The document discusses Steve Bond, the executive vice president of TAG, a local accounting and software services firm. It notes that Bond works to ensure TAG delivers quality service while developing quality relationships, and that he has shifted his focus more to community involvement, joining several local organizations. The article provides brief details on Bond's background at TAG and his efforts to rebrand the company into what it is today.

2. 2 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
The Daily Transcript congratulates San Diego’s Young Influentials
By JADA THOMAS Influentials, more than 140 nomina- shop to a restaurant proprietor to the these young entrepreneurs and busi-
The Daily Transcript tions were received. The final 20 were CEO of a pharmaceutical company — ness leaders. Pay attention to these
San Diego’s Young Influentials 2010 hand-picked by The Daily Transcript plus many in between. faces and remember their names,
is the culmination of a search for San editors. Daily Transcript editors were look- because they are shaping San Diego’s
Diego County’s newest rising stars, Nominations were open to San ing for young executives in pursuit of future and you’ll hear about them
market leaders and entrepreneurs Diego County business leaders, 45 and business excellence, who believe in the again.
crafting our region and our business under from any business industry, who spirit of hard work and are contribut- Throughout the year, The Daily
landscape for the better. In our search are entrepreneurs, leading newsmak- ing to the growth of our local econo- Transcript will be following up with
for the next generation of Top ers and up-and-coming leaders. Each my. This inaugural crop of influentials our 2010 Young Influentials to gauge
nomination also included a statement represents the major business indus- their thoughts and concerns about
(500 words or less) answering why tries across San Diego, including San Diego County’s economy. Find out
each nominee qualifies as a Young finance, retail, biotech, tech, construc- more about them through Daily
The Daily Influential and what makes the nomi- tion, health, renewable energy, hospi- Transcript roundtables, video inter-
nee stand out among other leaders. tality and more. views and articles.
Transcript ®
Representing San Diego’s varied Good leadership and entrepre- The Daily Transcript is pleased to
Founded April 3, 1886 economic landscape, the group of neurism are definitely forces that present the following section high-
www.sddt.com nominees included and ranged from drive our economy. We pay tribute to lighting San Diego’s Young
ROBERT L. LOOMIS, Publisher the owner of a custom bridal gown San Diego’s leadership and highlight Influentials 2010.
George Chamberlin,
Executive Editor
Beyond biotech
Joseph Guerin, Editor
Handful of other San Diego industries also see growth
Richard Spaulding, Real Estate Editor
Jennifer Chung Klam,
Special Sections Editor
Tracye Grimes, Web Editor
By JILL BLACKFORD companies still reign. There are, say, 60-90 wireless health
Ellen C. Revelle, Publisher Emerita
July 31, 1910 - May 6, 2009
Special to the Daily Transcript “There have been lots of spinoffs in companies in San Diego, and 10 years
The San Diego region was certainly San Diego started by highly talented ago there were maybe one or two. It’s
San Diego Daily Transcript
not immune to the challenges of the individuals with technical knowledge now ramping up very rapidly.”
P.O. Box 85469 market over the past year, but it is see- of how to create a product or service, McCray likens the current momen-
San Diego, CA 92186–5469 ing some growth in spite of the down- and it’s been fueled by the recession tum behind this convergence to the
(619) 232-4381 turn — or, in some cases, because of it. and layoffs,” said Steve Hoey, senior pairing of online with commerce 10
Web site: www.sddt.com
And even beyond biotech, innovation program manager of Connect, a net- years ago. He believes 2010 will be
work committed to growing technology looked back upon as a turning-point
clusters. “People may have been kicking year for the field, with San Diego at
around an idea and know people, and the forefront. With wireless leaders
so when they got laid off they banded like Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) in
together, attracted management talent the market, San Diego’s position as
and got new startup endeavors going. top biotech hub, and a host of entre-
Even though we’re in a recession, new preneurs, scientists and capital here,
companies still get formed every day.” industry leaders think this may well
Across the seven sectors Connect be the case.
tracks, about 70 percent of new com- Another key industry that’s still
panies formed in the first quarter of gaining ground in the region is clean
this year fall into the biopharma and tech. Under this broad umbrella falls
software categories. solar and wind power, where compa-
“In terms of innovative tech, the San nies like AMSOLAR are making an
Diego life sciences industry is the impact, as well as niches like algae
most buoyant, as they have the most biofuels and energy storage.
The staff and Board of Directors send our traction and receive the most venture “In terms of energy generation, I see
Congratulations to Steve Sullivan, CEO capital money. Traditionally, 65 per- us partnering more with Baja for not
cent of money that’s funneling only green energy generation but nat-
on being named one of through goes to them,” Hoey said. ural gas as well,” said Ruben Barrales,
San Diego’s Top 20 Young Influential’s. Most notable as a burgeoning sector president and CEO of the San Diego
in the life science arena is the conver- Chamber of Commerce. “With the
gence of wireless and health. Sunrise Power Link and others, we’ll
Companies like Jitterbug, Awarepoint have the ability to transport power
and Sotera Wireless are creating prod- from Baja and the Inland Empire and
ucts and services ranging from cell beyond. I think this is going to be a
phones for the elderly, to RFID asset growing field here in San Diego.”
tracking technology in hospitals, to Large companies like Sapphire
rapid response monitoring. Energy are key players in the algal bio-
“San Diego is the center of wireless fuel space, creating green crude —
health in the world,” said Rob McCray, renewable crude oil — by refining
CEO of the Wireless Life Sciences CO2, sunlight and algae into fuel. But
Alliance. “There are a lot of good com- David Andresen, director of clean tech
panies here. I believe we can do some corporate finance for Oracle Capital
good, and fundamentally we have to Advisors, said the clean tech space in
figure out how to deliver more and
better with the same or less resources. See Biotech on 15

3. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
3
VCs more selective, but San Diego continues positive trend
By REBECCA GO
The Daily Transcript Early Stage Venture Capital Investment in San Diego
Venture capital trends look positive, $150 25
particularly in San Diego, but the sec-
tor won’t see an echo of the bubble
days going forward, experts say.
“We’re never going to see it the way
Investment Amount ($ in millions)
$120 20
it was,” said Bill Molloie,
PricewaterhouseCoopers partner and
Number of Deals
leader of the firm’s San Diego phar-
$90 15
ma/life sciences practice. “And I’m not
sure that’s necessarily a bad thing.”
Molloie and other venture veterans
use the word “efficient” to describe $60 10
this new world of venture capital.
Limited partners, or LPs — the insti-
tutions and individuals who provide
funds with capital — are more close- $30 5
fisted these days after losing money in
the downturn.
