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"Inclusion is easy to talk about" says Liv Little, founder and editor of gal-dem. We asked her a few questions in the run up to International Women's Day.
What are your thoughts on female empowerment? Are we having a movement at the moment?
We don't really associate with female empowerment, but try to draw a line in the sand between gender and sex and make sure we're being inclusive in the language. There's been a movement to more inclusivity across all identity sections, but the hard work is in making sure it's not a passing fad and to make sure inclusion is actually happening.
How do we stop "inclusion" being trendy and make sure it's not just a movement, but something that's here to stay?
All the responsibility doesn't and shouldn't lie on us to fix those problems, there's a lot of gatekeepers who have a lot of work they need to do. There's a problem asking those of us who are marginalised how to sort out the marginalisation, because there's enough research and information out there. There's enough powerful people to put in steps and take action.
Everyone can be making a change. Everything from employers, politically, all across the board, there are very clear things we can do, such as simply hiring better, and hiring in a more open way. There are so many things people know they can do, but just they repeatedly ask what they should do. Inclusion is really easy to talk about, but nothing really happens.
gal-dem have a book coming out in June.
It's a collection of responses to diary entries, catered to young adults. Different writers and editors from the team, responding to very time specific points in their life. There's a piece on this boyfriend box that one of the girl's used to keep, and her responding to that. There's a 'love letter to my younger self', and knowing that it's alright to be black in the variety of contexts. I wrote a piece on first falling in love with a woman, and how that's not something to be ashamed of. It has a lot of funny stuff and emotional stuff, a lot of different things in there.
What have you been reading at the moment?
I've read every single one of Roxane Gay's books, Queenie by Candice Carter-Williams is amazing (coming out in April) and Mother Country: Real Stories of the Windrush Children by Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff.
gal-dem is an online and print magazine written by women of colour and non binary people of colour for all to explore. Find it at Libreria.


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There is great character-building, resume-building, and faith-building value to teenage volunteer summer program. Volunteer opportunities for high school students also help them develop time management skills, encourage them to reach out to others, and foster a greater sense of compassion.
But sometimes a student can finish the high school years without a sense of "what's next". For many reasons, sometimes college is not the next step; and perhaps further community service, volunteer work, or travel – or a combination thereof – can be just the ticket!
A while back I did a post on how to help your teen have a successful gap year. Gap years are becoming more and more common and for good reason. When you combine the skyrocketing cost of college and the fact that many grads may go for quite a while before getting a job in their field, let alone one with a salary which enables them to pay off their loans, well, taking a year off to determine a future course of action sounds like it deserves some sober consideration.
That being said, however, I'm not suggesting that your son or daughter take the time off to merely flip burgers – unless they have a burning desire to work up the ladder and become a franchise owner of some sort – which isn't necessarily a bad thing, either!
But anyway, after publishing that post, I got lots of emails and comments from people who were asking for some suggestions for good gap year programs that they could look into. So after quite a bit of personal research (and yes, getting on a seemingly-endless amount of mailing lists!), here is the first version of my list. I'm still looking into more work-related programs, so stay tuned for those. And if you're interested in an interesting alternative to college as an after high school track, check out what I have to say about Praxis, a program that our kiddo #3 is currently working through.
Looking for a community service trip for your high school student?
Many of these programs below are also available to mature high school students who are seeking to serve their community at large. As our world has "shrunk" over time due to the access the internet provides, many teens are eager to put their gifts and talents to use in other countries and are looking for a platform to make that happen. But even if your teen is not sure of his plan after college, travel can also lead to the discovery of a future career path and purpose!
In the meantime, summer is a comin', so to help you and your teen get started with the search, let's get started!
Preparing for Missions Opportunities
First of all, to set the stage, take a look at this really neat online magazine. TeenLife has their "Guide to Gap Year Programs" set up to read like a magazine on your computer screen. Open it and read up on important information to know, such as gap year money management, safety, and considerations as you're making your plans.
And if your child is truly college-bound, but maybe just not ready to commit yet, this guest post on Lori Lane's blog The End in Mind, outlines 3 Ways Mission Trips Can Help Your Child Earn College Admission and Scholarships.
GoAbroad.com has recently updated their site with the 13 Best Volunteer Abroad Programs for 2018-2019.
And this article, Volunteer Abroad for College Students 2018, from the InternationalVolunteerHQ.com blog, covers important consideration you and your teen will want to investigate as you do your own personal research.
Many parents and young adults are concerned about what happens if you get injured or ill while overseas. InternationalSOS is an organization that works with your own insurance provider to cover any medical needs your student might have while abroad. Read about how they work here.
Exciting Mission Opportunities for your student's gap year
Now down to the nitty-gritty. Take your time perusing the sites below. If at all possible, it's best to do this with your teen; if not, you may want to take a look and then pass on links that may light a spark. Most programs, if not all, have phone numbers or chat abilities so you can find answers to any specific questions you might have.
- Catholic Volunteering has some really intriguing ideas here. (I mean what exactly IS "Virtual Volunteering?") And they have both year-long internships and job postings listed on their website.
- The Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust have partnered together to encourage teens to get involved in their communities. The program looks like a great way to develop teen leadership skills as well.
- Latitude Global Volunteering offers worldwide programs for youths aged 17-25. A truly exciting variety is available in programs such as outdoor recreation, rural health care, teaching English abroad, and assisting disadvantaged/handicapped youth.
- LoveVolunteers offers over 120 rewarding, safe and affordable volunteering opportunities in developing countries around the world!
- WorldStamp enables you to take 9 months to explore 3 amazing countries: India, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Their motto is "Let the world be your classroom. Step outside your comfort zone, explore new cultures and make an impact on the world."
- MissionAdventures describes themselves as a "full-service short-term outreach ministry for groups." But you can go anywhere from the Outback to Latvia to India to Alaska and beyond with them! An arm of YWAM…
- YWAM (Youth With a Mission) has been around for years. This particular program is geared towards kids and teens, however, and they also have programs for family-oriented training in their Discipleship Training Schools.
- Teen Missions International has some exciting short-term mission opportunities for your high schooler this summer. Their post here lays out many of the benefits of and skills learned through missions for teens…and they also have info on a Gap year program (scroll down to the end…)
If you're considering mission opportunities for teens
If you've got high schoolers at home, it's important to remember (at least) two things:
- there are many "real life" experiences that your child can benefit from in terms of learning, and
- college isn't necessarily the next step for everyone!
Guiding your teen into their future life's work is a process, yes, but no high school guidance counselor is as qualified as you are. YOU understand your child's skills, gifts, and weaknesses, his learning style, his interests.
So look into these programs with your student and determine together if one or two might be a good fit. Of course, even if they aren't, remember that this is the best time in life for your young adult to try something new and different. As we (parents) all know, it gets harder to be spontaneous as responsibilities are added in life. Encourage your teen to keep his mind open and curious, and allow yourself to be encouraging and "trust the process," too!
At the end of the day, keep in mind that mission trips are most assuredly life-changing experiences…and that's exactly "where your teen is at" these days!


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Team Starts
QB – Lamar Jackson
It's a good time for a changing of the guard in Baltimore. The Ravens will bring a newfound confidence and a two-game winning streak into Atlanta, where they'll face a poor defense for the third straight week. The Falcons are 27th in the league in sacks with just 21 so far; a lack of pressure that will greatly benefit Jackson as he tries to keep pace with Matt Ryan.
RB – Gus Edwards
The weakness of Atlanta's defense is best exploited by the running game and the Ravens will look to keep the momentum of the past two weeks going. There are two reasons to keep giving Gus Edwards the ball; one is to assist Lamar Jackson as he continues to get more comfortable as a starter and the second is to keep the opposing offense off the field.
RB – Matt Breida
Owners should be reassured by Breida's full participation in San Francisco's Friday practice. Those lingering injuries that have limited his production are hopefully behind him as he faces Seattle's porous run defense. The Seahawks have giving up rushing touchdowns in four consecutive weeks.
WR – Christian Kirk
Kirk is Arizona's second pass-catching option in terms of targets this year, which will hopefully pay dividends against Green Bay's depleted secondary. The Packers have given up six touchdowns to wide receivers over a five-week period. Kirk should benefit from a couple big plays with the opponents best best defensive back, Jaire Alexander, likely occupied with Larry Fitzgerald.
WR – Tyler Lockett
Can you believe that Lockett has caught eight touchdown passes this year? This is the breakout that fantasy players have been waiting for and Lockett has been integral to Seattle's winning ways as of late. He's been more boom than bust this year and faces a San Francisco secondary that is vulnerable to big plays.
WR – DJ Moore
Tampa Bay's secondary has giving up a touchdown to a wide receiver every single week of this season. No other defense in the NFL has a streak like that going. Moore should take advantage with a banged up Devin Funchess returning and Carolina looking to get back on track.
TE – Cameron Brate
The Panthers have given up a leage-leading eight touchdowns to tight ends. Brate, given more targets due to O.J. Howard's injury, now could receive even more focus from Jameis Winston due to the absence of Desean Jackson.
FLEX – Lesean McCoy
McCoy is having the most disappointing season of his career, but could still be an asset to fantasy players at an important time. In Miami, he'll face a defense that has given up 261 yards and two touchdowns on the ground over its last two games.
Team Sits
QB – Tom Brady
That's right. Sit him. By now, owners are aware of how pedestrian Brady has been for fantasy purposes this year. He's 14th in scoring amongst quarterbacks and has a tough task against the Vikings this week. Count on the depth at this position to turn up a better option.
RB – Tevin Coleman
As the Ravens continue to excel at stopping the run, Coleman is in an unfavorable situation and still splitting time in the backfield with Ito Smith. He has only 16 carries in the last two weeks as the Falcons prefer to settle things on the arm of Matt Ryan. That won't change this Sunday.
RB – Sony Michel
Minnesota has the league's 4th-best run defense and allows less than four yards per carry on average. Despite how well Michel has been playing since he took the lead in the Patriots' backfield, this is definitely more of a James White game. Michel will be under 100 total yards and fail to reach the endzone.
WR – Kenny Golladay
Golden Tate's departure was good for Golladay's production, but Marvin Jones being on the injured reserve list is not. It's not good to go from being the primary option to being the only option as the defensive gameplan against the Lions has now been simplified for the Rams. Additionally, LA gets Aquib Talib back this week.
WR – Josh Gordon
I'm going with a reverse stack this week with New England. Minnesota's secondary is a strength and with Rob Gronkowski returning, I don't see Gordon getting a lot of targets. He has just one touchdown catch since becoming a Patriot.
WR – TY Hilton
When the Colts faced the Jaguars a few weeks ago, Hilton had three catches for 77 yards. Expect that kind of a day again this week, as Jalen Ramsey encourages Andrew Luck to go elsewhere with the football.
TE – Jordan Reed
While Colt McCoy is targeting Reed more than Alex Smith, Vernon Davis is still in the mix and muddying up the pass-catching situation in Washington. Besides that, Reed faces a tough test against Philadelphia. The Eagles have given up only two receiving touchdowns to tight ends this season.
FLEX – Robert Woods
There's a weird balance between Robert Woods being more productive than expected and actually not that productive. He's a good PPR-receiver but has only one touchdown since Week 4.


