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Profile Of Joe Wallace, CEO And Chief Innovation Officer At Coachella Valley Economic Partnership

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 Profiles of Joe Wallace, CEO and Chief Innovation Officer of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and Hank McCarrick, CEO and founder of Seco Sys

This profile is part of #StartupsEverywhere, an ongoing series highlighting startup leaders in ecosystems across the country. This interview has been edited for length, content, and clarity.

What’s your role in the Coachella Valley area startup ecosystem?

Joe: I came to the Coachella Valley in January of 2012 to serve as the Founder and Managing Director of the Palm Springs iHub.  The iHub is a California state initiative that selected six locations in the state to serve as specific technology development hubs.  At the time of founding, our iHub’s main focus was renewable energy because of the abundant sunshine in greater Palm Springs, the reliable wind in the San Gorgonio Pass, and the geothermal resources at the Salton Sea. Now, in addition to my role the Palm Springs iHub, I also serve as the CEO and Chief Innovation Officer of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership.

Hank: I am the CEO and founder of Seco Sys, which is a platform that allows water agencies, customers, and water related services to concurrently engage in water conservation at all water use endpoints.

Can you tell us more about what your company/organization does?

Hank: Seco Sys has developed a range of web services that are dedicated to managing all types of water. Our “everything water” web service, called the HydraCommunity, is designed to allow collaboration between water agencies, water customers, water use equipment, and other water related services. Our platform can be used worldwide. Our reach includes mining operations in Australia, rest stops in California, and hotels in Washington DC. Wherever water is consumed we can ensure that it is used efficiently through our technology.

Joe: In addition to the technology based entrepreneurship that is incubated in the iHub, CVEP operates a business services division that assists all types of local businesses with planning, financing, and growth.  Our business services group also provides seminars in financial literacy, business planning, dressing for success, surviving the summer business cycles, and other relevant subjects of interest to the business community.  We also produce the annual economic summit for the Coachella Valley.

 What’s the most exciting thing that has happened for the Coachella Valley in the past year?

Joe: The most disruptive and exciting thing that has happened during the past year is the passage of a ballot resolution to legalize recreational use of marijuana.  This is seen by many as the goose that will be laying golden eggs, but also by others as the ushering in of an undesirable era.  The reality is that the Coachella Valley is already an agricultural region and marijuana is simply another crop that can now be grown for a profit.  What is most exciting is the number of business opportunities that the cannabis industry creates a demand for like water control, commercial real estate, fertilizer development and distribution, wavelength specific LED lighting, and packaging.  This may become a catalyst for the development of more advanced medicinal uses of cannabis and the Coachella Valley can be at the forefront.

Hank: For me, I think the most exciting thing is that we were awarded a grant for the installation of our technology at the Mission Springs Water District. The project will deliver the first of its kind, smart water grid where equipment and water related services can work in collaboration to ensure the highest level of water use efficiency at all use points.

What makes the Coachella Valley an ideal place to start a company?

Hank: The Coachella Valley has been the ideal location to start our business because it has five separate water agencies serving a population of over 300,000. Additionally, the Valley is a collection of desert communities so water conservation is extremely important. Our water management technologies have developed at an accelerated pace due to the local need and the support we have received within an arm’s reach of our offices.

Joe: The Coachella Valley is the only place where a person can enjoy the California coastal lifestyle without the cost and hassles associated with coastal living. Our real estate is affordable, our commutes are predictable, and we have sunshine 360 days per year.

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What industries have historically thrived in the Coachella Valley? How has this shaped the startup ecosystem there?

Hank: Historically, food, hospitality, and health-related industries have found success in the Coachella Valley. More recently though, the startup ecosystem here has been working to broaden industrial variety to include “clean tech” companies like ourselves.

