The Advancing San Diego (ASD) Internship Program launched this Spring in a remote-capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to provide up to 100 San Diego-based companies with fully subsidized interns. This program targets companies with 100 employees or less, which comprise 98 percent of all businesses in San Diego, employ nearly two thirds of San Diegans, and account for 70 percent of job growth. A key issue for these companies has been a lack of time and resources to recruit the skilled talent necessary to continue their growth.
As students close out their Summer internship experiences—and as we recruit a new cohort of companies and interns—EDC has launched this blog series to highlight the innovative local companies that comprise the first cohort of the program and the interns they hosted.
In this feature, we sat down with ZUM Radio intern and California State University (CSU) San Marcos student Kailyn King. A part of the inaugural cohort of host companies, ZUM Radio is a San Diego-based software company that manufactures radio-frequency transceivers for the amateur radio community. King is a computer science transfer student that began her studies at Oceanside’s MiraCosta College and is now in her first year at CSU San Marcos.
Read on for more from Kaylin.
How has your experience in the ASD Internship Program been, and what projects have been the most meaningful?
Applying for an internship through ASD and being connected with ZUM Radio proved to be a seamless transition from my coursework in community college to industry-based work. My supervisor Jim McLaughlin was excellent in relating the skills I had to new applications and opportunities for growth. My tasks included contributions to an open-source Android mobile application, revising a C program for a Raspberry Pi USB device, and writing guides on how to set up handheld transceivers for communicating on-air. Through this, I gained invaluable practical experience working for a project manager under a specific timelines. Above the technical knowledge, I learned the most about how to effectively communicate through email and daily Scrum meetings. Some of my biggest takeaways from this internships were practicing the management of expectations and keeping my colleagues informed about my progress on each project.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your day-to-day, and what challenges have you faced as a student?
Although I am no stranger to spending a lot of time in front of a computer, this new modality of fully-online learning has challenged my ability to dedicate time and energy throughout multiple classes. It is sometimes hard for me to focus as I typically stay at home for remote work and school. I now do my best to diversify my environment by studying in different locations, walking my dog through new routes, and running outside a couple times a week. We are all constantly subjected to the stresses of the pandemic, so it is important to have patience with ourselves as we work to the best of our abilities under these unusual conditions.
What advice would you give to students looking for a successful career in the local software industry?
Recognize that good company is all around you. Communicate often and be open with your colleagues, mentors, and potential employers. Your background, perspective, passion, and hard work will be recognized as you continue to reach out towards new and challenging opportunities.
We’re now accepting applications for small companies in need of business interns! Learn more about ASD and our internship program.
In 2017, the United Stated Department of Transportation, which oversees of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), launched the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP) to build pathways that would encourage the expansion of the commercial unmanned aerial systems industry safely and cohesively with existing piloted aircrafts.
Capitalizing on San Diego’s rich aerospace history, industry relationships, and unique operational environment, EDC partnered with the City of San Diego’s Office of Homeland Security to become one of only 10 jurisdictions across the United States to participate.
Over the past three years, San Diego IPP has laid the groundwork for regional companies of all sizes to develop cutting-edge UAS technology here in San Diego by utilizing the streamlined FAA approval process, supporting homegrown talent, and positioning the region as a UAS center of excellence by encouraging the industry’s growth.
As we wrap up the program, below are a few of the key successes:
Public Safety
The challenge: Chula Vista Police Department is largely understaffed—yet as the second largest city in San Diego County, it has been recognized at the tenth safest city in the United States with jurisdictions of more than 270,000 residents.
The solution: In coordination with the San Diego IPP, Chula Vista Police Department became the first in the nation to utilize drones as a proactive public safety tool. The department saw drones as a new opportunity to create a Drone as a First Responder (DFR) unit as a safer, less expensive alternative to helicopter and officer units.
San Diego IPP helped Chula Vista Police Department obtain a FAA permissions and waivers to provide safe, transparent jurisdictional coverage. Ultimately, Chula Vista Police Department was able to dispatch UAS to remotely assess the scene of emergency calls for service.