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You've got to love our Governor. Out of one side of his mouth, he wants to reduce gasoline consumption in the state. Out of the other side of his mouth, he wants to tax gasoline consumption with a per gallon tax in order to repair roads (whose maintenance he neglected). Also see MOORLACH UPDATE — SB 1 — March 9, 2017 march 9, 2017 john moorlach.
As for the state budget, out of one side of his mouth he claims that a recession is coming and that major cuts are on the horizon. Out of the other side of his mouth, he wants to deposit $6 billion into CalPERS, right before this anticipated market downturn. Boy, isn't this double talker lucky that he is out of office in a few months?
Yesterday, I followed through with my comments from Saturday's UPDATE (see MOORLACH UPDATE — Addressing Pension Mess — June 24, 2017 june 24, 2017 john moorlach). However, we did not hear AB 100 in Committee. We heard SB 84, the Senate equivalent, on the Senate Floor. The debate is covered in the first piece below by Associated Press, which is on the KCRA website, among others. For the video of my Floor speech, see https://youtu.be/PyCXpupgNag.
As a reminder, here's what I said in a recent quote (see MOORLACH UPDATE — CalPERS and "C" Words — May 26, 2017 may 26, 2017 john moorlach):
"I'm not an immediate 'No.' I'm a 'Yes — but,'" Moorlach said. "Let's get the details and see if it make sense."
After seeing the details, asking the questions, being unimpressed by the responses, and offering improvements, to no avail, I voted against SB 84, which barely passed.
Last Friday I enjoyed an annual tradition of being the Master of Ceremonies for the Daily Pilot's Hall of Fame. The Daily Pilot covers it on their website in the second piece below. Congratulations to all of the recipients!
California lawmakers advance pension borrowing plan
Story by Associated Press writer Jonathan J. Cooper
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) —
California lawmakers on Monday approved a plan to borrow $6 billion from a state savings account to pay down massive debt in the nation's largest public-employee retirement program.
The Senate sent the measure to Gov. Jerry Brown despite concerns from some lawmakers that it could be risky to borrow money and invest it through the California Public Employees' Retirement System.
CalPERS' $325 billion investment fund, the largest public-employee pension fund in the country, has enough money to cover only about two-thirds of the benefits promised to retired public employees. The CalPERS board has steadily increased mandatory contribution rates for the state, cities, counties and school districts to make up for the shortfall. The state's share of the unfunded liability is estimated to be $59 billion, with its minimum payment forecast to increase from $5.8 billion this year to $11.2 billion in 2031.
Brown in May proposed borrowing money to pay down that debt, saying the state can lend from its own short-term investment account and earn a higher return through the more aggressive investments at CalPERS. He said the proposal would save $11 billion over 20 years through lower annual pension costs.
Money borrowed from the short-term account, known as the Surplus Money Investment Fund, would be repaid with interest using money from Proposition 2, which was approved by voters in 2014 and requires the state to spend a portion of revenue paying down debts.
Republican Sen. John Moorlach of Costa Mesa said he likes the idea of prepaying retirement costs and even joined Democratic Treasurer John Chiang in writing a newspaper editorial supporting the plan. But he voted against it Monday, citing Brown's repeated warnings that a recession is inevitable.
"If that's the case, we will have put $6 billion into the retirement system at the most inopportune time," Moorlach said. "That is my concern, that we invest at the top of the market."
CalPERS has struggled to hit its own investment target, which is phasing down to 7 percent per year. Last year, the fund earned 0.61 percent, down from 2.4 percent the prior year.
Democratic Sen. Steve Glazer of Orinda said the idea may have merit but lawmakers should wait until it's been more thoroughly studied.
"A few months of analysis in a public setting so everybody can hear, not in a back room, can only be a healthy thing for us to ensure this is the right course to take," Glazer said.
H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for Brown's Finance Department, said the proposal was carefully developed with insight from lawmakers and Chiang, who has a legal obligation to responsibly oversee the state's investments.
"We've fully disclosed all of the potential risks and inherent benefits it entails, and we are convinced that it's a sound and prudent step to take," Palmer said.
The measure was approved in a 24-13 vote with support mostly from Democrats.
8 honored at Daily Pilot community service luncheon
By Bradley Zint
Eight community members were honored Friday at the ninth annual Daily Pilot Community Service Hall of Fame Luncheon.
The event at American Legion Post No. 291 in Newport Beach recognized members of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa service clubs. State Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) was master of ceremonies.
The honorees:
- Peter Nevins of Costa Mesa Kiwanis
- Ross Minion of Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary
- Bob Kelly of Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa
- George Lesley of the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor
- Barbara Hayward of the Harbor-Mesa Lions Club
- Dr. Brigide Daily of Soroptimist International of Newport Harbor Area
- Joel Carlson of the Kiwanis Club Newport Beach-Corona del Mar
- Bea Foster of the American Legion Yacht Club and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 291
This e-mail has been sent by California State Senator John M. W. Moorlach, 37th District.
If you no longer wish to subscribe, just let me know by responding with a request to do so.


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Summer of Wellness, Video Two:
Mt Sinai Breath
Belly fat an issue? Here's Amy's teaching of Mt Sinai Breath, a simple, easy and proven belly fat reduction technique that anyone can do. Get in shape for your best summer ever. In just two weeks you'll see a noticeable difference but you'll feel it right away as you begin to tone and build your abdominal muscles.
Amy's Intro:
Can't hear this audio? Download VLC Media Player here: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/
or use Quicktime: https://support.apple.com/downloads/quicktime-windows
In this video I share with you a wonderful breathing technique that I learned at Mt Sinai Hospital in New York City. It's called the Mt Sinai Breath. It's been used with many people, both men and women, losing inches of belly fat just with simple breathing. Inhaling, exhaling, keeping the belly engaged, except for the first inhalation. You do this breath for up to ten minutes, even fifteen minutes per day for three to six weeks and you will lose inches of belly fat. Try it with me. Enjoy!
The Video


