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>> Ben Stone: OKAY, YOU'LL NOW
BE HEARING FROM A PANEL
OF THREE BUSINESSPEOPLE,
UM, IN VARIOUS SECTORS
OF OUR ECONOMY.
YOU KNOW, SONOMA COUNTY'S
A COU-COUNTY OF ENTREPRENEURS.
AND WE HAVE, UH, IT WAS KIND
OF A CHORE TO PICK, UH,
THREE PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT
THEIR EXPERIENCES HERE.
BUT THE THREE PEOPLE
WE CHOSE HAVE SEV-SEVERAL,
UH, ASPECTS IN COMMON.
THEY'RE HIGHLY CREATIVE,
THEY'VE TAKEN REAL RISKS,
AND THEY'VE MADE
A REAL DIFFERENCE
IN BUILDING THEIR BUSINESS
TO GO OUTSIDE SONOMA COUNTY,
AND BRING NEW MONEY
INTO THE AREA.
THEY REPRESENT THE CREATIVE
AND INNOVATIVE THINKING
WE NEED TO ADVANCE OUR ECONOMY.
THE PANEL WILL BE FACILITATED
BY SCOTT ORMEROD,
OF LEAP SOLUTIONS.
IN ADDITION TO BEING
AN IPAD EXPERT,
SCOTT HAS A BUSINESS
HE LAUNCHED, IN 1998,
KNOWN AS LEAP SOLUTIONS.
HIS DIVERSE EXPERIENCE
INCLUDES HUMAN RESOURCES,
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT,
RISK MANAGEMENT, AND FINANCE.
THE FIRST PANELIST
I'LL INTRODUCE
WILL BE MARK INMAN.
MARK WAS RAISED
IN SONOMA COUNTY,
AND STARTED THE FIRM OF
TAYLOR MAID COFFEE, IN 1992.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD
OF TAYLOR MAID COFFEE?
LOOK AT THAT, MARK.
THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING.
JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY HERE.
UM, IT'S, UH, HARD TO BELIEVE,
BUT, YOU KNOW,
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT,
1992 IS BEFORE STARBUCKS
WAS REALLY AROUND.
IT WAS BEFORE, UH, PEOPLE
WERE TALKING ABOUT LATTES
AND-AND, UH, GOURMET COFFEE.
BUT MARK ALWAYS HAD
A PASSION FOR COFFEE.
TOOK THAT PASSION
AND TURNED IT INTO A BUSINESS
THAT HAD A-A NATIONAL MARKET.
UH, HE DID SO WELL
WITH TAYLOR MAID, HE BECAME
THE PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD, UH,
SPECIALTY COFFEE ASSOCIATION,
AND HAS GONE ON TO PARTICIPATE
IN A NUMBER OF THINGS
AROUND THE WORLD.
UH, MARK HAS A STRONG
COMMITMENT TO
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP,
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE,
AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
MARK'S BEEN FEATURED IN
THE "NEW YORK TIMES,"
UH, "TIME" MAGAZINE,
AND MANY OTHER
NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS.
THE SECOND PANELIST
WILL BE AL COPPIN,
OF KEEGAN AND COPPIN.
AL CO-FOUNDED THAT FIRM
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO,
AND IT'S GROWN TO BE
THE LARGEST COMMERCIAL
REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE
IN ITS FOUR COUNTY,
UH, TERRITORY.
AL HAS A BACHELORS AND AN MBA
FROM U.C. BERKELEY,
AND SERVES ON VARIOUS
COMMUNITY BOARDS,
INCLUDING THE SALVATION ARMY.
AL WAS ASKED TO SERVE
ON THE PANEL, IN PART,
BECAUSE HE WORKS WITH
COMPANIES OF ALL SIZES.
START-UPS, BIG CORPORATIONS,
COMPANIES LOOKING
TO RELOCATE HERE,
AND LOCAL COMPANIES
LOOK-LOOKING TO EXPAND.
THE THIRD PANELIST
IS TOM WHITAKER.
TOM FOUNDED HIS COMPANY
IN 1982, IN SONOMA COUNTY,
AND IT'S GROWN TO BE
THE WORLD'S LARGEST
MANUFACTURER OF
HIGH PERFORMANCE
OPTICAL INSTRUMENTATION,
WITH OFFICES THROUGHOUT
THE UNITED STATES,
AND IN LONDON, BEIJING,
AND TOKYO.
TOM HAS A B.S.E.E. FROM
THE U-UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA,
AND AN MBA FROM U.C. BERKELEY,
AND SERVES ON THE BOARD
OF DRY CREEK, UH, VINEYARDS
AND STANDARD STRUCTURES,
AFTER HAVING SERVED
AS THE CHAIRMAN OF
REDWOOD EMPIRE BANCORP.
THE PARENT COMPANY OF
NATIONAL BANK OF THE REDWOODS.
