Advertising supplement
February 27, 2015
UC Berkeley’s Graham Fleming (right) visits
Berkeley SkyDeck.
Kelsie Kerr and Jonah Hendrickson at
Berkeley Kitchens.
Danielle Fong, founder and CEO of LightSail,
is developing a new way of storing energy.
Berkeley:
Brilliant
& Booming
Research at Caribou Biosciences in QB3
East Bay Innovation Center.
2
Advertising Supplement
brilliant n
BERKELEY
n Booming
San Francisco Business TIMES
BAYER AND BERKELEY
PROUD PARTNERS
IN INNOVATION
Since 1974, Bayer HealthCare and the City
of Berkeley have worked together to nd
innovative ways to strengthen our local
economy and provide advanced
manufacturing jobs to a diverse workforce.
Bayer’s 1,500 dedicated local employees
include facilities engineers, talented
members of ILWU
Local 6, world-class
I
scientists, and many others—all working
together to deliver treatments for people
with hemophilia A and other diseases.
We work for families like Blake and Lisa Stephenson’s
Elvia Hernandez is a Bayer employee and graduate of the Biotech
Partners program, which prepares local high school students for
career-track jobs in the biotech industry
In 2012, Bayer opened Berkeley’s largest solar panel installation
brilliant n
February 27, 2015
BERKELEY
n Booming
Join us in Berkeley where
business is booming!
“Berkeley’s
reputation as a
‘disrupter’ takes
on new meaning
in today’s
innovation
economy, which
prizes radical
change that
introduces new
technologies,
products and
services.”
Christine Daniel,
City Manager, Berkeley
B
erkeley is a “City of Firsts,” where innovation, an entrepreneurial
spirit and a vibrant quality of life intersect to inspire new industries,
trendsetting cuisine and a nationally recognized arts scene. There’s
a synergy between artistry, hard sciences and entrepreneurship that
enables a broad spectrum of disciplines and businesses flourish.
Berkeley has all the elements of a successful economic ecosystem that stems from
our founding as a college town, with all the
amenities and spirit of innovation that flows
from a place of great learning.
Today, Berkeley benefits from a $1 billion
pipeline of research and development on
campus and at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The University and the
Lab generate intellectual property and support the commercialization of inventions
created by their faculty and students. These
two institutions are a source of brilliant scientists, engineers and innovators in business.
In addition, roughly 84 percent of working-age Berkeley residents have a bachelor’s
degree or higher.
Berkeley has a strong system to incubate
growth companies. Companies can start
at the University, continue through the
Skydeck|Berkeley Accelerator or the QB3
incubator and accelerator system, and then
move into one of the myriad co-working
spaces before graduating to independent
offices. The Berkeley Startup Cluster helps
ventures at every step of the way. Companies
have easy access to global leaders in accounting,
law, management and consulting as well as a
host of other services and suppliers critical to
their growth.
Our Downtown is undergoing a renaissance. The Downtown Area Plan and more
than $400 million in construction investment are driving a real estate boom. Startups,
retailers, eateries and entertainment venues
are taking advantage of renovated commercial space and enjoying cleaner streets and
the bustle of thousands of residents, workers
and University students and staff.
Berkeley’s lodging sector is keeping pace.
Last year’s hotel revenues set historic records
and benefit the City to the tune of $6.2 million in tax contribution alone.
In West Berkeley, Wareham Development,
which built the first laboratories for Cetus and
Chiron, continues to shape the biosciences/
clean tech sector with new development, fully
retrofitted older buildings and well-managed
facilities that serve both large, international
tenants and startups. Their most recent project, 105,000 square feet at 740 Heinz Avenue is
designed as a state-of-the-art life science R&D
facility.
Key anchor institutions, a skilled workforce, eager entrepreneurs, access to capital
and space to grow – all are critical to economic
vitality. But it’s that special Berkeley vibe that
drives our most successful enterprises.
Berkeley companies are out to change the
world – whether its clean energy, advances
in pharmaceuticals and biotech or new apps.
It’s an exciting place for startup innovation.
To all of that, add that Berkeley is a city
of neighborhoods alive with an engaged citizenry and a terriffic quality of life including
walkable streets, bike routes, access to transit,
excellent schools, thriving commercial districts, world-class dining and a wealth of arts
and culture.
Simply put, Berkeley is brilliant and
booming – and we invite you to join us.
Christine Daniel
Berkeley City Manager
Advertising Supplement 3
contents
Innovation Ecosystem
Gives Berkeley the Edge............ 5
UC Berkeley Leadership Aids
Economic Development............. 6
SkyDeck Launches Berkeley
Startups..................................... 6
Solutions to Health Care
in East Africa............................. 7
Berkeley Startup Cluster
is a Hub for innovation............... 8
Demographics and
Spending................................... 9
Coworking Offers More
than Shared Space.................. 10
WeWork/Berkeley................... 10
NextSpace............................... 11
Impact Hub Berkeley............... 11
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Shines in Berkeley’s New
Companies............................ 12
Solfice..................................... 12
Wise.io.................................... 12
Mr. Mopps’.............................. 13
Workshop1.............................. 13
It Starts Here…Downtown
is Booming.........................14-15
Arts District............................. 16
West Berkeley: Room
To Grow and Thrive................. 17
Shopping Districts..............18-19
Revitalizing Telegraph............... 19
Brilliant Ideas: Bioscience/
Clean Tech Cluster.................. 20
Aduro Biotech......................... 20
Bayer HealthCare.................... 20
Caribou Biosciences................ 21
LightSail Energy....................... 21
Siemens.................................. 22
QB3 East Bay Innovation
Center..................................... 22
Kiverdi..................................... 22
Berkeley is for Foodies............ 24
Comal..................................... 25
TCHO Chocolate.................... 25
The Berkeley Kitchens............. 25
Berkeley Makes Doing Business
Easier than Ever....................... 26
Writer/Editor: Carol Piasente
Designer: Carol Collier
Cover photo credits:
Paolo Vescia (Danielle Fong)
Coworking at UC Berkeley’s Skydeck; UC Berkeley Campanile; workers at Bayer HealthCare’s Berkeley manufacturing plant.
Kirsten Lara Getchell (Jonah
Hendrickson)
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brilliant n
BERKELEY
n Booming
San Francisco Business TIMES
West Berkeley mavericks all.
The Zaentz Media Center is the long time home to independent film legends, award-winning documentary filmmakers,
the Berkeley FILM Foundation, and the famous Fantasy Studios. Now opening its doors to all creative businesses and
welcoming to Berkeley Avid Technologies—the world’s leading provider of audio and video technology for media and
independent professionals.
The Zaentz Media Center is another Wareham Development at 2600 Tenth Street.
Alturas Films
Amir Solanti
Avid Technologies
Bay Area Film Company
Berkeley FILM Foundation
Berkeley Humane Society
Berkeley Sound Artists
Berkeley Media, LLC
Beyond the Arc
Clarity Films
Columbus IT
Cyperus Media
Dysonics, Inc.
Eko Devices
Eyefull Tower Films
Fantasy Studios
Farallon Films
Flexuous
Frame of Mind Films
International Buddhist Film Festival
Interfaze Educational Productions
IP Folio
Jason Cohen Productions
Jed Riffe Films
K. Ford & Associates
Kovno Communications
The Law Office of David A. Lerman
Law Office of John McArthur
Montell Associates
New Images Productions
Northstarr Media Group
NuReality
One to One Box
Oriel Therapeutics
Paradigm Productions
PictureStartEdit
Pixar Child Development Center/cclc
Pro Publica
Quest Productions
Question Why Films
R3 Consulting Group
Reel Youth Productions
Regimmune
RL & Associates
Sandra Horwich & Assoc.
Snitow Kaufman
Social Action Media
Small Change Productions
Smileables
Swan Entertainment
Texas Saratoga Management
Tavistock Restaurant Group
Thin-Thick Productions
WLC Architects
Urban Adamah
Young People’s Symphony Orchestra
ZD Films
The Saul Zaentz Company
Zamacona Productions
The vibrant QB3 East Bay Innovation Center continues to expand and accommodate
even more startups with more collaboration, more discovery, and more growth for the
Berkeley-Emeryville research cluster.
The QB3 East Bay Innovation Center is another Wareham Development
at 2929 Seventh Street and 820 Heinz Avenue.
Accurus Biosciences
AnVen Biosciences
Caribou Biosciences
Chemisense
CPI International
Exogen Biosciences
HJ Science & Technology
Nanotech Biomachines
OneSun Solar
Razzberry
Regimmune
Saratoga Energy Research
Silicon Biodevices
Solano Pharmaceuticals
Stephen Kong Consulting
Zephyrus Biosciences
Distinguished buildings for noble and Nobel innovators since 1977.
Emeryville · Berkeley · Richmond · Marin County · Palo Alto · Sun Valley, ID · 415 457 4964 · www.warehamdevelopment.com
brilliant n
February 27, 2015
BERKELEY
n Booming
“Leaders, institutions and people who care
passionately about Berkeley are creating an
ecosystem to nurture and inspire innovation.”
Advertising Supplement 5
Berkeley
startups:
Who’s here
Big Data
Candice Eggerss, Managing director, Firelake Capital Management;
member of the Advisory Group of the Berkeley Startup Cluster
Automa Systems
Climate Earth
Innovation ecosystem
gives Berkeley the edge
W
hen it comes to successful startups,
Berkeley has a distinct edge: capital,
talent and brilliant thinking.
Alameda County is among the top 10 counties
in the country for attracting venture capital across
a wide range of industries, and it’s among the top
in patent production per capita. UC Berkeley and
the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory draw
award-winning scientists from around the globe.
These institutions employ or train thousands of
PhD recipients, which in turn attracts billions in research dollars. The workforce is exceptionally talented.
Berkeley is a key element of the larger Bay Area
system of innovation generation. The Bay Area “embraces new ideas and different ways of doing things,”
says Ed Penhoet, co-founder of Chiron (purchased
by Novartis in 2006) and a director of Alta Partners,
a leading life sciences venture capital firm.
“The cultural openness of the Bay Area is undeniable, integral and persistent,” says Penhoet.
“If you peel back this cultural onion one level
further, innovative businesses are here because
the universities are here, and the universities are
here and successful because they attract the kind
of individuals who value that openness…It’s an
essential part of the Bay Area’s equation for entrepreneurial success.”
In Berkeley, all of these attributes translate into
a dynamic startup economy. Last year startups located in Berkeley pulled in more than $200 million in Silicon Valley venture investment. In all,
the City is home to some 250 startup companies,
ranging from bioscience, clean tech and Big Data
to robotics and drones. At least 80 of these compa-
Emanio
Factle
Haymaker Data
HookTheory
Innovaccer
Knowledge Synthesis
ON Diagnostics
nies are concentrated Downtown, adjacent to the
UC Berkeley campus; others are concentrated in
West Berkeley’s Bio/Clean Tech Cluster.
As an urban center with a tradition of brilliance,
Berkeley is well positioned to foster innovation.