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Mike Barrett, LSSULakers.com
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — As the Lake Superior State hockey team approaches its final home weekend of the 2018-19 season, fans are seeing the Lakers battle for a home playoff series for the first time since joining the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).
One of the biggest reasons for this has been the stellar play of senior goaltender Nick Kossoff.
While much has been said and written regarding his fellow seniors, Diego Cuglietta, Gage Torrel and Anthony Nellis, Kossoff, the West Des Moines, Iowa native, has been one of the biggest reasons that the Lakers hold the best road record in college hockey.
Going into the second game of their final road series (at Northern Michigan) before the WCHA Tournament, the Lakers are 12-3 on the road, including a 10-3 mark within the conference. If their two neutral-site games at the Great Lakes Invitational are considered, the team is 14-3 away from Taffy Abel Arena.
"Our road success has been crucial for us this season," said Kossoff. "It is not easy to go into another teams' home ice and pick up wins, but we have managed to do that quite a bit this year. Our road play is part of the reason we are so dangerous this year. We are not fazed by away games and are seeming to thrive in them, which shows in our overall record."
A kinesiology major, Kossoff chose the degree because of a lifelong interest in the human body. "I have always been interested in the human body and how it works. Since I have been involved and interested in sports my entire life, it seemed like the perfect fit for me."
Delving further, Kossoff stated that he likes that the kinesiology program relates everything learned to real life. "As humans, we are constantly moving, and being able to understand how we move, why we move, and how to move more efficiently, has always been something that has interested me," he said. "Within the program, there are a lot of real world applications of concepts through working with clients and classmates. Being able to see the concepts we talk about in class actually happening is the most interesting aspect of the kinesiology program to me."
While playing hockey professionally is his goal after graduating, Kossoff says he would someday like to pursue a career in physical medicine and rehabilitation. "After this season, I hope to land somewhere in professional hockey and then eventually I'd like to go back to medical school to become a doctor," he said.
There have been several highlights of the season away from Taffy Abel Arena, including a 4-0 start to the season on the road, a gutsy 1-0 win against league-leading Minnesota State where Lake Superior State handed the Mavericks their only home loss of the season thus far, and a sweep of Ferris State in Big Rapids, Michigan, which the Lakers had not accomplished since 1993.
When he was asked back in October about personal highlights with the Lakers, one win stood out as particularly special in Kossoff's eyes. His freshman debut against Northern Michigan saw him stop all 19 shots faced, making him the first Laker netminder ever to earn a shutout in their first career appearance.
"My favorite moment at LSSU so far was easily leading the team out to ring the victory bell while it was snowing after my first career win against Northern Michigan," said Kossoff.
The win against the Wildcats enabled Lake Superior State to gain a positive footing in their quest for the Cappo Cup, a trophy that is awarded annually to the winner of the season series between the Lakers and Wildcats.
This season has had its highlights as well. For Kossoff, one of the biggest moments was being crowned champions at the Great Lakes Invitational (GLI) for the first time in program history. The Lakers defeated Michigan State 4-3 in overtime, before claiming the title with a 6-3 win against league foe Michigan Tech.
"It was an incredible experience, and to be the first team in Lake State history to win the tournament, makes it that much sweeter," said Kossoff, who was named to the GLI All-Tournament Team.
Lake Superior State had been to the GLI three times before, but had never walked away with the John MacInnes Cup.
As most fans know, part of what makes playing on the road so difficult is the fans themselves. At all levels of play — college in particular — fans will do anything and everything they can to throw the visitors off their game. And no player is a bigger target than the opposing netminder.
Kossoff, however, is unfazed by the chants, signs and jeering.
"I actually kind of like [the jeering] during away games," revealed Kossoff. "It makes every save a little sweeter and makes the game more fun knowing that there is more of a challenge on every shot. The crazy fan environments are a part of the reason college hockey is so fun and something I will always remember. At the end of the day, the fans aren't the ones actually playing the game, so I try to just have fun with the chants and chirps."
While Kossoff and the Lakers would like to lock up a home playoff series, the outstanding record away from home ought to make potential playoff opponents wary of hosting Lake Superior State.
No matter how the remainder season goes, it is sure to be one to remember, not just for Kossoff and the team, but for Laker fans everywhere.
"This year has for sure been my favorite year at Lake Superior State so far. All of the success we have had this year has made this year incredibly special and I can't wait to see the success we have the rest of the season."
Laker Spotlight is brought to you by Soo Builders, proud partner of Laker Athletics.


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Well today was my Grandma's service. She didn't want much so we only had a graveside service. I know she was watching over us from her new home :)
Landon went to Alicia Maddox's house while we were at the service. She watched him and my sister's 3 kiddos. This was the first time Landon has ever had a true babysitter. I was nervous since he's only been around her at daycare but he did awesome. I was proud of him and I appreciated Alicia offering to watch them for us. We even went to eat at Colton's with Brooke and Bradford before we went and got the kids. It was really fun to go out with them. That doesn't happen often....or really ever! We ended up stopping at McDonald's to get Landon supper. Bad parents...I know!
Lance and I did our walk/run for the night and gave Landon his bath while we were taking turns on the treadmill. I was talking to my mom and she told me it was snowing so we had to check it out.
I was surprised to see the back porch covered. I know it said it was going to snow but for some reason I didn't believe them. Guess I was wrong. Now I am just wondering if it's going to be enough to cancel school? MH never cancels the night before so I'll just have to wait till in the morning. I'd really enjoy another day home with little guy. It's been a long weekend.
Tonight Landon wore his new Mickey PJ's and of course I had to try to get a picture of hiim b/c he's just so cute. But my little stinker wasn't working with me. It's impossible to get him to stay still and smile :)
His belly is so cute :)
Not sure what he was doing but I eventually gave up.
Well I hope we wake up to a bunch of snow so we can go out and play (and have a snow day for school).


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Fair Deal is still on the local government agenda but implementation has been further delayed
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has issued its long awaited response to the Fair Deal consultation we commented on in 2016
You can view this article again on our Insights page "A fair deal for pensions or an added complication"
In 2016 the Department for Communities and Local Government (as it was then called) consulted on proposed amendments to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Some of the amendments were intended to implement the reformed Fair Deal guidance in respect of compulsory transfers involving best value authorities and staff in the LGPS.
Revised Fair Deal guidance was issued in 2013 requiring staff compulsorily transferred from central government departments and agencies, the NHS and other parts of the public sector under the control of government ministers, to be given continued access to the public service pension scheme that they were eligible to participate in immediately prior to transfer.
The Best Value Staff Transfers (Pensions) Direction 2007 currently applies when employees of English local and other best value authorities are compulsorily transferred to an independent provider delivering public services (a similar 2012 direction applies in Wales). This requires local and other best value authorities to protect the pension benefits of the transferring staff by the independent provider either becoming an admitted body in the LGPS or by the independent provider offering a pension scheme that is either broadly comparable to or better than the LGPS.
The proposal in 2016 was to amend the LGPS so that independent providers had to become an admitted body in the LGPS. This would remove the option for independent providers to offer a broadly comparable pension scheme on transfer, and would align with the principles set out in the revised Fair Deal guidance.
Consultation outcome – Fair Deal
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government remains committed to introducing the Fair Deal principles into the LGPS. However, the intention is to commence consultation on new proposals, with a view to achieving Fair Deal in the LGPS by the end of the year.
A large majority of respondents to the consultation were supportive of the general policy aims, but there were significant reservations about how the proposed changes to the LGPS would deliver those aims.
In our previous commentary we raised concerns that the proposed changes to the LGPS Regulations were not fully aligned with the revised Fair Deal guidance. There was no requirement on a second or subsequent generation transfer to put employees back into the LGPS if they currently participate in an incumbent provider's broadly comparable pension scheme. Also the proposed changes to the LGPS Regulations extended the provisions to employers not currently caught by the revised Fair Deal guidance or the Best Value Direction.
Both these issues have been picked up in the consultation outcome.
Also highlighted in the responses received was the issue of 'pass-through' arrangements, with a number of respondents advocating the introduction of measures to open up tender exercises to smaller organisations that are unable to bear the risk of admitted body status in the LGPS. A 'pass-through' arrangement would effectively pass the pension risk to the commissioning authority, with the provider paying a fixed contribution rate to the LGPS. The consultation outcome states that further consideration will be given to this.
Consultation outcome – other proposed amendments
A number of other proposed amendments to the LGPS Regulations are being taken forward, with some revision to the drafting.
Helpfully for independent providers the Government intends to take forward the amendment to the LGPS Regulations so that it puts beyond doubt that an admission agreement can have retrospective effect. Some respondents were concerned that this would discourage prompt signature of admission agreements by scheme employers. This issue can be easily be overcome if a draft admission agreement is provided early in the tender process and signed at the same time as the contract for services.
The proposed amendments to allow for exit credits to be paid to employers that no longer have active members in the fund will be taken forward, preventing a "trapped surplus" arising. The one month deadline for funds to repay the surplus has been extended to three months from the date of the exiting employer ceasing to be a scheme employer. This should be a positive change. Scheme employers will be able to recover any surplus so should have less concern with pension benefits being more generously funded upfront.
The requirement for employer consent to early retirement is being removed for deferred members whose pension benefits were earned under the 2008 scheme and who retire between the ages of 55 and 60. These benefits are actuarially reduced and cost neutral to the fund, so there is no need for the consent requirement.
One of the proposals not being taken forward is the introduction of a new set of options for accessing benefits accrued through the LGPS's additional voluntary contribution arrangements, to take advantage of flexi-access drawdown. It was decided that this would introduce substantial administrative complexities, and that members who wish to take advantage of flexi-access drawdown can continue to do so by transferring their AVC out of the LGPS.
It will be interesting to see what proposals are put forward in the next consultation on achieving Fair Deal in the LGPS.


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Key points on essay writing: how to make a proper introduction
Introductions are something that many English students struggle with when essay writing. Making a proper introduction is difficult because they are not structured like body paragraphs. Body paragraphs are super straightforward, and all you have to do is chain facts and interesting information together. For an introduction, however, it is important that you use all the creativity and expressive talent you can muster. The goals of an introduction are pretty clear: you must get your reader interested in what you are writing about, and you must get the main points of your paper across. However, how to do this?
The first part of an introduction is grabbing the reader's attention. To do this, consider two things about your topic. Why is it relevant to the reader and what makes it important? If you cannot think of a reason why your topic is important, perhaps you should not be writing about it. When you know why your topic matters, you know how to approach your reader with it. When you have the importance down, then you can relate that to your reader. Most essays have a specific audience, so you can relate it to their life if you understand why such a thing will be important. You are now ready to construct your attention getter.
Attention getters are a very simple concept of essays. They should be your first sentence or couple of sentences and the goal is to generate interest in your reader. For this, you need to have some interesting fact, and you need to get to the emotional heart of what you are talking about. After all, we connect what we are reading emotionally to become invested in it. Here is where you appeal to emotion so you can change to facts when you get on with your essay.
The rest of your introduction is going to revolve around your thesis statement. All a thesis statement is going to be is the fact or assertion that your essay is going to try to prove. It is not so much a big deal; it just has to be done thoughtfully. It is basically a topic sentence for your entire statement. After that, you need to support the thesis. This will be done with the majority of your essay in the body paragraphs, but it is better to give the reader a preview of what you are going to be talking about. This is done by talking about each body paragraph or group of body paragraphs for longer essays.


