title https://www.pacbiztimes.com Proudly serving Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:42:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 Dubroff: Business Times turns the page to another bright year https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/18/dubroff-business-times-turns-the-page-to-another-bright-year/ Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:42:05 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92620 This article is only available to Business Times subscribers Subscribers: LOG IN or REGISTER for complete digital access. Not a Subscriber? SUBSCRIBE for full access to our weekly newspaper, online edition and Book of Lists. Check the STATUS of your Subscription Account.

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Guest commentary: Wing it and risk it: Six tips for women speakers https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/15/guest-commentary-wing-it-and-risk-it-six-tips-for-women-speakers/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 23:04:20 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92617 By Lois Phillips As a woman with something to say, you need to be well prepared to gain credibility as the voice of authority, which has traditionally been a man’s voice.  A presentation that flounders — that’s redundant, ignores a current reality or presents inaccurate information — can undermine not only your present authority but Read More →

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By Lois Phillips

As a woman with something to say, you need to be well prepared to gain credibility as the voice of authority, which has traditionally been a man’s voice. 

A presentation that flounders — that’s redundant, ignores a current reality or presents inaccurate information — can undermine not only your present authority but your future career goals. 

When your presentation contains a clear and direct message, you won’t waste time afterward sending an “Oops!” email, explaining “Here’s what I really meant.” 

When it’s time to deliver a briefing or a pitch, a woman might think to herself, “I know the content inside and out” and I’ll just wing it. 

That’s understandable because working women today are busy juggling more roles than ever and discretionary time is rare. 

However, when women have advanced into managerial or leadership roles, there will always be those who wonder whether she’s tough enough to take the heat and knowledgeable about today’s fast-paced, high-tech workplace. Your polished presentation should leave no doubt that you’re ready, willing, and able.

Here are six tips to ensure that your next presentation is flawless:

Open strong: Find a hook that immediately engages your audience which could be an amusing anecdote. When people smile and laugh, they’re relaxed and are more open to what you have to say. Or you could offer a shocking statistic that reveals a change in a situation the group is facing, or an incident ripped from that morning’s headlines that will inspire a response. One picture says a thousand words and a stunning photograph on a PowerPoint slide can introduce the case you want to make. Avoid self-deprecating humor because it can undermine your credibility as an expert. 

Inspire a can-do attitude: Your audience is a goldmine of information about the context you’re entering. Snooping is highly underrated! Ask around and learn what’s on people’s minds, especially their worries and concerns. Listen for the themes that are circulating and incorporate them into your presentation, which will make people feel heard and respected. Give credit for big ideas where it’s due. If your presentation is motivational, offer a few suggestions for how to address emerging issues researched from current business trends. Your meta-message must be “Together we can overcome any obstacle to our success.” 

Anticipate minefields: Take the group’s temperature with some informal conversations beforehand. Are people feverish with excitement about a new change or are they exhibiting low energy? Are there any hot-button issues that might unsettle your listeners? Is the group politicized and/or polarized? If your main points are going to feed a controversy, challenge the status quo, or raise hackles, be ready for pushback. Be prepared for tough questions from dissenters or those with a hidden agenda, or their questions might throw you. 

Clarify your point of view: Research from Harvard Business about how men perceive women colleagues’ speaking style reports that “when their female peers do speak up, they fail to articulate a strong point of view. Half said that women allow themselves to be interrupted, apologize repeatedly, and fail to back up opinions with evidence.” That may not always be true for you, but a word to the wise, as we say. Always offer facts, identify sources, and tell the truth. 

Convey self-confidence: “Women do not brag enough,” Producer Shonda Rhimes declared in a speech at Elle magazine’s Women in Hollywood event in October. She concluded that “men brag and women hide” their light under a bushel basket. Most men have no problem mentioning their accomplishments and brilliance as a reason to pay attention to them, rarely worrying whether they may be perceived as bragging. You know what you know, what you’ve accomplished, and where your skills and prior experiences shape your thinking. 

Wind down and close it up: The last few sentences of your presentation should wrap up the major points in a neat bow. Restate your key message, then offer a call to action, ask a rhetorical question, or provide a great quote from a respected in-house leader or an expert in your particular field. when you say, “So, in summary…,” keep it brief. 

Women today bring unique and fresh, new perspectives to addressing the dilemmas and conundrums facing organizations today, such ideas as how to boost sales, increase customer satisfaction, retain talent, and remain competitive. Their presentations must be polished and risk-free. Using these six tips, women speakers can gain mentors, sponsors, and unexpected opportunities to lead. 