“Innovation is moving from the late 20th century model of isolated corporate campuses to entrepreneurial and collaborative areas in the downtowns and midtowns of cities,” writes Bruce Katz,
vice president at the Brookings Institute. “Big market and demographic forces are revaluing what cities offer – proximity, density and connectivity.”
It’s just what Michael Caplan, manager of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development, describes as
“Berkeley’s innovation ecosystem,” the typical elements of which include educational and research
institutions, business schools, skilled labor, experienced entrepreneurs, sources of capital, business assistance organizations and supportive policy makers.
“In partnership with the Downtown Berkeley
Association, UC Berkeley, and the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, we’re working to improve interaction and alignment among the various elements,” says Caplan.
The Office of Economic Development nurtures
emerging high-growth businesses by building relationships early with founders, educating the commercial brokerage community about the needs of
startups here and sponsoring meetups and pitch
events with the angel and venture investors.
New incubation spaces have been launched across
town with active assistance from the City’s economic
development staff. These ecosystem assets range
from high tech initiatives like SkyDeck | Berkeley, the
QB3 East Bay Innovation Center and the food industry incubation spaces at Berkeley Kitchens.
Quantitative Engineering Design
Solfice Research
Synthicity
wise.io, Inc.
Clean Tech
All Power Labs
Ballast Energy
BrightBox Technologies
EcoHarvester
Electronically Monitored Ecosystems
Feeding Forward
Heliotrope Technologies
LightSail Energy
PV Evolution Labs
Saratoga Energy Research Partners LLC
Via Analytics
We Care Solar
PolyPlus Batteries
Bioscience
Accurus Biosciences, Inc.
Aduro Biotech
Attocube Systems, Inc.
AutoMate Scientific
Berkeley BioLabs
Caribou Biosciences
Cortera Neurotechnologies
DiAssess
Dynavax
Eko Devices
Exogen Biosciences
Exthera Medical
Iris AO
Kiverdi
Lypro Biosciences
Collaborative
leadership
Culture
Nanonerve
Plexxikon
Capital
Silicon Biodevices
Slingshot Biosciences
Research
and Education
Existing Startups
Spiral Devices
Valitor Bio
Xoma
Office Space
Tech Startups
Skilled Workforce
Zephyrus Biosciences
(Partial list. For a complete list,
visit Berkeleystartupcluster.com)
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BERKELEY
n Booming
San Francisco Business TIMES
UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley leadership aids economic development
U
C Berkeley is
expanding its support
for local economic
development on
several fronts, including its
programs for entrepreneurial
activity on campus and its new
real estate projects.
“In many ways, the strong and constructive relationship between the City and the University is the foundation for Berkeley’s vibrant business culture,” says UC
Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks. “As an anchor institution for not just the City, but the region as a whole, UC
Berkeley is proud to be the leading employer in the East
Bay and to serve as a center of and catalyst for innovation
that extends well beyond startups and entrepreneurs in
sectors such as high tech and sustainability. Berkeley’s
students, faculty and staff are engaged in a broad array
of cutting-edge, off-campus projects and programs with
significant social benefit for neighboring communities.”
According to Bob Lalanne, UC Berkeley’s first vice chancellor for real estate, “The City and the Campus have always
stood for the freedom of innovative thinking and creativity in
the public realm. I am especially excited to develop partnerships with local contractors, architects and developers to recognize real estate opportunities in Berkeley that support the
campus mission. Our future projects will endeavor more than
ever to interface at the street level with the fabric of the City.”
UC Berkeley is now actively developing expanded support
systems for student-led entrepreneurship on campus. There
Roy Kaltschmidt / Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
SkyDeck
entrepreneurs
are changing
Berkeley’s
economic
landscape.
SkyDeck launches Berkeley startups
F
rom their view atop the tallest building in Downtown
Berkeley, SkyDeck entrepreneurs have an eye on the
future – and backers are convinced they’ll see that
future in Berkeley.
Created as a joint venture among UC Berkeley’s College
of Engineering, Haas School of Business and the Vice Chancellor for Research Office, SkyDeck|Berkeley is a launch pad
for student and recent graduate entrepreneurial ventures.
“There’s a radically different environment for startups in
Berkeley today,” says Caroline Winnett, SkyDeck|Berkeley’s
executive director. “There’s more space available, there’s a new
found understanding of the needs of startups and there’s a robust support network. There’s been a huge cultural shift – the
world now sees startups as worthwhile endeavors.”
“A big part of that change is that UC Berkeley is more
intentional about being an ‘entrepreneurship’ university,”
she adds. “There is a massive amount of commercially viable ideas, discoveries and technology coming out of UC
Berkeley and the University is focused on fostering startups that can extract these discoveries and turn them into
real businesses.”
As one of the first in-house public research university
accelerator programs, SkyDeck combines the consulting
know-how of traditional accelerators with the vast resources
of a major research university. Mike Cohen, director of Innovation Ecosystem Development in UC Berkeley’s Office
of Technology Licensing, was instrumental in conceiving of
At work in the
SkyDeck | Berkeley
tech accelerator.
brilliant n
February 27, 2015
BERKELEY
n Booming
“There’s a new flourishing of our town-gown
partnership to support advances in today’s
innovation economies.”
Robert Lalanne, Vice Chancellor Real Estate, UC Berkeley
are a growing number of campus-managed business incubation
programs, as well as student generated pitch competitions, clubs and hackathons. This increasing
attention toward new venture creation is also reflected in a new University of California investment fund established by University of California
President Janet Napolitano. This fund will enable
direct University investment in companies that
emerge from UC research.
and helping to launch the accelerator. According to Cohen, “SkyDeck was inspired by the
Berkeley Startup Cluster’s mission to establish
a thriving concentration of tech companies
close to the Cal campus. To pursue that vision,
the Berkeley Startup Cluster catalyzed the establishment of incubators, accelerators and
co-working spaces in Downtown Berkeley.
SkyDeck is unique in the ways that it tightly
integrates into the academic and research
programs of UC Berkeley and the Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory.”
SkyDeck provides fledgling businesses free
office space, coaching and mentoring from an
array of researchers, successful entrepreneurs,
industry leaders and investors. Companies
must have at least one member of the team
with connections to UC Berkeley. Weekly social gatherings foster a sense of community
and mutual problem solving.
Participating companies are expected to
have a fast trajectory; tenures are for a sixmonth period. Since opening in 2012, SkyDeck|Berkeley has hosted some 56 resident
teams representing some 331 founders, employees, interns and volunteers. SkyDeck
teams have received more than 20 million in
funding, and one, Ensighta, was acquired by
FireEye, Inc.
As a key link to the community’s broader entrepreneurial ecosystem, made up of startups,
serial entrepreneurs, tech veterans and early
stage investors, SkyDeck has a goal of retaining its graduated teams in Berkeley. Of the 20
teams that have completed the SkyDeck program since 2012, 10 have located in Berkeley;
of the 28 teams currently in residence, 10 have
said they would definitely locate in Berkeley,
while 18 are still undecided and three have
plans to locate elsewhere.
One entrepreneur who is a current SkyDeck member is Christopher Ategeka, mechanical engineer, inventor and UC Berkeley
grad, whose nonprofit Rides for Lives makes
medical vehicles for use in rural Africa. Ategeka is also the co-founder with Anwaar AlZireeni of current SkyDeck member Privail,
which makes point-of-care diagnostic devices
for the early detection and monitoring of infectious diseases, starting with HIV diagnosis
in Africa. Al-Zireeni received her master’s in
bioengineering from Berkeley.
“The technology and companies incubated at UC
have a direct and critical impact on the state’s economic growth, and our continued support is integral
to our University’s public mission,” says President
Napolitano. The new Fund allows UC to take equity
in companies or services it has supported, including
through campus incubators or other facilities. Accepting equity helps the startups by reducing their cash
outflow in the early stages of growth and allows the
University to participate in financial returns.
Advertising Supplement 7
Top 10 universities producing
founders of VC-backed companies
Rank
University
No. of company founders
1
Stanford
378
2
UC Berkeley
336
3
MIT
300
4
Indian Institute of Technology
264
5
Harvard
253
6
University of Pennsylvania
244
7
Cornell
212
8
University of Michigan
176
9
Tel Aviv University
169
10
University of Texas
150
A Rides for Lives
mobile health care
unit in service.
Nuts and bolts solutions to revolutionize
health care access in East Africa
A
“The connections
I was able to
make were the
big advantage of
SkyDeck and its
affiliation with UC
Berkeley.”
Chris Ategeka, founder of Rides for
Lives, a nonprofit that builds vehicles to
bring medical aid to rural East Africa
t seven years old, Chris Ategeka became the sole caregiver
for his four younger siblings after both his parents died
from AIDS. Home was a thatched-roof house in a small,
rural village in Uganda. At age 15, Ategeka received his first formal
schooling at an orphanage where students were encouraged to
learn a trade to support their families.
Later adopted by an American couple, Ategeka moved to
California and enrolled at UC Berkeley where he earned a PhD in
mechanical engineering.
But rural East Africa and the lack of access to health care for those
living far from medical help were never far from Ategeka’s thoughts.
In 2011, Ategeka founded Rides for Lives to build vehicles that
could bring medical aid to those in need. The organization was
incubated at Venture Lab, run by UC’s Center for Entrepreneurship
and Technology, and then at SkyDeck.
Rides for Lives’ first product was the Village Ambulance, a covered bed on wheels attached to the back of a motorcycle or bicycle
that could safely transport patients long distances from villages to
the hospital. The second product evolved from a recognition that
“we needed to bring the hospital to the people,” says Ategeka.
Ategeka has now partnered with Berkeley-based 3D Robotics to use drones to deliver supplies and send lab samples from
remote locations.
“The growth potential is unlimited, Every developing country
needs the solutions we provide,” says Ategeka.
“Our challenge is how to scale up to reach the rest of Africa and
other countries, including rural and poor populations in the U.S.”
8
Advertising Supplement
brilliant n
BERKELEY
n Booming
San Francisco Business TIMES
UC Berkeley & Berkeley Lab
Why startup
in Berkeley
Berkeley Startup Cluster
is a hub for innovation
T
he Berkeley Startup Cluster brings together
University, City and private sector partners to
make Berkeley the best place to launch and grow
a startup. The goal is to motivate the founders on
the campuses of UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory to anchor their growing businesses in
the town closest to their source of inspiration
“Our aim,” says Michael Caplan, Berkeley’s Economic Development manager, “is to make Berkeley the best possible
place for entrepreneurs to grow their high-tech startup.”
It’s long been recognized that “the cluster effect” – locating similar businesses in proximity to one another – has the
benefits of giving these businesses access to a larger pool of
skilled labor, improving supply chains and increasing opportunities for the knowledge sharing that leads to innovation.
“We are making it easier for Berkeley’s more than 250
startups to find office space and connect with their peers, advisors and potential funders,” continues Caplan.
Most of Berkeley’s startups are engaged in bioscience,
clean tech and software with an emphasis on Big Data and
enterprise applications. At least 80 of these companies are
concentrated Downtown near to the UC Berkeley campus.
“When companies spin off from UC Berkeley or the Berke-
A walkable Downtown with
direct access to BART, AC Transit,
car sharing and a great biking
infrastructure.
ley Lab, typically their founders live close by,” says Caplan.