Joe: The legacy commercial industries in the Coachella Valley are hospitality, agriculture, and healthcare. The hospitality industry developed here in the 1950’s with the Hollywood crowds, like the Rat Pack, coming to the desert to escape the grueling hours of making movies to relax and enjoy some freedom.  Recently, the valley has grown the tourism industry with giant festivals such as the Coachella Music Festival and the BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament.  Festivals bring roughly a million visitors per year to the desert and have an economic impact that exceeds a billion dollars.  Palm Springs, in particular, has begun to show up on international “top ten lists” of vacation destinations.  All of this attention has helped raise the profile of the region as a lifestyle destination, which has led entrepreneurs to see the valley in a positive light.

 What is the biggest challenge you face in the Coachella Valley?
Joe: We have identified three specific areas that are in need of improvement. The first, is access to state-of-the-art bandwidth.  Many startups need bandwidth to conduct business and with today’s limitations we will not be able to compete for opportunities that need advanced data transfer.  Our second challenge is that our four year university (CSU San Bernardino at Palm Desert) does not yet offer STEM-based degrees.  They do offer nursing and are about to start a hospitality program.  These degrees do improve students’ prospects for employment at a good wage, but it is degrees like engineering, computer science, finance, business, and the other sciences that wealth creation comes from.  STEM degrees are also needed to feed the talent needs of technology companies.  Finally, we do not have a venture capital firm.  Most of the equity investments in iHub companies are coming from outside the region. That leaves us at risk for losing these companies when follow-on rounds of financing are needed.
Hank:  Our biggest challenge at Seco Sys will be finding local engineering talent as we continue to grow. As Joe said, unfortunately the Coachella Valley Colleges do not have engineering curriculums.
What are some of the inputs that have helped your ecosystem grow?
Joe: The foresight provided by the City of Palm Springs in accepting the challenge to be one of the original iHubs was a catalyzing event to jump start an entrepreneurial ecosystem that had been dormant for years.  When the iHub was founded, entrepreneurs who came to the Coachella Valley to retire but had gotten bored or even saw their investment portfolios get diminished during the Great Recession came out of the woodwork.  We are one of the only incubator/accelerator programs in the country where the average age of the entrepreneurs is over 50.  We have our share of millennials working the digital world, but the Palm Springs iHub’s success has been built on experienced entrepreneurs who are not doing this for the first time.
What are the most unique features of the Coachella Valley community?
Hank: The Valley is comprised of small cities that include Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, and many more. The Valley is diverse in culture, hosts an international airport, and contains a population that fluctuates by over 30% seasonally.
Joe: That’s exactly right. The Coachella Valley is made up of nine independent cities.  Each of these cities have dramatically different demographics and histories.  For nearly half a century there was physical separation between the 9 cities, but today one can drive from the westernmost point in Palm Springs to the easternmost point in Coachella without any separation.  CVEP is a regional economic development agency and regional success depends on working together.  Some of the leaders understand this and others don’t.  To achieve goals like bringing in bandwidth and pushing for a full service research university will require that a critical mass of the valley commits to set colloquialism aside and work for the greater good over a long period of time.

Are there specific public policies or regulatory landscape features that have enabled startup growth in the Coachella Valley?

Hank: The support of the Coachella Valley Economic Program (CVEP) has certainly been critical for our start. Also, as a member of the CVEP iHub we have much greater exposure to town governments, water agencies, and the general population.

Joe: The California iHub initiative originated in Palm Springs, but came about at the state level.  Despite these efforts by the state government to spur innovation, California has a more stifling regulatory landscape than most other states. These regulations, whether for environmental or aesthetic purposes, are often seen as blunting industrial activities. This means that the cost to start, maintain, and scale a corporation is roughly 1,000% higher here than they are in nearly every Midwestern state.

Are there some startups to watch coming out of the Coachella Valley area?