The results: Together, San Diego IPP and Chula Vista Police Department achieved great heights:
First public safety organization in the nation to be granted a Beyond Visual Line of Sight Certificate of Authorization.
First in the nation to achieve a Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight (“Close Proximity, Low Altitude”) Waiver. This enables police officers on scene to utilize small UAS to search behind obstacles, at a very low altitude to ensure safety for the officers, suspect, and potential bystanders.
First in the nation to achieve 2-to-1 Operations and is pending 100 percent jurisdictional coverage for a Public Aircraft Operator Certificate of Authorization. This enables the Remote Pilot in Command (the operator) to operate two drones at one time, an operation that required an entirely new FAA process to be created, and ultimately expanded service coverage for all residents in the City of Chula Vista.
Safe information dissemination to at-risk populations for COVID-19 response.
Statewide, nationwide, and international acclaim for public safety and innovation. San Diego IPP and Chula Vista Police Department received the 2020 AUVSI XCELLENCE Humanitarian and Public Safety Award, the 2019 California Police Chief’s Association Innovation Award, and were highlighted in UAS Norway, Chicago Tribune, Police Chief Magazine, Interdrone, Department of Justice’s DRONES publication, and more.
To date, DFR has responded to 4,303 calls, assisted in the arrest of 558 suspects, was the first to arrive on scene 1,987times, and has an average response time of 224.49 seconds.
Notably, in 1,065 instances, DFR has been able to avoid dispatching officer patrol units on scene—freeing those resources for other service calls and mitigating potential officer-involved confrontations.
COMPLEX AND CRITICAL Delivery
Despite airspace complexities and difficult operating environments, San Diego IPP leapt at the prospect to test the viability of both commercial food and medical specimen delivery within our region. San Diego IPP partnered with Uber, Matternet, and UPS Flight Forward to accomplish cutting-edge, time-sensitive deliveries in San Diego.
Food Delivery
The challenge: On the heels of a white paper on the future of urban air transportation, Uber Elevate was born. To bring its vision to fruition, Elevate determined a need for a multi-pronged effort at advancing Urban Air Mobility (UAM) efforts nationwide, but needed help obtaining permission for and conducting safe delivery testing.
The solution: Through a series of tests and strategic public-private partnerships, IPP helped the company take the first step toward urban air transportation.
San Diego IPP matured Uber Elevate’s initial business model past short-distance flights at San Diego State University to focus on a more complex delivery route from coastal Chula Vista to the Coronado Cays. San Diego IPP and Uber Elevate worked with local public and private partners for three months to coordinate efforts for a single week of safe delivery testing and an official Part 107 Commercial Food Delivery in December 2019.
Initially focused on food delivery convenience for the end user, San Diego IPP and Uber Elevate ultimately found an opportunity to expand areas of service for regional small businesses and provide options for communities without equal access to food delivery.
The results: Through this effort, San Diego IPP achieved:
The first real time Remote Identification test in the country. Remote Identification allows interested parties to utilize an application that enables the individual(s) watching to identify the drone operator and follow the drones path in real time.
Strategic public-private partnerships. To achieve one week of operations, San Diego IPP coordinated efforts with Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Navy – North Island Naval Air Station, and the local field office at Customs and Border Protection to mandate a minimum altitude to avoid conflicts with existing aviators. Additionally, San Diego IPP worked with the Port of San Diego to create new land use agreements for take-off and landing zones in undeveloped areas along the San Diego Bay for the week of operations. Finally, the Cities of Chula Vista and Coronado both engaged in testing planning efforts and advocacy. The first official Part 107 Delivery was made to Coronado City Council Member, Bill Sandke.
Innovative safety process formation. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees two sanctuaries adjacent to the route, worked with the San Diego IPP team to create solutions to addresses the safe operations of UAS in, near, and around animal sanctuaries, in coordination with FAA and the Department of the Interior legal counsels.
