Friday Coffee Meetup | Chris Aldrich

RSVPed Attending Innovate Pasadena: Embark Ventures: Raising Seed Capital and Building MVP for Scientific Founders

Details: https://www.meetup.com/Innovation-friday-coffee-meetup/events/267973501/
85 N. Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, CA
January 31, 2020 at 08:15AM- January 31, 2020 at 09:30AM

http://fridaycoffeemeetup.com

Biography: Yipeng Zhao is a Managing Partner at Embark Ventures, a Los-Angeles based venture capital firm focused on early-stage companies. Embark Ventures particularly interested in Frontier/Deep Tech companies such as cyber-security, AI/ML, Robotics and Data Analytics. Yipeng co-founded Embark Ventures in 2017 where he manages Embark Ventures’ new investments and portfolio companies. Since founded Embark Ventures, Yipeng lead 8 investments and is on the board of directors of multiple venture-backed companies. Prior joining Embark Ventures, Yipeng serviced as Executive Vice President of ZMXY Global Investment, Inc., a China-based private equity investor where he has been actively involved in equity investment in both China and US. Some cases including the equity investment of YangQuan City Commercial Bank and a mixed-use REITs portfolio in Taiyuan, China. Yipeng also helped ZMXY Global Investment set up their venture investment arm (ArcheMatrix Investment Group, LLC) in Los Angeles as a part of the global strategy. Yipeng also worked at UCSD as research statistician focused on Nonparametric and Semiparametric estimation and inference problem in Econometrics. While at UCSD he spent time on the application of big data in customer behavior research and game-theoretical econometrics approach to customer behavior research. Yipeng also has extensive research experience in financial risk management and time series data Analysis.

Watched Winston Perez: Concept Modeling Your Disruptive Idea to Perfect It from YouTube

How long have you been working on your idea? Or looking for that next disruptive investment? Better still, how do you perfect your skill in doing all that? How do you lock-down your idea, your technology, your business or even your approach to investments? Consider this: the key stems from a very practical understanding how the abstract world (where disruptive innovations come from in the first place) actually works. Amazingly, it is something we were never accurately taught. Hard to believe right? But change that…and we change everything. So take a step into both the past and future. Come to a talk that will change the way you understand the world forever – something that will actually make you smarter. How cool would that be?

Winston is the founder of a discipline called Concept Modeling, which is at the root of all other disciplines – but don’t let the word “discipline” scare you. This talk will be very practical and may just be the key to your success going forward. He is the author of an award (Visionary Award) winning new book, Concerning the Nature and Structure of Concept. Reviewers have called his book (thus his work) “brimming with insights,” “intellectually fun,” “a startling fresh perspective on our world.” NY Times has called him “the guru of concept modeling.”

With past and present clients that include Warner Bros., Dreamworks, NBC/U, Interscope, Relativity and many others, Winston works on films, TV Shows, technologies, businesses and management models for executives. How cool is Bug Bunny? Very. With dozens of movies, technologies under his belt, his presentations are unique, insightful, informative, and yes, fun — he even concept modeled baseball. Love that! As Winston always says: “Let’s rock this thing!”

Biography:
As featured in the New York Times, and Deadline.com, Winston is the creator and founder of Concept Modeling, and author of his coming award (Visionary Award) winning book, Concerning The Nature And Structure Of Concept. His concept modeling helps studios and companies perfect films, ideas, technologies, science or businesses. It is considered revolutionary (truly, no cliché) by more and more professionals. The NY Times called Winston the “guru of Concept Modeling.”

Based on a discovery made on Feb. 6, 1989, -- a massive eureka moment as described in his book-- Winston developed a unique practice of deconstructing ideas based on deep insights on how the abstract world actually works or doesn’t – his past and present clients include Warner Bros., Dreamworks, NBC/U, Interscope, Relativity and many others.

His work may just represent a revolutionary advancement that launches you and your successful idea or investment, right here, right now. As Winston is fond of saying: ‘Let’s rock this thing!”

I saw this talk live a few weeks back. There’s something interesting to the general concept of what he’s trying to communicate here, but it doesn’t feel as gelled or as concrete as it could be. He needs to start with some iron clad definitions of “idea” and “concept” and go from there. I looked up his book, which appears to be self-published and incredibly overpriced. I’d pick up a copy if it was reasonably priced, though I suspect that it may not shed much more clarity on his ideas, which are almost a full concept.

