For those who don’t know, my PR firm specializes in technology start-up companies — especially those in cybersecurity. This is my 20th year in business and I’m proud to say we’ve won three big cybersecurity industry awards this year for work we’ve done to support our start-up clients. As OC is where I live, there is a vibrant start-up community here. But it’s not how I meet payroll every month, as my clients are all over the country and all over the world.
There’s an event in Irvine called TechWeek; I attended once and it wasn’t really a fit for my shop. Lots of app developers and limited enteprise companies. I signed up for this year’s event but did not attend. When I did, those I spoke with seemed not to understand how Irvine and OC have long been an innovation hub with firms like Broadcom, Edwards Lifesciences, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Mobile Computing, Gateway, and Western Digital. “You didn’t know they started in Irvine, huh?” Well alrighty then.
What would be useful is how many tech companies got venture investment because of TechWeek. And this information is elusive. If TechWeek
Irvine council member Tammy Kim helped to spearhead this event; she did Human Resources for a technology company once so there’s some familiarity with certain tech terms. I”ll give her props for doing so. So yesterday, I got an email from the OC Start Up Council saying the TechWeek was in jeopardy unless Tammy was elected Mayor.
That’s flat out wrong.
IrvineTechWeek will continue regardless who is elected Mayor.
The email sernt by the OC StartUp Council relies on campaign tactics rooted in misinformation and exaggeration. The event is on track and fully supported, ensuring Irvine continues to be a hub for innovation and collaboration. Misleading claims are being made. What’s happening here is misinformation and suggestions of “pay-to-play” tactics in connection with campaign donations, particularly from some members of the Irvine Tech Week and the OC Startup Council. Kim’s campaign supporters include individuals like Scott Fox, CEO and Founder of the OC Startup Council, who contributed $125, Melinda Kim Pang who gave$250, and Ryan Foland who gave $100, plus he’s a paid Kim campaign consultant ($1,800) payment, have been involved in both donations and campaign-related activities. https://irvinetechweek.com/about-us.
Foland, who’s on the board for Irvine Tech Week, should have ethically disclosed he’s a paid consultant to Kim and explained his role in this email. Did he write it or did he push for it?
The OC Startup Council’s sponsors include firms like as Rutan and Tucker (who gave tremendous support to the Tech Council of Southern California I was a part of 25 years ago as well as SustainOC — which was CleanTechOC when Mike Levin asked me to help with their PR when they started up) and the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce. These big money sponsors pride themselves on integrity and transparency.
From the Irvine City Council minutes:
CC Minutes from May, 2024 “The 2nd Annual Irvine Tech Week, which took place from April 16-21 and saw record attendance, consisted of more than 25 events that brought together tech enthusiasts, investors, and industry leaders to celebrate innovation, and establish Irvine as a prominent ecosystem in Southern California. Councilmember Kim expressed appreciation to the team who organized the event and those who participated, including Melinda Pang from the Irvine Tech Hub, Ryan Foland from the ANTrepreneur Center of the University of California, Irvine, Scott Fox from OC Startup Council.”
Because the email doesn’t say it, I will. Larry Agran has consistently voted in support of initiatives like Irvine Tech Week because they benefit the community, and he has done so on both occasions Irvine Tech Week came before the council.
So this non-profit group is soliticinf campaign funds from inside and outside Irvine and encouraging people to register to vote well after the deadline; both are embarassing to the OC StartUp Council.
Here’s the email:
Dear OC Startup Council Friends,
If you live in Irvine, have you voted yet? We need your help to continue Irvine Tech Week!
The best choice as the next Mayor of Irvine is Councilmember Tammy Kim.
Why? Irvine Tech Week will END if Councilmember Tammy Kim is not elected!
Honestly there would be no Irvine Tech Week without her leadership and advocacy for the City of Irvine’s support for Irvine Tech Week and our local startup ecosystem.
Tammy helps secure the resources and facilities necessary to make Irvine Tech Week a reality, she understands the value of innovation and nurturing an ecosystem, and she’s committed to ensuring that Irvine continues to lead in these areas.
Seven candidates are running for Mayor in Irvine, so the field is very competitive and confusing to voters.