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Crowns and Fixed Bridges
The crown of a tooth is that part which is visible in the mouth. An artificial crown is used to protect and restore a broken, weakend or heavily filled tooth. They are also used to improve the appearance of discoloured teeth.
Crowns are made of many different materials including metals and ceramics.
What will we do?
- We will shape thr tooth so that, when the artificial crown is fitted, it will be the same size and shape as a normal tooth.
- Preparation time will depend on how damaged the tooth is and whether it needs to be built up first
- If the tooth has died or there isn't enough left to support the crown it may have to be root-fitted first, this is sometimes called 'removing the nerve'. The crown is sometimes held in place by a peg or post in the root canal if a lot of the tooth is missing.
- We use a soft mouldalbe material to make an exact impression of what remains of the tooth that is to be crowned and the adjacent teeth.
- Our dental technician uses the impressions to make the crown.
- A temporary crown made of plastic or metal is usually put over the tooth until the permanent crown is made. You can chew on a temporery crown but it won't be as strong as the finished one.
- When the crown is fitted, we may need to make small adjustments to make sure you can bite comfortably. The crown is tried on and then cemented into place.
What are the benefits?
- A crown is strong and can look and feel exactly like a natural tooth. The colour and shape can be matched to your onw teeth.
- Depending on the strength of the tooth underneath, a crown can last for many years if you look after your mouth and teeth and the crown is not accidently damaged.
- Crowns can also improve you appearance.
Fixed Bridges
A bridge fixes a replacement tooth or teeth to one or more remaining natural teeth or implants. Some bridges have crown at each end. Others are fixed to the surface of the teeth next to the gap. Sometimes a bridge is only fixed to the tooth one one side of the gap.
Bridges are made of metal and procelain or sometimes just porcelain.


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Firstgear Kathmandu
First up is the jacket that I would actually buy if I were in the market this season. And that's the Firstgear Kathmandu. This is a one-stop, do-it-all adventure jacket and the fact that this is only 450 dollars on fortnine.ca is pretty ridiculous, in my opinion.
Number one and number two jobs for an adventure jacket – keep me dry and keep me ventilated. The Kathmandu does it with a Hypertex shell, which is waterproof and breathable like its Gore-Tex cousin. If you want to see Firstgear's commitment to waterproofing, just look at the seams. Lower hand pockets – one fold there, another fold here – that's staying dry. The main zipper – one storm flap, another storm flap – no water getting through there. How about these chest pockets – waterproof flap, YKK aquaguard zipper on the underside of it. Firstgear doubled up on all the waterproofing features and I love it. Cause when you're adventuring, two is one and one is nothing.
Venting is also solid. Two chest intakes – aquaguarded, autolocking zippers. Two big armpit vents and two exhaust slits on the rear. Protection-wise, we have D3O elbows and shoulders. I wish Firstgear kept it up for the back pad though, because it's a foamie and a pretty flimsy one at that. Slide protection is 420 denier nylon on the high-risk areas, 300 on the lower risk ones. That's kinda shitty to be honest, but at least it's lightweight and comfortable.
Adventure jackets often go the extra mile when it comes to features. So the Kathmandu went an extra 10 miles. Open up this collar, and we have an under-the-helmet rain hood to create a watertight interface. I'd probably never use this unless I saw Noah building his ark, but it's cool to have the option. On the back, there's a 1.5-liter hydration pack included, which I never see. And this rear cargo pouch has a colossal 14-inch mouth, so you could store the whole removable thermal liner in here, or maybe a foot-long subway sandwich … or a Honda Grom.
Fitment-wise, this jacket comes in tall sizes but you'd have to be built like a broomstick 'cause I'm 6"3, 175 pounds and this regular medium fits great. I have this slider-snap collar adjustment, 2 compression straps on each arm, cinches on the waist and cuffs, stretch fabric on the elbows and under the arm … Even the cuffs on the thermal liner are stretchy neoprene with adjustment straps.
I must say that this is the most comfortable adventure jacket I've ever worn. And it's not just the customized fit. The Kathmandu is soft and airy all over, whereas other ADV jackets tends to feel a bit like suits of armor.
Klim Badlands
Speaking of which – rather annoyingly, this is the Klim Badlands. I had to include this thing because it is the best adventure jacket out there. But it's over 1000 dollars and that makes me really want to hate it.
Of course it has a million features. The product description on fortnine.ca reads like a small novel and RevZilla did a 20-minute breakdown video, so I'm no gonna do that to you guys again; instead I'll just give a few of my feelings on it.
More than anything, I get an overwhelming sense of overkill. This is Klim's Talisman SuperFabric, which is basically tiny ceramic plates welded – with a laser – onto Kevlar-infused Cordura. It's MotoGP-level slide protection but, honestly, I don't really need that.
Same with the chassis in general. There's so much Kevlar in here that I basically feel bulletproof. And unless I ride at lightspeed through thornbushes, I probably don't need that either. What the fabric does do – on a daily basis – is make the jacket really heavy. The Badlands is about 600 grams lighter than the Badlands Pro predecessor, but it's still chunky. Any jacket that needs a kidney belt just to feel comfortable is too heavy in my opinion.
Of course I'm just ragging on the Badlands because of its price tag. This really is an amazing jacket and I envy a few of its features. With all the Gore-Tex, you could ride through Lake Ontario and come out dry on the other side. The D3O back protector is CE Level 2 certified, meaning that a measly 9kN was transmitted through it in testing. And it's one of the only jackets I know of that has respectable armour panelling across the chest.
Is the Badlands 700 dollars better than the Kathmandu? No friggin' way. Is it worth the 1150-dollar price tag? Not to me.
But there are people who ride to the south pole five times a year, and they don't care that the Badlands costs a small fortune. They don't care that you have to buy the hydration pack separately, or that there isn't even a thermal liner. To the most hard-core riders, quality is worth far more than its dollar value.
Alpinestars Andes Drystar
For everyone else though, we can't afford to buy something just because it's the best. I have to weigh up value per dollar on every piece of kit that I buy and if I'm being brutally frugal, the best option is Alpinestars' Andes Drystar.
This is right around the 300-dollar mark on fortnine.ca, which is where adventure jackets tend to bottom out. What we're looking at here is 600-denier polyester with a polyurethane coating, and it's waterproof and breathable … to a point. This material won't last a full day in Vancouver, but at least Alpinestars was honest with themselves about that. They put a waterproof lining on the inside of the jacket as a sort-of Plan B.
Speaking of the jacket interior: removable thermal liner, zipper attachment for Andes pants, dropped back and one, two, three cargo pockets on the liner – all of which are mirrored on the jacket body and I love to see that.
Fitment-wise, it's pretty darn customizable. Strap adjusters on the waist, cinches on the hips, two volume options on each arm, some stretch fabric there too, Velcro around the cuffs, and a couple features on the collar. It can be snapped down at the back, closed loose or tight with this Velcro, or hooked back with this elastic loop.
It's a comfy jacket, maybe one notch below the Kathmandu, but be careful with the size chart online – I'm a 39-inch chest and a 24.5-inch arm, which would put me somewhere between a medium and large. But this is an extra large and I think it's the right fit.
The external pocketing is good – waterproof cargo areas on the front, two not-so-waterproof pockets on the chest, a stash pocket under the storm flap and a huge utility pouch on the rear. But this jacket really suffers in terms of ventilation. These rear exhaust slits are all of 5-inches long and the only other vents – on the collarbones – are just as small. The other lowlight is armoring. CE-approved elbows and shoulders are fine, but the spine protector is cheapo foam that I would replace straight away.
The Andes Drystar doesn't do anything special. But it's a solid adventure touring jacket that is built well and it feels more expensive than it really is.
Icon Raiden DKR
I'm gonna end this list with my own jacket – Icon's Raiden DKR. This is a brand-new glory version, but you can see my tan one on the hook back there.
In my experience, Icon did three things really well. One of them is waterproofing. I did twelve straight hours in the pouring rain in this jacket, and I stayed dry for ten of them. That's about as good as I can expect, this side of the Klim Badlands.
The second big thing is temperature control. Two long chest vents, which are a pain in the ass to open while riding by the way. Then there are massive underarm vents and on the back, this long exhaust slit. I rode all summer in the Raiden and only suffered in the slowest of traffic jams. On that note, I also rode into late November with this removable thermal liner. I was layering pretty heavy by then, but this is Icon's relaxed fit so there's room for that kind of thing.
The third big win is style. The graphics are awesome; the bomber-style fit is cool. This storm flap closes with rare earth magnets and this waterproof pocket is on some kind of rubberized slider, which I've never seen before. The inner liner is quilted, you get badging for all the D3O armor and other tech in this jacket. Even on the cargo pockets, there are little mantras sewn into the liner.
One complaint I have is this hook. Icon sells a hydration pack separately, which clips onto the back of the jacket and runs its tube up through here. But when I open or close my helmet shield, the strap on my cuff gets caught on this hook. It's a weird little problem, but it happens all the time and it's kinda scary because all of a sudden I'm riding with one hand stuck to my chest. Easy fix though – I just ripped the hook off of my jacket.
My other complaint is the price – 480 dollars makes the Raiden equal in cost to the Kathmandu, and that's a big problem because the Kathmandu blows this guy out of the water in every single way except for style. I was vain enough to choose the Raiden anyway … but I suspect that most adventure tourers would make the wiser choice.
And that's it for my favorite adventure touring jackets! Products links below, comments below that, and thank you guys very much for watching.