The real value of a lot of this is in some of his examples. There are also some interesting thoughts for applying this to linguistics and early languages with smaller vocabularies compared to more developed modern languages with much larger vocabularies.

Notes:

Concept modeling

Ideas are infinite and free. Concepts are not. How can you get to the end of an idea?

Cup conceptually is a container.

Example of pictures of an airplane on the ground versus in the air. The picture of the airplane in the air is better because it contains the concept of what an airplane is.

Sir George Cayley cousin of mathematician Arthur Cayley

Negacept is a concept that defines its nature by the negation of another concept.

Example: Superman and krpytonite
Example: brakes on an automobile

Innovation is literally “into” and “new”

The softball is not based on a baseball, but is originally based on a boxing glove.

Concept is not obvious. It is not a structure or bigger idea, it’s not a strategy. Concept is abstract essence. It is nature, structure, activity and philosophy of abstract essence.

An idea is simply a possibility.

Revenge movie versus retaliation movie. Revenge takes time. Don’t take revenge. You can’t relate to movies unless there is a concept, and that is typically hope.

Words were originally based on concepts.

Watched Jadene Mayla: The Harmonic Bridge Between the Tech Space and Nature from YouTube

Carcinogenic EMF radiation from devices is transmutable via ancient Egyptian applied physics. Harmonic Artworks also open the gateway to co-create with the higher harmonic engineers of the natural world. The result = EMF shielding + human evolution.

Technology allows us a certain utility upon which we have become dependent, yet electromagnetic radiation entering our body from the devices we carry and wear is a known carcinogen; with scientists and doctors in 40 countries warning us about 5G raising our exposure from 6Ghz to 300Ghz. Harmonic Artworks applies ancient Egyptian physics to design authentic, aesthetic EMF shielding and offer a vital reconnection with higher harmonic intelligence. Known to the ancient Egyptians as NeTeRs, from which the word Nature is derived, these elemental forces hold the keys to sustainable technology and thus our future on Earth. The company achieved the target application in 2015 and after a break is poised to collaborate with producers of wearables and other products used in close proximity to the body.

Bio:
Jadene Mayla is a multimedia artist with an MFA in Applied Craft + Design from both Oregon College of Art and Craft and Pacific Northwest College of Art, a BLA in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon, a certificate in Permaculture Design from Cascadia Permaculture Institute, and a certificate in BioGeometry Foundations Training from the Vesica Institute for Holistic Studies. She maintains an active studio practice and has exhibited at the Port of Portland, Gresham Arts Committee Industrial Show, Findlay Group, Spectacular Design, Legacy Modern, Furthermore Gallery, Horsehead Gallery, Bar Maven, Launchpad Gallery, Cascade Gallery, Seven Virtues, Stylus Grooves, The Mansion, the Division Design Initiative, and the Synesthesia and Burning Man arts festivals. Her work
has been published in Nothing Sacred, the Clearwater Environmental Connector, Lake Oswego Neighbors Magazine, Alternatives Journal, the Portland Mercury, the Eugene Weekly, Untitled Magazine, the Center Street Literary Journal, Southern Oregon Magazine, and Natural Awakenings Magazine.

Her awards include May 2016 Artist of the Month for Findlay, a $12K scholarship for strength of proposal to the MFA AC+D program from PNCA/OCAC in 2013, Eco-Biz status since 2007, and first place in the H.O.P.E.S. national design competition in 2005. She has served on the National Honor Society and as Vice President for the American Center for Sustainability, given invited talks at Clackamas Community College and Ujima Center, lead workshops at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, Northwest Regional Permaculture Gathering, Village Building Convergence, and SE Portland Permaculture Convergence, and she was a co-founder of the Eugene City Repair Project.

I missed this particular coffee meetup earlier this year. Jadene pitched this idea to me this morning. Sadly having seen this I’m unlikely to think it has any basis in science at all despite her protestations that it does. Of course this also doesn’t mean that one could make it the basis of some type of lifestyle business, which is what she’s attempting to do.

