Takin’ Care of Business 9-8-2022

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Written by Theresa-Marie Wilson

Theresa-Maria Wilson has been a journalist covering the North Coast and South County area for over 20 years. She is also the founder of Cat Noir CC and is currently working on a novel.

September 10, 2022

A selection of items for sale at Terracotta Home and Garden in Cambria.

Congratulations to Jacqueline Norgan on her opening day at Terracotta Home and Garden. The shop is located at 4070 Burton Drive in Cambria, sharing the ground floor with Amphora and Sweet Offerings. They offer gifts, houseplants, decorative items, and a fantastic section of kitchen items, both decorative and edible. 

“This shop fills an empty storefront AND a great niche in our village,” said Lorienne Schwenk, executive director for the Cambria Chamber of Commerce. “Jacqueline grew up in Cambria and many of us know and love her mother Sandy Selew. She is delighted to be back in Cambria and running her shop in the East Village.”

Stop by and visit with Jacqueline and Sandy and get all the goodies you didn’t know you needed.

City of SLO Hiring

The City of San Luis Obispo is looking to hire a highly communicative and collaborative leader to serve as the City’s next finance director.

“We’re looking for a leader who is proven to be equally as effective in the technical management and administration of the City’s finances as in their ability to build relationships and develop and inspire staff,” said Nickole Domini, the City’s Human Resources Director. “As the leader of this team, the Finance Director is responsible for training, mentoring, and guiding their team.  The Director also serves as guardian of the City’s organizational strategy, generating ideas, and finding solutions to move the City forward.” 

The right candidate will earn a competitive salary and benefits package, manage a team of 15 talented and innovative professionals responsible for the preparation and management of the City budget and annual financial statements, administration of the City’s treasury and revenue operations, management of the City’s fiscal resources, and general accounting functions. 

City officials say, the right candidate must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in accounting, business administration, public administration, economics, or related field and five years of increasingly responsible professional level financial management (budget administration, fiscal operations, accounting, and auditing, etc.) experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. A master’s degree is preferred.

How to Apply

1. Applications must be submitted online before September 15, 2022 at https://bit.ly/3ADV2jT.

2. Attach your resume and a compelling cover letter.

3. Contact Tara Schultz at 626-644-1398 for questions regarding this position or the recruitment process.

Poly’s Demo Day Entrepreneur Event on Sept. 13

Cal Poly junior Matthew Menno pitches his startup Quickie.

The Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) showcases seven startups at its annual Demo Day in-person at SLO Brew Rock and online via YouTube Live on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

The event culminates the CIE’s 2022 Summer Accelerator program, an intensive 13-week program that helps Cal Poly students and recent graduates develop their startup ideas into scalable businesses. Representatives from each startup will pitch their business ideas and present what they’ve accomplished with the help of dedicated CIE mentors and staff.

“This year’s cohort is coachable, curious, professional and eager to add their own chapters to Cal Poly and the CIE’s history of entrepreneurial success,” said Jose Huitron, the CIE’s director of student innovation programs, who oversees program delivery and mentorship to student-led ventures. “I’m looking forward to Demo Day and the students showing the community what’s possible when you embrace entrepreneurship and innovation to bring ideas to life.”

The summer program provides teams with $10,000 in seed funding to build their startups, as well as access to mentorship from industry experts and tailored workshops that delve into the details of building a business. Demo Day will give these teams the opportunity to show how hard work and collaboration have prepared them to take their startups into the next stage.

The cohort includes a variety of industries and disciplines, including accessible technologies, menstrual comfort wear, and firearm safety:

 Demo Day Presenters

– Cheekies designed a reusable, machine-washable and leak-proof menstrual short that provides comfort and protection during sleep. The startup was created by engineering management graduate student McCall Brinskele and recent industrial engineering graduate Mariana Inofuentes.

 – Grip Safe is developing a patented firearm safety device that makes AR-15-style rifles secure for storage, transportation and handling all through an interchangeable grip attachment. The startup team includes founder and CEO Shaun Tanaka, a public policy graduate student, and engineering contractor Dylan DeFazio, a mechanical engineering junior.

– Quickie is a delivery service providing select food, beverages and other essentials to college students within 2 miles of campus via electric scooter and bicycle, in 10 minutes or less. It was founded by Matthew Menno and William Tregenza, business administration juniors.

 – Ryde Carpool is developing a social carpool marketplace for college students to buy and sell empty seats in each other’s vehicles. The startup was founded by computer science graduate student Emily Gavrilenko, recent experience industry management graduate Johnny Morris, and computer science junior Josh Wong.

– Sustainamade is using technology to reduce the amount of water, waste, transportation and labor needed to grow strawberries. The startup was founded by recent business administration graduate Corrine Cooper.

 – Venture.Rent is developing software to connect outdoor equipment rental shops and consumers. The startup was founded by Shubh Khandhadia, a business administration senior.

 – X-Adapt is creating a compact, capable and intuitive mobility device for people with disabilities. The startup was founded by Evan Lalanne, a manufacturing engineering senior.

Demo Day general admission tickets to SLO Brew Rock are $10. In-person seating is limited. The event will also be live-streamed for those who register for virtual tickets. Register for tickets at DemoDay22.eventbrite.com.

Are you or a neighbor Taking Care of Business? Submit your awesome local efforts for publication here. Is your business supporting our community? Maybe you’re launching a new business, or you’re making updates to your current business model, or re-opening. Or perhaps you have a job opportunity, or have been doing some volunteer work, or are collaborating with another business or a non-profit. Or maybe you know someone who is. Fill out our online form at EsteroBayNews.com.

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