SDSI WELCOMES NEW MEMBER AIRGROUP
Airgroup San Diego services our clients globally, supporting all modes of transportation both Domestic and Internationally. Our clients range from Kickstarter to Fortune 100 and we are relied on to navigate the complexities that fall under logisticswith with our experience, passion and bandwidth. Airgroup provides a recipe for a successful Supply Chain so our clients can spend time building business. Most recently, our office was given accolades by Seth Godin which reached his website. Airgroup San Diego is proud to join SDSI and we are looking forward to becoming an active member and valued partner!

SDSI Springboard Accepts 6 companies into Class 8
The results are in and after a rigorous application and screening process, six promising companies have been accepted into SDSI Springboard; each paired with a team of mentors to work through a 20-week real-life, curriculum that results in a well refined and scalable business strategy. The statistics speak for themselves: the 61 SDSI Springboard Graduates have raised nearly $50M in capital, have created 390 jobs and 89% are still in business. Yes, you read that correctly… that’s nearly a 9 out of 10 success rate, the opposite of Forbs.com’s estimate that 90% of new companies fail. Being accepted into our prestigious program is an accomplishment in its self.

Joins us in welcoming our newest cohort of SDSI Springboard into the SDSI membership and stay tuned for updates in the coming months!

• Core-Tex is creating a new space in fitness, sports performance and rehabilitation, referred to as reactive training. Its patented motion creates the “ultimate training environment” that challenges and improves many aspects of physical performance. 
• ilabb – Two New Zealand motocross riders saw an opportunity in their sport to develop streetwear fashion with personality, giving riders and supporters an identity of being part of the scene, and taking fans from the track to town. Now a leading brand in New Zealand, ilabb is launching in Southern California and expand globally.
• Kilomodo Beginning with an emphasis on CrossFit, the fitness tracking platform, offers something new in the way of performance analytics and comparative results. With Kilomodo, athletes have an easy way to accurately keep track of their workouts, coaches have a great way to track everyone's progress, and the community has a better way to stay connected. 
• PODlife is changing the game of sports nutrition with their Protein PODs - the new way to buy and consume protein powder on the go. Simply load a POD into the PODlife POD Shaker, add water and activate for the perfect serve of protein, wherever you are. 
• Race Guards provides “In-Race” first aid assistance to race participants from start to finish. Their team of medically trained professionals runs the entire race, in pairs, from start to finish providing support to runners who may be in distress, injured or needing medical attention. 
• The WaveWrecker wetsuit for bodysurfers, solves two age-old challenges; sinking and steering while catching a wave. With strategically designed fins that boost buoyancy and creative control, WaveWrecker is the perfect wetsuit for children of all ages to have more fun in the water. 

Event Recap- Chew and Chat: Kickstarter case study with RinseKit and how they surpassed their goal by 1,320%
RinseKit set out on Kickstarter with the goal of raising $30,000 and the hopes of raising $100,000 and gaining some brand awareness along the way. To their surprise they reached their goal in the first 48 hours and closed their 30-day campaign with $396,299 from 2,412 backers. SDSI brought the General Membership to the RinseKit headquarters this morning to learn from Founder, Chris Crawford and CEO, Eric Fagan what they attribute their success to and lessons learned along the way. Below are some key takeaways from Chris and Eric’s presentation. View event photos here.

• Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Kickstarter may not be the right option for all companies.  Is your goal to raise funds or awareness? An honest evaluation on your company’s goals and a full due diligence on alternative strategies will determine if Kickstarter is the right choice. After determining that Kickstarter was the best route, RinseKit spend two months developing their campaign and was ready to execute the full 30-day campaign before it was activated. Setting yourself up for success is key, make sure your campaign goal is realistic and attainable but also lofty enough to be compelling to supporters. Remember, if you don’t reach your campaign goals you do not receive any of the backing!
   
• Successful Kickstarter Campaigns Require Investment. That is Capital and Personnel. Rinsekit recommended $150-1,000/day, in advertising spend alone, to properly promote a successful campaign. And for the full, 30-day campaign, the entire RinseKit team was laser focused on promoting and prioritizing their campaign.
   
• Don’t do it alone. You cannot rely on Kickstarter to push people to your campaign. New campaigns are only temporarily featured before they get buried on the Kickstarter site. And as Kickstarter is becoming increasingly more popular, its increasingly more challenging for your campaign to go viral, so you have to bring your own audience. Building a list of key influencers and providing them consistent messaging and content to easily share on their social platforms was critical for RinseKit’s success. RinseKit also interviewed several third party Kickstarter specialists to help them develop, deploy and maintain their full 30-day campaign.
   