The ONLY WAY Irvine Tech Week will continue is if Tammy wins the election to become Irvine’s next Mayor. (editor’s note: this is a complete falsehood)
We are urging all of you to support her campaign: A vote for Tammy Kim is a vote for the future of innovation in Irvine. (editor’s note: laughable claim)
Here’s how you can help:
- If you are an Irvine voter and have received your orange ballot, please vote for Tammy Kim.
- If you are not registered to vote, registering is easy. Go to ocvote.gov to register online. (editor’s note: The deadline to register to vote has passed)
- If you lost your ballot, go to https://ocvote.gov/vlt/ to request a replacement ballot. (editor’s note: Or you could show up and vote in person)
If you do not live in Irvine, but want to help, you can DONATE at https://www.tammykim.com/
You can also VOLUNTEER to help Tammy reach voters https://bit.ly/tkvolunteer
Please vote for Tammy Kim this November, and encourage your friends and family to do the same!
Tammy Kim’s leadership has brought us this far, and with your support, she’ll continue to champion the causes that matter most to our community.
QUESTIONS? Visit https://www.tammykim.com to learn more!
Let’s keep Irvine Tech Week alive and thriving for years to come!
– Your Friends at the OC Startup Council
Meanwhile, more literature left on car windshields at the Hmart in North Irvine with photos of Kim holding hands with Fred Jung; text was in Korean so I don’t know what it was.
Wow! Has Tammy Kim no bounds? Now she has people lying for her? I question whether Tech week is actually doing good or are they just there to get funding? And how bad is it when a candidate lies on their own campaign material? I think I have received approximately 10 oversized “Tammy Kim” campaign mailers that state Tammy Kim is the only candidate endorsed by the Irvine (OC) Firefighters and Police. I believe that would upset a few candidates who are also endorsed by one or both. Irvine Councilmember Mike Carrol for instance. Then, true to form, she doesn’t stop there. She has to try and discredit her opponent, Vice-Mayor Larry Agran, about the Great Park from many years ago, most likely before Tammy Kim was even around. Because if she had been around then, she would know that the California Board of Accountancy, as well as, State Auditor Elaine Howle, exonerated Vice-Mayor Larry Agran, found the Audits that were done were bogus and full of lies, and was viewed as a witch hunt to prevent him from running for Mayor. The firm, Hagen, Streiff, Newton & Oshiro (HSNO), surrendered their license to practice and agreed to settle with the board to prevent any further investigation. And it’s ironic that she makes these unfounded accusations about him, regarding the Great Park, when, because of her lies, the city has 160 outdated and useless EV Charging Stations at the Great Park . . . taking up valuable parking spaces, for TEN YEARS! And as she promised, to get this “deal” sealed, the city would receive $2 million a year in revenue. After it was approved by a 3-2 vote, (Mayor Farrah Khan & Vice-Mayor Larry Agran voted No), the City Manager learned that the manufacturer was in Taiwan, (Tammy said it was local and would create jobs), and the city WOULD NOT be getting $2 million a year in revenue, not even close. Tammy goes on in her bogus campaign mailers to state Vice-Mayor Larry Agran tried to deplete city reserves, reserves that have way more funds in it then it ever has, and he wanted to use a portion of the excess for a school bus and childcare . . . depleting it, hardly . . . not even putting a dent in the excess. But here again, Tammy Kim has to discredit something good because she didn’t think of it. She would rather have a school that already has one bus, have the rest of the kids wait until another school year passes before they get another one. And she calls this his “pet project”, like it’s a bad thing! There are just so many things that Tammy Kim doesn’t get about our city. Like the toxic asphalt plant . . .she told the residents that they were creating “hysteria” and if they didn’t stop complaining their property values would go down. “NEWS FLASH, TAMMY KIM”! Their property values would go down if Vice-Mayor Larry Agran didn’t work hard to get rid of that plant! He listens to the people and doesn’t shut them up by your “rule of 2”, then trying to make it worse by your “rule of 3”! Which I have no doubt you will put back in place if you were Mayor! Vote for the best candidate that has a proven track record, and NOT for someone who lies, and has been paid off my numerous organizations, hence her 10 or so oversized mailers! Irvine does not need a TAMMY KIM!
You said it Dee!!!