SDEE June 2014 Newsletter

Dear SDEE supporters, it is our pleasure to bring the June 2014 newsletter to your mailbox.

Newsletter Content:

  1. Message from the Membership Committee Chair Ruo Steensma
  2. An interview with Sridhar Prasad, PhD, Founder and Vice President of Research at CalAsia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  3. Get To Know Your Neighbors, by Sylvia Norman
  4. News from Our Members

Message from the Membership Committee Chair Ruo Steensma

Dear SDEE Supporters -

Since the inception of SDEE in 2010, we have focused on helping early stage entrepreneurs; our community has grown steadily. As of today, we have over 90 supporting individual members, 11 vendor members, as well as corporate sponsors. We very much appreciate your support and look forward to continuing the service to our community.

As with many non-profit organizations, SDEE relies on volunteers to get things done. We are indebted to those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the events “uneventful”. We look forward to the next phase of growth and invite all of you to voice your needs and contribute your time and talent. By default, the entrepreneurs’ roads are those less traveled. But our help to each other will make all the difference!

Looking ahead to the rest of 2014, SDEE will host two evening events, an end of year social for supporting members and three workshops on specific topics. We are excited about these opportunities and hope you find them beneficial. We are also actively developing corporate membership benefits.

As with many non-profit organizations, SDEE relies on volunteers to get things done. We are indebted to those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the events “uneventful”. We look forward to the next phase of growth and invite all of you to voice your needs and contribute your time and talent. By default, the entrepreneurs’ roads are those less traveled. But our help to each other will make all the difference!

Looking ahead to the rest of 2014, SDEE will host two evening events, an end of year social for supporting members and three workshops on specific topics. We are excited about these opportunities and hope you find them beneficial. We are also actively developing corporate membership benefits.

-Ruo Steensma, Chair of SDEE Membership Committee


SDEE member company profile

An interview with Sridhar Prasad, PhD
Founder and Vice President of Research at CalAsia Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Sridhar Prasad, PhD, is Founder and Vice President of Research at CalAsia Pharmaceuticals Inc., and SDEE member. We caught up with Dr. Prasad about CalAsia, as they were recently awarded a $600,000 NIH Phase I SBIR grant. He tells us how he got started and how to persevere.
Read More


SDEE event

Get To Know Your Neighbors
by Sylvia Norman

The SDEE April 2014 event “Get to Know Your Neighbors” provided a unique opportunity for San Diego entrepreneurs to showcase their companies and network with fellow entrepreneurs. This event was sponsored by SDEE and organized at the Janssen Research and Development Center in San Diego, CA. Continue to the article.


Members News

Driven Staffing, founded by Meredith Dow, is celebrating its one year anniversary on June 14, 2014. The company is a soon to be certified as a women-owned staffing firm.

Arisan Therapeutics (co-PIs Michael Plewe and Ken McCormack) received a two year Advanced Technology Phase I SBIR award (R43AI12097) in the first quarter of 2014.