MJW Debuts Its First Fund
MJW Investments, a Sawtelle‑based real‑estate firm with $1.5 billion in assets under management, announced its first student‑housing fund targeting $75‑100 million of capital. The vehicle requires a $100,000 minimum investment and includes MJW’s own $4.5 million stake. It will acquire six to eight properties priced $18‑25 million each, aiming for 5% cash‑on‑cash returns and a three‑to‑five‑year hold. By pooling capital, MJW can close deals faster and compete with larger institutional investors in a niche that has shown pandemic‑resilient occupancy.
‘SaaSpocalypse’ Has Arrived
In early 2024, the SaaS sector saw a $300 billion market‑value plunge as generative AI began automating code, prompting a wave of layoffs across giants like Snap, Meta and Salesforce. Venture capitalists are rapidly redeploying funds toward hard‑tech industries—energy, manufacturing and...
Logos Faith Breaks Ground on New Project
Logos Faith Development broke ground on the first phase of a 138‑unit affordable housing community on land owned by St. Rest Friendship Baptist Church in South Los Angeles. The initial phase will deliver 62 apartments—53 one‑bedrooms and nine two‑bedrooms—with a...
Nordstrom Rack Plans Two Stores
Nordstrom Rack announced plans to open two 30,000‑sq‑ft stores in Marina del Rey and Torrance next summer, expanding its discount footprint in Southern California. The retailer now operates 95 locations across the state, including five in Los Angeles. The new...
Flashfood Expands to All Gelson’s
Flashfood Inc. is extending its $9 grocery‑box program to every Gelson’s market in Southern California after a successful pilot in Los Angeles. The initial six‑store rollout sold more than 1,000 boxes, totaling roughly 10,000 pounds of produce. The expansion will cover...
Firm Leases 22-Story Class A Building
The Swig Co. and Intercontinental Real Estate Corp. have signed over 22,000 sq ft of leases at 6300 Wilshire, a 22‑story Class A building with 407,000 sq ft of space, in the last five months. The deals include three new tenant leases, five renewals and one...
Firms Sell Two Valley-Area Apartment Complexes
Two high‑profile multifamily deals closed in the San Fernando Valley this spring, signaling renewed institutional interest. Universe Holdings Development bought the 52‑unit Park Encino in Encino for $28 million, the first core‑plus sale of a 50‑plus‑unit asset since 2017. Nuveen Real...
Leonard Green Commits to Mister Car Wash
Leonard Green & Partners completed a cash takeover of Mister Car Wash, valuing the Tucson‑based chain at $3.1 billion. The private‑equity firm, which owned about two‑thirds of the company since 2014, bought the remaining shares at $7 per share, delisting the...
Ports: Examining the Shift
Imports through the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have continued to grow, but China’s share of container traffic fell from 61% in 2020 to 53.4% last year. Southeast Asian nations, led by Vietnam, have expanded...
Sony Takes Stake in 32 Flavors
Sony Pictures Television has taken a majority stake in 32 Flavors, the reality‑TV production company founded by Alex Baskin. The acquisition brings Emmy‑nominated series such as “Vanderpump Rules,” “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” and “The Valley” under Sony’s umbrella....
Amgen Drug Reviewed Amid Deaths
Amgen’s rare‑disease drug Tavneos (avacopan) resumed sales in Japan after a new warning label was added following 20 reported deaths linked to liver injury. The drug, acquired when Amgen bought ChemoCentryx in 2022, generated $459 million in 2025 sales. In the...
KPMG Moves Into New, Hybrid-Friendly Offices
KPMG relocated its Los Angeles operation to the U.S. Bank Tower, becoming the building’s largest tenant with a 65,000‑square‑foot lease. The move follows a 12‑year agreement signed last August and a full interior overhaul to support hybrid work, adding collaboration rooms, flexible...