In addition, there are at least 10 business incubators and
research and development centers based in Berkeley focusing
on sectors from high technology to bioscience.
“Newly minted executives are able to launch their ventures
with minimal commutes and maximum access to academic
colleagues,” says Caplan.
The Berkeley Startup Cluster also supports more established tech companies that are the backbone of Berkeley’s
innovation system and provide mentorship and expertise to
their startup neighbors.
Recent additions to the Berkeley Startup Cluster include
Axent Wear, designer of “cat ear” headphones; JoinClarity.io
(a wearable air quality monitor); Pretty Visible (a solar installation promotion tool); and Rigetti Quantum Computing, which is on a mission to build the world’s first quantum
supercomputers.
The Berkeley Startup Cluster is comprised of the City of
Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development, UC Berkeley,
the Downtown Berkeley Association and the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce.
Opportunities to meet and
collaborate with campus and/or lab
colleagues.
Facilities. Easy access to the unique
technology development facilities at
UC Berkeley and the Berkeley Lab.
Community. Proximity to the nearly
70 percent of Berkeley residents who
have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Great food. A survey of startups
identified “great food” as an aspect
of locating in Berkeley that founders
highly valued.
Working while pursuing an
advanced degree. For some young
entrepreneurs, basing a startup in
Berkeley enables them to conveniently
juggle completing their UC Berkeley
degree program while launching their
ventures.
To learn more, visit berkeleystartupcluster.com.
Area’s Biotech Ecosystem Built
on Intellect, Invention, Innovation
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Joint BioEnergy Institute
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
managed by the University of California, is
the oldest of the U.S. Department of Energy’s
National Laboratories.
Berkeley Lab is named after Ernest O.
Lawrence, inventor of the cyclotron, which
won him the 1939 Nobel Prize in physics
and ushered in a new era in the study of subatomic particles.
Lawrence recruited a brilliant circle of
colleagues from physics, chemistry, biology,
engineering and medicine who would be critical to the laboratory’s legendary success.
Today, Berkeley Lab continues the tradition
of multidisciplinary scientific teams working
together to solve global problems in human
health, technology, energy and the environment. The Lab can count 12 Nobel winners
among scientists who have worked there,
including Steve Chu, later Secretary of Energy.
Berkeley Lab was the birthplace of nuclear
medicine, and its strong record in the biological sciences has continued with such breakthroughs as the engineering of yeast to produce the world’s foremost anti-malarial drug,
the identification of risk factors for breast
cancer, and major advances in biomedical
imaging, genetic sequencing and proteomics.
Berkeley Lab is among the top 15 employers in the area, with 4,000 scientists and
support staff, and it plays a seminal role in
the creation and growth of the BerkeleyEmeryville Bio Cluster.
Inside the Joint BioEnergy Institute’s (JBEI)
state-of-the-art labs in EmeryStation East,
researchers are using the latest tools in molecular biology, chemical engineering, computational and robotic technologies to transform
biomass into fuels.
JBEI’s CEO, Jay Keasling, is an internationally recognized leader in biofuels research
who holds joint positions with Berkeley Lab
and UC Berkeley, and is a co-founder of
Amyris, which provides high-performance
renewable hydrocarbons used in a broad
range of petroleum-sourced products.
“JBEI has spun out one startup company so far
that has set up shop in the Berkeley-Emeryville
Bio Cluster and there are more in the pipeline
that will likely locate here,” says Keasling.
“The resources and synergies that have
developed in these two sister cities provide a
rich media in which new bio companies can
thrive. This community of innovators speaks
the same language and we’re all focused on
moving biology to the next stage.”
www.lbl.gov
A range of office spaces, from
flexible coworking space to Class A
corporate headquarters.
Jay Keasling, CEO of the
Joint BioEnergy Institute.
Real Estate
Building public-private
partnerships to advance new
economies in Berkeley.
Research • Retail • Housing • Parking • Office
realestate.berkeley.edu
brilliant n
February 27, 2015
BERKELEY
n Booming
Advertising Supplement 9
Quick Facts
Demographics and spending
Strongest Private
Business Sectors
Manufacturing
= 100 jobs
Wholesale
Trade
Construction
Professional,
Scientific,
& Technical
Skills
Educational
Services
Information
Health Care
& Social
Assistance
Hotel & Food
Services
Retail Trade
Other
Services
Rounded to nearest hundred
Demographics and spending
power* compared
Berkeley
by the
numbers
Walnut Creek
Total spending power: $2.07 billion
96,352
*Within a 3-mile radius of downtown
in three Bay Area cities
61,321 42,698 23,147
Growth in Downtown
population by 2020
80%
Population (2013)
Residents aged 35 or above
Annual visitors:
Berkeley
Residents with BA or more
1.65M
Total spending power: $4.04 billion
Households earning $75K+
201,152
University of
California,
Berkeley
102,935
89,173
36,493
WalkScore rating
(San Francisco, 85;
New York, 85):
100
Palo Alto
Total spending power: $2.97 billion
Rank in East Bay
median home value:
146,138
73,466
59,151
2nd
30,047
Source: Nielsen-Claritas, MJB Consulting
Professional services
15%
Berkeley’s top employers
Lawrence
Berkeley
National
Labs
Sutter East
Bay /
Alta Bates
Summit
Medical
Center
= 100 jobs
Software
Berkeley
Unified
School District
34%
City of
Berkeley
Snapshot of
Berkeley’s
Startup
Economy
Bayer
Healthcare
13%
Clean tech
Consumer
products
8%
7%
9%
Rounded to nearest hundred
Biosciences
14%
Electronics
or devices
Other
10
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BERKELEY
n Booming
San Francisco Business TIMES
WeWork offers shared
common areas plus dedicated
desks or private offices, and
services ranging from printing
to micro-roasted coffee.
Workspace
Coworking offers more than shared space
T
he new startup/social media culture
is revolutionizing more than products and technologies – it’s making
big changes in how and where people
work. Today’s independent contractors and entrepreneurs want space that’s affordable and flexible;
space they can adapt to their changing needs.
Coworking offers a shared environment for people
who are employed by different organizations.
They may be technologists or artists, service professionals, architects or chefs.
What they have in common is a desire to build a community with a group of people
who value the exchange of ideas that can happen from working alongside others.
While coworking environments offer shared access to cool office environments, super-fast Internet connections, classes and coaching, conference
rooms, break space and coffee, they’re about more than convenience and
cost-effectiveness: It’s all about the productivity and inspiration that comes
from social interaction.
Berkeley coworking spaces serve a wide diversity of workers, from the engineers at WeWork to the lawyers and consultants at Sandbox Suites; the creative
moms – and their offspring – at Mothership Hackermoms to the “over 50”
crowd at The Sage Center who are re-inventing full lives for their next decades.
WeWork/Berkeley
“Berkeley has extremely brilliant
minds coming out of the
university and wanting to start
companies.”
Jesse Middleton, WeWork business development director
Inviting spaces at WeWork encourage collaboration.
WeWork started in New York City in 2010, and has since expanded to 10
cities around the country, from LA and Seattle to Boston and Washington, as well as London, Amsterdam and Israel.
In January, WeWork opened in Berkeley with space to accommodate
some 300 members.
“We opened in Berkeley because the two WeWork sites in San Francisco were full with long waiting lists, and people were increasingly talking about going to the East Bay,” says Jesse Middleton, WeWork’s director of business development.
Plus, he adds, “we support the trend of people graduating from college and wanting to start their own company or deciding to work for a
startup – and that’s especially true in places like Berkeley. We’re creating
opportunities to keep young entrepreneurs in the community.”
“When we go into a market, our goal is to pull together the resources
young companies need all under one roof. We want local government
involved, we want to work with other businesses, large and small, and
we want to connect to educational institutions, like UC Berkeley, both to
draw on their expertise and to give their students a pathway to success.”
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NextSpace
“Coworking
brings us back
to a reliance on
community.”
Erin Griffin, community curator,
Next Space
nathan phillips
In Erin Griffin’s view, coworking – sharing space and coming
together as a group to be successful – is history repeating itself in a modern way.
It’s reminiscent of an old-fashioned barn-raising, says
Griffin, community curator at NextSpace, “with everyone
contributing to the survival of the community.”
By design, NextSpace members are largely small businesses, startup entrepreneurs and remote workers.
Working around other people is an obvious advantage
of choosing coworking space, says Griffin. “It really helps
keep you focused.” Cost is another key benefit. Coworking
members enjoy dedicated conference space, IT support and
professional management, all for a fraction of the price they
would pay for a single office with no extras.
NextSpace, which first opened in Santa Cruz in 2008, now
has nine locations. The Berkeley site opened in 2013 in the
historic Wells Fargo Building on Shattuck. NextSpace Berkeley offers fiber optic Internet connections, a communal space
NextSpace features cutting-edge technology in a historic bank building.
featuring soaring ceilings, fresh vibrant design, and even an
old bank vault that serves as a conference room.
“Berkeley’s initiative in helping to reinvent Downtown
and keep enterprising University grads here, and the fluidity
between the City, University and the many coworking spaces
are part of creating a culture of innovation,” notes Griffin.
“With so many people being creative on so many levels,
the energy is really awesome.”
Coworking
spaces
in Berkeley
Downtown
Impact Hub
2150 Allston Way, Ste. 400
(in the David Brower Center)
Berkeley.impacthub.net
Innovate
Berkeley
monthly
dinner at the
Impact Hub
fosters communication
among civic
and business
leaders.
NextSpace
2081 Center St. (in the historic
Wells Fargo building)
Nextspace.us
Sandbox Suites
1900 Addison St.
sandboxsuites.com
WeWork
2120 University Ave.
wework.com/berkelely-workspace
South Berkeley
Impact Hub Berkeley
“Berkeley’s history
in socially minded
entrepreneurial
businesses just
made sense for our
mission and model.”
Amanda Spector, Impact Hub Berkeley’s community manager
Impact Hub Berkeley is coworking for a membership of entrepreneurs, activists and professionals who are driving social
and environmental change.
The first Impact Hub was founded in London in 2005. Today, from Amsterdam to Johannesburg, Singapore to Mexico
City, there’s an expanding global network of more than 7,000
members in some 60 shared workspaces.
Impact Hub Berkeley, which opened in the David Brower
Center in 2009, was the first of its kind in the U.S. Based on
its success, Impact Hubs were opened in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Oakland. Impact Hub Berkeley currently has about 100 members.
“Our home is in the Brower Center, where the goal is to
nurture leaders working on making sustainable practices
mainstream. For Impact Hub Berkeley, this location presented a great opportunity to co-create with nonprofits and
environmentally sensitive companies,” says Amanda Spector,
Impact Hub Berkeley’s community manager.
“Berkeley’s history in socially-minded entrepreneurial
businesses just made sense for our mission.”
Impact Hub Berkeley works closely with the City of Berkeley, the university and local businesses to foster innovation.
The Impact Hub hosts speakers events to inspire entrepreneurs building their businesses in Berkeley.
“We’re part of creating a global ecosystem and it’s been
fulfilling to launch our efforts in Berkeley,” says Spector.
