New Fire Chief Hired

The City of Pasadena has announced the appointment of Sacramento Fire Department (SFD) Deputy Fire Chief Chad Augustin to serve as the new fire chief of Pasadena Fire Department, effective Feb. 22. See the whole press release here.

PASADENA, Calif.—The City of Pasadena has announced the appointment of Sacramento Fire Department (SFD) Deputy Fire Chief Chad Augustin to serve as the new fire chief of Pasadena Fire Department, effective Feb. 22. As fire chief, he will oversee 190 full-time employees and an annual department budget of $55.5 million.

Chief Augustin began his career with SFD as a firefighter paramedic and has risen through the ranks over the last 20 years, serving in a wide range of areas, including training, fire prevention, administration, human resources, professional standards, operations and emergency medical services. He comes to Pasadena with a diverse background in hazardous materials, urban search and rescue, large-scale emergency/disaster incident management, and developing short- and long-range plans.

As deputy fire chief for SFD, Chief Augustin is responsible for the department’s Fire Operations and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Divisions, overseeing the daily operations of 24 fire stations with an annual budget responsibility of $100 million. During his tenure with SFD, he has provided leadership in support of high-quality EMS care and transportation, streamlined the emergency response model for ambulance dispatch, and managed cost recovery efforts and billing improvements. In February 2020, Chief Augustin was selected for the highly competitive Fire Service Executive Development Institute, a program developed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, to provide new and aspiring chiefs with the tools they need to have successful and productive tenures.

“I am so pleased to have Chief Augustin joining Pasadena as our next fire chief. He has impressive qualifications and well-rounded experience working at a busy urban fire department as well as demonstrated involvement in his community,” said City Manager Steve Mermell. “The chief’s passion for the fire service is infectious, and he has a reputation as being a leader others want to follow. His desire to foster innovation, collaborate with school districts and state and local agencies, and mentor the next generation of fire service leaders will benefit the Pasadena community and fire department employees.”

The City retained the services of executive recruiting firm Teri Black & Company, LLC to facilitate the search for a new fire chief. They completed a nationwide search that spanned four months and attracted many well-qualified candidates. During the recruitment process, Pasadena residents were invited to share feedback regarding qualifications and characteristics most important in their new fire chief via the City’s website. Of the 40 applications received, the search firm identified 11 applicants as most qualified based on the established criteria. These applicants then participated in initial screening interviews, and the city manager and the consultant narrowed the field down to the top four applicants. These four finalists were interviewed in mid-December by a professional panel of fire chiefs, Pasadena Fire Department employees, the assistant city managers, and city manager.

Chief Augustin earned a Master of Legal Studies degree from the University of Arizona, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude; a bachelor’s degree in fire administration from Waldorf University; and a Chief Officer Certification from the California State Board of Fire Services.

Chief Augustin is honored and excited to join the Pasadena Fire Department. He and his wife of 24 years, Sandra, look forward to making Pasadena their home.

A great way to start the new year! This online workshop, led by Burbank Recycle Center,

Post Date:01/14/2021 10:36 AM

January 14, 2021, BURBANK, California – The City of Burbank announced the launch of a new pre-seed virtual accelerator today designed to help stimulate economic development and advance innovation for tech startups and small businesses. In partnership with Untapped Ventures, a local Los Angeles-based startup/venture studio and Venture Capital firm, the City of Burbank has taken action in the midst of a global pandemic to ensure that entrepreneurs are provided the resources necessary to work on the challenges facing the future if our workforce today.

The virtual studio accelerator program will help 25 entrepreneurs in a in a two (2) phased approach.  The first phase runs March to June 2021 and lays the foundations for cofounders meeting, ideating, and validating an important problem to solve in the Future of Work space. Phase two will run from July to November and is designed to build traction and show off progress in a Demo Day in November to help attract funding.

