Deirdre Newman

Former Broadcom Duo Looks to Cash in on 5G

Sibling Team Launches Co.; Solid Funding Backs Them

Siblings Maryam Rofougaran and Reza Rofougaran are back with another startup.

Green Grant to PBS SoCal

Costa Mesa-based PBS SoCal KOCE is one of five public stations that’s been awarded a grant by Washington, D.C.-based The Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The University of California-Irvine announced today that it received a second $1 million gift from the estate of Christian Werner, the late professor emeritus of geography and former dean of the School of Social Sciences.

Chapman Law gets $1.1M

Chapman University said today its Dale E. Fowler School of Law received a $1.125 million gift from Newport Beach-based law firm, Bergener Mirejovsky APC.

UCI Gets Most of $8M Grant

University of California-Irvine said today the National Science Foundation awarded $8 million to a UCI-led consortium to develop a system that can restore walking ability and sensation in individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Premier Takes Over ROC-y Office Spaces

No Stranger to Co-Working Scene

When Newport Beach-based Real Office Centers couldn’t pay the rent for several of its Orange County co-working spaces, its landlord, Irvine Co. was faced with two options: evict ROC and all of its sublessees or find another co-working company to provide a seamless transition.

Inklocker Dresses Up Downtown Disney

It’s the Company’s First Business-to-Consumer Play

Print a custom T-shirt, on demand, in five minutes.

Webster U. Starts Cybersecurity Degree

Webster University in Irvine will offer a Master’s in cybersecurity starting in late October.

New Dean at Ketchum’s Optometry College

Marshall B. Ketchum University in Fullerton appointed Mark Bullimore as dean of the Southern California College of Optometry.

Collegewise gets Singapore Partner

Singapore-based ChangedEdu invested in Irvine-based Collegewise, according to Collegewise.

Expanded Offices Help Bar Group Serve More Kids

Also Wants To Raise Cash For Expanded Programs

The Orange County Bar Foundation began nearly 50 years ago with the sole purpose of raising funds for a law library. It evolved into a way for the business and law communities to help at-risk youth, and a new building it acquired this year is enabling it to serve more of them.

French Connection for Software Company

TerraManta Execs Headed to Paris

How do geopolitical factors influence global commodities prices? That’s the question that an early-stage software company in Irvine answers with software using artificial intelligence.

New Rankings Based on OC Charitable Giving

Argyros Tops Privates, Wells Fargo Corporate

For this year’s philanthropy lists, the Business Journal ranked both corporate and private foundations by the amounts they gave to Orange County charities, instead of by total giving. The criteria include that the foundation is either headquartered here in OC, focuses a significant amount of its giving on OC charities, or that a principal lives here. Giving, in and of itself, can be volatile and fluctuate from year to year.

New Boss at Saddleback

Saddleback College said Gregory Anderson will be its new president effective Oct. 16.

Oomba Closes Acquisition of GameWorks

Irvine-based startup Oomba Inc. closed its acquisition today of Chatsworth-based GameWorks Entertainment LLC, an entertainment and gaming venues company.

Microsemi Donates to UCI

University of California-Irvine said today that Aliso Viejo-based chipmaker Microsemi Corp. donated $1.5 million to the university.

Entrepreneurship Center Gets New Director

Chapman University said today Matthew Hanson will replace Shan Steinmark as director of its entrepreneurship center, the Ralph W. Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics.

ROC Down to One

Newport Beach-based Real Office Centers (ROC) has now voluntarily terminated its lease at three of its remaining four OC locations, according to its landlord, the Irvine Co.

ROC out at Newport Office Park

Newport Beach-based Real Office Centers (ROC) voluntarily terminated its lease at 23 Corporate Plaza in Newport Beach according to a notice its sub-leasees received Monday.

China-Based Funding Firm Opens at The Cove

Cybernaut Adds Weight To Existing Firms There

A China-based venture capital and private equity firm chose Irvine as its first outpost in Southern California. Cybernaut Green Tech USA Inc. opened an office at The Cove, the physical space of the University of California-Irvine’s innovation institute, Applied Innovation. The Irvine location is significant.

SEC Revokes Stock of Irvine’s Ubiquity

The Securities and Exchange Commission said today that it's officially revoked the stock of Irvine-based Ubiquity Inc.

Robinson In $417M Verdict Over J&J

A Los Angeles jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $417 million to a 62-year-old Los Angeles woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on the company’s talc, in the first California trial over the product.

Loan Forgiveness for CA Corinthian Students

California students of the defunct Corinthian Colleges Inc. will receive $51 million in student loan relief, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said, joining other U.S. attorneys general in the announcement.

Collaborative OC-LA Effort Creates ‘Elevator Pitch’ Show

Entrepreneurs Get Six Minutes to Close the Pros

When Irvine-based Entrepreneur Media Inc. was seeking original content for new streaming shows this fall, an idea co-created by a local sports marketing executive was one that was selected. Irvine-based Sports 1 Marketing Chief Executive David Meltzer co-created “Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch.” Sports 1 Marketing is a global sports and entertainment marketing agency co-founded by Meltzer and Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon.