In turn, venture capitalists are more
$0 0
selective about how they choose to Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q1
deploy their funds: Companies should
be further along in development and
95
96
97
98
99
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
19
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
able to make a little capital go a long
way. Investment Amount Number of Deals
In a recent survey of its members,
Early stage venture capital funding decreased to 8 deals amounting to $57,658,100 in the first quarter from 10 deals amounting to $130,176,900
the National Venture Capital in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Association found that venture capi- Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers/National Venture Capital Association
talists still consider the strength of the
management team as the most impor-
tant factor, followed by market sector. that there is still too much money in to pursue alternative funding from warns that quarterly totals can be
Also, venture capitalists now favor venture capital and most sectors are our existing investor base,” said skewed by large deals and other fac-
venture-backed talent and value “overfunded” — although some say Solyndra CEO Chris Gronet in a state- tors. For him, the percentage of dol-
vision and fundraising abilities in a that it’s really a matter of perspective. ment. lars going to fund startup, early-stage
chief executive more than they did As a result — to use Roberts’ terminol- Still, the venture capital numbers and early-sequence deals is more an
nine years ago. ogy — some chaff is getting funded seem to be improving. Nationally, ven- indicator of growth than the number
The results “reflect shifting priori- along with the wheat, depressing ture capitalists invested more than of investment dollars per quarter.
ties in an environment where both returns in the long run. $4.7 billion in 681 deals in the 2010 Those numbers are trending posi-
raising funds and the path to liquidity The clean-tech sector is a case in first quarter, according to the tive, too: The percentage of dollars
have become more challenging for point, Dreesen said. Targeted stimulus MoneyTree report released quarterly and deals going to startup and early-
VC-backed companies,” wrote NVCA funds and tax credits have diverted a by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the stage companies as well as the per-
marketing director Jeanne Metzger recession in clean-tech, and the sector NVCA. centage of dollars and deals going to
on the advocacy group’s blog. has attracted $30 billion in venture The figures are lower than the $5.2 companies for the first, second or
Indeed, most agree that venture funding for more than 900 companies billion invested in 832 deals in the third time have been steadily edging
investors have to be committed for the since 2005 — but with very few exits fourth quarter of 2009, but represent up over the last few quarters.
long haul: Most early stage deals take or even failures to show for it. an improvement from a year ago. In San Diego’s data is even stronger:
anywhere from eight to 10 years to "There hasn’t really been a shakeout the first quarter of 2009, the amount Forty-two percent of dollars and 41
reach an exit these days, a panel of yet," Dreesen said, dryly remarking invested dove to $3.4 billion in 635 percent of deals went to startup or
venture capitalists agreed at a San that an investor at least wants his deals from $5.8 billion in 913 deals early-stage companies in the first
Diego Venture Group event in June. money back and typically wants to see the quarter before, and $7.7 billion in quarter, compared to 32 percent and
For those in the industry, it’s just the a return of five times the cash invested 1,020 deals in the first quarter of 44 percent nationwide, respectively.
reality of the situation. The solid com- on an individual deal. 2008. The average deal size was $7.9 million,
panies with disruptive technology and He acknowledges that the sector In San Diego, dollars invested compared to the national average of
a stellar management team will still drivers are all very real: His firm is surged to $222 million in 29 deals in $4.8 million.
get funded, they say. Investors need to selectively funding companies for that the first quarter. This figure was down Fifty-four percent of dollars and 55
cherry-pick the “innovation nuggets,” reason. slightly from $305 million in 31 deals percent of deals were in the first three
said Bryan Roberts, a partner at “But if you look at the sector as a in the fourth quarter but a vast funding sequences, compared to 52
Venrock. whole, I have a hard time saying that improvement from the $92 million percent and 60 percent, respectively,
“I think you’re going to have a math is going to work,” Dreesen said. invested in 16 deals in the first quarter nationwide. The average deal size was
greater sorting of wheat from chaff,” Earlier this month, solar energy of 2009. $7.5 million, compared to the national
he told the SDVG crowd. “But it will company Solyndra canceled plans for “We often hold up San Diego as an average of $5.9 million.
remain a picking game … you don’t a highly anticipated initial public ecosystem that is working,” said Emily Venture capitalists are also keeping
want to invest in the basket.” offering that would have raised up to Mendell, NVCA vice president of an eye on financial reform. The over-
This is especially the case since $300 million. The company said it strategic affairs and public outreach, arching issue for the industry is taxa-
returns have been comparatively poor, would sell $175 million in notes pointing to the local community of tion treatment of carried interest, or a
the SDVG panel said. Roberts, Austin instead. entrepreneurs, trade support groups percentage of profits that the venture
Ventures ’ Mike Dodd and Battery “Given the ongoing uncertainties in and universities.
Ventures’ David Dreesen all agreed the public capital markets, we elected PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Molloie See Venture capital on 15

4. 4 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
Steve Bond
TAG executive VP strives to set new standard
By REBECCA GO — TAG is no newcomer to the marketplace, but it believe it can be something that can be considered a
The Daily Transcript was only a few years ago that Bond and founder new standard.”
For Steve Bond, building a positive brand is Rob Scherer worked to rebrand the com- Over the past year, Bond has shifted
important, both in his career and on a personal pany and shape TAG into what it is more of his attention to community
level. today. involvement. Already an active
The executive vice president at local accounting The management team merged the member of the downtown Rotary
and software services firm TAG works to ensure that disparate companies, acquired a hand- Club, MIT Enterprise Forum,
his company lives up to its name and promise in ful of additional companies and imple- Software Industry Council and
delivering quality service while developing quality mented an employee stock ownership Execs San Diego, Bond joined the
relationships. plan, awarding stock options to its board of Promises2Kids in April
TAG provides outsourced accounting, accounting employees. 2009. Promises2Kids is a local non-
software and high-net-worth family accounting. “Rebranding may be an understate- profit that fights child abuse and
“It focuses on relieving a business owner of noncore ment,” Bond said. “It was a shift in the neglect in the region.
competencies,” said Bond, 36, who prior to joining business model.” For Bond, helping others is the
TAG oversaw business development for human Bond says he’s happy with the bottom line — and in a society
resource outsourcing company Administaff. “If you results: a cohesive, growing, employ- where it’s hard to live in anonymity,
have quality vendors managing noncore competen- ee-owned company with a unified it plays a part in building a positive
cies, then you can focus on running a business.” value proposition and a positive cul- personal brand. Bond notes that he
Bond joined TAG in 2006 as managing director of ture. He added that he could see the has a sign on his wall that encourages
TAG subsidiary Next Stage Software, and subse- possibility of a profitable exit in five years and him to aid a prospective client and make an intro-
quently led the company to become one of the top pointed to the billion-dollar success of Administaff duction that benefits a friend.
accounting and operations software value-added as an example of an outsourcing model that “I try to check those boxes every day,” Bond said.
resellers in San Diego. worked. “The way I try to build relationships is by helping
Founded 14 years ago as two separate companies “I really love what we’re doing,” Bond said. “I real- other people.”