Lois Phillips has a Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara and wrote “9 Fast and Flawless Presentations for Women Speakers” with Dr. Anita Perez Ferguson and coaches executives and leaders in public speaking and media skills.

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Guest commentary: A solid F: The grade most Americans and AI earn on retirement literacy  https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/15/a-solid-f-the-grade-most-americans-and-ai-earn-on-retirement-literacy/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 19:17:35 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92614 By John Grace Let me take a moment to set the stage. Do you think you are an above-average driver, as most people do?  We have known for some time that people tend to rank themselves imperfectly. While some are sure they are better than average at a skill, others know they are much worse.  Read More →

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By John Grace

Let me take a moment to set the stage. Do you think you are an above-average driver, as most people do? 

We have known for some time that people tend to rank themselves imperfectly. While some are sure they are better than average at a skill, others know they are much worse. 

You may remember a famous 1981 study where researchers asked people to rate their driving capability. 

More than 90% ranked themselves above average. 

Some drivers are above average, but the 90% statistic illuminates how well many of us pump up how we compare with others. 

By definition, only 50% can be ranked above the median average.

Many investors attribute the results to their superior understanding when investments hit new highs. 

However, a recent survey finds many Americans earn an F on the critical financial aspects of retirement. 

When tested on several areas, including investments, inflation, Social Security, and long-term care costs, the majority of consumers between 50-75 flunked the test, according to The American College of Financial Services’ Retirement Income Literacy Study. 

Out of a possible score of 100%, the average retirement income literacy grade was 31%.

This is a test we should all aim to ace. 

“Don’t take this lightly. Everyone nearing or in retirement should seek to ace it. You might have decades to live in retirement, so lacking knowledge about the underpinnings of your retirement income is flat-out precarious,” opines Kerry Hannon at Yahoo! 

Understanding the basic concepts of investing, taxes, insurance, and finances is imperative. 

To plan our financial success, we must take the time to see how much to save, where to save it, and determine how much to withdraw in retirement. 

According to the report, 37% of investors work with an advisor despite believing they will be more confident about their finances. 66% of Americans say their financial plan needs attention, according to the 2023 Planning and Progress Study, Northwestern Mutual, May 2023. 

Don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish. 

As I addressed previously, investors who work with a financial advisor enjoy a 3% increase in net returns, per Vanguard, which makes for a tremendous increase in your retirement funds over time. 

Bonus Question: What did Warren Buffett learn?

You may have seen in the news that Berkshire Hathaway is nearing $1 trillion market capitalization. 

The value could have been worth twice as much if Warren Buffett had cut his losses, per Benzing.com. Let me suggest we take what we learn from Mr. Buffett, floods, and storms, and apply this strategy to your investment policy. 

Don’t drown. 

Turn around. 

We consider people smart, and animals dumb. 

When hurricanes are approaching, people say, ‘We’re going to ride it out’ while the animals move to safety on higher ground. It’s your life and your life savings; it’s your call.

John Grace is a financial planner and president of Investor’s Advantage in Thousand Oaks.

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GCHP invests $75M into Ventura County’s healthcare provider network https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/15/gchp-invests-75m-into-ventura-countys-healthcare-provider-network/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 19:15:26 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92612 By Atmika Iyer Special to the Business Times  Gold Coast Health Plan — a health insurance agency based in the city of Camarillo — announced a $75 million investment on March 6 into its provider network to recruit more providers and expand access to quality healthcare in Ventura County.  Of the total investment, $50 million Read More →

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By Atmika Iyer

Special to the Business Times 

Gold Coast Health Plan — a health insurance agency based in the city of Camarillo — announced a $75 million investment on March 6 into its provider network to recruit more providers and expand access to quality healthcare in Ventura County. 

Of the total investment, $50 million will be used as provider incentives in order to increase the number of annual screenings and condition-specific tests. The remaining $25 million will be used for grants to acquire medical equipment and strengthen healthcare networks within the County. 

“Each incentive that is earned and grant that is awarded helps bridge the gaps in health care equity and access, and ultimately drives improvements in health care for our community,” Dee Pupa, chair of the Ventura County Medi-Cal Managed Care Commission, said in the press release. “The GCHP leadership team has our full support as they embark on the largest community investment in the health plan’s 12-year history.” 