Mothership Hackermoms
3288 Adeline St.
mothershiphackermoms.org
ShareSpace@Ashby
2946 Martin Luther King Way
sharespaceatashby.com
West Berkeley
The Sage Centers
1454 Sixth Street
thesagecenters.com
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Business Profiles
Entrepreneurial spirit
shines in Berkeley’s
new companies
Solfice helps
customers use
Big Data for
decision-making.
Solfice
The power of 3D data
Recent advancements in LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technologies have
led to streamlined surveying processes, but the dramatic amount of imaging data
collected can slow down a company’s decision-making process.
Berkeley-based Solfice Research, Inc. offers a solution. Solfice analyzes giant
datasets of three-dimensional images and locations to help customers break
through the bottlenecks that result from trying to process Big Data. Instead their
customers can focus on running their businesses.
“There’s a culture forming
around startups that has a lot
of potential for Berkeley.”
Savran Puttagunta, Co-founder and CEO, Solfice
“Essentially, we take 3D survey data and create reports that take
customers directly from Big Data to decision making so they don’t have to struggle with figuring out pattern recognition,” explains Sravan Puttagunta, Solfice’s
co-founder and CEO.
The company’s first customers were railroads. Solfice outfitted locomotives
with hardware that collects huge amounts of information in order to reduce fuel
consumption, improve network flow – and avoid collisions. Solfice has prototypes
in India and has worked on projects in the UK and with the Quebec Ministry of
Transportation.
ana portnoy
M
arket dynamics and newly business-friendly public policies are driving
a boom in real estate development, new business startups, a worldrenowned arts scene, bustling retail sales and destination dining.
From the challenges of managing Big Data to the joy of enriching
a child’s day, the depth and breadth of new companies opening in Berkeley and older
companies undergoing new transformations are creating an excitement that transcends any one industry or neighborhood.
The Wise.io team has created machine-learning apps
to manage Big Data.
Wise.io
Optimizing decisionmaking for most impact
What do astrophysicists and high-value sales companies
have in common? The challenge of managing an avalanche
of Big Data.
Wise.io was founded in Berkeley by some of the world’s
leading experts in astrophysics, statistics, computer science and
machine learning to help companies bridge the machine-intelligence divide.
Working together for more than a decade, the Wise.io team
created automated machine-learning frameworks that they
used to understand some of the rarest phenomena in the universe, from peculiar stars to exploding white dwarfs.
In 2012, after watching the business world struggle with
similar Big Data challenges, the Wise.io team decided to put
their expertise to work helping companies make better use of
client data.
“We create machine-learning applications atop our proprietary platform that enterprise companies use to manage the
incoming flow of information about their products and services and empower agents on the front lines to better service
their customers,” says Joshua Bloom, Wise.io’s CTO, chairman
and founder, a self-described “data-driven scientist.”
“You can think of it as an intelligence layer on top of
the cloud-based data tools companies are using already.”
Sometimes companies hire more people to manage the
ever increasing amounts of data. While additional hires
may be necessary, much of that information can be understood more efficiently without staffing up.
“What we’ve done is to figure out how to build applications that can be used by non-technical personnel
to help them make better decisions, more quickly,
based on what’s happened historically,” says Bloom.
There was a certain “logistical convenience” to
starting up Wise.io in Berkeley, Bloom explains.
“This is where we live, and Berkeley is the intellectual
center for Big Data. The best-regarded software tools
for complex data solutions – from data bases to operating systems – have all been created here.”
Bloom appreciates the close-knit network of Berkeley-based entrepreneurs. “There’s something special about
being here in part because it’s a relatively small community,” says Bloom.
And, of course, he adds, “some of the top young talent
in the world is coming out of the University. They’re looking to get their start, and, like many of us, they’re attracted
to the University and Berkeley’s lively creative scene.”
February 27, 2015
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Mr. Mopps’ Kids’ toy haven with deep Berkeley roots
The quintessential Berkeley retailer, Mr. Mopps’
toy and bookstore, has one of those “only in
Berkeley” backstories that make retail in the city
so distinctive.
After 50-plus years in business, the beloved
children’s haven was on the block. If a buyer
couldn’t be found, the store would close. The
news was devastating to the store’s generations
of customers, who soon mounted a Facebook
campaign to save the retailer.
Photo Courtesy of Megan Edwards/RoadTrip America
“I had been going there
my whole life. My first toys
came from Mr. Mopps’. ”
Devin McDonald, current owner
That’s when Berkeley native Devin McDonald and Jenny Stevenson stepped up to
take over. They were convinced by their own,
informal form of market research: “Every time
we visited the store, we ran into people on the
street who were visibly upset over the news Mr.
Mopps’ was closing,” says McDonald. “That’s
what ultimately closed the deal for us.”
In 2010, McDonald and Stevenson purchased the shop near the corner of Martin
Luther King Way and Rose St. in North Berkeley, and continued the tradition of offering a
wide array of toys for children of all ages. Mr.
Mopps’ hodgepodge of games, puzzles, building blocks, stuffed animals, and just about
everything else a child would find fun makes
searching out just the right “find” a kind of
treasure hunt in itself.
“We’re getting a new reputation as a place that
really likes kids,” says McDonald, who credits the
store’s new success to his years of working as a
nanny and camp counselor. “It all stems from my
being familiar with what kids like – and that I
like being around children. It makes the experience more engaging for both parents and kids.”
Last year, McDonald and Stevenson ex-
panded the business into an adjacent space to
open Mr. Mopps’ Books, a welcoming spot with
chairs and benches designed for young readers.
McDonald has his own deep roots in Berkeley. His father is the famed anti-war musician
Country Joe McDonald and his grandmother,
Florence McDonald, served both as City Auditor and on the City Council.
Jenny Stevenson
and Devin
McDonald saved
Mr. Mopps’.
Workshop1
Talent and inspiration
in West Berkeley
When broker/developer Will Mollard and architect Mike Pitler came together to combine their
25 years of experience and form a new firm, West
Berkeley’s Design District was where they decided to land.
“As a real estate development, architecture
and brokerage firm, we felt it to be most appropriate to own our building, and that’s something
we could afford to do in Berkeley,” says Pitler.
In addition, says Pitler, “most of our staff all
live in the East Bay – there’s a great concentration
of talented and experienced architectural and
real estate development professionals here.”
In a 10-block by 10-block area, West Berkeley
is “a microcosm of the Bay Area as a whole,” says
Pitler. “Within a fairly compact area you have industrial warehousing, business and commercial
uses, retail, restaurants, and both multifamily and single-family residential.”
The eclectic composition of West Berkeley is a good match for
Workshop1, which designs, develops and builds both commercial and
residential real estate that’s transforming the ways we think about the
use of urban spaces.
“We’re trying to think about context in a new way,” says Pitler.
Workshop1 is
designing and
developing
residences in
San Francisco
and the East Bay.
“We’re committed to creating modern, sustainable projects with an
urban aesthetic – green, sustainable and in walkable, transit-rich
neighborhoods.”
Workshop1’s current projects include the façade design for a Panoramic Interests’ planned apartment building on Berkeley’s Telegraph
Ave. and a mini-lot residential development with six townhouses in
West Oakland.
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Downtown
It starts here… Downtown
Berkeley is booming
B
erkeley is affluent, sophisticated, pro-business… and thriving. More than $400 million in construction investment and new business-friendly public policies are driving a boom in Downtown. Its real
estate development, startups, arts scene, retail sales and destination dining are all on the rise.
Downtown demographics
Commercial space
Downtown Berkeley is approximately 30 square
blocks, adjacent to the UC Berkeley campus. An
eclectic mix of buildings – many historic – along
tree-lined streets gives visual interest and suggests
a rich history. Newer buildings complement their
historic neighbors while demonstrating Berkeley’s
forward-thinking culture.
A mecca for cultural tourism, Downtown is
brimming with restaurants, theater and entertainment. More than 150 restaurants serve cuisine from more than 15 countries. The Berkeley
Repertory Theatre packs the house nightly with a
sophisticated and regional clientele and thousands
of others come for live music, cinema and restaurants and bars. A widely used YMCA, unique
Many of the buildings that characterize today’s
Downtown date to 1903 when the Key System
electric trains were established on Shattuck Avenue. With storefronts built out to the street,
Downtown has retained its “Main Street” character, while the upper stories of historic buildings
have been modernized to accommodate new office uses and residential units.
Center Street, between BART and the UC campus, has been transformed into an inviting Restaurant Row where residents and visitors gather to
enjoy an array of authentic international cuisines
ranging from Persian to African, and from Vietnamese to Mediterranean.
The beautifully restored Francis K. Shattuck
building is now home to the renowned farm-totable restaurant Revival Bar + Kitchen. Another
$10 million restoration revived the historic Hotel
Shattuck Plaza with flair while bringing the 55room boutique hotel up to 21st century standards.
FIVE Restaurant, located in the hotel lobby, is a
favorite for a quick drink, a casual lunch or dinner
or post-theater dining.
Downtown is also a major employment center.
Offices occupy the upper floors of many buildings,
while groundfloor space houses a range of commercial uses.
Green and sustainable
Thousands of
visitors come
to Downtown
Berkeley for
theater, live
music, cinema,
and restaurants
and bars.
shops and a classically refurbished Central Library
create additional attractions.
Berkeley has the densest urban population in
the East Bay. Some 201,152 residents live within a
three-mile radius of Downtown – and new housing under construction will add new residents.
The daytime population of Downtown also includes roughly 23,000 office workers, 30,000 UC
Berkeley students, 11,000 UC Berkeley faculty and
3,000 Berkeley High students.
Housing
Downtown is Berkeley’s fastest growing housing
market. Hundreds of new units are now available
– and more than 1,900 are in the pipeline – in
this prime location next to the Downtown Berkeley BART station and the UC Berkeley campus.
Downtown living is back in style and Berkeley offers all the convenience and attractions of urban
life. Some additional 27 acres have been identified
as potential development opportunity sites.
Among urban centers, Downtown Berkeley excels
as a leading location for green innovations and ecologically beneficial features. Street plantings and
new open spaces are integral to the Downtown Area
Plan. The David Brower Center, Berkeley’s premier
professional center devoted to environmental and
social justice, art and education is located Downtown in a LEED Platinum facility.
Pedestrian- and transit-friendly
Downtown Berkeley is pedestrian-friendly
and transit-oriented. Plans are underway for
a $10.5 million redesign and renovation of
BART Plaza, the public space at the Downtown
station’s main entrance to the City. More than
11,000 people per day exit the Downtown
BART station, making it the second busiest in
the East Bay. Downtown is also well served by
AC Transit, private taxis, UC Shuttle buses and
Berkeley Lab Shuttles.
At the same time, the City has earmarked $3.7
million for the reconfiguration of the one-way
couplet on Shattuck Avenue between University Avenue and Center Street to improve safety,
walkability and parking.
Downtown’s Oxford Plaza
added nearly 100 new lowand very-low-income units,
designed for families, to
Downtown’s residential stock.
1,959 New Housing Units in the
Project
Acheson Commons
Units
205
2107 Dwight Way
99
2201 Dwight Way
84
The Durant
79
1931 Addison
69
Berkeley Plaza
302
Fidelity Apts.