• Momentum is key. RinseKit largely attributes their viral campaign to a feature on GI Gadgets. Their single GI Gadgets Facebook post received 581,000 views and 5,600 shares. RinseKit’s partnership with a third party Kickstarter specialist to establish this momentum and spending advertising dollars to fuel the momentum, was vital to their success. But a successful campaign is not over in 30 days. Now, nearly 90 days after their campaign is closed, the Rinsekit team is still working hard to maintain that positive momentum. As Eric put it “Losing momentum is worse than never having it at all”.

Bill Walton’s Grateful Dead-centric month
SDSI's Executive Chairman Bill Walton helped the Dead & Company bring their 24-show, summer tour to an end, by accompanying the band with an on stage drum session at the final show at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA. Bill and his wife, Lori, attended several shows on the tour and loved every minute of it. Read more and see the video here.

On August 9, to honor the 21st anniversary of the death of Jerry Garcia, Bill wrote a touching tribute to his friend. "We’ll always remember you, Jerry, more so today than ever before, now that we’re all alone, in the great unknown." Read the full tribute here. 

Bill attended the Annual Jerry Garcia Night hosted by the San Francisco Giants benefitting the Grateful Dead nonprofit, Rex Foundation. This year’s festivities included the usual incorporation of Grateful Dead into the pregame concert, National anthem, first pitch and Bill (alongside Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart) was part of the “PLAY BALL” announcement…The Giants must have learned their lesson after letting him participate in singing the National Anthem last year. Here are a few photos.

Aculief enters clinical trial
"Have you suffered, or are you currently suffering, from head pain due to headaches? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a clinical trial in which a wearable acupressure device may reduce your pain. There is no cost to you for any medical visits. If eligible to enroll, compensation for your time will be provided. Participation will require two 30 min. office visits to Aculief Carlsbad offices and completion of a pain journal that can be completed on your own." Contact Jon Doogan at 619-495-1545 or jon.doogan@aculief.com.

Atomic Groove to headline Barney & Barney Rock the Foundation
Since 2009, the Barney & Barney Foundation has made more than $1.8 Million in grants to non-profit organizations in California. The 2016 Rock the Foundation Benefit Concert will support 8 grant recipients including Boy’s & Girl’s Club, Junior Achievement, Social Advocates for Youth and Women’s Resource Center of Oceanside. Join the Atomic Groove, a high-energy, dance variety band for a night under the stars, mingling and fun for a great cause. Details available here.

Dynamic Disruption Summit 2016 to feature Bill Walton keynote, sponsorships available
"Sales & marketing must embrace new strategies and transform their methodologies to ignite performance and drive revenue growth in today’s omni-channel, social media-driven, global marketplace." SDSI Board of Directors Member Ken Schmitt from TurningPoint Executive Search, is hosting the 2016 Dynamic Disruption Summit on October 27 to address just that. In its second year, the conference will showcase a number of innovative and dynamic companies and leaders including SDSI members Bill Walton, Hookit and Slyde Handboards, among others. Contact Ken directly to discuss how your business can get involved with this year's event. Learn more about Dynamic Disruption Summit 2016

FlyDive featured on MSNBC show “Your Business”
MSNBC’s “Your Business” showcased FlyDive in an interview with CEO Christos Nicolaidis discussing the company’s unique technology and position in the Hydroflight market. FlyDive sets itself apart from its competitors by making the sport accessible to beginners and families. Watch the whole feature at MSNBC.

Hookit to evaluate Los Angeles Lakers jersey sponsorship value
The NBA’s recent announcement allowing sponsorship logos on player’s uniforms for the 2017-18 season has led to Hookit’s new partnership with the Los Angeles Lakers. Hookit, was selected by the Lakers to create a digital and social media sponsorship valuation to aid in determining the reach and financial benefit of a jersey sponsorship. Read more about the partnership here.

8^th grade world basketball champ crowned in San Diego
The Inaugural 2016 IndiHoops 8th Grade World Championships proved to be a world class event that would usher players from their 8th grade AAU season into their upcoming high school journey for years to come. Teams traveling from as far as Florida, Minnesota, Utah, and Texas, were inspired by a key note from Shea Cotton, the original "Manchild".  Read the full tournament recap including All Tournament Teams and MVP here.  

RIDEcyclery’s new downtown location now open
Located in the lobby of DiamondView Tower, RIDE Cyclery’s newest location offers entry from the lobby of the office building as well as Petco Park's "Park in the Park". A perfect partner to RIDE’s newest location is the new “bicycle valet room” for building tenants which promotes commuting to work. The Bike Locker shares common glass walls with both the lobby and RIDE Cyclery providing a very interactive experience for the tenants, bike shop customers and visitors to the building. With the face of retail changing rapidly, the new flagship store provides the customer a new shopping experience, with the store acting as a showroom of the best RIDE Cyclery has to offer and order fulfillment occurring within a day or two of purchase. Learn more at Ridecylcery.com.