Due to the unprecedented shift we have experienced as a result of the on-going pandemic, the theme of the accelerator is innovation in the Future of Work. The Future of Work spectrum is wide and ranges from startups building new productivity tools (think Zoom and Slack) to technology ventures using hardware (like Virtual Reality). In essence, this program is for startups building tools, services, and technology that makes work easier, no matter what industry that may be.

Mary Hamzoian, City of Burbank’s Economic Development Manager notes “The way people work is changing so quickly due to the pandemic, an accelerator that focuses on supporting startups and re-imagining how industries work will play an important role in re-building the future of the workplace.”

The City of Burbank’s Economic Development Team has been instrumental in creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs to learn, grow, and thrive. In addition to this new accelerator, the City of Burbank also hosts Burbank Tech Talks and Burbank Start-up Pitch Fests aimed at helping small businesses and entrepreneurs succeed by learning about the resources and networks available to them. The numerous co-working spaces and tech labs in the area makes it easy for local innovators to experiment and launch new ventures. The City of Burbank is truly an entrepreneurial ecosystem and innovation hub.

“Burbank has a diverse tech ecosystem led by Media & Entertainment, but also spans into other industries including Tech, Healthcare, and Manufacturing.  We want to support all industries and their innovations through our Future of Work Accelerator, while spreading the word about the benefits of doing business in the City of Burbank.” says City of Burbank Mayor, Bob Frutos.

The Future of Work Accelerator is the result of over six months of planning, strategizing, and development. Untapped Ventures is at the forefront of innovation within the Future of Workspace and invests in ventures at the earliest stages. Their experienced team of startup experts, EIRs (Entrepreneurs in Residence), and startup coaches have achieved remarkable results running this accelerator program for other corporates and government entities. Most recently, their Aspiring Founders program finished with great success.

“Untapped Ventures is very excited to work with the City of Burbank to run this unique, traction-focused, high value-producing accelerator that will benefit economic development in the City of Burbank.” shares George Bandarian, Founder & General Partner of Untapped Ventures.

Click here to learn more and apply to the accelerator: https://www.untapped.ventures/accelerator.

About City of Burbank

There are many compelling reasons to choose Burbank for your business location. From strong demographics to a high quality of life and a thriving business community, Burbank offers you an unparalleled competitive advantage. The City offers many incentives for businesses and entrepreneurs including No City Income Tax, No Gross Sales Receipt Tax, One Burbank High-Speed Fiber Optics Network, and Energy and solar rebates. For business resources, development opportunities, and more visit: EconDevburbank.com.

Contact

Mary Hamzoian

EconDev@Burbankca.gov

818-238-5180

About Untapped Ventures

Untapped Ventures is a $10MM early-stage venture studio fund based in LA that builds and invests in startups reimagining the Future of Work with white gloves high-touch massive value-adding services founders appreciate including its flagship Future of Work Studio Accelerator and Speed to Seed Studio offering. Untapped Ventures has reimagined the traditional accelerator model to address the vital needs of entrepreneurs in the modern era. Sharing in the blood, sweat, and tears, Untapped Ventures provides resources, and works closely with founders to help build companies with funding, hands-on execution, startup growth and scaling, strategic advisory, and access to their worldwide network.

Contact

George Bandarian

george@untapped.ventures

818-281-2812

Ads already booked and committed to run include:

PepsiCo Frito-Lay – ads for its ’90s era Doritos “3D Crunch” and for its new “Cheetos Crunch Pop Mix.”

Fiverr

Cheetos

Dorritos

M&M

Pringles

Toyota

TurboTax

30 seconds slots sell for $6million.

Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show

The Weeknd to Headline Super Bowl LV Halftime Show

The NFL announced that The Weeknd will headline the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show on February 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida, and On Location guests will be in attendance for what promises to be another epic performance.

The NFL announced that The Weeknd will headline the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show on February 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida, and On Location guests will be in attendance for what promises to be another epic performance. This year marks the second collaboration between Pepsi, the NFL and Roc Nation following last year’s halftime show featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira for Super Bowl LIV.