15
StoneFire
98
Argent
78
The Overture
44
2129 Shattuck (hotel)
293
2136 Center (hotel)
68
1950 Addison St.
93
2124 Bancroft Way
50
2035 Blake St.
Parker Place
72
155
Berkeley Arts District Venues
Venue
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse
Aurora Theatre
Movie Theaters
Central Library
California Jazz Conservatory
Other Venues
Berkeley Art Museum /
Pacific Film Archive (2016)
The UC Theatre (coming soon)
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BERKELEY
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Downtown Berkeley
The proposed Acheson
Commons is a $90 million
mixed-use residential and
retail project with new
construction behind a historic
façade.
Pipeline
Retail
Sq. Ft.
Parking
35,000
196,500
50
5,600
100,000
73
0
101,000
49
0
95,000
34
7,100
64,000
15
12,000
325,000
320
2,800
25,900
0
8,700
139,300
76
9,941
133,962
91
4,586
36,544
19
12,500
284,000
TBD
TBD
59,966
33
2,853
85,666
69
0
51,036
13
2,220
68,350
62
22,900
169,000
170
The Berkeley Art Museum/
Pacific Film Archive is
transforming a former printing
plant into a new building.
Berkeley Plaza, a proposed
18-story building with more
than 300 apartments, would be
Berkeley’s tallest building.
Annual Patrons
250,000
90,000
30,000
683,000
685,000
7,000
8,000
200,000 (projected)
120,000 (projected)
Berkeley’s new Downtown transit
center will offer improved access
and connectivity, a plaza with cafe
space, visitor information, public art
and sustainable design.
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The Berkeley Rep offers
nationally recognized
theater.
Downtown
Arts District is a draw for
residents and visitors
B
erkeley’s Arts District attracts more than 1.7 million
people to Downtown each year. That number will grow
to more than two million by 2016 with the opening of the
newly remodeled Berkeley Arts Museum and The UC Theatre. Visitors who come for the arts often linger to dine, drink and shop.
Theater
Music
Berkeley Rep is a nationally known
and critically acclaimed professional
theater famed for taking creative risks
and attracting top talent, and for its
adventurous audiences. In the last seven
years, seven shows developed at Berkeley
Rep have later opened on Broadway,
including the Tony Award-winning
“American Idiot.”
Drawing audiences from across the
Bay Area, Berkeley Rep is the mainstay
of a cluster of performance venues. Other
spots include the Aurora Theatre and
the Marsh, a breeding ground for new
performances.
The iconic Freight & Salvage is
a 440-seat performance venue for
folk and world music.
Live jazz performances and
workshops with some of the nation’s
leading jazz musicians are available at
the California Jazz Conservatory.
It is the only accredited, stand-alone
conservatory devoted to jazz studies in
the country. Hot spots like Berkeley
Underground, Subterranean
Arthouse, Jupiter and Sliver Pizzeria
also offer live music throughout the week.
The 1920s-era UC Theatre will return
this year as a 1,400-seat live music
venue – Berkeley’s own version of San
Francisco’s famed Fillmore.
“With more than 100 cultural arts
organizations, Berkeley’s creative
scene engages at every turn.”
Barbara Hillman, President & CEO, Visit Berkeley
Cinema and Visual Arts
Poetry & Books
With 20 screens, Downtown Berkeley is
home to the second largest concentration
of movie theaters – and the only arthouse multiplex – in the East Bay.
In early 2016, the Berkeley Art
Museum and Pacific Film Archive
(BAM/PFA) will relocate to Downtown in
a new $95 million, 82,000-square-foot
facility.
Follow the Berkeley Poetry Walk, a
first-of-its-kind public art project that
features tpanels of poetry embedded into
the sidewalk of Addison Street. Within
strolling distance, one can find bookstores
and the Berkeley Central Library, a gem of
historic restoration.
In June, Downtown will host the first
annual Bay Area Book Festival.
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February 27, 2015
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Commercial Centers
West Berkeley: Room to grow and thrive
T
alk to almost anyone in West
Berkeley – from global-scale
manufacturers to clean tech
engineers, architects and bakers to
bioscientists, wine makers and musicians – and you’ll hear about the area’s
special “vibe.”
It’s that indefinable quality that’s sparking
a true renaissance of discovery and invention
and the resurgence of a new generation of
manufacturing – from specialty chocolate to
sound equipment, air compressors that store
energy to promising cures for cancer.
West Berkeley’s unique character and dynamic environment are largely the result of
its wide variety of land uses – from light and
general manufacturing to biotech, retail and
restaurants, professional and technical office
space, arts and crafts and a mix of residential.
Preserving and supporting all of these elements
are central to the city’s West Berkeley Plan.
West Berkeley lies at the center of the I-80/I-880 Innovation Corridor,
extending from Hayward through Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley to
Richmond and as far as Crockett. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) estimates there are close to 100,000 manufacturing and
wholesaling jobs along this corridor.
In Berkeley, these jobs are found in the burgeoning biosciences and clean
tech cluster, steel foundries, scientific instrument makers, music producers,
filmmakers, book distributors, and other manufacturing, wholesale trade and
industrial uses. Light manufacturers range from bakers and printers, to metal
fabricators and makers of machinery. Other industrial uses include construction, auto repair, transportation and public utilities.
Aquatic Park Center: Research, clean tech hub
Wareham Development’s new 105,000-square-foot, stateof-the-art life science R&D building at 740 Heinz Avenue
in West Berkeley is the latest expansion of its Aquatic Park
Center campus and will provide much-needed space to
accommodate Berkeley’s growing bioscience and clean
tech cluster. The Bay Area’s life science market has a nearzero vacancy rate in high-tech lab facilities.
The new structure will be the latest of nearly 1 million
square feet developed, owned and managed by Wareham
in its Aquatic Park Center and Zaentz Media Center campuses in West Berkeley since the 1980s.
Wareham’s Aquatic Park Center is currently home to
offices and research facilities for a number of life sciences
and clean tech companies. These include the life sciences
division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, XOMA
(US) LLC, the State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Dynavax Technologies, the QB3 East Bay
Innovation Center, CMC Biologics, LightSail Energy and
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, a division of Siemens
Healthcare, a large international corporation with regional
headquarters at 725 Potter Street.
For more on Berkeley’s bioscience and clean tech companies, visit warehamdevelopment.com.
Retail
Beginning with the development of the retail district on
Fourth Street, shopping has expanded dramatically in West
Berkeley. Retail space occupies some 1 million square feet –
the equivalent of two large regional shopping centers. While most shops are
small, a large percentage of sales is garnered by such larger firms as Weatherford BMW, Truitt and White and REI. New players include a Whole Foods
store on Gilman and Stella Carakasi, a local design house, on Tenth Street.
West Berkeley has the highest concentration of independent home improvement merchants in the Bay Area. A home can be built from the ground
up – and furnished – with the resources available in the West Berkeley Design Loop. From architects and developers to lumber, plumbing and lighting, flooring and furniture, it’s all located in West Berkeley.
The Design Loop is a group of local merchants who offer advise homeowners and builders on their latest projects. Members of
the Design Loop work together in the spirit of “co-opetition” to help customers find the best solution for their
projects.
Film and music production
“West Berkeley
has totally
embraced a
modern vibe
that respects
the interesting
juxtaposition
of the old and
the new.”
Mike Pitler, principal, Workshop1
- development, architecture and
brokerage in one practice
Two important entities are at the heart of Berkeley’s
thriving local film community – the Berkeley FILM
Foundation (BFF) and Wareham Development’s Zaentz
Media Center, located at 2600 Tenth Street.
The BFF is a nonprofit grant program for independent filmmakers founded by the City, Wareham Development and the Saul Zaentz Company to support local
filmmakers and attract the next generation of independent filmmakers. BFF-funded films are putting Berkeley on the map at international film festivals and with
global audiences around the world.
Built by the legendary music and film producer,
Saul Zaentz, 2600 Tenth Street originally housed Fantasy Records, Fantasy Studios and the Saul Zaentz Film
Company, where Academy Award-Winning Best Pictures were produced: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest,” “Amadeus” and “The English Patient.”
The thriving community of independent feature and
documentary filmmakers at the Zaentz Media Center has
garnered dozens of Oscars and Oscar nominations as well
as awards from international film festivals.
Fantasy Studios continues to be one of the most requested recording studios on the West Coast. New to the
Zaentz Center is Avid Technologies, one of the world’s leading audio/visual providers.
Aquatic
Park Center
houses
Berkeley’s
thriving Bio/
Clean Tech
Cluster.
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Commercial Centers
Public art on Berkeley’s
bustling Fourth Street.
Shopping districts reveal unique flavor
B
erkeley’s twists and turns of terrain give its neighborhoods room to establish independent personas, moods and mantras. From foodie North Shattuck and stylish Fourth Street, to hip-hop
Telegraph and eclectic Solano each of Berkeley’s commercial districts has hyper-local authenticity. Our neighborhoods range from sophisticated and urbane to cozy and intimate.
Epicurious
Garden on
Shattuck in
North Berkeley;
Hotel Shattuck
Plaza.
Fourth Street
College Avenue / The Elmwood
North Berkeley / Gourmet Ghetto
Shoppers on Fourth Street have a wide selection from which to choose, from a shiny new
Apple store to clothing, cosmetics, children’s
toys, travel accessories and home décor. There’s
even a Vivarium (on Fifth) for reptile lovers and
George for more conventional pet lovers.
A cool scene is developing South on
Fourth, with the Sierra Nevada Torpedo
Room, THEA (a clothing boutique) and even
the Waterhouse Playhouse and Conservatory.
Visitors enjoy browsing the workshops that
are growing up in the light-industrial buildings, some of which have incidental retail
where they make their wares available for sale
to the public.
Stretching south along College Avenue, just a
few blocks from the University, The Elmwood
features a historic movie house, bookstores, fine
gourmet food, outdoor cafes and shops that
feature unique clothing, jewelry, gift items and
quality personal services from local merchants.
Retailers include Mrs. Dalloway’s Books, Tail
of the Yak and Sweet Dreams candy shop. Diners have a variety of choices, from the recently
renovated Elmwood Café to Shen Hua and the
iconic La Mediterranee, long-since relocated
from its original home on Telegraph Avenue.
With the opening of Peet’s Coffee and Tea
in 1966, the Cheese Board a year later and Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in 1971, soon joined
by others, the North Shattuck area earned a
reputation as Berkeley’s “Gourmet Ghetto.”
Sidewalk cafes, flower stands, bakeries and
fine-food purveyors lend the area a welcoming
ambience.
The neighborhood, which became world
renowned as the cradle of California cuisine,
retains a special place in the hearts of food lovers worldwide.
Two Chez Panisse alums opened César, a
lively tapas bar; Gregoire offers gourmet takeout; and Vintage Berkeley Wine shop occupies
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a former historic water pumping station. Epicurious Garden offers a
collection of gourmet take-out, including Kirala Sushi, Soop, Lush Gelato and Alegio Chocolate, which can be enjoyed in a secluded courtyard,
along with sit-down restaurants Mint Leaf and the Imperial Tea Shop.