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Practice: Books
Books for yoga practitioners - including books by Jivamukti Yoga co-founders Sharon Gannon and David Life. Books on yoga anatomy, the spiritual philosophy of yoga, yoga asana practice, meditation, chanting, and more!
The Magic Ten and Beyond: Daily Spiritual Practice for Greater Peace and Well-Being
Regular price $1700 $17.00


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May 28, 2018
What are the pros and cons of Build to Rent?
Build to Rent is emerging as a sub-market of the broader private residential property market, in particular in areas such as London where 30% of the population is renting. It refers to those properties that are being constructed especially for the rentals market, as opposed to properties that have been built for sale and are later rented out. It's a subdivision of the property market that is growing substantially – but what does it really offer as a development solution? These are the key pros and cons of Build to Rent in the UK.
The Pros of Build to Rent
- There is a lot of scope for expansion in this market. For example, in 2017 the Build to Rent market attracted a large amount of investment to the tune of £2.4 billion. Growth in investment in Build to Rent is forecast to be around 180% over the next six years.
- Investors tend to see Build to Rent as an attractive prospect. Build to Rent projects are usually structured as a purpose built block of rental homes that don't go onto the market but are completed and then rented out. For investors, this represents a stable and long-term income stream.
- We are living in an era of Generation Rent. 20% of households across the UK are now renting (30% in London) and this proportion is forecast to increase by the year.
- Tenants benefit too. When properties are Built to Rent tenants tend to enjoy a more streamlined experience with high quality management, as opposed to an individual landlord without the requisite skills and experience to deliver a professional service.
- There is considerable government support for Build to Rent. In fact, Build to Rent has been pitched by many as offering a fast and effective solution to the housing crisis in the UK. As a result, the government has provided considerable support for Build to Rent projects, including a £1bn Build to Rent fund.
The Cons of Build to Rent
- Longer tenancies for tenants. This could be a "pro" for both developers and tenants but is also something that could be restrictive. Because many Build to Rent properties have offered longer tenancies of three years or more this could be an expectation now for any property that falls into this category.
- Fewer requirements to provide affordable housing. Again, this also has a "pro" built in for developers looking to get away from the government standards to provide more affordable housing as part of new developments. So, far it seems that Build to Rent projects are bypassing many of the more stringent requirements to provide affordable housing as the government looks to the Build to Rent market to help solve the issue of housing supply. The "con" here is that it doesn't look like Build to Rent will solve the nationwide problem of a lack of affordable housing.
- Property is not sold for profit on the open market. Instead, income return on construction comes in the form of an ongoing rental stream.
If you'd like to find out more about Build to Rent, and the potential challenges and benefits, please get in touch with The RG Group today.


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How to Create Serializers With Kafka
How to Create Serializers With Kafka
Kafka provides the ability to publish and subscribe to streams of records. You can create your own custom serializer and deserializer.
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Kafka lets us publish and subscribe to streams of records and the records can be of any type (JSON, String, POJO, etc.) Kafka gives users the ability to creates our own serializer and deserializer so that we can transmit different data type using it.
In this article, I will demonstrate how to create a custom serializer and deserializer — but first, let's understand what serialization is and why we would serialize.
Serialization and Deserialization
Serialization is the process of converting an object into a stream of bytes that are used for transmission. Kafka stores and transmit these bytes of arrays in its queue.
Deserialization, as the name suggests, does the opposite of serialization, in which we convert bytes of arrays into the desired data type. Kafka provides serializers and deserializers for a few data types (String, Long, Double, Integer, Bytes, etc).
All of the pre-build (de)serializers can be seen here.
Now, I hope you understand what serialization is and why we would serialize an object. Let's begin with its implementation.
To create a serializer class, we need to implement the org.apache.kafka.common.serialization.Serializer interface. Similarly, to create a deserializer class, we need to implement the org.apache.kafka.common.serialization.Deserializer interface.
Both serializer and deserializer interfaces consist of three methods:
- Configure. This method is called at startup with configuration.
- Serialize/deserialize. This method is used for serialization and deserialization.
- Close. This method is called when the Kafka session is to be closed.
Serializer Interface
public interface Serializer extends Closeable {
void configure(Map<String, ?> var1, boolean var2);
byte[] serialize(String var1, T var2);
void close();
Deserializer Interface
public interface Deserializer extends Closeable {
void configure(Map<String, ?> var1, boolean var2);
T deserialize(String var1, byte[] var2);
void close();
Let's start with an example.
Dependencies I've used:
- Kafka (0.10.1.1).
- FasterXML Jackson (2.8.6).
public class User {
private String name;
private int age;
public User() {
public User(String name, int age) {
this.name = name;
this.age = age;
public String getName() {
return this.name;
public int getAge() {
return this.age;
@Override public String toString() {
return "User(" + name + ", " + age + ")";
public class UserSerializer implements Serializer {
@Override public void configure(Map<String, ?> map, boolean b) {
@Override public byte[] serialize(String arg0, User arg1) {
byte[] retVal = null;
ObjectMapper objectMapper = new ObjectMapper();
try {
retVal = objectMapper.writeValueAsString(arg1).getBytes();
} catch (Exception e) {
return retVal;
@Override public void close() {
public class UserDeserializer implements Deserializer {
@Override public void close() {
@Override public void configure(Map<String, ?> arg0, boolean arg1) {
public User deserialize(String arg0, byte[] arg1) {
ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
User user = null;
try {
user = mapper.readValue(arg1, User.class);
} catch (Exception e) {
return user;
Now, what's left is to use this serializer and deserializer.
To use the above serializer, we need to register this property:
props.put("value.serializer", "com.knoldus.serializers.UserSerializer");
Using this property, the producer will be:
try (Producer<String, User> producer = new KafkaProducer<>(props)) {
producer.send(new ProducerRecord<String, User>("MyTopic", user));
System.out.println("Message " + user.toString() + " sent !!");
} catch (Exception e) {
Similarly, for the deserializer, we need to register this property:
props.put("value.deserializer", "com.knoldus.deserializer.UserDeserializer");
The consumer will be:
try (KafkaConsumer<String, User> consumer = new KafkaConsumer<>(props)) {
while (true) {
ConsumerRecords<String, User> messages = consumer.poll(100);
for (ConsumerRecord<String, User> message : messages) {
System.out.println("Message received " + message.value().toString());
} catch (Exception e) {
And that's it! Now you know how to create a custom serializer and deserializer
Published at DZone with permission of Prabhat Kashyap , DZone MVB. See the original article here.
Opinions expressed by DZone contributors are their own.


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Customized load pins for cargo lifts
WEP-Weisshaupt and Zemic Europe have worked together to develop an overload detection system which can be integrated in their cargo lifts.
Not only is the total weight measured in these lifts/cars; the weight in each of the four corners of this lift is also measured and indicated on a display. WEP-Weisshaupt is an engineering company that manufactures equipment for car control stations, vertical and horizontal transport systems, column lift systems, vehicle lifts, handling devices and special constructions. Any product that leaves the company is a result of their own development, design and manufacturing.
WEP-Weisshaupt was looking for an overload-detection system to equip their multicolumn-lifts. These multi-column lifts are either made with two or four columns; each column carries a part of the load and needs to be monitored. Integration of the overload detection was to occur without having to change too much to the existing design. Consequently, WEP-Weisshaupt was looking for a partner which could advise it on the selection of the most appropriate sensor.
Wide program of sensors
According to the company, Zemic has a wide program of sensors and, with its large engineering department, the capacity to design custom made sensors. Zemic designed a small load pin, which could be optimally integrated in the system.
WEP-Weisshaupt wanted to provide a unique system for its customers, in which not only the total weight could be monitored, but also the weight in each of the four corners of the car. To do so, Zemic combined the use of load pins with a weight transmitter.
On a LCD display the total weight and the weight for each corner can be shown. When the maximum weight, in total, or in a corner, is reached, the system indicates it. The advantage is that overload will be detected in an early stage which allows for damage control and cost savings.
About the column lift of WEP-Weisshaupt
The VSL is a lift system with four columns on which a car, platform or custom device (supporting frame, lifter) is raised. The columns are arranged in pairs opposite to each other, as desired on the short or the long sides of the basket, since no drive sections pass through the platform. The possibilities are endless. The VSL has a net load of up to 3000 kg and can be designed for lifts with heights from 3 m up to 12 m.
A wide range of lifting devices with a variable width and length of the platform is possible. Only the static sets a limit at the end. Platform lifts, fixture constructions as well as many more options are possible.
Integration of the lift into production processes is also possible. The systems are always designed with close consultation between the customer and the technicians of WEP-Weisshaupt.
Zemic load pins
In the column lift system, both load pins and weight transmitters are used. Load pins are force sensors which are installed in applications for measuring dynamic, static or hoisting forces. For example, load pins are used for the overload protection of cranes, creating load measuring systems, building load limitation systems and to optimize the service life of hoists. Load pins are often used when load cells do not fit in a system.
Customer-specific requirements for a load pin often to be have taken into account, concerning dimensions, IP grades, integrated transmitters, specific cable exits, redundant solutions etc. For this reason, Zemic has designed a special webpage 'Design your load pin', so each customer can enter the required specifications.
The T2 Weight Transmitter 8-Channel was designed for this application. This sensor permits adjusting individual set points for each channel.