I THINK PROM-TOM PROBABLY
HAS MORE OSCARS THAN
ANYBODY ELSE IN SONOMA COUNTY.
TOM'S GOT FOUR OSCARS.
WELL, MAYBE JOHN LASSETER
AND, UH, FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA
HAVE A FEW MORE, BUT, UH,
TOM'S PRETTY AMAZING WITH THAT.
WITH ALL THAT CREATIVITY,
HE'S BEEN ABLE TO BRING
NEW INCOME AND NEW JOBS
TO SONOMA COUNTY.
AND, UH, PART OF HIS WORK
INVOLVES WORKING WITH PBS,
REACHING A NATIONAL MARKET,
AND WE'RE GONNA RUN
A BRIEF VIDEO, UH, CLIP HERE
OF "SID THE SCIENCE KID,"
THAT TOM'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH.
LET'S ROLL IT.
>> WE'RE LOOKING FOR A FRIEND
WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU
HEY THERE'S SID
>> DID YOU HEAR THE ONE ABOUT
THE KID WHO WANTED TO KNOW
EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING?
>> THAT'S YOU.
>> I KNOW SOMETHING THAT
WILL MAKE GETTING A SHOT
MUCH EASIER-- A SONG.
>> YEAH!
>> HEY KIDS WE'RE READY TO ROLL
STOPPING THAT VIRUS
THAT'S OUR GOAL
SO COME ON EVERYBODY
WE'RE GETTIN' A SHOT
IT MIGHT HURT A LITTLE BIT
JUST A LITTLE BIT
BUT IT'S GONNA HELP
A WHOLE LOT
>> SO, TOM'S HERE TO TELL YOU
MORE ABOUT THAT.
LET'S GIVE 'EM A ROUND
OF APPLAUSE, FOR OUR PANEL.
COME ON UP.
SCOTT.
>> Scott Ormerod: HMM, MY PANEL.
WHERE'S THE PANEL?
OH, YOU GUYS WERE ENJOYING
THAT-THAT ANIMATION SO MUCH.
WELL, WELCOME.
SO, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOW
IPAD LOVERS, RIGHT?
RAISE YOUR HAND.
THOSE IPAD LOVERS OUT THERE.
ALL RIGHT, HOW MANY OF THOSE
ARE OUR SCRIBES,
JUST WAITING TO BE EXCITED?
SO, I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT,
UM, IN OUR FIRST SESSION,
WE HAD OVER 45 QUESTIONS
THAT CAME FOR STEVE,
FROM THE AUDIENCE.
AND SO, BEN'S GOT SOME WORK
TO DO TO GET THOSE ALL
UP ON THE WEBSITE
AND GET SOME ANSWERS FOR YOU.
SO, WE HAD A REALLY
GREAT RESPONSE.
AND THE LAST ONE, WE HAD
PROBABLY 13 OR 15 QUESTIONS
FROM THE INNOVATION COUNCIL.
SO, WE JUST WANTED
TO LET YOU KNOW,
WE ARE GATHERING
THAT INFORMATION
AND WE WILL BE SHARING IT.
SO, UH, WE WANNA THANK
OUR PANEL FOR BEING HERE,
AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT
THE THEMES THAT WE CREATED
FROM THE, UH,
INNOVATION COUNCIL
AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE
IN THE QUESTIONS.
SO, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE
TO ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS
TO EACH OF 'EM,
BECAUSE OF TIME.
SO, WE'RE GONNA GET TO
AS MANY AS WE CAN.
SO, THE FIRST QUESTION I WANNA
ASK OF EACH OF THEM, TO,
AGAIN, RESPOND BRIEFLY IS,
WHAT DO YOU SEE
ARE THE STRENGTHS
AND THE WEAKNESSES
FOR BUSINESS, IN SONOMA COUNTY?
TOM, YOU WANNA GO FIRST?
>> Tom Whitaker: CERTAINLY.
UM... SONOMA COUNTY IS
A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.
UH, OUR MOTHER SHIP,
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
IS RATED THE WORST STATE
IN THE COUNTRY
FOR OPERATING A BUSINESS.
I'M NOT DISCOURAGED BY THAT.
I THINK THERE ARE QUALITIES
AND VALUE ADDED TECHNOLOGIES
THAT ARE AVAILABLE
IN SONOMA COUNTY
THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF
AND COMMUNICATED.
I THINK WE NEED TO
BE VERY PROACTIVE
IN REPRESENTING THE COUNTY
AS A BUSINESS FRIENDLY
ENVIRONMENT.
IN SOME CIRCLES,
BUSINESS FRIENDLY MEANS THAT
BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING FOR
A HANDOUT OR CHEAP MONEY.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
IT'S JUST, UH,
AN ENVIRONMENT THAT, UH,
ENCOURAGES ENTREPRENEURS
TO LOCATE HERE.