Medical Specimen Delivery
The challenge: With San Diego’s globally recognized expertise and innovation in life sciences, medical specimen delivery was a particularly important goal. With the ability to delivers medical specimens via UAS, San Diego healthcare providers could improve delivery speed and reliability, and ultimately cut costs and improve care. However, Matternet needed help obtaining waivers for night operations and flights over people to support its tests.
The solution: After extensive groundwork, San Diego IPP helped Matternet obtain accommodations for proof-of-concept flights at UC San Diego Health’s Jacobs Medical Center, including a §107.39 waiver enabling operations over people and a §107.29 waiver enabling operations at night. Matternet and UPS Flight Forward were operable and making vertical moves in San Diego by early 2020.
The results: San Diego IPP, with Matternet and UPS Flight Forward, accomplished:
259 successful flight operations at the UC San Diego Health Jacobs Medical Center.
Two separate route approvals on the UCSD Health Jacobs Medical Center Campus.
Next Steps
After three years of aiding in the development and growth of an emerging innovation industry, San Diego IPP will not be moving forward with the FAA’s next step, BEYOND.
EDC will continue to work to ensure San Diego remains a welcome space to research, design, develop, test, and advocate for the drone community, and will continue to provide exemplary service for any UAS business interested in expanding their business or concepts in our region.
Finally, we are excited to continue working with our regional leaders to ensure that we support opportunities that advance this emerging industry, as innovation is the cornerstone to our region.
As the year comes to a close, Advancing San Diego partners remain committed to connecting San Diego students to local companies into 2021. We’re excited now to announce our Preferred Providers of business talent, and to open our application round for small companies in need of business interns.
First up: Meet the Preferred Providers of business talent
EDC, San Diego Workforce Partnership, and Advancing San Diego partners are excited to announce the following schools as Preferred Providers of business talent. Through a competitive application process, these Preferred Providers are colleges, universities, and certificate programs recognized by local employers for training the next generation of business professionals in San Diego.
Preferred Providers of business talent:
CSU San Marcos
MiraCosta College
National University
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego State University
UC San Diego Extension
University of San Diego
The Preferred Provider network serves as a resource to better connect employers to locally-serving education programs. Earlier this year, we announced the cohorts of Preferred Providers of software and engineering talent. View the full network of programs on EDC’s Preferred Provider map. Learn more about their respective programs
And finally, Do you need business interns?
We’ll pay them for you.
Through the Advancing San Diego Internship Program, small local companies can host remote business interns at no cost to them. All interns will be sourced from Preferred Provider programs mentioned above and will be paid $20/hour. If you are a small company (<100 employees) interested in hosting business interns in the springand meet the eligibility criteria, please apply now! Twelve companies will be selected to host interns starting March 2021. Applications will close December 18, 2020.
Hear first-hand testimonials from some of the 34 small businesses who have already hosted interns in our blog series here.
The Advancing San Diego (ASD) Internship Program launched this Spring in a remote-capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to provide up to 100 San Diego-based companies with fully subsidized interns. This program targets companies with 100 employees or less, which comprise 98 percent of all businesses in San Diego, employ nearly two thirds of San Diegans, and account for 70 percent of job growth. A key issue for these companies has been a lack of time and resources to recruit the skilled talent necessary to continue their growth.
As students close out their Summer internship experiences, EDC has launched this blog series to highlight the innovative local companies that comprise the first cohort of the program, and the interns they hosted.
In this feature, we sat down withTraits AI, Inc. intern and Mesa College student Emma Plum. A part of the inaugural cohort of host companies, Traits AI is a San Diego-based software company that creates animated artificial intelligence (AI) avatars that you can talk to, like you talk to Siri or Alexa. The company develops Alexa Skills, Google Assistant Actions, and chatbots for clients to help them better serve their customers; but its particular area of focus is on AI avatars that put a face to the voice using an animated avatar that looks like and sounds like the person they represent to help them extend their reach.
