTLA neighborhood recently. In the real estate industry, Arup is on the move. Currently based in Playa Vista, the plan is to move to DTLA’s very own Wilshire Grand Center. Arup will take over 66,000 square feet on a 15 year lease which is one of Southern California’s largest 2018 leases. It is indicative of a general trend of firms moving into the DTLA area which is great for business.
One reason DTLA rentals are becoming more popular is the simple fact of price: compared to the going rate in Santa Barbara is approximately $5.78 per square foot per month and in LA, $3.55 per month.
All this is great news. But some say worry that there is still work to be done vis-à-vis enhancement of DTLA’s retail district. But even that is changing thanks to The Bloc’s “Merchandising Plan” which includes a lease signed by Uniqlo in one of the “most coveted retail spaces,” there in a 15,000 square feet two-story space. This will be “considered one of the store’s major flagship locations in LA.”
Los Angeles Business News
What is happening in the business development word in Los Angeles? According to a recent Forbes article there have been a slew of entrepreneurs have enjoyed success and growth in their LA businesses and thus recommend others follow suit. Here we look at both Auticon and Williams Corsi.
Auticon is a top technology employer for professionals who are on the autistic spectrum. Having won many awards for its work, it recently purchased MindSpark Inc., which will result in the “leverage[ing of] unique strengths of each company, offering services such as business analytics, artificial intelligence, software development and migration, as well as quality assurance and testing.”
Mindspark currently has two offices in California (in Santa Monica and Culver City) and its joining of Auticon will result in the “continue[d] expan[sion of] its portfolio of clients with major U.S. companies and will be able to serve its global customers in Europe and the U.S.”
Advertising and graphic design studio Williams Corsi & Associates is planning on moving to downtown LA in September to 12,000 square feet at Row DTLA. The company was created in 2015. Clients include: Netflix Inc., Hallmark Channel and NBCUniversal Inc.