The neighborhood, so famed for its eateries and bars, is also home
to popular retailers like Earthly Goods, Molly B., Lobelia, Aura Jewelers,
M. Lowe & Co. Jewelers, The Walk Shop, Kid Dynamo and Zaver & Mor,
which carry distinctive clothing, shoes, lingerie and jewelry.
Solano Avenue
Famed for its Solano Stroll, the East Bay’s largest street festival held annually the second Sunday in September, Solano Avenue runs from The
Alameda down the hill through Albany to San Pablo Avenue. The Solano
shopping district puts a premium on home-grown small retailers, many
family-run, and others showcasing the best in “on trend” goods.
Offerings range from retailers with loyal followers, like Pegasus
Bookstore and Persimmon (on the Alameda), to fitness and financial
services and trendy children’s clothing stores. Shops cater to those interested in specialty gifts, collectibles and antiques, shoes and apparel.
In addition, Solano Avenue is a prime destination for dining from
around the globe, from the casual Cactus Taqueria to Rivoli, Zachary’s
Chicago Pizza to Bowl’d, Ajanta to King Tsin, Berkeley’s first dim sum
house, and iScream, which serves up artisanal ice cream.
San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley’s portion of San Pablo Avenue stretches from Ashby to Gilman.
Shoppers here will find everything off-beat and original: vintage clothing, antiques, furniture, and building supplies shops, from Omegha Salvage to Bibelot’s, Metro Lighting and the East Bay Nursery. Near the
corner of Dwight and San Pablo are gift shops, antiques and fine furniture – many crafted in the nearby studios of local artists.
When North Beach’s famed Caffe Trieste opened at the same corner,
it led the way for more new eateries from Paisan Osteria/Bar and Claypot to the upscale Vanni’s.
Other cool spots include Social Studies, a gallery-like collection of
beautiful homewares and apparel, and the beloved Café Bartavelle (in
the former Café Fanny’s space).
Lorin District
Named for the last stop along the Berkeley branch of the Central Pacific
(later, Southern Pacific) railway, the Lorin in South Berkeley is one of the
City’s most diverse, artistic and transit-accessible commercial districts.
Characterized by historic commercial buildings and charming residential neighborhoods, the Lorin District hosts the South Berkeley Farmers market, can claim a thriving art and antiques cluster and is home
to Shotgun Players and Berkeley Black Repertory Theater. The Lorin is
emerging as an eclectic food scene with an impressive assortment of new
eating (Easy Creole, Giin Thai) and drinking establishments (Hoi Palloi
nanobrewery and Club 44). Plus, it is home to two co-working spaces
(Mothership Hackermoms, ShareSpace@Ashby).
With a new $750,000 planning grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Agency, the City is creating a plan for the development of more
housing, open spaces, transportation improvements and other public
and private investments along the Adeline- South Shattuck corridor.
Revitalizing Telegraph
W
ith its edgy vitality, the Telegraph Avenue area, the Southern Gateway
to the UC Berkeley campus, is a unique Berkeley retail center. Telegraph features a distinct mixed-use character, including a diversity of
shops, restaurants and cultural venues.
The district serves the daytime population of UC Berkeley, including students,
employees, tourists and visitors attending cultural and sporting events. Many retailers on Telegraph, particularly the bookstores and music stores, also serve a regional audience.
Driven by the Bay Area’s hot real estate market, Telegraph is attracting the interest
of investors who see the upside potential to being close to the university community.
UC Berkeley, the City of Berkeley and the Telegraph Business Improvement District are working together to bring a new energy to the Telegraph District, with a
careful eye on supporting small businesses and spurring commercial revitalization.
Bringing new life to ‘The Ave.’
Recently completed:
Maximino Martinez Commons: LEED
Gold student housing facility at 2520
Channing Way, a UC Berkeley project.
Under construction:
Sequoia Apartments: 42 units, mixeduse retail/restaurant space at Haste and
Telegraph; expected to house return of
the popular Raleigh’s and Intermezzo
restaurants.
Lower Sproul Plaza and Eshleman
Hall: A $223 million UC Berkeley
renovation project; completion scheduled
for fall 2015.
Mad Monk: New retail and entertainment
venue in the old Cody’s Books building at
Haste and Telegraph; coming online in 2015.
In planning:
El Jardin: 79 units, mixed-use, 30,000
square feet retail; proposed for 2501 Haste St.
The Nexus: 70 units, mixed-use, 6,000
square feet retail space; planned at 2539
Telegraph Ave.
Telegraph Avenue has an eclectic appeal.
Chez Panisse
helped to
launch the
California
cuisine
movement.
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Biotech and Clean Tech
Brilliant Ideas:
Bioscience/Clean Tech
Cluster is a world leader
B
uilt on the resources of the University of California and the
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and anchored by major
corporate players Bayer HealthCare and Siemens Healthcare
Diagnostics, Berkeley is a hub for bioscience and clean tech.
The Berkeley-Emeryville Bio Cluster has one of the largest concentrations of bioscience
companies in the world. The breadth of enterprise includes every aspect of the industry,
from pharmaceutical manufacturing to medical research and microbial engineering, nanotechnology to bio-energy and biomaterials science.
Clean tech – from renewable energy generation and storage to wastewater treatment
and environmentally sensitive consumer products – has a long history in the City. Support
comes from such programs as Clean Tech to Market (C2M), a partnership between University of California students, scientists and engineers and professionals to translate clean tech
research into market opportunities. In the process, C2M is developing the next generation
of innovative clean tech leaders.
Berkeley researchers and scientists are tackling some of the most urgent challenges of the
day – and creating cutting-edge companies to carry out their missions.
Technicians working in the Bayer HealthCare
manufacturing facility.
Aduro Biotech
Leader in immuno-oncology
Bayer HealthCare
Major biotech employer
Aduro Biotech, which develops immunotherapy drugs to treat a variety of cancers, has completed what CEO Stephen Isaacs calls “a watershed year.”
The company recently closed $51.4 million in Series D preferred stock
financing, bringing the total capital raised in 2014 to $106.4 million.
Isaacs is taking it as a vote of investor confidence in the company’s future.
“Our mission is to leverage the power of the body’s immune system to
make a significant positive difference in the lives of patients,” says Isaacs.
Basically, Aduro’s platform uses genetically modified bacteria and
viruses to activate the immune system to fight specific cancers.
Aduro will use the funding to support key clinical development milestones “and significantly expand the applicability and ther-
Bayer HealthCare has been a leader in biopharmaceutical treatments
for Hemophilia since it brought its global biotech manufacturing and
R&D site to Berkeley in 1992. As Berkeley’s largest private employer,
Bayer is important not only for its investment in the City and its contributions to the regional economy, but for its commitment to developing the East Bay’s technical workforce.
Bayer is the third-largest biotech employer in the Bay Area, employing more than 1,450 people in biotech manufacturing as well as an
additional 75 employees in R&D. Beyond that, Bayer is committed to
training new generations for jobs in biotech.
“The University is a key factor in having access to top talent here.”
says Joerg Heidrich, Bayer’s senior vice president, global head of Product Supply-Biotech and Berkeley site head. “In addition to high-end
scientists, we need a range of qualified people, especially those trained
in science manufacturing.”
To that end, Bayer helped to establish the Biotech Partners program,
which works with underserved youth to attract them to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Heidrich’s proud that more
than 50 interns have been hired by Bayer and that many other participants in the program went on to college – for many, the first in their
family – and have found work in related industries. The program now
involves more than 35 corporate, government, education and industry
partners and is seeking to expand throughout the Bay Area. More than
2,000 students have been trained over 20 years.
In 2009, Bayer’s R&D pipeline was yielding the promise of new,
improved hematology drugs, and Bayer needed to prepare to manufacture the next generation of products. The City of Berkeley worked
actively with state and local entities to help convince the Bayer Holding
Board to invest $100 million to convert their Berkeley main manufacturing into a state-of-the-art facility.
“The whole Bay Area is a hub for innovation,” says Heidrich, “but if
you look at the East Bay, there’s more room for manufacturing. That’s
where the future is, in high-end, innovative manufacturing, whether
its pharmaceuticals, electric vehicles or robotics.”
“We collaborate with a number of
UC Berkeley scientists who are
widely regarded as leaders in
their respective fields.”
Stephen Isaacs, CEO, Aduro
apeutic indications for our technologies,” says Isaacs. The company
also has agreements with Johnson and Johnson Innovation (Janssen
Biotech, Inc.) for the development and commercialization of novel
immunotherapies for prostate and lung cancers.
Being based close to the University, has been instrumental in
Aduro’s success, according to Isaacs: “We collaborate with a number
of UC Berkeley scientists who are widely regarded as leaders in their
respective fields, and it’s an important factor for recruiting. Some of
the brightest graduates in the country come out of UC Berkeley.”
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“We’re in Berkeley because our
birthplace was at the University,
but we quickly found that it’s
also a great place for recruiting.”
Rachel Haurwitz, CEO, Caribou Biosciences
LightSail Energy
Energy in compressed hot air
Caribou Biosciences
Revolution in genome research
Seeing the
urgency of
society’s need
for a sustainable
source of
energy, Danielle
Fong left a
PhD program
at Princeton
to co-found
LightSail Energy
in Berkeley.
Paolo Vescia
Caribou Biosciences is an early-stage startup that’s revolutionizing genetic research and gene therapy.
The company was founded in 2011 by Jennifer Doudna, Rachel
Haurwitz, Martin Jinek and James Berger, based on research carried
out at Doudna’s UC Berkeley lab. Doudna, a professor of molecular
and cell biology at UC Berkeley, and Jinek, a post-doctoral fellow in
working in her lab, co-invented a precision DNA editing technique
that has wide-ranging implications for biology and medicine.
Caribou’s genome engineering technology, called CRISPR, has the
ability to enter cells and precisely alter DNA sequences. While Caribou
does not yet have products of their own on the market, they’re harnessing the CRISPR technology in partnership with other companies
to transform basic biology research into therapeutic products and applications for use in agriculture and industry.
Caribou was initially a small tenant at the California Institute for
Quantitative Bioscience East Bay Innovation Center (QB3 EBIC) at
2929 Seventh Street. Caribou has since grown to take the entire site. QB3
EBIC has expanded into Wareham Development’s new facility at 820
Heinz, in Aquatic Park Center
“We’re in Berkeley because our birthplace was at the University, but
we quickly found that it’s also a great place for recruiting,” says Caribou CEO Rachel Haurwitz. “Berkeley is centrally located so employees
from across the wider Bay Area can get here in a reasonable amount
of time.”
Haurwitz also finds it compelling to be part of the bioscience community clustered in Berkeley and along the East Bay Innovation Corridor.
Based on the promise of CRISPR as a drug-discovery research tool,
Caribou recently announced a research collaboration and Series A investment agreement with Novartis, a leader in the health-care industry.
Doudna, who also directs the new Innovative Genomic Initiative at
UC Berkeley, was recently named a fellow of the National Academy of
Inventors and a winner of the 2015 Breakthrough Prize Foundation
award in fundamental physics and life sciences.