People are busy, especially those in in-demand professions like law, healthcare, consulting, and more. In these fields, there’s often only one point-person, but thousands of people who want a little bit of their time. While we cannot duplicate or replace those professionals, Traits AI can extend their reach by automating some of the repetitive parts of what they do on a daily basis. This frees them up to spend more time on things that require their unique skill set and expertise.
Read on for more from Emma.
How has your experience in the ASD Internship Program been, and what projects have been the most meaningful?
I enjoyed my time in the internship at Traits AI. My supervisor Brandon was very understanding and flexible with work schedules. My primary projects were working on Facebook Messenger bots/marketing campaigns and email marketing/automation. These helped my understanding of design in marketing greatly, as well as improved my time management skills.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your day-to-day, and what challenges have you faced as a student?
Online learning and the transfer to the online structure has been particularly challenging during this time. Online school is an entirely different beast. Scheduling seems more flexible but between keeping up with everything at home (work, school, clubs, social life), Zoom fatigue hits hard and you have to keep a strict schedule to keep up.
What advice would you give to high school students looking for a successful career in the local software industry?
Be assertive! You don’t know what you don’t know, so reach out to the people who do. Talk to a high school counselor or someone knowledgeable about job opportunities, interview skills, resume reviews, and industry knowledge. Networking can be a gamechanger; go out and email or connect on LinkedIn/social media with industry professionals as you look for advice or job openings. Chase after job opportunities, even the ones you think you won’t get because you never know where you’ll get your foot in the door. Even if you don’t get the job after the interview, that’s a great practice. And don’t be afraid to leave a job if the work environment is toxic.
The Advancing San Diego (ASD) Internship Program launched this Spring in a remote-capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to provide up to 100 San Diego-based companies with fully subsidized interns. This program targets companies with 100 employees or less, which comprise 98 percent of all businesses in San Diego, employ nearly two thirds of San Diegans, and account for 70 percent of job growth. A key issue for these companies has been a lack of time and resources to recruit the skilled talent necessary to continue their growth.
As students close out their Summer internship experiences, EDC has launched this blog series to highlight the innovative local companies that comprise the first cohort of the program, and the interns they hosted.
In this feature, we sat down with Brandon Bosse, Founder and CEO at Traits AI, Inc. A part of the inaugural cohort of host companies, Traits AI is a San Diego-based software company that creates animated artificial intelligence (AI) avatars that you can talk to, like you talk to Siri or Alexa. The company develops Alexa Skills, Google Assistant Actions, and chatbots for clients to help them better serve their customers; but its particular area of focus is on AI avatars that put a face to the voice using an animated avatar that looks like and sounds like the person they represent to help them extend their reach.
People are busy, especially those in in-demand professions like law, healthcare, consulting, and more. In these fields, there’s often only one point-person, but thousands of people who want a little bit of their time. While we cannot duplicate or replace those professionals, Traits AI can extend their reach by automating some of the repetitive parts of what they do on a daily basis. This frees them up to spend more time on things that require their unique skill set and expertise.
Read on for more from Traits AI founder Brandon Bosse.
Why was your company founded, and what are your current points of focus?
You know that annoying feeling you get when you ask Siri or Alexa a question and she completely gets it wrong and has no idea what you just said? Yeah, we get annoyed by that, too! That is the underlying problem we fell in love with and seek to solve: people need better, more instant access to information. Of course the nuances of language are incredibly challenging to understand even for us people and, so far, understanding complex language is also beyond what AI models can do. That’s why we turned to crowd-sourcing responses as a stepping stone approach until natural language models like GPT-3 are able to grasp the nuances of language.
Our main point of focus now is on establishing product-market-fit to help in raising a pre-seed funding round. Most investors aren’t aware of the budding field of synthetic media and recent advances in China, New Zealand, and Canada, and it is our job to help demonstrate how AI avatars can be a benefit to modern society.
Tell us about your experience building a startup in San Diego.
San Diego is an amazing place to start a tech company because it attracts so many brilliant people and has a thriving startup scene.