text:
Download our State of the Phish™ Report
Explore data from tens of millions of simulated phishing attacks, plus strategies for reducing risk.
Pittsburgh, PA – October 22, 2014 – Wombat Security Technologies (Wombat), a leading provider of cyber security awareness and training solutions, today announced Gartner, Inc. has positioned Wombat as a "Leader" in its 2014 Magic Quadrant for Security Awareness Computer-Based Training Vendors report.* The report evaluated 19 different vendors on 14 criteria and placed Wombat in the Leader's quadrant. The full report is available at no charge from Wombat on their website at http://info.wombatsecurity.com/wombat-named-a-leader.
"We believe our strong position as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant report underscores our unique position to meet the CSO's demands by offering a fully integrated and effective security awareness and training solution that has helped our customers change end user behavior and reduce overall security risk," said Joe Ferrara, Wombat's President and CEO. "Our customers consistently recognize and acknowledge the exceptional service they receive as a Wombat customer and their employees regularly comment on the quality of the training and how much they enjoy it."
According to Gartner, "Employees' actions can detrimentally impact security and risk performance. CISOs and employee communication leaders are increasingly turning to educational security awareness solutions to help improve organizational compliance, expand security knowledge and change poor security behaviors."
Using the Wombat Security Awareness and Training Methodology, customers have notably minimized their risk through reduced malware infections (up to 95%), reduced successful phishing attacks (up to 90%), fewer helpdesk calls, increased reporting of incidents by employees, all while improving their overall security posture.
In addition to a robust security training platform, Wombat features security assessment tools to give CSOs important insights into employee susceptibility. Customers can pair CyberStrength® knowledge assessments with PhishGuru®, SmishGuru®, and USBGuru® simulated attack programs for a comprehensive view of an organization's potential vulnerabilities — and manage them all from a single, easy-to-use platform that's purpose-built for security officers.
"Employees are a target for threat actors and organizations need to have an ever-present security program to continually educate and test their environments for vulnerabilities." said Jaime Mehra, Product Management, Dell SecureWorks. "Dell SecureWorks Managed Phishing and Managed Security Awareness Programs, leveraging Wombat's Security Training Tools, are helping our clients foster a solid culture of security awareness and develop vigilant employees, which is key when combating cyber threats."
For more information about Wombat Security Technologies and its award winning products, please visit www.wombatsecurity.com.
*Gartner "Magic Quadrant for Security Awareness Computer-Based Training Vendors" by Andrew Walls. October 13, 2014.
The Gartner Report described herein, (the "Gartner Report") represents data, research opinion or viewpoints published, as part of a syndicated subscription service, by Gartner, Inc. ("Gartner"), and are not representations of fact. Each Gartner Report speaks as of its original publication date (and not as of the date of this Prospectus) and the opinions expressed in the Gartner Report are subject to change without notice.
Wombat Security Technologies provides information security awareness and training software to help organizations teach their employees secure behavior. Their SaaS cyber security education solution includes a platform of integrated broad assessments, as well as a library of simulated attacks and brief interactive training modules. Wombat's solutions help organizations reduce successful phishing attacks and malware infections up to 90%. Wombat is helping Fortune 1000 and Global 500 customers in industry segments such as finance, technology, banking, higher education, retail, and consumer packaged goods to strengthen their cyber security defenses.


