Senior reporter Tami Abdollah looks at MiraDX, one of many L.A. companies repurposing their existing business to address the pandemic. The abrupt shift is creating a network of such businesses in a city not known for its biotech culture. We'll be highlighting several other companies in the coming weeks.
This is the first day businesses can apply for federal grants to help cover the damage from COVID-19. Ben Bergman looks into what it could mean for the city's ailing startups.
Sinai Temple Rabbi David Wolpe, Abundant Living Family Church Pastor Adam Mesa, and Jihad Turk, founding President of Bayan Claremont Islamic Graduate School, will join moderator Tami Abdollah for an online forum Tuesday to talk about the challenges and opportunities new technology is providing their congregant. Join us! The virtual roundtable is free, but space is limited. Sign up here.
From Cancer Screening to Coronavirus Tests
MiraDX started 10 years ago to help determine cancer risk and measure response to cancer treatment. In just a few weeks, the company has completely refocused to test first responders and people most at risk of COVID-19. "We have all the equipment, we have the expertise, we're a high-complexity molecular diagnostics lab, which is exactly poised to look at this," says the company's founder. Read more >>
Which Startups Qualify For Help?
Requirements for federal assistance for businesses crushed by coronavirus are murky enough, but they are especially confusing for venture-backed companies, many of which could be excluded under the original wording of the $2 trillion stimulus package. "The stress of this is just tremendous because the money will be gone in a flash," one founder says. Read more >>
NASA Goes Back to the Worm
NASA is restoring a squiggly graphic representation of its acronym, known as "the Worm," to a place of prominence, 28 years after it was consigned to the dustbin of space history. Read more >>
Our Next Online Event: Religion's New Faith in Tech
Join us next Tuesday (4/7) at 11 a.m. PST for an interfaith virtual roundtable: "Religion's New Faith in Tech." How does one keep the faith when a pandemic closes the doors of churches, mosques, and synagogues around the world? As the coronavirus crisis begins to intersect with high holidays such as Passover, Ramadan and Easter, religious leaders are turning to digital communication methods to maintain their communities.
Read more about the event | Register here - space is limited!
Sign Up For Our Virtual Pitch Showcase
We host our first virtual pitch showcase on Thursday, April 9th, and we're looking for Southern California startups in any industry to take part — in particular companies that can have a positive impact on the current COVID-19 pandemic. Submissions will be evaluated on a rolling basis. We'll let you know if you're chosen to pitch your startup. Nominate your company here >>