Via the incentive program, 90% of providers under GCHP can obtain up to $10 million in their efforts to improve healthcare quality and local health-related quality of living by creating programs and processes that allow each provider to improve Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits, Well-Child Visits in the First 30 Months of Life, Chlamydia Screenings in Women and Cervical Cancer Screenings. 

“Gold Coast Health Plan and its providers must work together to get members into care,” said Erik Cho, GCHP’s chief policy and program officer. “In doing so, we will move the needle on these measures, which translates into a healthier population.

GCHP’s providers can now take advantage of the organization’s two grant programs: the equipment grant program and the recruitment grant program. The equipment grant program aims to improve the capacities of Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics that work with rural and medically underserved populations. Eligible equipment for providers to request include lifts, platform scales, hi-low exam tables, vaccine refrigerators and exam room equipment for clinic expansions. 

The recruitment grant program aims to help providers attract specialists, primary care physicians and advanced practice providers to better encapsulate and address the medical needs of the people they serve. 

According to the press release, this investment looks to meet the quality vision of healthcare as put forward by California’s Department of Health Care Services.

“These programs reinforce GCHP’s ongoing commitment to driving meaningful quality improvements in Ventura County’s health care system and providing the necessary financial support for a much-needed infusion of equipment and technology that will provide needed care, along with additional providers to support our community,” Nick Liguori, Gold Coast Health Plan’s (GCHP) CEO, said in a press release. 

email: newsroom@pacbiztimes.com

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Our view: AgWest Farm Credit makes bet on innovation https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/15/our-view-agwest-farm-credit-makes-bet-on-innovation/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 19:14:37 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92610 This article is only available to Business Times subscribers Subscribers: LOG IN or REGISTER for complete digital access. Not a Subscriber? SUBSCRIBE for full access to our weekly newspaper, online edition and Book of Lists. Check the STATUS of your Subscription Account.

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Santa Barbara semiconductor firm raises $11.5M https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/14/santa-barbara-semiconductor-firm-raises-11-5m/ Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:47:44 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92608 Santa Barbara-based Quintessent, a semiconductor company that specializes in heterogeneous silicon photonics and quantum dot laser technology, announced it raised $11.5 million in an oversubscribed funding round, it said in a March 14 press release. The round was led by Osage University Partners along with new investors including M Ventures. Santa Barbara-based Entrada Ventures also Read More →

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Santa Barbara-based Quintessent, a semiconductor company that specializes in heterogeneous silicon photonics and quantum dot laser technology, announced it raised $11.5 million in an oversubscribed funding round, it said in a March 14 press release.

The round was led by Osage University Partners along with new investors including M Ventures. Santa Barbara-based Entrada Ventures also participated in the seed funding round reinvesting in the company.

“We are grateful for the support from our new and existing investors who all recognize the need for foundational innovations to catalyze sustainable and reliable interconnect scaling for the era of accelerated computing,” said Alan Liu, CEO and co-founder of Quintessent.

“This new funding allows us to grow our team and accelerate the development of highly scalable and highly reliable optical interconnects that transcend the scaling limitations of incumbent solutions, built on top of a unique technology stack including our multi-wavelength comb laser.”

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is leading to more specific designs around accelerated computing for the world’s computing infrastructure, according to the press release.

This type of computing requires the orchestration of massively parallel units of distributed but interconnected compute resources at the cluster or datacenter scale

As a result, achieving sustainable growth of computing and data movement will require new technologies and architectures that can match the rapid progression of bandwidth scaling from computing and switching interfaces while simultaneously minimizing power, latency, fiber count, chip size, and total cost of ownership. This is what Quintessent is aiming to solve.

“Quintessent’s plans to productize interconnect solutions powered by multi-wavelength quantum dot comb lasers may become one of the most critical product developments in photonics at just the right time to intercept the surging demand for optical connectivity at the largest computing corporations in the world,” Manny Stockman, a Partner at OUP who will be joining Quintessent’s Board of Directors, said in a press release.

email: jmercado@pacbiztimes.com

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Five-property apartment in Oxnard sold for $41M https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/14/five-property-apartment-in-oxnard-sold-for-41m/ Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:25:33 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92604 This article is only available to Business Times subscribers Subscribers: LOG IN or REGISTER for complete digital access. Not a Subscriber? SUBSCRIBE for full access to our weekly newspaper, online edition and Book of Lists. Check the STATUS of your Subscription Account.

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