Weekly Headlines
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Week of July 27, 2020
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Welcome to our newest Chamber members!
To learn more about their business, visit their websites below.
Sami Raghdah
Marian Ross
Anthony Marschak
Ariel Baleli
Mark Dressor
Colleen Casey
Mohit Arora
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Learn More About Us
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION
Not Just for New Members
VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING
Wednesday July 29
4:00 PM – 05:00 PM
Zoom link sent by email
the day before the orientation
Join us at our orientation for new members, existing members and prospective members. This meeting offers an overview of the Chamber, programs and events, public policy initiatives and activities, sponsorship opportunities, networking, and ways to get involved.
For more information, contact
Linda Vesnesk
i, Membership Sales Director, lvesneski@walnut-creek.com
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In this time of uncertainty and isolation, inspiring and lifting each other up is more important than ever. We invite you to join us for an opportunity to meet Chamber staff, Board Directors, Chamber member Ambassadors, and newest members while learning what the Chamber has planned for the months ahead. To learn how some of our members are making a difference and proving their resiliency, read on.
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Member in the News
One Planet
won the
Better Business Bureau's Torch Award for Ethics
for the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California region!
One Planet Group's CEO Payam Zamani
was also ranked as a
"Best CEO for Diversity"
by Comparably.
Congratulations to
Payam Zamani
and the
One Planet
team! We are proud to have you as Chamber members. Zamani is a past
Walnut Creek Chamber Board Director
. One Planet's
David Ramirez
, Vice President of Legal and Strategic Planning, is a current Board Director.
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One Planet Group wins top awards for its diversity and ethical standards
WALNUT CREEK, Calif., July 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --
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One Planet Group
, a hybrid tech and media firm, early stage investor, and startup business incubator headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, announced that its founder, chairman and CEO,
Payam Zaman
i, has been named a
"Best CEO for Diversity"
by Comparably and One Planet has won the
Better Business Bureau's Torch Award for Ethics
. Read the entire article
here
.
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Stories of Resilience
Over the past several months, our members have been taking action and developing many creative ideas to face these challenging times. Whether by helping the community, feeding our front line heroes, finding innovative ways to pivot their businesses and offices, keeping a positive spirit, and more. You inspire us and keep us motivated. We invite all our members to share their stories of resilience and optimism as we continue this journey --
together
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Send your story to Shawn Filardi, sfilardi@walnut-creek.com and we will feature it in the Chamber newsletter and Facebook. Pictures / videos that help tell your story are encouraged.
~*~*~*~
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Lemonade From Lemons!
At the beginning of 2020 our business was on track to have its most successful year since opening in 2014. Then came the pandemic, and by the second week of March, most of our spring events had been cancelled due to mandated regulations. Since the core of
Paleoventures Outdoor Teambuilding
is to take teams into nature to learn survival and team building skills - our business was effectively shut down. For a while, it felt tempting to suspend business completely and wait until life returned to normal. It was a confusing and difficult time. Ultimately, we opted to test our resiliency and ability to adapt. We began by making a list identifying the program elements we could accomplish virtually. We knew participants could still meet and get to know colleagues, learn the basics of outdoor survival, practice team building behaviors, and work in groups to complete virtual survival challenges. Our list continued to grow! Next, we crafted a template for virtual learning events and invited
CASA of Contra Costa
to test the effectiveness our new design. Happily, they said it was as much fun as the
in-person event
they did with us last year! So, for the future, we will offer both online teambuilding as well as outdoor events, when circumstances allow. Even post-COVID 19, the online option could save time and money for teams working from home or spread out geographically.
Possibly lemonade from lemons!
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7/21/20 | At A Glance - What's Open Now
-
Click Here
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GO-Biz Hosting Webinars for Businesses
Interested in Applying for $80 Million in Tax Credits
The next
California Competes Tax Credit
(CCTC) application period starts
Monday, July 27
, 2020, with $80 million in available tax credits. Businesses interested in applying can register to view a live webinar explaining the application process.The deadline to submit applications is Monday, August 17, 2020.The online application can be accessed starting July 27, 2020, at
www.calcompetes.ca.gov
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Webinars Dates: July 29, 2020
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Details and Registration -
August 6
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Details and Registration
and
August 11, 2020
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Details and Registration
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Be an Informed Voter
California voters will face a dozen measures on their ballot this November. We will be asked to decide the fate of hot issues from taxes to rent control, bail to privacy, and more. While all measures ultimately affect us all, some measures have a more direct impact on business. Therefore, to help everyone better understand the initiatives, the
Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
are reviewing the most critical measures and will share their findings over the next two months.
For a list of the November ballot measures,
click here
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Where's a Place for Us?
T
he County is in need of a host location to use as a coronavirus testing site in Walnut Creek from August 1 through possibly the end of October. They are looking for a local business with a closed facility willing to assist in providing our residents with easier access to testing.
For facility criteria,
click here
. If you have a facility that meets the criteria and would consider hosting this effort, please contact
Betsy Burkhart ,
Communications and Outreach Manager, City of Walnut Creek at
burkhart@walnut-creek.org
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7/20/20 - Reopening outdoor hair salons, nail salons
Click here
7/21/2020
additional County information
,
click here
.
7/21/2020
School, Childcare, Summer Camp Guidlines
Official California State
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Three Walnut Creek City Council seats
will be on the ballot at the November 3, 2020 general election. Residents interested in running for office may request necessary forms now.
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In accordance with City and State directives, the Chamber office is operating virtually. While the Chamber office location is closed, all phone calls and emails will be returned promptly. We will continue to serve our members and community.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or if we can assist you or your business in any way. We will continue to keep you updated in the weeks ahead. Updates will also be included on the Chamber website. Please visit
walnut-creek.com
Stay well.
Jay Hoyer, President/CEO
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Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau
1280 Civic Drive | Suite 100 | Walnut Creek | CA | 94596
t.925.934.2007 f.925.934.2404
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