FITzee Foods named co-winner of Samuel Adams Pitch Room Competition
2013 SDSI Springboard Graduate, FITzee Foods was one of two winners of the San Diego Pitch Room competition, a Samuel Adams program created to help small business owners improve their sales pitch. FITZee Foods will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Boston to compete in the national finals in December for a chance to win a $10,000 grant and a year of mentoring from Sam Adams executives. Read more here.

SDSI Springboard Mentor Glenn Brumage joins SeatRack
As Director of Business Development at SeatRack, Glenn Brumage is the newest member of the team and is responsible for driving the direction and implementation of their expanding business.  Read more about SeatRack at TransWorld Business. Brumage is a dedicated mentor for SDSI Springboard having mentored six companies since 2013 and is currently mentoring Class 8 participant Race Guards. 

DMOS Collective wines 2016 Pitch Day
At the 5th Annual Silicon Couloir Pitch Day in Jackson Wyoming, 2015 SDSI Springboard Graduate DMOS Collective took home the Grand Prize and the Audience Choice Award for a total of $7,500 and future coaching. Read more here.   

TurningPoint Tip
It's beginning to look a lot like.... Hiring Season! As we quickly emerge from the summer, it's time to ramp up those hiring plans. While historically, January has been the busiest month for hiring, September is a very close second. Top talent is ready to advance their career by entertaining other opportunities; companies are beginning to see signs of what 2017 sales will look like; and corporate leaders are preparing to enhance their teams as we head into year end. Remember, according to the latest data, the average time to fill a position has been steadily rising over the past 18 months, and while many junior and mid-level roles may be filled in 45-60 days, the more senior the opening, the more time it takes to find that A Player. If you are looking to get someone onboard and contributing in 2016, now is the time to start interviewing.  

Job Openings
Director of Operations, Distribution - Maryland 
Business Development Manager, Consulting/Professional Services - Mountain View  
Business Development Account Manager, Consultng/Professional Services – Irvine  
Plant Manager, CPG – Phoenix, AZ  
Director of Marketing, Healthcare Services/Tech - Los Angeles, CA  
Business Development Manager, Consulting/Professional Services – San Antonio, TX  
Account Manager, Healthcare Services/Tech - Los Angeles, CA 

Advntur – Community Manager click for info

ElliptiGO – Operations Technician click for info

Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa – Multiple positions available click for info

J!NX – Multiple positions available click for info 

KPMG - Multiple positions available click for info

RSM – Multiple positions available click for info 

Red Door Interactive – Multiple positions available click for info

SKLZ – Multiple positions available click for info

Upper Deck – Multiple positions available click for info

TurningPoint Executive Search, ranked #33 on SDBJ "2016 Fast Growing Private Company", is SDSI's resident expert for hiring, retention and job search. A San Diego native with more than 16 years of recruiting experience, President and Founder, Ken Schmitt is available as a sounding board who can share industry “best practices” with SDSI members.  Have you registered for the 2016 Dynamic Disruption Summit? Early bird pricing is now available. Read their blog and contact Ken at Kens@turningpointsearch.net.

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Aug. 30 SDSI Advisory Board Meeting, 3:30-6pm

Oct. 5 Chat and Chew General Membership Breakfast, 8-9:30am

Oct. 25 SDSI Board of Directors Meeting, 4-6pm

Nov. 15 SDSI Advisory Board Meeting, 3:30-6pm

Dec. 13 SDSI Holiday Party

Aug. 27-28 Sun Diego AM Slam Surf Series Event 3, San Clemente click for info

Sep. 7 Surf Park Summit 2, Orlando FL Click for info

Sep. 8-10 Surf Expo, Orlando FL click for info

Sep. 21-23 Interbike, Las Vegas, NV click for info

Sep. 23-24 Everfest Bikefest, Raleigh NC click for info

Sep. 24 -25 Sun Diego AM Slam Surf Series Event 4 Mission Beach click for info

Sep. 29 Barney & Barney Rock the Foundation click for info

Sep. 30 - Oct. 7 INNOVATE San Diego 

Oct. 1-2 Maker Faire click for info

Oct. 7 Manufacturing Day click for info

Oct. 27 Dynamic Disruption, San Diego, CA click for info

Jan. 5-6 Agenda Long Beach click for info

Jan. 5-8 CES 2017, Las Vegas, NV click for info