Orange County Register: Tough Choices to Make

MEDIA: Buyouts offered to avoid layoffs

The outlook for daily metro newspapers remains bleak. Southern California News Group, the parent company of 11 newspapers, including the Orange County Register, is offering a buyout plan to avoid layoffs. It’s for all newsroom employees across the Southern California region.

Startups See Room for Improvement in Office Sector

Say Tech Streamlines, Increases Buys, Sales

Two Orange County tech startups are helping lead the way in bringing the small-business segment of the commercial real estate industry into the modern age.

Grants at UCI Top $375M

University of California-Irvine researchers received more than $378 million in grants and contract funding for fiscal 2016-17, the second-highest total in campus history, UCI said.

New Co-Working Space Joins OC’s Startups Scene

Space’s Ambience European-Inspired

A new co-working space is tentatively scheduled to open in Irvine in November. Spaces, with North American headquarters in Dallas, has signed a lease to occupy approximately 34,000 square feet of office space on two floors at 17875 Von Karman Ave.

Accelerators Help Bridge County’s Vast Sprawl

Jumpstart Companies By Various Means

Accelerators play a multifaceted role in any startups ecosystem, providing access to investors and mentors and helping companies scale.

Entrepreneurs Stars of Livestreamed Show

MyStartup.Live Focuses On Founders’ Passions

A public relations and marketing expert harnessed the passion around Orange County startups into a weekly livestreamed show that debuted in June.

Another Sleep App Competes for Your Zzzz Time

SlumberType Looks At Genetics of Sleep

Rancho Santa Margarita-based DNA lifestyle company launched its first app. Exploragen’s SlumberType provides insights on the way sleep is influenced by genetics.

UCI Reverses Course

University of California-Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman said today that all students who received provisional acceptances into UCI will be fully admitted, except those whose transcripts clearly indicate that they didn’t meet its academic standards.

CSUF Arts Gets Warhol $100K

The Grand Central Art Center in downtown Santa Ana received a $100,000 grant from the New York City-based Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Ubiquity Agrees to Stock Revocation

Irvine-based Ubiquity Inc. has agreed to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s division of enforcement’s recommendation that its stock be revoke

Interactive Food Diary Provider Seeking $1 Million

Yummi Users Share Moments Sans Pressure

An Irvine-based tech company is seeking to raise a seed round of $1 million to officially launch and scale growth.

Chapman Gets $2M Award

Chapman University won Children’s Hospital of Orange County’s first Philanthropic Venture Funding Competition.

SEC Recommends Ubiquity Stock be Revoked

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement has recommended the stock of Irvine-based Ubiquity Inc. be revoked, according to SEC documents.

Hoverboard Billed as Less Risky Attracts $3 Million

Firm Creates ‘Mozzie’ For Rising ‘Rideables’ Market

A Newport Beach-based hoverboard creator just completed its seed round of funding, raising $3 million. Cutting Edge Products LLC plans to launch Mozzie in late August, when it will begin another round of funding, co-founder Nigel Stobart said.

Email Delivery Firm to Irvine

SendGrid announced today that it’s signed a lease for a new office space in Orange County.

Launches Run Gamut From Finance to Baby Skincare

One Recent Startup Led By Four 70-Somethings

Multiple Orange County startups have made this a bit of a launching season.

Argosy Starts Health Law Program

Argosy University in Orange said it will launch a Master of Law in Compliance online degree program with a health law concentration.

Ubiquity Judgment Dropped

A U.S. District Judge in Illinois issued an order clearing Irvine-based Ubiquity Inc. of a $7.7 million judgment, according to news reports.

Maseeh Donates to Alma Mater

Portland State University in Oregon said alumnus and OC resident Fariborz Maseeh will give $5 million to renovate Neuberger Hall at its downtown campus.

MIND Names CEO

The board of Irvine-based MIND Research Institute named Brett Woudenberg chief executive to replace co-founder Matthew Peterson, who’ll focus on innovation as the organization’s chief research and development officer.

Vision Technology Company Sees Green in Seed Round

NuEyes Raises Money To Stimulate Growth

Newport Beach-based NuEyes Technologies Inc. closed a seed round in excess of a million dollars, co-founder and President Justin Moore said. The company will use the funds to fuel its growth in helping the legally blind live more independent lives.

Cherished Tradition Continues

NONPROFITS: Irrelevant Week benefits charities

Trends come and go, the political needle moves back and forth, and change is the only constant. But in Newport Beach, one constant remains: Doing something nice for someone for no particular reason.

Donation Will Benefit Planetarium

Orange Coast College Foundation received a gift of $1 million from retired Spanish Professor Mary McChesney.

AutoGravity Adds Investor VW

AutoGravity Corp, in Irvine received an undisclosed investment from VW Credit Inc. and its software will power the Volkswagen Credit smartphone app to provide financing for Volkswagen and Audi buyers in the U.S.; Volkswagen financing is also offered on AutoGravity’s platform.

CSUF Center Gets Nod

California State University-Fullerton’s Center for Insurance Studies was named a Global Center of Insurance Excellence by the International Insurance Society, an award to be presented in July at the IIS Global Insurance Forum in London.

Ubiquity Faces Stock Revoke

The Securities and Exchange Commission said it has started the process of revoking the stock of Irvine-based Ubiquity Inc., which was due to update its filings with the SEC by June 30 but missed the deadline.

Staff Reporter

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