Joe: Since opening the Palm Springs iHub we have attracted 57 start-up companies.  In venture capital, the expectation is that about 2% of companies become home runs, and we are certainly on that track.  Hank’s company SecoSys has a patented solution to a water meter that is sensitive enough to detect leaks in homes, recreational areas, or public facilities. His company is especially important because the California water crisis is not over.  SecoSys is poised to lead the way in eliminating water waste, which is incidentally one of the largest problems that created the water crisis in the first place.  Another company with the potential to become a “unicorn” is Heppolt, a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) company that has been tested favorably by Los Alamos National Labs.  Heppolt’s patented ground level design provides a higher output per dollar than traditional windmills while offering the convenience of ground level service and repair.

Hank:  Yes! Definitely keep your eye on Seco Sys!

Editor Footnote: Mr. Wallace was the past President and CEO of the Evansville/Vanderburgh County GAGE.  He is also is a part time contributor to the City County Observer.

Mental Health Increasingly A Factor In Divorces

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Il for www.theindianalawyer.com

Family law attorneys are encountering more mental health issues among the spouses and children going through a divorce, according to a recent survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

A full 67 percent of attorneys have noted a rise in the number of divorces impacted by mental health issues in the past three years.

“Divorce is never an easy process for anyone and having to manage a mental health issue at the same time can unfortunately magnify many of the most negative aspects of the experience,” said John Slowiaczek, president of the AAML.

Other findings from the survey include:

• 81 percent of the attorneys say the divorce process is made more challenging when the parties involved have mental health issues;

• 57 percent of AAML members have seen an increase in the number of children having mental health issues;

• 63 percent of the lawyers have found that these particular issues for the kids make the overall divorce process more challenging.

“It is essential for a spouse to be open with their attorneys about these challenges at the beginning of the divorce and work together to recognize any unique difficulties that might arise,” Slowiaczek said. “In addition, attorneys should help these particular clients form an individualized set of expectations that could ultimately help to control levels of anxiety and stress for them and their children.”

Founded in 1962, the AAML has a membership of 1,650 matrimonial attorneys throughout the country.

EPD ACTIVITY REPORT LINK

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EPD REPORT

Food Inspection Report

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Food Inspection Reports 10-26-17

Significant Increases In UE Undergraduate Participation In Experiential Education

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University of Evansville undergraduate participation in out-of-the-classroom, experiential education has increased from 78 percent to 96 percent over the last decade. Almost all of the UE 2016 graduating class participated in one or more out-of-class, experiential activities, including internships, co-ops, and undergraduate research.

UE students have interned at Disney Entertainment, Yale University Child Studies Center, Rolls Royce, IBM, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Some have completed internships as summer undergraduate research fellows at University of Alabama Birmingham Medical School. Others have served as interns at the Jezreel Expedition, an archaeological project in northern Israel co-sponsored by UE and the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa.

The University of Evansville was one of the first schools to adopt the cooperative education concept in 1919 and is the fifth oldest co-op program in the U.S. Since then, experiential education has been a value-added piece for all students’ Evansville Experience.

Students of all academic majors are encouraged to contact the University’s Center for Career Development to find out more about the local, regional, national, and international opportunities available.

Adopt A Pet

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Daisy is a 10-month-old female black German Shepherd/Lab mix! Her previous family surrendered her because they were moving. Her adoption fee is $100 and she’s spayed, up-to-date on vaccines, and ready to go home today! Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 or adoptions@vhslifesaver.org for details.

 

Adopt A Pet

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Cali is a female American rabbit. She’s about 2 years old. She has waited on a home for awhile and is already spayed & ready to go home today! Her $40 adoption fee also includes her microchip. Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 or adoptions@vhslifesaver.org for details.

Eagles visit Maryville for GLVC first round match

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The University of Southern Indiana men’s soccer team will visit Maryville University for the first round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Sunday at 3 p.m. in St. Louis, Missouri. USI (10-6-0, 8-6-0 GLVC) is the seventh seed in the tournament, while Maryville (12-2-2, 10-2-2 GLVC) is the second seed.