RSVPed Attending Concept Modeling Your Disruptive Idea to Perfect It

Fri, Nov 22, 2019, 8:15 AM
How long have you been working on your idea? Or looking for that next disruptive investment? Better still, how do you perfect your skill in doing all that? How do you lock-down your idea, your technology, your business or even your approach to investments? Consider this: the key stems from a very practical understanding how the abstract world (where disruptive innovations come from in the first place) actually works. Amazingly, it is something we were never accurately taught. Hard to believe right? But change that…and we change everything. So take a step into both the past and future. Come to a talk that will change the way you understand the world forever – something that will actually make you smarter. How cool would that be?

Winston is the founder of a discipline called Concept Modeling, which is at the root of all other disciplines – but don’t let the word “discipline” scare you. This talk will be very practical and may just be the key to your success going forward. He is the author of an award (Visionary Award) winning new book, Concerning the Nature and Structure of Concept. Reviewers have called his book (thus his work) “brimming with insights,” “intellectually fun,” “a startling fresh perspective on our world.” NY Times has called him “the guru of concept modeling.”

With past and present clients that include Warner Bros., Dreamworks, NBC/U, Interscope, Relativity and many others, Winston works on films, TV Shows, technologies, businesses and management models for executives. How cool is Bug Bunny? Very. With dozens of movies, technologies under his belt, his presentations are unique, insightful, informative, and yes, fun — he even concept modeled baseball. Love that! As Winston always says: “Let’s rock this thing!”

RSVPed Unable to Attend Innovate Pasadena: Amara's Secret Sauce to Stay Inspired & Passionate in Business

Fri, May 24, 2019, 8:15 AM

Hi! My name is Amara Barroeta and I’m the owner of Amara Chocolate & Coffee in Old Town Pasadena. I’m not a restaurant business guru or a famous chef, so when I was invited to be a speaker at Friday Coffee Meet Up I was very honored and excited, and without hesitation I said: ‘yes I’d love to!’ And when I started developing today’s talk I got really scared and said: what can I offer these people, some of them entrepreneurs, maybe they have been in business longer than myself, or belong to different industries? And after digging for a while and inserting the crying emoji in my keyboard several times, the answer was plain and clear: the best I can share with them is my personal story, a story of Chocolate: with lots of bitter and sweet moments, but full of satisfactions. The story of transforming my life from what it was 10 years ago back in Venezuela where I worked in media and entertainment as a journalist while finishing my degree as a chemical engineer, to owning Amara Chocolate in Pasadena’s very competitive dining environment.

Amara’s have become a destination for locals, visitors and foodies alike; we have been featured in top publications and TV shows, and have been awarded as Best dessert, Best South American Food and Best Independent Coffee House for the last 7 years by Pasadena Weekly to name a few. Thus, looking back at my journey and seeing all the challenges that I have overcome being an immigrant and starting my own business has allowed me to stay passionate for what I do, developing a clear path to continue growing, and finding spaces to give back to my community.

So, is there a secret sauce for that? Let’s find out!

Bio:
Amara Barroeta is the owner of Amara Chocolate & Coffee Cafe in Pasadena, California. Originally from Venezuela, Amara emigrated to the United States to get her MBA at UCLA in 2010. Prior to leaving Venezuela, she was crowned first runner-up in the Miss Venezuela pageant in 2002. And not long after that, she graduated from university with a degree in Chemical Engineering and a specialization in food processing. Somewhat surprisingly though, it was her experience as a beauty queen that opened up a world of opportunities, including a chance to travel the world (and most often, to Hollywood) as a television newscaster.

Amara traveled to stay in the US when she began her studies at UCLA. She didn’t know then that Los Angeles would become her new home. But increasing political unrest and corruption in her home country, as well as a deep appreciation and love for America led Amara to decide to stay permanently in the United States, where she opened and successfully runs Amara Chocolate & Coffee Cafe.

Utilizing her background in chemical engineering, her MBA, and her the bright, friendly personality that served her well in her beauty queen days, Amara spends her days happily serving coffee, food, and chocolate to her steadfast customers and getting involved with local organizations helping the Venezuelan community in SoCal and abroad. In 2017 she spoke about her experience as an immigrant on the TEDxPasadena stage. In 2018 she was invited as the host/moderator of The Refugee Forum of Los Angeles.

Instagram: @amarachocolate
Speaker email: amarabarroeta@gmail.com
#amarachocolate #amaracafe