Anew group has formed in Santa Clarita in the ongoing effort to bring together a community of tech startups. James McKinney director of the area chapter of Startup Grind, said the Santa Clarita Valley lacks the same ecosystem found up north in Silicon Valley, in Santa Monica, home of the so-called “Silicon Beach or even in Orange County. “There is a massive startup community here in Santa Clarita that is just not centralized,” McKinney said. Startup Grind is an independent community that partners with Google Inc. to connect and educate tech entrepreneurs. It was founded in 2010 and has chapters in more than 100 countries. The point of the organization is to bring together people who are deep in the grind of running a startup to hear and learn from successful entrepreneurs. “Hearing from people that show the journey and are farther down the road is extremely helpful,” McKinney said. The group’s first event takes place Sept. 12 at Status Not Quo, 26326 Citrus St. in Valencia. The featured speaker is Matthew Arevalo, the co-founder and chief experience officer at Loot Crate, a Los Angeles subscription service of products for fans of pop culture, gaming, sports and entertainment. McKinney has been involved with other Startup Grind chapters and his involvement with the startup community the past four or so years made him a natural to head up Santa Clarita’s. He works as vice president of strategic growth for Status Not Quo, a Valencia web design and production company. Powering Smart Homes A Chinese company that makes connected smart devices is using long-range wireless technology developed by Semtech Corp. The Camarillo developer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors said the use of its LoRa technology in the YoSmart devices from KingTingTech Co. Ltd. provide homeowners and property managers the ability to control indoor climate and conserve energy. The YoSmart devices include a thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature of the climate control equipment in the home according to the homeowner’s preference, a sprinkler, door lock and a smart outlet that allows a person to turn electronic devices on or off remotely from their mobile phones. Mike Wong, vice president of marketing for Semtech’s wireless and sensing products group, said the LoRa technology works just as well in the home as at great distances. “It was designed for excellent performance with an emphasis on data security,” Wong said in a prepared statement. “This is what homeowners look for —something that works well and provides protection and peace of mind at accessible price points.” Makerspace Grants Three community colleges in the Business Journal’s coverage area received grants from the state to establish maker programs to help students with innovation and entrepreneurial skills. The California Community College Chancellor’s Office gave out a total of 24 grants between $100,000 and $350,000 a year for up to two years. Schools in the area receiving grants were College of the Canyons in Valencia, Glendale College in Glendale, and Moorpark College in Moorpark. “These 24 colleges have demonstrated their commitment to establishing makerspaces, placing students in internships, developing curriculum that prepares students with 21st century skills and participating in a statewide network of college makerspaces that are tailored to meet the needs of regional economies,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, California Community Colleges vice chancellor of workforce & economic development, in a prepared statement. College of the Canyons has two maker spaces, one at its main campus in Valencia that opened in May of last year, and the second at its Canyon Country campus that opened in November. The school received a $311,432 to enhance its maker spaces with additional equipment, courses, training and internships. Moorpark College was given a $250,000 grant for the school year that is renewable for the following year in the same amount. Glendale College received a $335,687 grant for the current school year to establish a makerspace center in the college’s robotics lab. It is expected to be open by the winter semester. FloQast’s New Hire Accounting software developer FloQast Inc. has named Wynn White to the position of chief marketing officer. White will oversee all the global marketing initiatives for the Sherman Oaks company to create further awareness and demand for its products. FloQast is front and center of a dynamic market opportunity with its software, White said. “Close management software is the future for corporate accounting teams, and FloQast is leading the charge,” he added in a prepared statement. Prior to joining FloQast, White served as chief marketing officer at Druva, a Sunnyvale data protection and governance software company. Staff Reporter Mark R. Madler can be reached at (818) 316-3126 or [email protected].