text:
by Ryan Isley
I had all intentions of sitting down and writing about how well Danica Patrick raced in the Aaron's 312 on Saturday afternoon in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. I really did. I know most of you won't believe me because I have written negative pieces on her in the past. But if you look at my Twitter timeline from Saturday afternoon, you will see how complimentary I was of Danica throughout the race.
I thought Danica ran a really good race with her lack of experience at Talladega Superspeedway, picking her spots when she could move up and not trying to make too much happen. She was patient when looking to draft and despite getting out of line a few times and dropping back in the pack, she was always able to return near the front very quickly.
There were a number of wrecks that changed the course of the race but unlike at Daytona in February, Danica was not involved in any of them. In fact, she had done a good job of avoiding a wreck with four laps remaining when Danny Efland came up the track near her after being hit.
She had a good car and she was doing a tremendous job of driving the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. She actually held the lead at one point and ran in the top-10 for most of the day before finishing 13th.
In fact, I had even tweeted that her biggest problem on the day would not be the way that she was racing, but that she was having problems finding a drafting partner. Each time she left the draft and tried to go out on her own, nobody would draft with her and it left her out to dry.
But just as I was getting ready to sing her praises and give her credit for running a great race and not getting herself into bad situations, Danica showed that she is still Danica.
On the final lap, Sam Hornish, Jr. pushed Danica up the track and into the wall, causing Danica to finish outside the top-10. As the cars were running the cool down lap, Danica went hunting for Hornish, Jr. and found him. When she approached the No.12 car of Hornish, Jr., she tapped the back of the car, spinning him into the wall. It was blatant retaliation.
It is just another chapter in the book Danica is writing on how not to keep your cool during and after a race.
In the 2008 Indianapolis 500, Danica was screaming at her crew all day about how bad she felt the car was and then when her day was ended early in a wreck on pit road with Ryan Briscoe, Danica was ready fight Briscoe before finally leaving the track.
In 2010, Danica was heated after a wreck between her and James Beuscher at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana when Danica was running in 17th position, blaming Buescher for wrecking her intentionally. The wreck caused Danica to finish 30th.
Last season when she was wrecked at Bristol, she walked onto the track and gestured toward Ryan Truex, who was involved in the wreck with her. While the wreck looks like an accident on Truex's part, Danica treated it as if Truex was out to wreck her on purpose.
Just when you thought Danica may have grown up, she went back at it again in the first Nationwide Series race this season at Daytona. Following a wreck in which she was spun by Cole Whitt while the two were drafting, she began screaming expletives on her radio.
These are only a few examples of the explosiveness of Danica's temper, but you get the picture.
The sad part for Danica is that she seems to be improving in her first full season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series but she just can't seem to keep her head on straight long enough to take advantage of it. The more negative reactions that Danica has and the more she wants to play the blame game, the less she will be taken seriously by other drivers and fans.
Or maybe the other drivers already aren't taking her seriously and that's why nobody would draft with her.
Feel the criticism for Danica is unfair? Or do you agree with Ryan? Leave a comment or email Ryan at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Capital Region AR VR Accelerator Management
Jon Gregory
Jon Gregory is a cofounder and General Partner of the Accelerator. He has established an extensive network of CEO, angel investor and venture capital resources to support growth-oriented entrepreneurial ventures.
Gregory is also a cofounder and General Partner of two boutique angel investment funds: Northern California Investment Fund I and Fund II, which have collectively made approximately 30 investments in 17 different high potential start-ups.
Gregory also is the VP and Venture Banking Manager at Five Star Bank, recently spearheading an initiative to more closely link sources of early-stage capital and promising start-ups in the Capital Region called Five Star Bank Tank. Previously Gregory founded Golden Capital Network in 1999 as one of the first investor-entrepreneur matchmaking event platforms.
From 1999–2011 Golden Capital Network featured over 2,000 alumni start-ups including many who are well-known today such as Pandora Media, StubHub, A Place for Mom, PowerSchool, Marrone Bio Innovations and others.
Dave Sanders
Dave Sanders is a cofounder and General Partner of the Accelerator. He has built an extensive network of CEOs, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, technology veterans and investors to support growth-oriented entrepreneurial ventures.
Sanders is also a cofounder and General Partner of two boutique angel investment funds: Northern California Investment Fund I and Fund II, which have collectively made approximately 30 investments in 17 different high potential start-ups.
Dave is also a founding member and Managing Partner of WorldBridge Partners. His focus is high level retained executive search, working with clients in Northern California, across the nation, and internationally. Dave is an active angel investor and a member of the Sacramento Angels.
Venture Partners
George Foreman Jr.
Growing up in the world of sports, direct marketing, and retail sales, George has developed an extensive working knowledge of these industries, along with strong relationships with key stakeholders of each respective industry.
After earning a Master's Degree from Louisiana State University, Foreman went on to work as a senior marketing executive for Salton, Inc. (George Foreman Grill) where he helped execute direct response marketing strategies that generated over $1B in revenue.
George Foreman Jr. is a Sacramento native who grew up in the Greenhaven/Pocket neighborhood. As one of the Venture Partners at Capital Region AR VR Accelerator, Foreman is passionate about bringing emerging technology and business to the City of Sacramento.
George formed Foreman Boys Promotions with legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum and George Foreman Sr. where George promoted 20 World Title Fights,10 HBO World Title Fights, 3 HBO PPV Fights including 3 Co-Promoted Manny Pacquiao Fights. George's experience with boxing promotions allowed him to understand live events, technology, broadcasting, casinos and hospitality as a business on a global stage.
George has extensive knowledge in media and television having served as Executive Producer on various television programs including American Inventor (ABC), Family Foreman (TV Land) and the Foreman Documentary that was distributed through EPIX Networks, Universal and Hulu.
Foreman is the Co-Founder of IYC Capital and currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at ION360 where he oversees creating, executing, and sustaining strategic initiatives. In his continued effort to bring new business to Sacramento, ION360 was an official partner of the Sacramento Kings Draft Party and California Classic Summer League.
George is the Chairman of GFJR Companies which provides high quality products and services through strategic alliances, joint ventures, investments and consulting. Within the GFJR Companies portfolio, Foreman owns or holds interests in businesses operating in healthcare, consumer products, marketing, television, sports and entertainment.
Maintaining active involvement in several community service organizations, George continues to dedicate his efforts to homelessness, education and entrepreneurship.
Braden Moulton
Braden Moulton is Venture Partner of the Accelerator. Moulton is an experienced business leader with broad expertise across the gaming, social, and digital media markets. He excels at building lasting partnerships, creatively driving reach and revenue, and succeeding at challenging objectives.
His background includes successful engagements with mobile, social, and console games businesses in capacities spanning operations, business development, product management, general management, and strategic consulting.
Moulton will be working closely with the cohort companies and helping open doors for customer and strategic partner relationships through his vast experience working in technology for or with Microsoft, Fifth Planet Games, and many others.
His specialties include: Operational Leadership, Business Development, Strategy, General Management, Raising Investment, Contract Negotiation, Content Acquisition, Strategic Partnerships, Licensing, Advertising. Console, social, mobile, and new media monetization.
Amy Peck
Amy Peck is the founder and CEO of EndeavorVR, a leading global VR/AR (XR) strategy and consulting firm. Amy is a recognized thought-leader in the space and speaks globally on the future of XR. She holds several Advisory Board roles and Co-chairs the VRARA Enterprise Committee.
Amy's passion for this technology began at Leap Motion where she launched the Enterprise division working with clients across every major vertical including healthcare, entertainment, retail, hospitality, education and government.
It became clear that there was a need to help foster XR development in the commercial arena and more importantly, shepherd these critical early wins. EndeavorVR was conceived for this very purpose.
Her own personal mission is to see XR fundamentally improve every aspect of our lives with the goal of making this technology accessible and transformative for everyone.
Advisors, Mentors and Subject Matter Experts
Marcie Jastrow
Marcie Jastrow is an industry veteran with over 20 years in the Entertainment business. Currently the SVP of Immersive Media at Technicolor, as well as the Head of the Technicolor Experience Center (TEC), Marcie is dedicated to bringing artists, technologists, and partners together to build the future of immersive media.
Since the opening of the TEC in July, 2016, Marcie has consulted on many immersive projects and has provided her insights in dozens of interviews, published articles, and speaking engagements. Focused on igniting VR, AR, and beyond, Marcie sits on several boards including the Interactive Emmys, Periscope, and BAFTA.
In 2018, she was honored with the Advanced Imaging Society's "Distinguished Leadership Award," which recognizes creative, productive and forward-thinking efforts in visual technology and emerging content.
Prior to her current role, Marcie was responsible for growing Technicolor's post production sales pipeline as SVP of Sales. Before joining Technicolor, she served as EVP of Sales at Laser Pacific, which Technicolor acquired in 2011, as well as SVP of Sales at Modern Video Film for over eight years.
Gerry Barañano
Director and Entrepreneur in Residence, Tech Futures Group Principal, The RevLaunch Company
Gerry founded and leads the Tech Futures Group as Director. TFG is a non-profit that serves as the complete advisory board to tech companies.
Prior, Gerry held senior management positions including COO, GM, and VP Sales and Marketing for companies ranging in size from Fortune 100 to startups. In startups, Gerry was responsible for all aspects of establishing the company; including shaping the corporate structure, hiring key staff, and providing the vision for the company's desired market position.
Most notably, Gerry was instrumental in positioning and closing the sale of Xros, a telecommunications pre-revenue startup for $3.2 billion.
As principal of his own strategic business development company, Gerry delivers a market vetted go-to-market strategy to international clients seeking to crack the U.S. market. Gerry tests his strategy with an aggressive sales effort that he leads and then teaches and transfers the final field-tested formula to the client. Clients have included: FujiFilm, Fujitsu, NTT-AT, and smaller companies offering embedded software products, open-source software, and hardware products.
Gerry is a graduate of Yale University and has an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Chaitanya Hiremath
Founder and CEO of Scanta Inc.
After his Master of Science (MSc) from Prague College, Chaitanya Hiremath started technological research and development towards creating immersive AR/VR experiences. Chaitanya is a dynamic, results-oriented leader with a strong track record of AR/VR based high-paced organizations.
He pioneered and built two of the leading augmented reality games in 2016 by utilizing keen analysis, insights and a team approach to drive organizational improvements and implementation of effective practices.
Mr. Hiremath is also the first Indian origin entrepreneur to win the SharkTank Showcase and the prestigious Draper summer pitch, 2018 in San Francisco.
Chaitanya holds expertise in augmented reality, blockchain, gaming, marketing, and enterprise; building a diverse team and increasing technological adoption of augmented reality across the market. Creating use-cases for upcoming technological platforms and developing relevant strategies for their implementation. He consults companies looking to build products and innovative marketing campaigns through AR/VR that appeal to diverse audiences, track success, and deliver relevant actionable content.
Louisa Spring
Founder of SAM Immersive
Lawyer, producer, entrepreneur, gamer, Louisa is an accomplished executive in esports, immersive media and gaming. Louisa has worked on award winning VR campaigns for Mini-Cooper and NYTVR, the award winning game Firebird: La Peri and other PC and VR games around the world.
She has moved the needle at every VR company she has worked with including facilitating deals with Intel, Oculus and Walmart with Spatialand which resulted in a successful acquisition. She has also facilitated deals with football clubs and LaLiga league for the location based entertainment VR game, Virtual Soccer Zone.
As a TV producer Ms. Spring has worked with Far Moor, (successfully acquired by Endemol), and William J. Macdonald, (Rome). She's a former member of the board of BAFTALA, and practiced law in London.
Joe Hill
Business Operations and Development at Lucid
Joe's career has been a mix of B2B/B2C business and technology experience ranging from scaling organizations' operations from ground zero, business development, and product marketing.
Currently, he is the Director of Product Marketing and Business Development at Lucid based in Silicon Valley. Lucid is an AI platform to enable multi cameras to capture depth. Joe holds a BS degree from Cornell University.
Andrew Trickett
Co-Founder and CFO of Merge
Andrew oversees finance, contract negotiations, and investor relations to help support the growth of Merge ensuring it has the resources needed to achieve its strategic initiatives. As a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Team, Andrew is involved in high level strategic decision making.
Andrew has a strong history of operating, evaluating and advising tech startups, and working with investor groups. Previous to Merge, Andrew co-founded and managed all revenue generation activities at startup Virtual Alert, which enjoyed a successful exit when purchased by a strategic buyer (outside investors made 11x return on investment).
Andrew was also a partner at Mercer Management Consulting (now Oliver Wyman). His experience includes strategic alliances and business development at Trilogy Software. Andrew holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a BBA from the University of Texas. Andrew enjoys decompressing on the race track and is an avid fan of Formula 1.
David J. Anderman
David Anderman is a seasoned executive with a passion for business strategy and dealmaking at the intersection of the technology, media/distribution, and consumer sectors. He serves as an advisor to numerous media and technology companies, providing advice on growth, IP, content and monetization strategy, marketing, M&A, legal, fundraising, recruiting, and dealmaking.