For example, in 2017, I joined the fall cohort of The Founder Institute, which was instrumental in getting Traits AI up and off the ground. Through networking with fellow graduates, I learned about the Small Business Development Center and The Brink where I have received mentorship and support, including connection to the ASD Internship Program. For the past two years, I have volunteered at the registration desk of San Diego Startup Week and have met some really amazing people!
There are also fun community events and meetup groups that have been a great way to socialize and meet other people interested in entrepreneurship, AI, and tech. I’ve enjoyed attending Triton Entrepreneur Night where I got to see how great pitching is done! And I’ve met some really smart and amazing people at The Machine Learning Society and The San Diego Machine Learning Meetup Group.
Has your company pivoted as a result of COVID-19?
Yes, in March 2020 we began working on a new AI avatar/chatbot named Vita to help people with advanced care planning, like filling out an advanced directive. Since patients with COVID-19 are typically in isolation, having an AI avatar help them navigate their healthcare choices makes sense so that healthcare staff aren’t exposed any longer than necessary. Vita is able to take as long as the patient needs to talk about and answer questions related to advanced care planning.
Tell us a little bit about your interns and the value they bring.
We have been lucky enough to work with four interns through the program and they have all brought their own unique talents to the team. Their education in programming, web development, social media, and creative writing have helped the company advance toward our goals. I have found them to be professional, responsible, and hardworking even during this time of remote work and I am grateful to have them on the team.
In your opinion, what is special about San Diego’s science and technology community, and the talent that drives it?
California has always been the land of dreamers—people who dare to DREAM BIG and make their dreams come true. It also attracts open-minded, outside-the-box thinkers who don’t always fit into mainstream society. I see many dreamers, open-minded, outside-the-box thinkers in San Diego and THAT is what makes it a great science and tech community.
I think Steve Jobs put it best when he said, “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes…the ones who see things differently—they’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
The Advancing San Diego (ASD) Internship Program launched this Spring in a remote-capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to provide up to 100 San Diego-based companies with fully subsidized interns. This program targets small businesses with 100 employees or less, which comprise 98 percent of all businesses in San Diego, employ nearly two thirds of San Diegans, and account for 70 percent of job growth. A key issue for these companies has been a lack of time and resources to recruit the skilled talent necessary to continue their growth.
As students close out their Summer internship experiences, EDC has launched this blog series to highlight the innovative local companies that comprise the first cohort of the program, and the interns they hosted.
In this feature, we sat down with Paul Krupski, ASD software intern at Perspectium. A part of the inaugural cohort of host companies, San Diego-based, minority-owned SaaS company Perspectium was founded in 2013 by David Loo, the founding developer of ServiceNow. The company now also has offices in San Jose, New York, and London.
Paul, start by telling us a little about yourself.
I transferred from Oceanside-based MiraCosta Community College to Brown University where I’ll be finishing my degree in computer science with a focus in artificial intelligence and a minor in finance. In the professional world, I hope to work in the fintech sector applying the latest technologies to the financial industry. Interning at Perspectium gave me a firsthand look at how third party tech companies can offer SaaS to companies of all industries, saving them time and money by handling their informational needs. I hope to take what I’ve learned through this internship and use it towards my future of applying computer science to finance.
How has your experience in the ASD Internship Program been, and what projects/assignments have been the most meaningful?
I have had a very positive experience while participating in the ASD Internship Program. The most meaningful projects that I completed while working at Perspectium were instances where I would be directly interacting with several data bases to send and receive information from a web application.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your day-to-day, and what challenges have you faced as a student?
COVID-19 has affected my routine as a student by causing my semester at Brown to be completely online. Although this has been a challenge, I’ve been fortunate in that it has not hindered my ability to plan my academic goals and advance forward to my future career.
What advice would you give to high school students looking for a successful career in the local software industry?
Be an active learner both in computer science and professional etiquette. Be sure to research and practice for the interviewing process.
We hope you were able to tune into our October 1 event featuring speakers from McKinsey & Co. discussing global supply chain risks and how supply chain professionals can ensure their businesses are resilient. Thank you to CMTC, Solar Turbines, and Walmart for sponsoring this event.