THAT, UH, THEY HAVE
A FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT
ON THE AVAILABILITY OF
DEBT AND EQUITY CAPITAL.
THAT, UH, THEY CAN GET
A BUSINESS LICENSE
IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
IN HONG KONG, YOU CAN GET
A BUSINESS LICENSE IN TWO DAYS,
NO MATTER WHAT IT IS.
CONSTRUCTIVE PERMITS
ARE NOT PROHIBITIVE,
AND, UH, TAKE UP TIME THAT
KEEP YOU FROM COMPLETING JOBS.
ALL THOSE ELEMENTS
OF BEING IN BUSINESS
THAT, UH, ENCOURAGE, UH,
US ENTREPRENEURS TO,
UH, INVEST AND GROW.
>> THANK YOU-- MARK?
>> Mark Inman: I WOULD SAY
THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY,
ONE OF THE MAJOR STRENGTHS
THAT WE'VE ALL IDENTIFIED
ARE, UH, LIFESTYLE,
UH, OF SONOMA COUNTY.
THE WEATHER, OF COURSE.
IT'S A DESIRABLE PLACE TO LIVE.
IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, MEA--
THE MEASURE OF TRUE SUCCESS
NOWADAYS IS NOT SO MUCH
HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE
IN THE BANK, OR HOW LARGE
OF A HOME YOU HAVE,
BUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE
THAT YOU LEAD,
AND SONOMA COUNTY IS CERTAINLY
A MUCH MORE DESIRABLE PLACE
TO LIVE THAN DETROIT.
UH, SO, UH, I THINK WE DO HAVE
A CLEAR ADVANTAGE OVER THERE.
WE'RE INTERNATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED.
I TRAVEL.
I WORK IN ABOUT 45 COUNTRIES,
AND, UH, WHEREVER
PEOPLE KNOW WHERE I'M FROM,
THEY RECOGNIZE IT IMMEDIATELY.
SOMETIMES, IT'S AN
ACCURATE REPRESENTATION
OF WHERE I LIVE,
AND, SOMETIMES,
IT'S NOT SO MUCH,
BUT IT'S ABSOLUTELY RECOGNIZED
EVERYWHERE I'VE BEEN.
UH, THE COMMUNITY CAN
BE FORWARD THINKING,
AND, IN MANY CASES, IT IS.
UH, SOMETIMES, I THINK
WE OVERESTIMATE OUR ABILITY
TO BE FORWARD THINKING HERE.
UH, BUT THERE-THERE'S
AN INCREDIBLE NETWORK
OF ENTREPRENEURS HERE,
AND THAT NETWORK INTERACTS, UH,
AT A RATE THAT I'VE-I'VE SEEN
IN VERY FEW PLACES
IN THE WORLD,
AND THAT'S A CLEAR STRENGTH
THAT WE HAVE.
UM, OUR AGRICULTURAL,
FOOD AND WINE,
LIFESTYLE REPUTATION
IS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED,
AS WELL, WHICH, UH,
FOR A BRANDING PERSPECTIVE,
GIVES US A SIGNIFICANT
ADVANTAGE OVER MANY
OTHER COMMUNITIES.
UH, AND I THINK THAT ONE OF
THE-THE CLEAR WEAKNESSES
THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED,
OVER AND OVER,
AND I'M HOPEFULLY GONNA
TOUCH ON IT NUMEROUS TIMES
DURING, UH, MY PIECE, IS THE,
UH, THE-THE DAUNTING GAMUT,
UH, OF REGULATIONS
TO OPEN A BUSINESS HERE.
UH, THAT IS A CLEAR WEAKNESS
AND IS-IS HURTING US,
UH, AS WE CRAWL OUT OF
THIS ECONOMIC CRISIS.
>> AND, AL, YOUR PERSPECTIVE?
>> Al Coppin: WELL, I-I'M GONNA
E-ECHO MY TWO PREVIOUS
PARTICIPANTS HERE.
I THINK THE BEAUTIFUL
SURROUNDINGS, AND, UH,
LIFESTYLE CHOICES.
HAVING A RANCHETTE, UH,
[ INAUDIBLE ], ETCETERA,
ALL THE LIFESTYLE CHOICES,
DRAW MANY EXECUTIVES HERE,
BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO
LOCATE THEIR COMPANIES,
OR THEY DREAM ABOUT IT,
AND EVENTUALLY DO IT.
