News & insights from Sunstone Cities
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33 articles
Cities sought for next Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price
Cities can apply for free economic development assistance through the fifth annual Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price. Article originally published on PublicCEO.
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CSULB Student Entrepreneurs Win Support, Advice At Sunstone Innovation Challenge
Student entrepreneurs at California State University, Long Beach, got a boost Tuesday, April 21, at the 2026 Sunstone Innovation Challenge presented by the CSULB Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
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USC Price Students Consult for Municipalities in Sunstone Economic Development Challenge
An expansive plan to create a workforce pipeline for new high-tech businesses in Riverside took the top prize April 23 at the Final Pitch event for the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price.
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Recovery from Wildfires Depends on Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships
The Eaton and Palisades wildfires show why coordinated public-private partnerships are essential to faster recovery, rebuilding, and community resilience.
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Experienced, Successful Entrepreneur Takes On CSUF Conrey Center
Who would you turn to if you were looking for someone to lead a higher education center for entrepreneurial development?
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Space Beach Shows P3 as Economic Development Strategy
How Long Beach used public-private-education partnerships to turn aerospace industry transition into the growing Space Beach cluster.
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Swiss Army Knife GO-Biz Does It All For Economic Development
At first, the mandate seems too broad – create jobs, develop economies, help businesses.
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IBank Innovates, Invests In California’s Future
Sunstone Cities, really Sunstone as a whole, long has considered the California IBank a close friend and partner.
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Infrastructure Without Debt? It’s Possible With Sunstone Cities
A primary challenge for any municipal leader, whether elected or appointed, is to provide modern infrastructure to the community without creating crushing debt.
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Public-Private Partnerships: An Untapped Goldmine in Japan
California and Japan share infrastructure, energy, and modernization priorities that can be advanced through public-private partnership and PFI models.
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Expert P3 Project Manager Bahram Solhjou Provides Key Insights
Finding ways to reduce project costs and reducing the public risk are two top reasons for pursuing public-private partnerships (P3) according to Bahram Solhjou, the principal project manager at the Los Angeles County Internal Services Department.
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Public-Private-Education Partnership Creates Long Beach Accelerator
How the City of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach, and private capital built an accelerator for early-stage technology companies.
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State’s Small Business Advocate Wows Full House At P3 Strategy Session
With 4.3 million small businesses in California, 99% of all new jobs created last year came from small business.
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July P3 Strategy Series Events Pack Punch
Superstars came to the Sunstone Presentation Stage in July, offering insight into how the P3 approach is changing the world.
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Experts Explain Huge P3 Project For Long Beach Civic Center
A look inside the $520 million Long Beach Civic Center public-private partnership and the financing structure behind one of the West Coast’s largest municipal P3 projects.
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Now Accepting City Participants for the 2025-26 Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price
Local governments seeking innovative, hands-on support for developing strategies to attract and retain small businesses and drive job creation are invited to participate in the fourth annual Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price.
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Distance No Barrier For Students’ Partnership With Nevada City
Nevada City, nestled on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada north of Sacramento, is about 450 miles from the University of Southern California campus.
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SWAT Leader Recognizes Value In Opt Health Comprehensive Care
Last November, a SWAT leader from the Central Valley recognized the value of Opt Health’s emphasis on improving health while fighting stress.
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Turlock PD Goes All In With Opt Health Pilot Program
Turlock Police Chief Jason Hedden knows a good thing when he sees one. And when a nearby town’s police force signed on with Opt Health, Chief Hedden saw a good thing.
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Proactive Health Program By Opt Health Finds Fans In Central Valley Police Departments
Opt Health continues to gain traction with the first responder community, recently signing two contracts with police departments in Central California.
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USC Students Meet Challenge To Help Carson
The city of Carson, like many municipalities in Southern California, is looking for next generation economic development.
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Golden Proposal From Sunstone Challenge Team Finds Favor In Glendora
A railroad was critical to the city of Glendora’s creation in the 1880s, and extension of a new light rail system could be the key to economic revitalization today.
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Cypress Leaders Find Value In Collaboration With Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price
Chris Wong, Business Development Manager for the City of Cypress, said the City was looking for some fresh perspective when it heard about the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price.
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USC Dean of Public Policy Embraces Sunstone Economic Development Challenge
Christopher G. Boone, Ph.D., arrived in Los Angeles in January to become Dean of the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California – just three months before the finale of the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price.
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USC Price Grad Students Impress With Economic Development Plans For Cities
An approach to help the city of Carson develop a strong aerospace industry cluster took home the top prize April 17 at the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price’s final pitch contest.
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Proactive Healthcare Approach To Help First Responders
IRVINE – A new proactive approach to healthcare specifically for first responders will be unveiled in March at the California Police Chiefs Association’s annual Training Symposium.
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First Long Beach Tech Week Full Of Insights, Information And Fun
Building on the success of the first Long Beach Investors & Founders Summit last January, the inaugural Long Beach Tech Week is set to take place Sept.
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Five Partner Cities Chosen For Sunstone Economic Development Challenge At USC
IRVINE – A diverse group of five cities has signed on as partners in the third annual Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price for 2024-25.
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USC Students help San Bernadino Plans, Win $5,000 In Sunstone Economic Development Challenge
LOS ANGELES -- A multi-pronged approach to reinvigorating San Bernardino and its business community won four USC graduate students $5,000 on Thursday, April 11, at the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price.
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Final Pitches In Sunstone Economic Development Challenge On Stage, Open To Public
LOS ANGELES -- Seats are still available for the USC CMF Summit & Sunstone Challenge Final Pitch Event on April 11 in downtown Los Angeles, which includes a free lunch!
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2nd Annual Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price School Launches With Meet And Greet
An event Friday, Feb. 23, brought together for the first time graduate student teams in the 2nd Annual Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price and officials from the five cities they will work with through this spring to develop innovative economic development plans for their cities.
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USC Public Policy Students Partner with Government Officials for Sunstone Economic Development Challenge
IRVINE, CA -- A plan to build on the recovering hospitality industry in Garden Grove has taken the top prize of the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price.
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USC Price Students Reflect On The Sunstone Economic Development Challenge
Feba George, a student at the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy participating in the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge, said, “I know El Segundo actively considered an accelerator as a potential step towards continued economic development during our meetings with the city client so I'm a firm believer in our proposal as a feasible solution to the challenge of attracting start-ups to El Segundo. During our consultations with Cristina Reveles, Sr. Management Analyst and also our client contact, it became clear that El Segundo was a unique place. The existing businesses in the area are really a gateway to knowledge and have the potential to propel start-ups even in just their network. I think the most important thing will be finding strategic partnerships for all stakeholders in a way that promotes El Segundo's growth in equitable and sustainable ways for businesses and residents alike. With regards to my and my team's future involvement, we hadn't progressed to discussing this with our client but we're open to exploring further opportunities with El Segundo as we have truly enjoyed our time working alongside their magnificent team at city hall.
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