— The Accounting Group and Next Stage Software ly believe it can impact companies, and I really rebecca.go@sddt.com
Bobby Brannigan
Online textbook site founder aggressively ‘taking on Goliath’
By JEN LEBRON KUHNEY Brannigan, who did not return multiple phone team of five employees and the company’s online
The Daily Transcript calls for this story, and a dozen of his college peers division moved to San Diego.
The saying goes that one man’s trash is anoth- started Valore Books, an online Since then, he has grown the company through
er’s treasure. It held true for Bobby site for students to buy and aggressive approaches to “taking on Goliath.”
Brannigan when he tried to sell his books sell thousands of college Google searches for “textbooks” brings up a vari-
back to the campus bookstore on the State books each year. ety of sites including Amazon, Half.com,
University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia The company was located Textbooks.com and Campus Books. Valore Books is
campus in the early 2000s. in Buffalo, N.Y., for the first eighth in the search.
The bookstore wouldn’t buy back text- six years of existence. So what does Brannigan do to set his company
books that were not being used by a Fredonia Brannigan said it was diffi- apart?
professor the next semester, leaving students cult to find experienced pro- He said he keeps his offerings unique with con-
like Brannigan with unwanted books. grammers and executives tests for free books and hiring agents to promote the
“I was a college student tired of paying the there, but what sent the com- company on college campuses.
high prices at the campus bookstore for my pany West was a tax law that These days, Brannigan is working hard with his
textbooks only to find out four months later required out-of-state retailers company, but also blogging for Fast Company, a
that I couldn’t sell them back because the to pay state taxes on all trans- website and magazine that focuses on finding cre-
school no longer felt that they were of value,” actions if they had a physical ative businessmen and women and has them share
said Brannigan on his blog. “I believed other- presence in New York. their experiences.
wise and started the company.” In July 2008, Brannigan, a jennifer.lebron@sddt.com

5. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
5
Reid Carr
Focused leadership netted big name clients for Red Door
By PADMA NAGAPPAN Carr takes the lead in generating lion in billings in its first year.
Special to the Daily Transcript imaginative strategies with the aim of When Red Door launched, the
As one of San Diego’s 100 fastest growing compa- making each client’s website, online first year was tough and Carr
nies and a three-time Inc. 5000 company, Red campaign and brand image unique, recalled a make or break point.
Door Interactive, an internet presence manage- yet is quick to give credit to team effort “The last month of our first year
ment firm, has a client list that reads like a “Who’s for the big client wins. was when we had a breakthrough;
Who” in business. When he graduated from the until then we didn’t know if we
Founded eight years ago in 2002 by Reid Carr University of Oregon, Eugene with a could make it. Since then, we
and his wife Amy, the firm has grown from two degree in journalism and advertising, haven’t stopped growing.”
employees to more than 50 and has offices in San the industry focus was on online One of the priorities he set early
Diego, Carlsbad and Denver. advertising. on was to hire the right people and
From the get-go, Carr said the mission has been to “The young guy in the room gets retain them. The Carlsbad office
help clients run a profitable online business by dumped with internet initiatives and was opened to accommodate many
building their website and maintaining it, and man- that’s how I got started. I showed folks employees who were commuting
aging their social media, e-mail systems, search it’s not just ads, there’s online business downtown from the North County.
functions and other platforms. potential,” he said. Red Door was this year’s winner of
Clients include well-known names such as Rubio’s Soon after graduation, Carr began working in the the Inc. magazine’s Top Small Company
Fresh Mexican Grill, Cricket Communications, Sony Los Angeles office of TBWA/Chiat/Day, handling Workplace.
Online Entertainment, Cox Communications, Nissan’s account. He then became COO and Carr is a frequent presenter at industry confer-
Overstock.com, Petco, and Souplantation and Sweet accounts director at PBJ Digital, a bicoastal interac- ences and college campuses. His advice for other
Tomatoes Restaurants. tive development and incubator shop, where he was young entrepreneurs: “Know what your priorities
“A constant focus on the kind of clients we want- responsible for more than 30 interactive as well as are, know your target customer base, attract and
ed helped — our current clients were once on our brick and mortar plays. retain the right folks. At first it will be difficult to
radar. We jumped on the right kind of service mix He then was tapped to form the interactive arm of prove your worth, then it gets better.”
early on and we’ve had a fanatical focus on their San Diego public relations firm McQuerter Group.
needs. We worked on being the best, then showed As the director of interactive and advertising, Carr Nagappan is a San Diego-based freelance busi-
them,” said Carr, 33, who is president of the firm. quickly built up the division, which topped $1 mil- ness writer.
Jeff Daley
Family the root of Daley’s success
By CARLOS RICO he noticed the housing tion. His role involved acquiring properties,
The Daily Transcript market was starting to go coordinating the conversion process, and trans-
It’s not long after first meeting Jeff Daley that the sour in 2006, he decided forming and developing more than 1,000 apart-
conversation turns to his family and the importance to expand J.R. Daley and ments into condos. He also was responsible for
of spending time with loved ones. construct other firm’s developing all project budgets, supervising and
So it’s no coincidence that after he got a taste of development projects. managing multiple projects and, ultimately,
building homes and experiencing the financial side One such project, organizing the entire construction process.
of business, he started his own investment, custom which he says was the During the last five years, Daley has purchased
home, ground-up commercial and multifamily con- springboard for subse- and sold more than $75 million worth of his own
struction company. quent projects, was a $25 holdings in real estate while constructing over
“Family is really important to me, so (being your million purchase and con- 1,000 apartment and condo units.
own boss) allows time and freedom to be able to struction job that involved turning four residential In 2009, Daley negotiated the purchase of a mul-
raise your kids, spend time with your wife and spend lots into a 70,000-square-foot student housing timillion-dollar, 700-acre rock quarry located near
time with your family,” said Daley, who started J.R. project near San Diego State University. Brawley, Calif.
Daley Construction in 2005. “I have been working on that deal for about two Other projects include the construction of several
Daley’s background in the construction and hous- years,” said Daley, 35, who took over the project custom homes, including one for actor Richard
ing development industries comes from both his from another developer after they could no longer Dreyfuss in Encinitas.
family and post-undergraduate career. finance it. Daley attributes his success to his past experi-
He started working for his grandfather’s compa- Daley obtained his banking and lending experi- ences and always having a strong family unit.
ny, Daley Corp., at age 7 and continued off and on ence from working at North American Mortgage Having his father and grandfather in the construc-
through college until he started his own company. Co., where he worked after graduating from USC tion industry didn’t hurt, either.
Daley developed his residential and development until the end of 1998. “Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, it’s real-
interests while attending California Western School After receiving his law degree, Daley’s interest in ly all I’ve been exposed to,” said the former USC
of Law, which he attended after graduating from the real estate grew and he returned to Daley Corp., which football player.