Following the first round matches at campus sites, the GLVC Tournament will move to Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana for the semifinal matches November 3 and the championship match November 5. The GLVC is featuring the semifinals and the championship match on a neutral field for the second time in the history of GLVC men’s soccer. Live coverage of USI’s run through the post-season, including live statistics and video, can be found on GoUSIEagles.com.

Week 9 Eagle Notes: 
GLVC leader in championships: USI has 10 GLVC men’s soccer titles since the conference was created in 1979, the most by any program in the league. The Eagles won the conference championships in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991.

Eagles clinched tournament berth in dramatic fashion: USI clinched a spot in the GLVC Tournament by sweeping a three-game homestand. The Eagles defeated Drury University in double-overtime, 3-2; Missouri University of Science & Technology, 2-1, and McKendree University, 2-1, to finish the year.

USI rallies to end the regular season: After starting the GLVC season, 0-4, the Eagles rallied to win seven of the last eight conference matches to earn a spot in the GLVC Tournament.

USI’s 2017 Offensive Leaders: Leading the USI offense this season is sophomore forward Eric Ramirez(Vincennes, Indiana), who had a team-high 16 points on six goals and four assists. Sophomore midfielder Sean Rickey (Columbia, Illinois) follows Ramirez in the scoring column with 11 points on five goals and one assist.

USI vs. Maryville: Despite an early 2-0 loss to Maryville at the start of the GLVC season, USI has had command of the all-time series, 7-2-1.

Santoro begins his ninth year: USI Head Coach Mat Santoro has a 74-69-16 overall record at the helm of the Eagles since 2009.

 

UNHEALTHY

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USI hits the road for GLVC 1st round

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The University of Southern Indiana women’s soccer team enters the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament for a second-straight year when it hits the road to play Bellarmine University Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky. Kickoff for the Screaming Eagles (8-5-4, 6-4-4 GLVC), the fifth-seed, and the Knights (7-3-5, 6-3-5 GLVC), the fourth seed, is set for 11 a.m. (CDT).

Following the first round matches at campus sites, the GLVC Tournament moves to Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana for the semifinal matches November 3 and the championship match November 5. Live coverage of USI’s run through the post-season, including live statistics and video, can be found on GoUSIEagles.com.

Week 9 Eagle Notes: 

Eagles earn a spot in post-season: USI earned a spot in the GLVC Tournament for a second-straight season and moved up three spots in the standings this fall with a fifth-place regular-season finish. The Eagles concluded the GLVC regular season on a high note, winning four of the last six contests after going 1-1-2 in the first four matches.

USI in the GLVC Tournament: The Eagles are making their 10th appearance in the GLVC Tournament and are in search of their first conference title in program history. USI is looking to advance to the GLVC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 1999.

Eagles go 2-1 in homestand: USI went 2-1 in the season’s longest homestand to end the year. The Eagles started the three-game stretch at Strassweg with a 5-0 win over Drury University and a 3-1 win over Missouri University of Science & Technology before falling in the regular season finale to McKendree University, 2-1.

Juenger leads in scoring: Freshmen defender Madelyne Juenger (Columbia, Illinois) leads in scoring with 13 points on a team-high five goals and three assists. Senior forward Haley Rheinlander (Evansville, Indiana) and freshman forward Maggie Winter (St. Louis, Missouri) are tied for second with 11 points each on four goals and three assists, respectively.

Eagles looking to gain ground versus Knights: USI and Bellarmine battled to a 0-0 double-overtime tie back in September in Louisville, Kentucky. The Eagles and the Knights have posted 0-0 double-overtime ties each of the last two season and have battled to a draw in each of the last three meetings. Bellarmine leads the all-time series overall, 13-6-5. The Eagles also enter the conference tournament match looking for their first victory over the Knights since 2004, going winless in the last 13 meetings.

Schoenstein enters his second year: USI Head Coach Eric Schoenstein is in his second season as the head coach of the Eagles, producing a 17-14-5 mark (.542).

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