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That’s What SHE Said: Chatting up a Local Renaissance Man

The rumors, events, people, and stories keeping the Mesa interesting
Steve Chapple | Photo by Blair Alley

By Amanda Caniglia

Rumor has it…

Hold up. Our friends at the Scripps Research Institute are up to something. Latest is they have submitted plans to the City of San Diego and California Coastal Commission. Plans? Expansion? The proposed facilities will include two two-story state-of-the-art laboratory buildings, an updated nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) facility, a four level parking structure and a pool with a Jacuzzi hot tub complete with bar service. Okay, maybe not the pool and Jacuzzi… The goal of these new labs is to consolidate the campus to create a better environment for collaboration and synergy. Nothin’ but love up here on the Mesa. These new LEED buildings will go up on the corner of Jay Hopkins Drive and Genesee, next to TSRI’s electron microscopy suite, graduate offices and that spaceship looking building with the incredibly beautifully renovated auditorium. I heard the plaza was used in that J. Lo film The Cell. Sweet. After all the talks last year regarding financial and political turmoil, I’m thrilled that TSRI is here to stay!

Upcoming events on the Mesa (I’ll be at the fun table…)

  • Athenaeum Gala: Havana Ball
    Music, dancing, and a “parade of party goers on Wall Street and Girard?” Costumes? Who doesn’t love costumes? Now we’re talkin’, La Jolla. This year’s 26th annual Athenaeum gala, “Havana Ball,” is on beat, yo! The evening will include cocktails, live music, a delectable Cuban dinner and dancing to the rumba and salsa beats. There will also be a silent auction and items are already up for bid in the library. Proceeds from the gala support this local treasure. Wonder if the gala will be anything like that Havana themed cast party I threw after Alameda Civic Light Opera’s run of Guys and Dolls? Ha! Gonna dust off that old Latin ballroom competition dress. Anyone need a dance partner? Pick me pick me!
    Sep 11, 6:30-11:30 p.m.

  • Bella Vista Social Club & Caffé: Patrick Ingram
    Come meet our international man of mystery and International Agile Consultant Patrick Ingram. Based in Europe, Patrick also shares his time and expertise with companies in the USA and Africa. Mr. Ingram is Founder of Agilejet.com. He is a consultant to many well-known organizations such as Barclays Bank and Société Générale and has advised a sitting President and ex-President of two African nations. Been sworn to secrecy so can’t reveal which, but do know Patrick loves a great glass of vino blanco 😉  When he’s not droppin’ some knowledge to presidentes, Patrick consults with other sectors including telecom, biometric technology, solar energy, aviation and oil and gas. Tuesday evening he will speak to the who, what and how of enterprise agility. Get ready for a fun and interactive session where you will be out of your seats and quickly learning first hand why Agile works and what it means for your personal career, your organization, shareholders, and more.
    Sep 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

  • Center for Wealth & Legacy Inspiration Awards
    Fireside chat with our beloved T. Denny Sanford. Need I say more? Leadership, Legacy & Inspiration Awards by the Center for Wealth & Legacy are going down at the Sanford Consortium next week. CEO Bill Earley of the American Red Cross and Dr. Alicia Gwynn will be presenting awards for top nominees, honorees, and the recipient of the “Lasting Legacy Award.” Want to get up close and personal with the speakers and presenters? Register for the “Batter Up” VIP Experience.   
    Sanford Consortium, Sep 16, 4:30-5:30 p.m. VIP, 5-8:30 p.m.

Come sit by me…

You always know you’re going to hear fantastic insider stories when you see Steve Chapple whizzing in on his bike at Bella Vista. Complete with suit, no tie and blue suede shoes, he is one swanky fella. Steve, a native La Jollan, is one of my favorite usual suspects and our paths just keep crossing about town. Steve runs Intellectual Capital, an independent national column on game changing people and ideas. He brings to the table success stories and how these people made it, while others flailed. You can read his column in the SD Union Tribune and find his videos on his website. I love his “About town” videos that feature quick Q&As with movers and shakers at local events. Short, sweet, to the point… and hip. He also moonlights as a visiting scholar at Scripps Institute of Oceanography where he is completing a book with co-author and marine ecologist Dr. Jeremy Jackson.

Steve is leading the pack in the STEAM Leadership lecture series. Intellectual Capital, in conjunction with San Diego Unified, KidsEco Club, and ESA will host an event September 23rd with Reef co-founder and surfing business icon Fernando Aguerre. Joining him will be John Gartman, Microsoft’s former head attorney and the founder of the Invention Foundation.

Last week when he popped into the café, he shared with me his latest exploits. Steve was invited on a tour of high tech companies of Carlsbad including Genoptix, Thermo Fischer Scientific, Skilz, the new desal plant, Rick Rubio’s test kitchen, 5D Robotics, Aerial Mob Drones, and not least the new GoPro headquarters. He even got to go for a helicopter ride. Jealous! An adult Disneyland for any tech nerd.

Did I mention he is also a screenplay writer? Let’s be honest, this man is fascinating. Looked into his earlier books and came across Kayaking the Full Moon (Harper Collins) and a book titled Burning Desire: Sex in America: A Report from the Field (co-author David Talbot). Now we’re talkin’. Actually this book is about the sexual revolution of the ‘70s that came to a screaming halt in the ‘80s with the AIDS crisis. But man have I got a thousand more questions for him to answer in addition to my usual preguntas regarding tech transfer. So if you spot a fly guy with blue suede shoes strutting off a helicopter, be sure to stop and chat him up. He is definitely our local Renaissance man.

Always,

Amanda

That’s What SHE Said: Chatting up a Local Renaissance Man

Steve Chapple | Photo by Blair Alley

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