University of Southern California with degrees in specializes in heavy highway construction and land “When I grew up, we did a ton of family trips
political science and business administration. development. At the family business, he was in charge together,” the San Diego native said. “We were
He first started J.R. Daley Construction so his of land sales and transactions. He managed more than always doing stuff as a family. And I think being a
company could self-perform all the residential $20 million worth of construction contracts. successful entrepreneur really comes from having a
developments his investment company, Southern In 2002, Daley was recruited by Premier great family.”
California Investments, was bringing in. But when Communities LLC to be the director of construc- carlos.rico@sddt.com

6. 6 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
Malcolm Davies
Davies adapts through diverse roles in real estate, finance
By SYDNIE MOORE helped make us much wiser and stronger.” Department, where he was inspired to enter the fields
Special to the Daily Transcript After the challenges of 2008, Davies rebounded of real estate and real estate finance.
Malcolm Davies has always loved to work puzzles. quickly by adopting a proactive attitude An active member of the La Jolla
In fact, he likens his work in investing and real estate — making strategic moves to assure he Rotary and the Del Mar/Solana
finance to “piecing together a giant jigsaw puzzle.” had multiple revenue streams both Beach Lions Club, Davies also
Davies, 34, has plenty of pieces to put together. personally, and for his respective busi- recently helped form The PEERS
Wearing several hats, he is the principal of Opes nesses. Diversification is now key, he (Philanthropy, Entrepreneurism,
Advisors Inc. San Diego, a private wealth manage- said. Environment, Relationships and
ment firm, and the CEO of CANVAZ, a real estate “Not having too much vested in one Social Endeavors) Network. He,
investment firm. type of business is critical in today’s along with nine other entrepre-
His multiple roles require him to be adept at piec- environment” he said. neurs, all contribute annually to a
ing together complex strategies and solutions. To that end, Davies now runs a suc- donor advised fund, which they then
“Much of my profession involves gaining an cessful finance firm, real estate and donate to various charitable organi-
understanding of a situation, assessing that situa- real estate investment company. Each zations, among them Equinox
tion, and then coming up with solutions to address has different revenue models and Center and The Tariq Khamisa
whatever situation that may be,” he said. assures that when one is sluggish, the Foundation (TKF). Over the next
Fueled by a “never-ending desire to learn,” he has other two can pick up the slack. five years, the group anticipates con-
spent the past 15 years in real estate, real estate “Even when two may be lagging, one tributing nearly $3.8 million in
development and real estate finance, involved in will be able to keep things moving along,” donations and like kind services.
more than $270 million in transactions either as a he explained. “A great element of PEERS is not only the philan-
principal, lender, or investor. Raised in Singapore, Davies is both a citizen of the thropy, but also the great rapport and feedback all of
Indeed, he has weathered quite a bit at a young United States and the United Kingdom, and acknowl- us give each other as it relates to our businesses,” he
age, and is particularly proud of “surviving the edges that he has adapted a global view due to his said. “There is nothing better than to receive advice
financial collapse of 2008, a very difficult experi- international upbringing. He also spent time in the from fellow business leaders.”
ence for me.” Now, he says confidently, “we are on a Bay Area, and then studied urban planning at the
very positive road to recovery. This experience has University of Arizona’s Regional Development Moore is a San Diego-based freelance writer.
Scott Fetters
Co-founder of Webceleb sings a different business tune
By JILL ESTERBROOKS and two co-founders formed Webceleb Inc. in 2007 they receive rewards like cash and free concert tickets.”
Special to the Daily Transcript and launched its website, www.webceleb.com, in the More than just a music store, Webceleb also is
Scott Fetters is a rock star in indie music circles. fall of 2008. active on other online social networking sites like
Not only is he one of the biggest fans of emerging It is what Fetters describes as “the next-genera- Twitter and Facebook, giving fans and artists a
artists and undiscovered musicians, he’s recently tion music store where everyone gets paid when chance to post, tweet and instant message.
launched a new online social platform for showcas- songs are downloaded.” The fan-artist exchange isn’t just online, Fetters
ing and financing their rich talents. For instance, he says when fans said. An events-booking element was just added to fur-
“I’ve always loved finding new music spend $1 to download a song, they ther extend and enhance the overall music experience.
and sharing it with friends,” said also get one “slice” of that artist’s “This way, fans help venues like San Diego’s Wave
Fetters, co-founder of Webceleb Inc. financial pie. The musician nets 50 House find out who is hot locally and then book
“Now, there’s a way to enjoy great tal- percent of the sale and 40 percent is those popular artists,” he noted.
ent, bolster artists’ careers and per- split between every “slice” received His company, which earns a 10 percent fee per
haps save the entire music industry.” within 30 days. online transaction, currently is focusing on San
According to Fetters, the industry is Music lovers can use their slice Diego’s vibrant music scene as well as a handful of
very volatile due in large part to the funds to buy more songs or cash out other cities throughout the country, including Los
“devaluation of music” as a result of when they’ve earned $20 or more. Angeles, New York City, Oklahoma City and Austin.
free downloading and music sharing “The beauty of Webceleb is that, The 27-year-old University of Colorado graduate
sites like Napster. for the first time, when people applies his academic background in social psycholo-
“There’s an inherent value to music make a decision to buy music, they gy to Webceleb’s business development.
and it shouldn’t be given away,” Fetters will be give, the chance to form His networking and relationship-building efforts
said. partnerships with musicians and have secured a number of vital partnerships that
Claiming to have “10 thumbs and no have a vested role in the marketing “bridge the gap between the online and real world,”
musical talent,” Fetters’ deep appreciation and discovery process,” he said. including a deal to air music videos on MTV Tr3s’
for music was fostered at the liberal arts high school Through the online site that uses crowd-sourcing “That Music Show.”
he attended just outside of London. technology, artists are rewarded with online expo- His advice to other budding entrepreneurs with
A U.S. citizen born and raised abroad, Fetters put sure and music sales, and so are their fans who use the next big idea: “Don’t wait. Get to market as
aside his fledgling career as a copywriter profiling their dollars and votes to essentially become invest- quickly as possible, because there’s someone else
independent businesses in Colorado to voice his ment partners. with the same concept right on your heels.”
“love for music and technology.” “It’s like a game,” Fetters said. “Fans become early
With seed money from friends and family, Fetters adopters and then as their favorites get more popular, Esterbrooks is a San Diego-based freelance writer.

7. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
7

8. 8 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
Erik Groset
Born entrepreneur capitalizes on opportunities
By PADMA NAGAPPAN through Amazon.com as well as other e-tailers, with and quickly realized it wasn’t going to work, so we
Special to the Daily Transcript minimal marketing. The company is also the No. 1 looked for project managers with experience in
For someone who got bitten by the entrepreneur- seller on Amazon.com for portable media player Asia. We found someone who said he’d take us to
ial bug at the tender age of 7 — as a Kool-Aid sales- accessories. China, but I didn’t have a passport. He told me I
man who zeroed in on the lucrative market of thirsty “I knew the iPhone was coming out. The only could get it in one day by going to the Los Angeles
construction workers in sub- docking station available worked in portrait passport office. We stayed in China for six weeks,” he
urban Chicago — it’s not mode, so we wanted to develop something said.
surprising that the first that worked in both portrait and landscape That first trip taught Groset how things worked in
thing Erik Groset did soon modes,” said Groset, explaining the idea China, and he got to see how the product was put
after he graduated was start behind DGA. together and tested.
a new business. The system can be used with a variety of He had no trepidations about launching a new
Groset, 26, co-founded devices, including the iPhone, iPod, Droid, business during tough times. Instead, he felt strong-
Digital Group Audio (DGA), Nexus One and Palm Pre. ly that if it could survive the recession, the company
with the aim of perfecting The innovative smart phone accessory was could make it through anything.
portable sound, when he responsible for Groset being inducted into the Groset plans to expand internationally, likely in
graduated from California Young Inventors International Hall of Fame. Europe. He also will explore distribution channels,
State University, San Marcos Groset and his co-founder and friend, Robin since he found certain challenges in placing his
with a degree in business. DeFay, were hawking the speaker system at the product in brick and mortar stores.
The company’s first prod- Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas In September he also plans to launch a second
uct is Livespeakr, an ultra- when a buyer from Urban Outfitters (Nasdaq: audio product, ZipBuds, which is under wraps for
portable, multifunctional URBN) saw their demonstration and liked it. the moment. The product will do away with the
speaker system made for smart phones, with unique The clothing retailer, which also offers unique frustration of untangling earbud wires.
rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that last 10 items, became DGA’s first big client. All he will say about it: “It’s going to change the
hours. Groset and DeFay developed the product inter- way you listen to music on the go.”
Though DGA was launched during the recession nally, but contracted out the manufacturing to a
two years ago, the audio product has racked up Chinese supplier. Nagappan is a San Diego-based freelance busi-
25,000 units in sales for 2009, a good portion of it “We tried approaching manufacturers directly ness writer.
John Higgins
Local pharmaceutical company restructures, gains strength in downturn
By JILL BLACKFORD philosophy and brilliant execu- enue it generates from partnerships to
Special to the Daily Transcript tion. And we managed to pull exceed expenses.
The pharmaceutical industry is certainly one that off very, very good transactions. “We are excited about this, and next
puts San Diego on the map, and Ligand We haven’t received immediate year we also expect that one of our largest
Pharmaceuticals has been a recent key player. gratification, but I feel very programs with GlaxoSmithKline will
“In 2007 when I joined, I moved in and quickly good about the deals because have phase three data in development for
started to get Ligand back to what it’s good at, which they are structured quite well, a very significant indication. It could be a
is drug research,” said John Higgins, president and are attractively priced for us, watershed for Ligand if that trial data are
CEO of Ligand Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: LGND). and led us to pick up a tremen- positive next year,” Higgins said.
“We divested the commercial brands and down- dously exciting portfolio of Higgins began his career on the other
sized. It was an intense 12 to 18 months where we assets.” side of the industry as an investment
dramatically changed the business to really refocus Another success Higgins notes banker in biotech. Instead of just working
on what it’s good at.” is the number of drugs Ligand on transactions for several different com-
Higgins believes this restructuring was in part has discovered that have made it panies, though, Higgins wanted to be a
what led the company to its current strong position to approval. part of the executive leadership team that
— just as the financial markets and the economy fell “Our success rate has been very good,” he said. could drive a company forward — and to be respon-
apart, Higgins says, Ligand was extremely relevant “We’ve been around for two decades and we’ve dis- sible for the business and strategy overall.
and had a chance to shine because it had just fin- covered five drugs that have made it all the way to “I enjoyed the industry and thought it was an
ished rebuilding. approval. For a small company, that is a very, very exciting mix of business and finance,” Higgins said.
“Despite Ligand’s history, we hit a difficult peri- successful track record.” “It’s a chance to really make big gains from a busi-
od in the mid-2000s where the business started to Ligand works largely in drug discovery and then ness perspective but it’s also an industry rooted in
struggle. That’s when the board recruited me,” partners with larger drug companies that in turn medical research. And like the old saying, ‘doing
Higgins said. “One of the things I’m most proud of take over the much more expensive and intensive well by doing good,’ I found it exciting to participate
is that we have pulled off some very compelling: human development side, including clinical in an industry focused on investing and growing
shrewd acquisitions. We aren’t aware of any other research. Ligand now has around 50 employees, and young medical research companies.”
company that has been able to assemble assets like recently announced it anticipates turning profitable
we have. It took tremendous work, a good business on an operations basis by next year, with the rev- Blackford is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.

9. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
9
Zeynep Ilgaz
Confirm Biosciences founder corners instant drug-test market
By ELIZABETH MALLOY Her husband got the idea for test-kit distribution in the Sorrento Valley, and Test Country helps dis-
The Daily Transcript after learning about the business for a school proj- tribute Confirm Bioscience’s products.
If you want to buy a product that uses a person’s ect. In addition to running her company and raising
hair to determine if he or she has used drugs, there’s “We just saw the opportunity and we went for it,” two children, Ilgaz is an adviser to the National
a strong chance you’ll go through Zeynep Ilgaz said. Institutes of Health commercialization assistance
Ilgaz’ company. After a few years of Test program and participates in the educational and
Ilgaz, 37, is the president and chief execu- Country growing and suc- entrepreneurial programs at SDSU, the University
tive of San Diego-based Confirm ceeding, the Ilgazes decided of California, San Diego, High Tech High and the
Biosciences, a company that makes drug- to start manufacturing their San Diego Unified School District.
testing kits. The company’s Hair Confirm is kits and created Confirm She initiated a corporate giving program whose
the only over-the-counter hair-based drug Biosciences. The company beneficiaries include The Alpha Project for the
test on the market, and Ilgaz estimated the creates test kits using technol- Homeless, The McAlister Institute, San Diego
company has about 90 percent of that mar- ogy licensed from others. Youth and Community Services, Teen Challenge
ket. While drug tests, including International and Volunteers of America’s Alcohol
“My husband and I work together,” she steroids, are their main prod- and Drug Services Center.
said. “It’s a family-owned business.” ucts, they also make fertility Ilgaz has received a number of awards for her
In some ways, Ilgaz and her husband have tests. business success. She was the 2008 recipient of the
created a family of businesses. They first Their products are manu- YWCA TWIN (Tribute to Women in Industry)
founded a test-kit distribution company factured both in San Diego awards and, in 2009, SDSU presented her with the
called Test Country out of their garage 10 and overseas, and sold all over Charles Lamden Rising Star in Business award.
years ago after earning master’s degrees at San the world. She said her alma mater was vital in helping her
Diego State University. Ilgaz said she and her hus- “The instant drug-test market is very competi- and her husband get their companies off the
band chose SDSU because it had a good program, tive,” Ilgaz said. “The way we deal with that is we do ground.
and because they wanted to go to school in a city a lot of international sales.” “San Diego State has been very, very supportive,”
where they could start and raise a family. For them, Confirm Bioscience and Test Country are closely she said.