“It’s old news that we have an energy problem. It’s not sustainable to
use fossil fuels for power indefinitely, but what people don’t understand
is how urgent it is,” says Danielle Fong, co-founder of LightSail Energy.
Renewables like wind and solar have been getting increasingly inexpensive, but the missing piece has been how to store the energy produced by these intermittent sources.
“That’s our challenge,” says Fong. “We started the company to figure
out how to build the most economical energy storage so renewables can
be used to power the planet.”
LightSail’s innovation is to replace batteries, that are expensive and
degrade over time, with air compressors and storage tanks that are
cheaper and longer lasting.
“Essentially, they’re very similar to automobile engines in many respects,” explains Fong. “Automobile engines are really inexpensive to
produce for the amount of power they put out. If you used just 1 percent
of the world’s automotive engine production for energy storage on the
grid, you could supply all the energy the world would need.”
LightSail’s headquarters are in the former Scharffen Berger chocolate factory at aquatic Park Center, which has the space to accommodate
product design, testing and manufacturing.
Fong, who left a PhD program at Princeton to start LightSail, moved
to Berkeley on the advice of entrepreneurial guru Paul Graham, who
named six university towns as the best places to start a company.
Of those cities Fong and co-founders Steve Crane and Ed Berlin considered, Berkeley came out on top.
Continued on next page
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Biotech and Cleantech
Continued from previous page
“It has the university, it has the right vibe, the right values and a
high quality of living,” says Fong. And it’s relatively inexpensive: “When
you’re just starting out, university towns make it fun to be poor.”
But more importantly, says Fong, is “the atmosphere of possibility
here. There’s an innovative culture that encourages trying new things,
even if it’s a really ambitious idea.”
For LightSail, which is in the business of making things, Fong appreciates Berkeley’s community of fabricators, artists, scientists and engineers – “people who are inventing and building things, from the ingenuity of the art cars at Burning Man to discoveries in the hard sciences.”
Empact Showcase, which highlights the impact of America’s top
young entrepreneurs on the global economy, recently named LightSail
Energy Best Technology Company, and Forbes named Fong a standout
in the field of energy in its 30 under 30 ranking.
Siemens
Advancing human health
Siemens is a global powerhouse with businesses spanning industries
from energy to transportation, technology to health care. Two of these,
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics and Siemens Corporate Technology,
are core to Berkeley’s developing cluster of bioscience and clean tech
companies.
The headquarters for Siemens’ molecular diagnostics business, now at
725 Potter St., was established in Berkeley in 2006 following its acquisition
from Bayer Diagnostics.
For us, “it’s all about talent and access to this talent,” says Fernando Beils,
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics’ vice president, general manager and CFO.
With the proximity to UC Berkeley, UCSF and Stanford, and the many
cutting-edge companies in the region, it’s easy, says Beils, “to find the right
talent, with the right focus, passion and science needed.”
And because the industry is growing here, it’s also where the investors
are, where the industry’s important conferences are taking place, where the
talent wants to be.
Siemens’ molecular testing systems enable early detection of major infectious diseases, monitor treatment efficacy and are used to select targeted, individualized treatment options, often in cooperation with
pharma companies and other research partners.
“People in Berkeley and the Bay Area have a mindset that is
pretty much aligned with helping to get things done,” says Beils.
“The whole environment is very upbeat for advancing new
ideas. That’s what makes it so unique.”
In 2014, Siemens opened a new Corporate Technology Center
in Berkeley, which focuses primarily on the Web of Things – interconnecting physical objects via the Internet and digital technology.
In addition, Siemens’ Technology-To-Business (TTB) Center, founded
in 1999, supports the conversion of new technologies into profitable businesses. The result has been new or enhanced Siemens products, entirely new
Siemens businesses and new, independent partner companies.
QB3 East Bay Innovation
Center (QB3 EBIC)
Startup-boosting partnership
The QB3 East Bay Innovation Center (QB3 EBIC) is located at Wareham Development’s Aquatic Park Center in West Berkeley at the heart
of the East Bay Technology Corridor, the second largest life-science
and technology cluster in Northern California.
QB3 is the acronym for the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences. QB3’s EBIC is the result of a unique public-private partnership
between UC Berkeley, UCSF, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(Berkeley Lab) and Wareham Development. The 17,300-square-foot
space is designed to support startups in sectors like pharmaceuticals
and chemical bioproduction with top-quality wet labs, major research
equipment and space for support functions.
Occupants have access to the QB3 network of shared research facilities at UCSF, UC Berkeley, the Berkeley Lab and UC Santa Cruz. Tenants
can also exploit QB3’s comprehensive support network, including mentoring, business-skills training and introductions to potential funders.
Moreover, QB3 EBIC members benefit from being in the center of
the Berkeley- Emeryville Bio Cluster, which is comprised of dynamic
small startups and mature global players like Novartis and Bayer
HealthCare. The location makes it easy for new players to interact with
a wide range of potential partners.
Kiverdi
Making sustainability profitable
Converting industrial waste into the building blocks of consumer products is a win-win for business and the environment. Kiverdi, founded by
Lisa Dyson and John Reed, former post-doctoral students at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, are doing just that.
Kiverdi is developing disruptive, drop-in replacements to oleochemicals and petrochemicals by converting low-cost, waste
carbon into high-value chemicals at a fraction of the
“Berkeley is a hub of innovation.”
Lisa Dyson, CEO, Kiverdi
cost of current approaches. Those replacements can
then be used to produce personal and household-care
products for customers seeking cost-competitive, sustainable, higher-performing alternatives.
As a startup, Kiverdi initially worked with the QB3 Incubator
Network in San Francisco, but moved to Berkeley to be closer to the
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The partnership has enabled
Kiverdi to take advantage of the Lab’s high-quality staff as well as its
state-of-the-art facilities. The company is also partnering with the California Energy Commission on speeding up the commercialization of
CO2 waste.
In addition to developing their technology, Kiverdi’s challenge –
like that faced by other startups – has been building a sustainable and
scalable business model.
“Berkeley is a hub of innovation. It is a great place to attract both
technical and non-technical talent,” says CEO Dyson. “With so many
biotech startups in the East Bay, we’ve surrounded ourselves with people who have strong expertise in building great businesses.”
“The beneficiaries are Kiverdi’s customers,” says Dyson. “By using
our technology, rather than paying to get rid of waste, companies can
convert their manufacturing waste into raw materials they can use in
their manufacturing process.”
Caribou
Biosciences
researcher at
the QB3-East
Bay Innovation
Center. Caribou
is one of the
companies
developed from
the Institute’s
Startup in a Box
program.
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Food Culture
Berkeley’s three weekly Farmers Markets offer a sense of community along with organic produce.
Berkeley is for foodies
B
erkeley is well-known for quality dining and as a source
for cutting-edge food ideas. After all, the California
food revolution was born here in the 1970s at Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse restaurant.
Berkeley’s food scene continues to impress with quality cuisine, fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and memorable experiences. With more than
350 restaurants citywide it would be impossible to list every great Berkeley eatery, but a sampling gives a taste of what’s available.
New restaurants & cafes
Major investments in new restaurants have expanded the Downtown
Berkeley dining scene. Newer arrivals include Revival Bar and Kitchen
which boasts a “snout to tail” philosophy that inspires their housecured meats; Gather, which focuses on local ingredients; Build Pizzeria,
a create-your-own Neapolitan pizzeria and bar; East Bay Spice Co., a
bar and restaurant with South Asian cocktail flavors and Indian street
food; and Eureka!, the first Bay Area location for a California group of
gourmet, farm-to-table burger restaurants a broad offering of beers,
whiskeys and bourbons.
Berkeley’s selection of new eateries stretches beyond the Downtown.
There’s Iyasare on Fourth Street, Easy Creole on Alcatraz, and Farm
Burger and Doughnut Dolly on Ninth Street in West Berkeley. Other favorites are Smoke on San Pablo near Dwight, a barbeque joint featured
in Gourmet magazine, and Emilia’s Pizzeria on South Shattuck.
Artisanal food producers & markets
Berkeley is also a preferred location for artisanal food producers like the
Acme Bread Company, TCHO Chocolates and June Taylor Jams.
Throughout the City, specialty markets cater to residents’ preference
for natural foods, locally sourced produce and top quality meats and
fish. Possibilities abound. Berkeley is home to stalwarts like Tokyo Fish
and Mi Tierra on San Pablo, Star Meats on Claremont, and Monterey
Market as well as to relative newcomers like Café Rouge’s meat market
and the Local Butcher Shop. There are also larger full-service groceries
like Whole Foods, Andronico’s and the two Berkeley Bowl locations (regional destinations for serious foodies).
Breweries & wineries
Berkeley is gaining a reputation for craft beers and critically acclaimed
wineries. California leads the nation’s craft brewing industry, and
Berkeley has seen more a notable increase in the number of independent, handcrafted breweries opening in the city.
Brothers John and Reid Martin, who established Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse in Berkeley in 1985, opened the door to the craft beer
Friends gather at FIVE Restaurant in the Hotel Shattuck Plaza.
culture. Triple Rock now enjoys the title of the oldest original brewpub
in the country.
In 1997, Pyramid Brewery & Alehouse opened in an old warehouse
off Gilman, quickly becoming a popular destination. Jupiter, housed
Downtown in an old livery stable, serves its own handcrafted beers and
ales along with wood-fired pizzas. Trumer Brauerei Berkeley, sister to
the 400-year-old Trumer Privatbrauerei in Salzburg, opened in 2004
on Fourth Street.
Newer pubs include Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo tasting room and
the Westbrae Biergarten on Gilman. Rare Barrel on Parker creates
award-winning aged sour beers in the Belgian tradition. In South
Berkeley Viet Vu, a Munich-trained brew master, opened the Hoi Polloi
Brewpub and Beat Lounge in the Lorin District. And in North West
Berkeley Fieldwork Brewing is opening its doors in March.
Berkeley wineries that feature hand-crafted wines, organic or locally
sourced grapes and natural processes include Urbano Cellars on 4th
Street; tiny Broc Cellars, self-described as a “true, urban, low-wattage”
winery; and Donkey & Goat.
Coffee culture
As a university town, Berkeley has always enjoyed a lively café scene,
but the artisanal coffee culture got its start here in 1966 when Alfred
Peet opened his small coffee store at the corner of Walnut and Vine
streets. Many flocked to Peet’s dark roast, richly complex coffees, and
by 1969, Peet’s Coffee & Tea had become a magnet for other artisan
food crafters. The neighborhood around the coffee store soon earned
its “Gourmet Ghetto” moniker.
New cafes continue the tradition, include Philz and Guerilla Café
in the Gourmet Ghetto, Alchemy on Alcatraz in the Lorin District and
Local 123 on San Pablo at University.
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Comal
Lively Downtown destination
“The City’s support is part
of the dramatic shift that’s
happening here.”
John Paluska, Owner, Comal
Comal, located just north of the Downtown Berkeley BART station, has quickly become an Arts District gathering place for locals and visitors alike.