Mr. Anderman spent 16 years at Lucasfilm Ltd., George Lucas's entertainment empire, starting as the junior lawyer and rising through the ranks to become Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel. He negotiated the $4 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm by the Walt Disney Company, and oversaw the integration of the companies for 18 months post-merger.
Mr. Anderman currently serves as Director, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of BasilHealth, a consumer facing digital health startup. Prior to BasilHealth, he served as the Chief Business Officer of Jaunt, a cinematic virtual reality company, where he was responsible for the company's strategy, finance, business development, business affairs, and HR. He launched Jaunt's content studio, its joint venture in China with Shanghai Media Group and China Media Capital, and raised over $125M in capital for the business. Prior to Lucasfilm, Mr. Anderman was an IP litigator in Silicon Valley, focusing on technology matters.
Mr. Anderman advises numerous technology startups, including Loom.ai (technology behind Samsung's AR emojis), Theia Interactive (immersive visualizations), Allseated (event planning with VR), Minted (crowdsourced design and consumer products), Meo (social AR), Leo AR (AR object marketplace), Knowbly Systems (e-publishing platform), asensei (wearable motion capture and training), Haystack TV (mobile video news platform), Baobab Studios (VR animation), Pullstring (voice applications), and Occipital (mobile depth sensors). He serves as a mentor at Founders Space and on the StartX Founder Board of Advisors. He is also an investor in SV Angel and advises its portfolio companies.
Lesley Chinen
Lesley Chinen is an Emmy Award-winning journalist turned marcom professional passionate about merging storytelling with business messaging in the emerging technology space. She is currently the Business Development Specialist for Shaking Earth Digital (SED), an XR development studio.
Before joining SED, she was the Lead Producer with the Virtual Reality Festival (VR Fest) and assisted Comic Con Palm Springs (CCPS) as Executive Director of CCPS Immersive Entertainment. She was bitten by the emerging technology bug after transitioning from a long career in television news and public relations.
Her first stop after leaving the newsroom was in creating stereoscopic 3D content and producing live 3D fashion shows for the LA 3D Film Festival (LA 3DFF). Working with the LA 3DFF eventually led to joining in the creation of the VR Fest.
Having been an early participant in the 21st Century S3D revolution, she has unique insights into its wins and losses and is working to make sure XR has longevity as a marketing and communications tool as well as a storytelling medium. She was recognized with an Emmy in 2009 for her work on the KTLA "Morning Show."
Mark Haney
Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and media personality who has founded or funded a portfolio of 30+ companies across various industries including: new media, real estate, construction, transportation, distribution, and security. Mark's accomplishments include successfully exiting a Rocklin, CA based enterprise that maintained hundreds of employees and generated over $200M in annual revenues.
Mark currently spends his time igniting the Entrepreneurial Revolution as host of The Mark Haney Show and as Chief Dreaming Officer for HaneyBiz, an investment platform designed to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses by providing one-stop access to funding, business services, office space, programs & events, and coaching for companies of all sizes.
Mark also serves on various corporate and non-profit boards and he and his family devote time to helping military veterans through his "Allegiant Giving" non-profit. You can learn more about Mark at www.HaneyBiz.com.
Yan Chow, MD, MBA
Yan Chow, MD, MBA is Medical Director for Digital Medicine in the Translational Medicine group at Amgen, a leading biotechnology company, where he leads the strategy and deployment of wearables, devices, mobile technology, and analytics in clinical trials and drug development programs.
Before that, he was Chief Innovation Officer at LongView Technology Solutions, a federal health IT services contractor.
Prior to LongView, Dr. Chow was national Medical Director of the Innovation & Advanced Technology Group (IAT) at Kaiser Permanente. IAT assessed over 2,000 emerging health IT technologies, promoted innovation through an employee innovation grant program, and worked with the Garfield Innovation Center, an award-winning care delivery simulation laboratory.
Dr. Chow has founded and advised a number of venture-funded startups. He has 3 U.S. patents and has been an invited speaker at industry conferences. Dr. Chow earned an A.B. from Harvard University, his M.D. from UC San Diego, and his MBA in 2005 from UC Berkeley. In 2014 he was recognized as one of the top 9 healthcare IT executives in the U.S. by Healthcare IT News.
Danny Stefanic
Founder and CEO of LearnBrite
Danny Stefanic is the brains behind the world's first WebXR learning experience platform, LearnBrite. Also founder of 3D internet company ExitReality Inc, founder of the International Virtual Reality Association and chairman of the virtual worlds social network Koinup.
Called a "visionary" by his peers and deemed by Wall Street CIOs and Silicon Valley VCs to be "one of the pioneers in his field", he has been creating ground-breaking 3D businesses for over 25 years.
Danny actively works with young businesses to share his experiences and give back to the community. He has assisted companies with angel investment, international licensing, acquisitions, exits, managing distributed teams and has personally closed IP acquisitions valued at $85MM.
Charles Eason
Charles Eason is the Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) specialist for the Tech Futures Group which is part of the Northern California Small Business Development Center Network.
He has been assisting businesses in securing SBIR/STTR funding for over twenty years and also has direct experience with the SBIR/STTR program through his company, OPTEMA Development Corporation, which developed a rapid prototyping technology with funding through the National Science Foundation.
Mr. Eason is also the Small Business Sector Navigator for the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program where he coordinates small business programs at the 114 community colleges across the state. Mr. Eason earned a B.S. in Engineering Sciences from the University of California, San Diego and an MBA from California State University, San Bernardino.
Dave Edwards
Dave Edwards is CEO of Solve Next where he helps major companies around the globe bust through the status quo and get to what's next. Dave is a trend-spotter, analyst and storyteller. He has spent his career distilling and advancing big technology trends like the internet, cleantech and AI.
His brain is split in two with half dedicated to creatively designing consumer experiences while the other half has an uncanny ability to find the right metric to measure and build upon. Most recently, Dave co-founded Intelligentsia.ai (sold to Quartz / Atlantic Media) which researched how humans and machines will work together in the age of AI.
His past experience also includes being head of software application market at Apple, head of consumer strategy at SunPower and a lead technology research analyst at Morgan Stanley.
Kenji Tanaka, PhD
General Manager, Head of Solutions Development at Sony Electronics
I work on creating professional solutions in the higher education and healthcare markets at Sony, where I am in charge of solution development and the strategic partnerships with industry and academia in North America. I also have a strong background in broadcasting, digital cinema, and simulation-based training industries.
My research and technology interests are in virtual/augmented reality, immersive contents, sensing devices, robotics, haptics, human factors, audio and image processing, computer vision, and machine learning. I am a member of the IEEE Computer Society, and am a reviewer/judge at academic conferences and technology pitch contests. I hold an MS in Sensing and Control Studies and a PhD in Virtual Reality Studies, both from the University of Tokyo (1997 and 2004, respectively).
Wayman Harris
Wayman Harris is a VR/AR software developer and 3D content creator who specializes in interactive computational logic and integrating gamification into existing services. Before working as a VR/AR developer at Applied Materials, Wayman navigated from Milwaukee WI, to immerse himself into the Bay Area's emerging market community.
Wayman began his career doing Freelance, Contract work, and occasionally participated in game development competitions. In 2013 he also entered a VR accelerator sponsored by Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Wayman currently helps maintain and initialize Applied Material's VR training simulator.
Playing a key role in building the training simulation architecture and framework, Wayman assists the team in looking for and evaluating 3rd party services. Wayman looks to establish relationships that provide compatible services and or solutions that help optimize Applied Materials' VR team's development efforts. Wayman puts forth extraordinary efforts to accommodate those who share his passion in the emerging technology sector.
Praveen Gupta
Praveen has extensive background in investments, partnerships, M&A, strategy, and general management He is currently Vice President of Corporate Investment & Development at HTC focusing on Virtual/Augmented Reality and Smartphone technologies.
Praveen held similar role at SK Telecom with focus on Mobile and IoT technologies. Earlier at CDIB Ventures, as a Partner, he managed 2 VC funds with several successful investments in Enterprise Software, Infrastructure, and Semiconductor companies.
He has authored three books related to Venture Capital. Praveen has held management and technical roles at Lucent, Ericsson, ICL, and Halliburton. He has MBA and M.S. in Physics, EE, and Computer Science.
Marc Rowley
CEO of Live CGI
Background and accomplishments:
- Invented a patent-pending method to remove encoding and create live CGI
- 5-time Emmy winner
- Multiple patents for augmented reality and live sports
- 20+ years in sports broadcasting
- Invented the Pylon Camera
- Invented the SportsCenter Rundown
- Led ESPN's Production Enhancements for 10+ years
Grant Anderson
Grant Anderson is an executive producer, visual effects and VR/AR supervisor with decades of experience in the entertainment industry. Throughout his career, he has focused on melding imaginative stories with the latest advances in technology including visual effects, 3D, and now virtual and augmented reality.
He is currently a producer for Marvel. Previously he helped form Jaunt Studios to create leading cinematic VR experiences leveraging Jaunt's technology platform. He was Executive Director at Sony's 3D Center working with leading 3D filmmakers including Baz Luhrmann, Ridley Scott, Ang Lee, and Michel Gondry.
His career as a digital artist and CG and visual effects supervisor includes work on Academy Award winning teams for Titanic, Spider-Man, and the short film the Chubb Chubbs. He is a member of the Advanced Imaging Society and VR Society.
Ryan Wang
Ryan Wang is Co-founder and General Partner of Outpost Capital, a leading cross-border early stage venture fund focusing on VR/AR, blockchain, and new frontier technologies based in San Francisco and Beijing.
Meanwhile, Ryan is Chief Business Development Officer of MOAC Blockchain, a high performance Layered Multi-Blockchain Architecture for enhanced smart contracting. Having a multicultural background and proven track record, Ryan oversees companies in the US and greater China with solid insights and strong connections in both markets.
Prior to OutpostVC, Ryan was a Venture Partner at CLI Ventures managing its TMT investment arm with over $200M AUM. Early in his career, Ryan has compiled a comprehensive and successful career as an investment banker at Citigroup and Societe Generale in New York City. Outside work, Ryan is a snowboarder, world explorer and collector of stylish hats.
Kendrick Geluz Kho
Investor at Hone Capital
Kendrick Geluz Kho is an Investor at Hone Capital, a leading venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. He focuses on early-stage startups and has been involved in over 200 investments. He covers multiple sectors, including: fintech, energy/cleantech, aerospace/astrospace, extended reality (XR), and industrial innovation.
Originally from the Philippines, he is passionate about entrepreneurship and economic development in emerging economies. He has developed machine-learning and other programmatic tools to augment venture capital workflows — one of these was featured in the June 2017 version of McKinsey Quarterly.
Prior to Hone Capital, he operated his own data science consultancy for real estate investors. Earlier in his career, he worked in technical program management at Amazon Lab126 and at Cogenra Solar, a Khosla-backed startup acquired by SunPower. He holds three degrees (a MS and two BS degrees) from Stanford University.
Lisa M Watts
VR Producer and Advisor
Lisa M Watts is a passionate technologist with a strong background in developer relations, business development, marketing strategy, creative direction and virtual reality production. Lisa's deep hands-on technical expertise in both software and hardware development, coupled with her unique view on the marketplace have kept Lisa on the forefront of technology innovation.
She is known for working closely with partners to develop and implement early technology with an eye towards market viability and leadership. In her role as chief VR marketing strategist at Intel Corporation over the last 3 years, Lisa has been at the forefront of advising and producing some of the most innovative projects.
Her partnership with ESL and Oculus led to the first ever VR esports league. Lisa led Intel's initial prototype investment and was an adviser on "Spheres" by director Eliza McNitt. Her promotion of the director and the project, (which included event appearances, digital marketing campaign and more) laid the foundation for "Spheres" to become the first ever VR experience of its type to be acquired for distribution and it went on to win multiple awards.
Lisa also spearheaded the effort to digitize Intel's entire 2018 CES booth making it the very first live, virtual booth of it's kind, enabling visitors from around the world to visit the booth and interact with virtual staffers. She is known for her expertise in bringing VR to live event activations, especially in connecting virtual and in person attendees.
She has continued to produce and advise on social VR projects such as the creation of Ready Player One's Aech's Garage and Basement as well as the replication of the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery. Through her efforts, Intel was able to establish a brand beachhead in the marketplace that has been instrumental in ensuring Intel's place in the immersive technologies ecosystem for years to come. As of 2019, Lisa established her own VR production and consulting company, One/Twenty1.
Alexander Haque
COO at LumiereVR
Alex is a Canadian entrepreneur now based out of San Francisco where he is the COO at LumiereVR, a content production house for immersive technology whose clients include Madison Square Garden and other large venues.
Prior to LumiereVR, Alex was CEO at RetinadVR, the pioneer and leader in VR analytics and data analysis. Retinad, founded in 2014, raised over $2M in funding, worked with fortune 500 clients and was successfully acquired by LumiereVR in July 2018.
Alex enjoys building pillars to the VR/AR industry and has contributed by building the Non-Gaming VR meetup, a 2000+ member community in the SF Bay Area as well as writing the XRAA Guidebook, focused on immersive advertising.
Alex enjoys giving back to the community, having spearheaded the Lean Launchpad Accelerator program at McGill University, where he helped six startups launch and scale through a 10 week program.