UM, I THINK BEING--
UH, SONOMA COUNTY IS
PART OF THE BAY AREA.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
I THINK WE'RE-- WHILE WE HAVE
SOME DISTANCE IN TRAVELING,
AND SO FORTH,
BEING PART OF SILICONE VALLEY,
BEING PART OF, UH, THE, UH,
SOCIAL NETWORK COMPANIES,
IN SOMA, BEING PART OF
THE FINANCIAL COMMUNITY,
IN-IN, UH, SAN FRANCISCO,
AND SO FORTH, BODES-BODES WELL,
'CAUSE ACTIVITIES, GENERALLY,
ON EXPANSION MODE
OR SECONDARY COMPANIES,
ETCETERA, OR START-UPS, UH,
WANNA LOCATE IN THE BAY AREA.
AND BECAUSE OF
THE LIFESTYLE CHOICES,
AND SO FORTH,
AND AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING,
THEY'LL CHOOSE HERE.
BUT THE LINKAGES TO
THOSE OTHER MAJOR AREAS
ARE VITALLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO, WE ARE A SIGNIFICANT
PART OF THE BAY AREA.
UH, VERY DIFFERENT
FROM 35-40 YEARS AGO,
WHEN I STARTED IN THE BUSINESS,
WHERE WE WERE--
MARIN COUNTY WAS, BASICALLY,
A COMMUTER AREA,
AND SONOMA COUNTY WAS AGRARIAN.
VERY LITTLE BUSINESS HERE.
AND IT'S-AND IT'S CHANGED
OVER THAT 30 YEARS.
UH, PRINCIPALLY,
FOR THE LIFESTYLE CHOICES.
UH, SOME OF THE NEGATIVES,
UH, ACTUALLY HAVE MADE IT
THE LAST-THE LAST COUNTIES
TO REALLY DEVELOP
IN THE BAY AREA,
AND THAT'S TRANSPORTATION.
UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
UH, 101, UH,
STEVE TALKED ABOUT IT TODAY.
IT, UH, WHILE WE PUT
A LOT OF THINGS INTO MOTION
TO GET 101 DONE, UM,
I WISH THEY COULD BUILD ROADS
IN CALIFORNIA
LIKE THEY DO IN TEXAS,
WHERE THEY GET 'EM DONE.
THEY, YOU KNOW,
THEY DON'T DRAG IT OUT,
AND SO-SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND THAT'S A BIG HINDRANCE,
EVEN TODAY, BECAUSE WE'RE
STILL LOOKING AT FORECASTING
THE REST OF 101, YOU KNOW,
IN THE NEXT FIVE TO TEN YEARS,
AND THAT-THAT'S JUST
UNACCEPTABLE.
I THINK IT-IT BODE--
THE NEGATIVES ARE...
TOUCHING ON REGULATION
FROM THE FEDS, THE STATE,
ON DOWN TO THE LOCALS.
I THINK BEING ABLE
TO PROCESS PERMITS
FOR A-A SMALL RETAIL START-UP
OR A MAJOR CORPORATION,
ARE-ARE ESSENTIAL
TO ATTRACTING COMPANIES
AND KEEPING THEM HERE,
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED
IN A VERY SERIOUS MANNER.
WE-WE'VE-WE'VE GONE THROUGH
THIS PROCESS,
STARTING 30-35 YEARS AGO.
ECONOMIC VITALITY PROJECT.
WE'VE HAD STREAMLINE PERMIT
PROCESSING AT THE COUNTY.
BUT, WHAT HAPPENS IS,
WE HAVE THESE LOFTY IDEAS,
AND WE ALL PUT OUT
THESE OBJECTIVES AND GOALS,
AND SO ON AND SO FORTH,
IN GATHERINGS LIKE THIS,
AND THEN FOLLOW-UP MEETINGS.
BUT, WHERE THE RUBBER
MEETS THE ROAD IS WHERE
WE MISS THE-THE B-BOAT.
WE'VE GOTTA GET IT DOWN
AT THE CUSTOMER COUNTER LEVEL.
YOU'VE GOTTA TRANSLATE
YOUR OBJECTIVES, AND SO FORTH,
DOWN TO THE PLAN--
TO THE ACTUAL PEOPLE
WHO IMPLEMENT THE REGULATIONS.
UH, WHILE REGULATIONS ARE GOOD,
WHAT WE-WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS,
HAVE A BENEFIT COST
ASSOCIATED WITH EVERY DECISION
ON-ON THOSE REGULATIONS.
AND, IF WE-AND IF WE DO THAT
IN A, UH, IN-IN A WAY
WHERE WE'RE TRANSLATING THAT,
AND EDUCATING THE, UH, PEOPLE.
UH, OUR STAFF
AND OUR ADMINISTRATION,
AND THE PEOPLE AT THE COUNTER
DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS
AND REPRESENTING US, UH, THEN,
WE'LL DO A MUCH BETTER JOB
IN-IN SHOWCASING THE COUNTY
AS A-AS A POPULAR PLACE,
UH, FOR COMPANIES
TO COME AND GROW.
AND-AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY,
FOR COMPANIES TO-TO GROW HERE,
TO STAY HERE.
>> THANKS, AL.