San Diego was a perfect match. related. They share office space and some employees elizabeth.malloy@sddt.com
Keith Jones
Jones takes the driver’s seat of family parking business
By JILL ESTERBROOKS The biggest challenge he’s found working in the side, as well as those
Special to the Daily Transcript family business is that “everything is personal.” of his maternal
Keith Jones was only 8 when he landed his first “I leave work at night and then go to a family din- grandfather, Malin
job at Ace Parking collecting tickets and riding ner where we talk about business,” he said. Burnham. Both
around the Qualcomm Stadium parking lot in a golf At the same time, he feels extremely lucky to work prominent San Diego
cart with his relatives. for his father, who Jones describes as “not only my families are notable
Now, the 29-year-old is readying to take the dri- boss but also my best friend.” for their philanthrop-
ver’s seat of Ace Parking Management Inc., the 60- “We work well as a team,” he said. “My dad has a ic contributions and
year-old company founded by his grandfather, Evan wealth of institutional knowledge, while I’m work- community leader-
Jones, and currently owned and operated by his ing on the ground level, observing things in real- ship.
father, Scott Jones. time and hearing from the front line.” Jones is proving to
“I grew up in the business and it really revs me up,” The prospect of some day taking the helm of a be a quick understudy, having recently been named
says the youngest Jones, managing principal and company with approximately 5,000 employees one of the youngest members of the Young President’s
chief operating officer of the privately held company throughout the Western United States is both Organization, as well as serving on the San Diego
that services nearly 350,000 customers daily and “exhilarating and terrifying.” Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee,
generates annual revenues exceeding $335 million. “I’m honored with the prospect of refining the Downtown San Diego Partnership Executive
Being the heir apparent to the expanding family long-held family traditions and philosophies, and Committee, Father Joe’s Toussaint Academy Board of
parking empire is both a boon and a bane for the also excited about leaving my own stamp on the busi- Directors and San Diego Rotary 33.
third-generation Jones, who studied business and ness,” said Jones, who travels extensively to client “It’s my turn to step up and take on the necessary
philosophy at New York University during the Sept. sites in six states and hopes in coming years to ramp duties and responsibilities of my predecessors,” said
11 era and calls the last five years working up the up operations in new markets, including Hawaii. the wise-beyond-years Jones. “But I’m sure glad my
ranks at Ace Parking “a hands-on, real-world mas- “The company grows organically,” he explained. dad and granddad are still around to serve as
ter’s program.” “Expansion usually comes from existing clients relo- sounding boards.”
“I’m grateful to be on a bigger stage and operating cating or opening projects in other markets.” Jones and his wife, Megan, have plans to start a
at a higher platform so early in my career,” said He also believes that a world with just cars isn’t family soon. Though he hopes his children ultimate-
Jones, whose sheer will and determination helped necessarily a good thing. ly will be interested in taking over the family park-
him overcome severe childhood dyslexia to earn a “More and more we’re partnering with cities and ing management business, they’ll first be riding in
college degree. communities and corporations to better manage the back as Jones takes his turn in the corporate dri-
“I became more observant and found other ways transportation and parking needs,” he said. ver’s seat.
to get tasks done,” said Jones, a strong supporter In both business and civic duties, he’s following in
and advocate for others with learning disabilities. the “giant footsteps” of his forefathers on the Jones Esterbrooks is a San Diego-based freelance writer.

10. 10 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
Ken Mills
Passion for wine, good service helps restaurateur grow business
By DOUG SHERWIN doing right and, more importantly, what he’s doing “I suppose that with somebody else or under dif-
The Daily Transcript wrong. ferent circumstances, I might have felt that way
For Ken Mills, the secret to success in the food “Since I was a little kid, I always wanted to own (had reservations),” Bartley said. “But I have terrific
and beverage industry is pretty simple. my own business,” said Mills, now 42. “I always faith in him, and it’s fully justified. His critics must
“Really, what it is for me, is servicing your cus- knew that’s what I’d do. Whether it would be suc- be saying, ‘I guess we were wrong.’”
tomer,” he said. “If you can find a way to make your cessful or not, it’s all I wanted to do. I like having The idea of Wine Steals grew out of a trip Ken and
customers happy, then it can work out. If you’re employees and providing jobs and having cus- Wendy took to Lake Como in Italy, where in one
doing it just for you, then it may not work out. tomers.” rustic wine bar customers sit on barrels and taste
“Basically focusing on customer happiness, that’s During college, he worked as a food runner and test exotic wines for free.
the best advertisement, especially these days with buser at Invader Cruises, which would soon be pur- “I just found the whole wine motif here different
tweeting and Facebook and Yelp! It’s changed dra- chased by Hornblower Cruises. than in Italy or Spain or France, where wine is food,
matically. When I first started, none of those exist- He quickly moved up the ranks from waiter to bar- part of a meal,” Mills said. “Wine bars (in California)
ed.” tender to floor manager and eventually assumed the are really expensive. It makes it hard to start enjoy-
The philosophy has worked well. role of food and beverage manager for Hornblower. ing wine if you’re just out of college or young or
Mills launched Wine Steals, a European-style He oversaw the company’s catering facility along don’t make as much money.
wine bar, seven years ago in Hillcrest, and the busi- with business operations for its six boats. “We really wanted to allow people to test wine and
ness now has four locations, including one with an After 12 years, he left to start a real estate compa- bring in wines nobody had heard of before.”