The following federally funded opportunities are available through CMTC to manufacturers in California. To learn more about how you can take advantage of these opportunities, contact San Diego regional manager, David Moates.
“Up to $4.6T in trade flows could shift to different countries over the next 5 years as companies rethink supply chains” —@McKinsey#MadeinSD#MFGday2020 cc: @WTCSanDiego
The Advancing San Diego (ASD) Internship Program launched this Spring in a remote-capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to provide up to 100 San Diego-based companies with fully subsidized interns. This program targets companies with 100 employees or less, which comprise 98 percent of all businesses in San Diego, employ nearly two thirds of San Diegans, and account for 70 percent of job growth. A key issue for these companies has been a lack of time and resources to recruit the skilled talent necessary to continue their growth.
As students close out their Summer internship experiences, EDC has launched this blog series to highlight the innovative local companies that comprise the first cohort of the program, and the interns they hosted.
In this feature, we sat down with Jaden Risner, CEO and Co-Founder at Family Proud. A part of the inaugural cohort of host companies, Family Proud is a San Diego-based, Veteran-owned and operated company that provides a care management platform which connects patients and families to a community and resources critical to their care, in a time of need.
The platform is secure and easy-to-use, and allows families to communicate to their support network, receive support through our care registry, and communicate with others in similar situations through our peer network. Family Proud provides a foundation for families to receive support and love, and enhance care for their loved one.
Why was your company founded?
Family Proud started from a place of love. Our mission has always been to ensure no family need goes unmet and that’s why every day we strive to help as many people as possible with all the love we have to give.
Family Proud is inspired by both co-founders’ personal experiences. I spent 12 years of active duty with the Navy as a helicopter pilot. On one of my deployments, my mother had a heart attack and I was confronted with the struggles of remote care. Several deployments later, my father was diagnosed with cancer. I ended up becoming my mother’s informal caretaker and have personally experienced the burdens of care.
My co-founder Clay was a USMC staff sergeant and was diagnosed with cancer in April 2008. Four months later, after undergoing chemotherapy, Clay’s cancer went into remission. But when his cancer came back a year later, and he was given six months to live, the 13-year Marine Corps veteran set a new goal, the Iron Man. A clinical trial at UC San Diego is ultimately what saved his life, and he went on to compete in the Ironman World Championship triathlon in Hawaii in 2010 shortly after his terminal cancer discharge. Clay committed himself back to patient care, became a patient advocate, and went back to school. Clay is now a healthcare executive and Family Proud’s Chief Strategy Officer.
Tell us about your experience building a small business/startup in San Diego. What resources, services, and/or organizations were most valuable for supporting your Family Proud’s growth?
San Diego has a great startup ecosystem. From academia to events and coworking spaces, Family Proud has been fortunate to lean on the community to support our early growth. The ASD Internship Program is an example of the collaborative support available in San Diego—working together to support innovation, development, and growth for the greater San Diego economy.
Has your company pivoted as a result of COVID-19?
Although our initial market focus was on the pediatric cancer and Veteran communities within the San Diego region, COVID-19 has opened our service aperture to a far greater audience in need. For example, to broaden our impact, we rolled out our “Digital Care Kit” program—a custom PDF e-package consisting of care registry credit, relevant resources, products, services, lessons learned, and peer connections based on the recipient’s location and adversity. Family Proud vets families in need and connects them with a care kit, which has been sponsored by a generous donor. To request or sponsor a Family Proud Digital Care Kit, please visit our website.
Tell us a little bit about your interns and the value they bring.
As a small business in San Diego, we’ve been fortunate to receive consistent news/opportunities from the City and EDC newsletters. The timing of the launch of the ASD Internship Program happened to coincide with our product development schedule. Our software developer intern, Shaeli, was an amazing addition to the technology team. She brought a fresh, outside-the-box perspective, was resilient and flexible to the new virtual/remote collaborative environment, and always approached her weekly tech sprint challenges with a positive and determined attitude. Family Proud was very lucky to have Shaeli onboard with us this Summer!
