Sonia Chung

Irvine

Graphic Artist at Orange County Business Journal

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Articles

OC Insider: Trojan Town

5 days ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Greenlaw Partners founder Wil Smith is a 1999 graduate of the Dollinger Master of Real Estate Development program at the USC Price School of Public Policy. “The USC degree gave me a lot of confidence as an entrepreneur,” Smith told USC Today earlier this month. Smith already had an entrepreneurial mind—and confidence in real estate investing—before graduating. While putting himself through grad school and short on cash, Smith got a student loan to help pay for living expenses.
San Clemente Manufacturing Building Sold for $13 Million

5 days ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

A 32,850-square-foot manufacturing building in San Clemente recently changed hands for $12.9 million. San Clemente-based Johnston Pacific Commercial Real Estate Inc. brokered the sale of the industrial property located within Talega Business Park, calling it a benchmark price for South Orange County industrial real estate. According to public records, the seller was Girard Holdings LLC. The buyer is Odyssey Logistics, a multimodal logistics company based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Sonendo Reports Q1 Amid Financial Restructuring

5 days ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Sonendo Inc., the Laguna Hills-based maker of dental equipment, has been struggling to stay afloat. The company, known for its trademarked GentleWave root canal therapy solution, has been undergoing a financial restructuring since being delisted last year from the New York Stock Exchange.
Doti’s Guide to Summer Reading, Viewing and Listening

5 days ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Like me, I’m guessing most of you have reached the point where you need to find an escape from our nation’s political and economic state of affairs. Perhaps that escape will be found by cracking open a few of the books you’ve stored away for summer reading. What follows are a few recommendations to add to your stockpile. You don’t have to be a cat lover, though it helps, to be charmed by “The Traveling Cat Chronicles” by Hiro Arikawa as translated by Philip Gabriel.
OCRM Launches Skills Program

3 weeks ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Dave Coyle, chief executive of Santa Ana-based Coyle Construction Inc., is no stranger to building structures from the ground up. But now the veteran general contractor is looking to build more than structures. Through a new workforce training program launched by the Orange County Rescue Mission (OCRM), Coyle is helping individuals experiencing homelessness lead self-sufficient lives.
OC Leader Board: From Recon Marine to CEO to a New Battle

3 weeks ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

I attended Duke University on a Naval ROTC scholarship. My parents were delighted because they had both served in the Navy. In August of my junior year, I announced that I was “going Marine option,” meaning I would commission as a Marine officer upon graduation. Nearly speechless, their response was, “Don’t you understand that when Marines storm the beach, half of them die?
OC Insider: Burritos to Boards

1 month ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

So much for Jack Hartung’s quiet retirement. Again. Last July, Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) announced that Hartung, then CFO of the Newport Beach fast casual chain, had decided to retire after 25 years at the company, effective early 2025. That plan didn’t last long, as Chipotle’s then-CEO, Brian Niccol, was hired as CEO of Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) the following month.
Boot Barn Shares Take Wild 55% Rise in May

1 month ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Shares of Boot Barn Holdings Inc. went on a wild ride on Wall Street this month where they started around $104 a share. By press time, shares had climbed to $160.94 and a $4.9 billion market cap, making it a 55% rise in less than three weeks. The Irvine-based Western wear retailer on May 5 confirmed interim Chief Executive John Hazen to a permanent position. Hazen, whose career included stints at True Religion and Nike, had joined Boot Barn in 2018 as chief digital officer.
OC Leader Board: What an OC Investor Looks For

1 month ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Editor’s Note: The Business Journal’s issue this week highlights 50 rising entrepreneurs who have successfully raised funds and/or started companies. We asked three OC-based investors what they seek in entrepreneurs. The Buffalo ChargeBy Chris Van DusenCows run away from the storm while the buffalo charges toward it— and gets through it quicker. Whenever I’m confronted with a tough challenge, I do not prolong the torment, I become the buffalo. —Wilma MankillerEntrepreneurship is full of storms.
OC50 2025: Tommy Beadel

1 month ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

TOMMY BEADELFOUNDER / CO-CHAIRMANTHOMAS JAMES HOMESWHY: In 2006, started company that specializes in tearing down homes in older West Coast neighborhoods and building new ones, selling them from $3M-$7M. Often has 500 homes in production. Has raised $45M over time, according to PitchBook. Oaktree Capital made significant investment in 2018. Filed prospectus in 2021, reporting $291M in sales with $16M EBITDA in 1H of 2021; didn’t go public.