English “gastropub.” ny with his wife, Wendy, entering the housing mar- Mills initially hadn’t planned on serving a full food
During a time when restaurateurs and other busi- ket as it was booming. Sensing the good times menu. He simply offered cheese that was cut on the
nesses are contracting, Mills has continued to hire wouldn’t last forever, he took the profits from the back of the bar. But — listening to customers — he
employees, which now number more than 100. real estate business to open the first Wine Steals added pizza, salads and other items, hired an execu-
“What’s impressive about him is his total dedica- around Thanksgiving of 2003. tive chef and now has installed an English “gastrop-
tion to his business and his ability to dream and ful- “When we first opened in Hillcrest, most people ub” at Wine Steals’ newest location in downtown San
fill those dreams,” said Michael Bartley, a general in the food and wine business said we wouldn’t Diego’s East Village.
manager and wine buyer for Wine Steals. “And his make it and it didn’t make any sense,” Mills said. Wine Steals also has locations in Point Loma and
ability to deal with people at every level so that they “We put it out there and consumers got what we Cardiff.
feel like they’re an important part of his life, which were trying to do. We had no idea. For the first three Warren Mack joined Mills in 2006 as the compa-
is rare.” months, I thought everyone was right for a minute.” ny’s chief financial officer to help with Wine Steals’
When he’s in any of his stores, Mills tries to “touch Bartley, a former sommelier for the Queen Mary,
every table,” talk to patrons and figure out what he’s never doubted Mills. See Mills on 15
William Molloie
Accounting firm partner constantly looking for next opportunity
By REBECCA GO ice or revenue,” Molloie said. “We’ve won a fair reflects the way he has seized new opportunities
The Daily Transcript amount of clients since I’ve been here, but that’s not throughout his career of more than 20 years. He
PricewaterhouseCoopers partner William Molloie what it’s all about. ... It’s doing the right thing. You tells stories of walking the streets in Shanghai, fre-
is not one to embrace career stasis: Rather than just get involved. You contribute. You help others.” quenting local markets, doing his best to pick up
maintaining the status quo, Molloie favors fixing, Molloie is currently involved with trade organiza- Mandarin and solving one crisis after another for
growing or changing things. tions Connect, Biocom, the San his venture-backed Chinese clients.
“I thrive on energy,” Molloie said. “When Diego Venture Group and “I didn’t want to be sorry for anything I did or
I’m bored, I get grumpy.” women executives’ organiza- anything I didn’t do,” Molloie said, describing the
Growth is the key word while Molloie, 45, tion Athena, and coaches a co- emerging market experience as exciting and
is in San Diego. The New Jersey native was ed soccer team of 10-year-olds. intense.
brought in late 2008 — after a fast-paced He has already been tapped to Even in the first 17 years of his career in the
three years in Shanghai — to lead lead panel discussions and PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Philadelphia office,
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ new San Diego speak to student groups. Molloie continually shifted roles within the compa-
life sciences and pharmaceuticals practice. Molloie encourages his ny, eventually leading the firm’s local venture capital
The accounting firm’s local partners already Pricewaterhouse team to give practice.
had clients in the space but did not have an back to the community as well. “I get bored after five years,” he quipped.
executive focused solely on the industry. “He walks the walk and talks Molloie has now brought his zeal to San Diego,
Molloie said the firm has attracted a the talk,” said even after he was asked to continue leading the
number of new life sciences clients since he PricewaterhouseCoopers sen- technology practice in China. He said he has
arrived, but emphasized that his focus, as it ior manager Vanessa Herbert, enjoyed being able to connect with others without
has been throughout his career, is on build- who described Molloie as sup- having a language barrier and praised the region’s
ing long-term relationships and giving back to the portive and entrepreneurial. “It sets a really good intellectual resources and collaborative spirit.
local community. tone at the top.” “It’s a great community,” he said.
“A lot of what I’ve done is not directly tied to serv- Molloie exudes an energy and enthusiasm that rebecca.go@sddt.com

11. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
11
Jim Navarra
New marketing strategy helps furniture business stay on track
By MONICA UNHOLD “Furniture is really closely tied to housing,” Unlike competitors, Jerome’s has continued to
The Daily Transcript Navarra said. advertise with the same frequency that it had during
Furniture is in Jim Navarra’s blood. The market- The furniture industry mimics the housing mar- boom years. The strategy has paid off, Navarra said.
ing director has been working at Jerome’s Furniture ket, but tends to experience more extreme peaks Jerome’s is gaining market share, and the company
intermittently since the age of 10. and valleys. is ideally positioned for when the economy recovers.
“I’ve really been working there on and off “Furniture is feast or “Other companies, the first thing they did was
my whole life,” said Navarra, now 32. famine,” Navarra said. pull the marketing budget,” Navarra said.
After graduating from San Diego State “Whatever the economy is Such strategies have been very successful.
University with a Master of Business doing tends to be more exag- Jerome’s has not been forced to close stores or lay off
Administration degree, the San Diego gerated in the furniture busi- a single employee, Navarra said.
native decided to return to the company his ness.” Despite such achievements in his professional life,
father owns. To cope with a tough econo- Navarra also strives for athletic and charitable
Navarra has watched Jerome’s change my, Navarra has reconfigured accomplishments in his free time. He and his wife,
from a small furniture retailer with just the company’s marketing strat- whom he married in May, plan to soon begin train-
four stores in San Diego to a household egy. Once driven by promo- ing for a triathlon.
chain in Southern California. Interviewed tions, such as financing or 20 An avid surfer and ocean swimmer, Navarra also
by phone, Navarra was working from percent off weekend specials, supports athletes with disabilities. He recently
Corona, Calif., where he is helping to open Jerome’s now offers consistent helped organize a fundraiser for the Challenged
the company’s seventh showroom in everyday values. Athletes Foundation, which provides grants to ath-
Southern California. “What we found was, it wasn’t letes with physical disabilities for prosthetics and
Despite opening a new store in a space formerly a good way to build trust,” Navarra said. training.
occupied by Wickes Furniture Store, Jerome’s has Navarra’s new strategy is to offer the same price Navarra also recently participated in a golf tour-
no immediate plans to continue expanding, Navarra every day and give the consumer the idea that the nament organized by Jerome’s, benefiting City of
said. The company experienced rapid expansion product is a good one. Financing also is more diffi- Hope, a Los Angeles-based cancer research and
during the 2000s, when the housing market was at cult for customers to qualify for, and more expensive treatment center. Jerome’s raised more than
its peak. However, the furniture market has gone for businesses to offer, therefore such deals no $500,000 for the nonprofit.
the way of the housing sector. longer pencil out, Navarra said. monica.unhold@sddt.com
Yukon Palmer
Entrepreneur proves business plan works by starting own company
By ELIZABETH MALLOY FieldLogix uses GPS technology to help compa- After starting the company with $3,500 and turn-
They Daily Transcript nies keep track of their fleets of vehicles. The com- ing it into a $3.5 million business, Palmer has rea-
Plenty of office workers think they could run their pany offers services that help customers not only see son enough to think the business plan he wrote 10
companies better than the bosses. Yukon Palmer where their cars and trucks are, but how fast they’re years ago was a success. But through that plan, he’s
went out and did it. going, or if they’re spending a lot of time able to influence students even today. One of his
In 2000, while studying for idling. The company offers a “green GPS” professors at SDSU liked the plan so much that he
his Master of Business product as well, where employees will ana- now teaches it to students. Usually he’ll have them
Administration at San Diego lyze how much pollution a customer’s fleet read the report, then talk about it in class — with
State University and working is putting into the air and help them find Palmer present, although the students don’t know
for a fleet tracking company, ways of reducing it. he wrote it. After the discussion, the professor intro-
Palmer, 36, wrote a business FieldLogix uses analytics, creating duces Palmer and lets the students ask him ques-
plan to improve his own com- reports on many different aspects of fleet tions.
pany. He wanted to utilize more management. Customers can choose “It’s always kind of interesting to sit in the back of
technology to reduce labor which reports are important to them, the class and hear them tear it apart,” he said with a
costs and improve operations. whether it’s speed, carbon emissions or laugh.