Housed in a 1927-era, warehouse-style building, Comal has a secluded rear patio
with a full bar, covered dining area and al fresco beer garden with fire pit. The ambiance is urban, arty chic, with a ceiling exposed to the rafters, but the atmosphere
is warm and inviting. Berkeley’s Meyer Sound Laboratories was brought in to finetune the space to make it both vibrant and conducive to sophisticated dining.
Executive Chef Matt Gandin, former chef de cuisine at San Francisco’s Delfina,
creates earthy, modern interpretations of dishes from throughout Mexico, with emphasis on Oaxaca and neighboring coastal regions. An “all-Mexican” drinks menu
features craft cocktails, house-made sangrias, a curated collection of agave spirits
and a diverse selection of local beer and wine on tap.
“Opening a restaurant is something I wanted to do for a long time, and I decided
to go for it,” says owner John Paluska, a former manager of the band Phish. The two
occupations have more in common than one might think, he says, “it’s all about
working behind the scenes to create a memorable experience for your customers.”
Though friends and colleagues expressed skepticism about his choice of locales, Pal-
Kirsten Lara Getchell - klgphotography.com
TCHO found
new digs in
Berkeley’s
Marchant
Building.
Comal is
a favorite
Arts District
gathering place.
uska saw the “untapped potential” in the site: lots of foot traffic,
easy public transit access and thousands of ready customers.
Paluska opened Comal with high goals, and says it’s
“proven to be a fantastic location.”
“We’re really lucky to be in Berkeley. The customer base
here really appreciates what we do because they’re open to
new experiences and are an adventurous group of eaters.”
Paluska, who now serves on the board of the Downtown
Berkeley Association (DBA), says people need to reappraise
their view of starting a business in Berkeley.
“There’s an old notion that Berkeley is a tough place to
open a business,” he says, “but we really enjoyed a tailwind
of support from the DBA and the city’s Office of Economic
Development.”
Paluska also credits DBA’s PBID for making a dramatic impact on the cleanliness and attractiveness of Downtown streets.
“It’s part of the dramatic shift that’s happening here.”
The Berkeley
Kitchens was
a concept
ideally suited to
Berkeley.
TCHO Chocolate
Berkeley was the right move
The Berkeley Kitchens
New concept in commercial kitchens
It’s no small feat to move a factory, but that’s just what TCHO Chocolate has
done, picking up stakes in San Francisco and settling into Berkeley’s Marchant
Building at 3100 San Pablo Avenue.
TCHO is one of Berkeley’s newest additions to its quickly expanding food production scene. The new location is within blocks of a cluster of up-and-coming
gourmet food producers, breweries, coffee roasters and other foodie destinations,
as well as a host of great galleries and retail shops and new residential condos.
“We’d outgrown our facility on Pier 17 in San Francisco, and found what we
needed in Berkeley,” says Mike Smario, TCHO’s director of operations.
What Berkeley offered was space to expand TCHO’s chocolate production,
consolidate operations and eventually add a new and bigger retail shop.
Equally important was West Berkeley’s bohemian vibe and “people who embrace TCHO’s core values,” says Smario. “We’re a brand and we wanted to stay
close to where our heart is.”
TCHO was attracted to Berkeley’s rich history of innovation in the arts, politics
and cuisine. “The people here appreciate what we’re trying to accomplish,” says
Smario, “which is to produce high-end, organic, fair trade, premier chocolate.”
“Berkeley Kitchens is a repurposed industrial facility that now houses a collection
of 15 commercial kitchen / food manufacturing spaces for artesian food producers,”
says Jonah Hendrickson, a former sculptor turned real estate developer.
Hendrickson’s first foray into the development world was carving up a
40,000-ssquare-foot West Oakland warehouse into small units for artists, designers,
contractors, printers and others engaged in creative pursuits.
In search of a building to buy, Hendrickson found a great property in West Berkeley. “Berkeley was ‘pre-qualified’ in a way,” he says. “I grew up here and was very familiar with the culture in West Berkeley – it’s filled with people who are in the business
of making things, and who need space to create. There’s a huge pent-up demand.”
“It’s surprising nothing like this already existed,” says Hendrickson. “People in the
Bay Area – particularly in Berkeley – love food. If this idea was going to work anywhere, it was going to work in Berkeley.”
Hendrickson found the City of Berkeley a great collaborator in developing a
building that was designated as having historical significance, and had been redtagged for seismic issues.
“Everyone in the City was very responsive and easy to work with,” says Hendrickson. “Their enthusiasm for the project was really encouraging.”
Kitchens include an array of companies, from Baron Baking and Mission: Heirloom to Shrub & Co., Stonehouse Olive Oil and Ruby’s Roast Coffee.
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Business Development
Berkeley makes
doing business
easier than ever
W
hether you’re a business startup; an established firm looking for space
to expand; a builder, developer or investor looking for a great opportunity, we have a well developed community of partners ready to
assist you. Our help ranges from easy-to-use mobile websites to find the space or
business partner to fit your needs, to high-level, personalized assistance in setting
your Berkeley business strategy. Maybe you just want to plan your Berkeley weekend getaway to enjoy our dining, shopping, and culture. Whatever your goal, the
organizations below will help you get you what you need.
Wareham Development life science facility under construction in West Berkeley.
Abundant help for starting a business in Berkeley
Berkeley’s Office of Economic
Development
Berkeley Chamber of
Commerce
cityofberkeley.info/oed
berkeleychamber.com
Assistance to new and growing businesses
in Berkeley. Expertise in commercial real
estate, financing, economic data, green
business, and marketing.
The “Voice for Business in Berkeley”
works in close partnership with the City of
Berkeley to attract and support businesses
and to embrace Berkeley’s new wave of
innovators.
City of Berkeley
Office of Economic Development
2180 Milvia Street, 5th Flr.
Berkeley, CA 94704
TEL: 510-981-7530, TDD: 510-9816903, FAX: 510-981-7099
E-mail: [email protected]
Locate in Berkeley
locateinberkeley.com
Listings to help business owners find
the right space at the right price. A wide
variety of commercial spaces to start or
grow a business – from nascent startups
to corporate headquarters, retail and
restaurants to light manufacturing. The
site lists the vacancies among the 1.5
million square feet of office space within
five blocks of the UC Berkeley campus as
well as Citywide. Users can search by use
(retail, office, industrial); neighborhood;
square footage or other key criteria. Also
includes property photos, descriptions and
links to brokers or owners.
A service of the City of Berkeley’s
Office of Economic Development.
Partners in
Berkeley’s
economic
development:
The Downtown Berkeley
Association
downtownberkeley.com
The Downtown Berkeley Association
(DBA) is an independent nonprofit
organization and the Owner’s Association
for the area’s Property-Based Business
Improvement District. DBA works to
create a vibrant and prosperous City
Center by providing clean and welcoming
services, promoting Downtown and
attracting and retaining new businesses.
Business Improvement
Districts
cityofberkeley.info/oed
(click on Business District Associations)
Six Business Improvement Districts
(BIDs) across the City raise more than
$2 million in private funds to supplement
municipal services in retail districts. The
Downtown Berkeley BIDs ensure that
streets are cleaner, landscaping is fresh
and maintained, and visitors are welcomed
by friendly “Ambassadors.”
Visit Berkeley
visitberkeley.com
The place to start for anyone who wants
to visit Berkeley. Information on Berkeley
as a destination for small conventions,
meetings, events, leisure travel and more.
The UC Berkeley Visitor
Center
visitors.berkeley.edu
Complete information for visitors to UC
Berkeley campus.
Green Pathway to
Development in Downtown
cityofberkeley.info/dap
Berkeley’s voluntary “Green Pathway”
development review process provides a
streamlined permit process for buildings
that exceed green standard development
and provide extraordinary public benefit.
Resources for Technology
Businesses
n Berkeley Business Incubators
berkeleystartupcluster.com
Some of Berkeley’s nationally known
businesses got their start in one the
community’s business incubators, which
provide bridges from the academic world to
commercial markets. For a complete list go
to berkeleystartupcluster.com/resources
and click on Incubators.
n Berkeley Startup Cluster
berkeleystartupcluster.com
High-growth, tech-related companies,
events or resources. Their newsletter
includes job openings and news about the
latest investments in Berkeley ventures.
n UC Berkeley’s Office of
Intellectual Property and Industry
Research Alliances (IPIRA)
ipira.berkeley.edu
Allows industry research partners to
interact with the University. IPIRA offers
sponsored research collaborations,
intellectual property commercialization
(technology transfer), and more.
n The Berkeley Laboratory’s IPO:
ipo.lbl.gov
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s
Innovation and Partnerships Office (IPO)
helps move technologies from the Lab to the
marketplace by managing partnerships with
the clients in the private and public sectors.
brilliant n
February 27, 2015
BERKELEY
n Booming
Advertising Supplement 27
Innovative Lawyers
for Berkeley’s Innovators
Contact the Chamber
Polly Armstrong, CEO
1834 University Ave.
Berkeley, Ca 94703
Phone: 510-549-7000
Innovation is the catalyst for growth. Berkeley companies that want to achieve top-line
growth and bottom-line results turn to Wendel Rosen. With more than 100 years of
proven experience backed by our full-service capabilities, Wendel Rosen knows the
local landscape. And we’ve helped clients in all types of industries achieve their goals.
From start-ups looking to launch in Berkeley to established enterprises poised for
growth, we provide critical insight and counsel to companies whose operations are
complex, time-sensitive and subject to multiple areas of law. Whether navigating local
business and employment regulations or moving your next project into the development
pipeline, our attorneys are ready to help guide you through the local terrain.
• Real
• Developers
Thousand Oaks
Northbrae
Gourmet
Ghetto
• Builders
North
Berkeley
Hills
• Technology
San Francisco
Bay
Downtown
• Green
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• Manufacturing
• Health
Central
Berkeley
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South
Berkeley
Claremont
Care
• Nonprofits
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the leader in the east bay.
& Education
• Restaurants
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wendel.com
& IP
• Retail
UC Berkeley
West
Berkeley
estate
services
& Wholesalers
Services
28
Advertising Supplement
brilliant n
BERKELEY
n Booming
San Francisco Business TIMES
Intelligent Growth
740 Heinz Avenue
Wareham’s latest addition to its Aquatic Park Center in Berkeley.
• 105,000 SF of world-class office and laboratory in Wareham’s Aquatic Park Center campus in Berkeley.
• Home to Siemens, LBNL, XOMA, Dynavax, LightSail Energy, CMC Biologics, DTSC, and to startups at the
QB3 East Bay Innovation Center.
• Located in the vibrant East Shore Innovation Corridor with hundreds of other research and tech companies.
• Minutes from UCB and UCSF Mission Bay campuses.
• Abundant campus amenities and transportation options including shuttles to BART and Amtrak Capitol Corridor.
• LEED Pre-Certified Gold.
• Ready for tenant improvements in April 2015.
Timothy Mason
415-229-8918
James Bennett
415-229-8948
Eric Bluestein
415-229-8970
Distinguished buildings for noble and Nobel innovators since 1977.
Emeryville · Berkeley · Richmond · Marin County · Palo Alto · Sun Valley, ID · 415 457 4964 · www.warehamdevelopment.com