Feeling like he didn’t have something else. But Palmer said he gets a lot out of those sessions
enough influence in his compa- Palmer keeps his company small, with as well. When he first wrote his business plan, it was
ny to get the plan put into only seven employees, by using a lot of from a very academic standpoint, he said. He
action, Palmer decided to start automated technology and contractors. He adjusted much of it once he got into the real world.
his own business, FieldLogix, in estimated the company uses 50 or 60 con- He said it’s nice to be able to approach it from the
2002. tractors. The company also established technology original angle again.
“We have customers all over the country,” he said. partnerships with Garmin International (Nasdaq: “When I’m there, I rethink it from an academic
“New York, Florida, here. Really all four corners of GRMN) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) to provide standpoint, which helps a lot,” he said.
the U.S.” better solutions to its customers. elizabeth.malloy@sddt.com

12. 12 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 • Young Influentials • THE DAILY TRANSCRIPT ®
Bryan Pate
Athlete forms elliptical bike company
By CAMERON LEIGH JAMES The native San Diegan has a “That was one of the worst days,” Teal
Special to the Daily Transcript bachelor’s degree in earth sys- said. “We really thought we were going
Five years ago, Bryan Pate was an injured runner tems from Stanford and a back to our day jobs.”
with a problem. He hated exercising in the gym. Columbia law degree. In 1997 he Ultimately they approached Miller and
Some people might think his solution extreme: He was commissioned as a 2nd lieu- acquired the exclusive license to his
contacted his friend and fellow Ironman Brent Teal tenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. patent.
with the idea of building an elliptical trainer he Prior to his Persian Gulf deploy- Teal and Pate hold the patent on the
could ride outdoors. ment, he ran the San Diego adjustable drive system, which adjusts
Teal thought the idea had legs, and less than a marathon, his first. But the to 25 inches, 25 percent longer than an
year later, they were riding the first prototype. In impact of years of distance run- elliptical trainer. Patents are pending for
February they launched the world’s first elliptical ning ruined his knees and hips other features such as the folding steer-
bike. and by age 32, he could no longer ing column, modular track system and
“The intent wasn’t to build a company,” said Pate, run for fitness. composite drive arms.
whose background is in strategic marketing and Teal, 36, holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engi- A staff of eight works out of Solana Beach. The
management consulting. “I wanted one and was neering. He competes in ultra marathon trail races. firm is manufacturing a limited number of 8S mod-
shocked it didn’t exist. I figured there were others The two met in 2000 at Palomar Technologies, els. It is currently out of stock and taking reserva-
who would want it, injured runners like myself, or where Pate was a marketing manager when Teal was tions.
for cross-training.” recruited as a mechanical engineer. They had both “We have more customers than we have bikes,”
The ElliptiGO 8S combines aspects of cycling and moved on to other companies when they started the Pate said. “We have real traction with legitimate
running with an elliptical trainer. It looks and per- ElliptiGO project. Two years ago they left those jobs professional athletes who are testing it and really
forms like a bicycle, but has no seat. Instead of ped- to focus on it full time. like it.”
als, it uses an elliptical propulsion system, and can The race to bring it to market screeched to a halt They solved one runner’s problem. In the process,
go anywhere a road bike can. when they discovered Larry D. Miller, inventor of they may have given birth to a new industry and a
“It’s, flat out, a lot of fun; it’s really comfortable the first compact elliptical trainer for Precor, held new sport.
and people are shocked at how well it climbs,” said the patent on the basic concept: using elliptical
Pate, 37. motion to propel a vehicle. James is a Carlsbad-based freelance writer.
Joshua Rychak
Targeson brings noninvasive approach to early-stage drug discovery research
By JILL BLACKFORD are now the basis of Targeson’s products. While also a lot of inertia because people are used to
Special to the Daily Transcript Rychak sees big market potential for using pathology techniques — some of which are 100
Initially founded as a repository to house patents Targeson’s molecular imaging agents in drug stud- years old. It’s very entrenched. While our imaging
for contrast ultrasound imaging to be ies, he also sees it as a little premature doesn’t completely replace the old methods, it can
used in drug discovery research, to push molecular imaging as a diag- make work go a lot faster and cheaper — and ulti-
Targeson Inc. reinvented itself at nostic to the clinical side. As such, mately will help bring these drugs to market more
the end of last year as a company to Targeson’s current strategy is to work efficiently.”
develop, manufacture and sell prod- on the ground floor with researchers In December 2009, Targeson relocated from its
ucts based on those patents. in the nonclinical, animal model birthplace near the University of Virginia to San
“Our goal is to make sick people market first. The goal is to convince Diego. Rychak reports that the company made the
feel better,” said Joshua Rychak, clients such as Merck (NYSE: MRK) move to this market because of San Diego’s high
Ph.D., co-founder and vice president and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) on the drug concentration of medical science and research. He
for research and development for discovery side that Targeson’s con- likes that Targeson’s sales team can reach hundreds
Targeson. “There is so much really trast agent technologies, including of potential customers within half a day’s drive and
great science that’s out there. signature product TargestarTM-P, believes that sort of concentration can’t really be
During grad school, my project was are a cheaper, faster and better found anywhere else.
a way to use tiny contrast agents to option than methods being used cur- “We are working with sites all over the world, but
bind to, say, cancer or heart attack rently. it seems in San Diego we get more traction — peo-
cells to label them so that they’re “We are trying to show that ple here are more used to new technology and are
detected by ultrasound. We were work- researchers save money because they don’t have to more open-minded,” Rychak said. “There’s also
ing on projects where the lab developed a gas- kill the mice and it doesn’t take as long. There’s also really a sense of camaraderie where people are will-
encapsulated microbubble that when injected into no radiation, so it’s the safest imaging tool,” Rychak ing to let us in the door and talk to us. I don’t think
the bloodstream shows up brighter than surround- said. “Yet the idea of molecular imaging, as opposed any other place would get this type of response.”
ing areas.” to histology, is really a pretty radical shift. There are
That grad school research led to the patents that obvious benefits and people are excited, but there’s Blackford is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.