‘Green Truck Corridor’ Is Formed
Stakeholders at the Port of Long Beach, The Wonderful Company and Lincoln Transportation Services signed a memorandum to create the United States’ first port‑powered Green Truck Corridor. The 150‑mile route will connect the Long Beach port with Wonderful’s 2,000‑acre logistics...
New Terminal for Ontario Airport
Ontario International Airport announced a 10‑year expansion plan that includes a new 650,000‑square‑foot Terminal 3, a six‑story parking structure, and a car‑rental support facility, alongside modernization of existing Terminals 2 and 4. The airport handled 7.1 million passengers last year, a 27% jump from...
Care Struggles Motivate Formation of Village
After discovering their newborn had a rare genetic condition, Brandon Terry and his wife struggled for two years to assemble a fragmented network of speech, occupational and physical therapists. The experience inspired them to launch Village, a Culver City‑based health‑tech...
Venture Firm Forms with Entertainment AI Focus
Hallstone Ventures, a Hollywood Hills‑based VC, closed its inaugural fund with more than $10 million in capital. The firm will back artificial‑intelligence solutions that streamline the backend of media and entertainment, such as ad targeting, distribution analytics, and attention‑monetization tools. Founder...
REAL ESTATE: Schaub
SteelWave has teamed with Steerpoint Capital to redevelop struggling shopping malls, starting with the Simi Valley Town Center. Their plan swaps excess retail space for a mixed‑use mix of experiential dining, entertainment, creative office space and residential units. By engaging...
Atara Bounces Back with FDA
Atara Biotherapeutics saw its shares nearly double on May 7 after the FDA outlined a path for resubmitting its cell‑therapy candidate, tabelecleucel. The agency agreed to accept the single‑arm trial data in exchange for additional long‑term follow‑up, easing the regulatory deadlock...
Avem Takes Stake in Valley Aircraft Parts Maker
Avem Partners, a Manhattan Beach‑based private equity firm, has taken a stake in Precision Aircraft Machining Co. (Pamco), a Sun Valley precision‑manufacturing company serving aerospace and defense giants such as SpaceX, Boeing and Northrop Grumman. The transaction, backed by True...
CBB Folds in Bay-Area Lender
Citizens Business Bank, owned by CVB Financial Corp., completed its biggest acquisition by merging with Bay‑Area Heritage Bank of Commerce. The deal adds 16 Northern California branches, raising Citizens’ total assets above $20 billion and placing it among the top ten...
Women of Influence: Attorneys 2026 – Aisha Shelton Adam
Aisha Shelton Adam, featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women of Influence: Attorneys 2026, is the founder and managing partner of Adam Investigations Counsel. She brings more than two decades of labor, employment, and business litigation experience to conduct...
Women of Influence: Attorneys 2026 – Susie Altamirano
Susie Altamirano, a partner at Olivarez Madruga Law Organization LLP, is highlighted in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women of Influence: Attorneys 2026. She serves as City Attorney for two municipalities and as Assistant City Attorney for a third in...
Women of Influence: Attorneys 2026 – Lisa Gilford
Lisa Gilford, a partner at Sidley Austin, has been highlighted in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women of Influence: Attorneys 2026 list. She is a nationally recognized complex civil litigator specializing in class actions, multi‑district litigation, product liability and large...
Disney’s Infinity Vision Revealed
Disney announced Infinity Vision, a new theater certification aimed at premium large‑format screens, at CinemaCon 2026. The program will certify roughly 75 U.S. auditoriums and about 300 venues worldwide, emphasizing the biggest screens, laser projection and premium audio. Disney plans...
Women of Influence: Attorneys 2026 – Melanie Ronen
Melanie Ronen, a partner and chair of the Employment practice at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, is highlighted in the LA Business Journal’s Women of Influence 2026 series. She has driven the firm’s West Coast expansion while leading high‑stakes wage‑and‑hour,...
At the Global Conference: Interest Pivots From Software to Hard-Tech
At the Milken Institute Global Conference, CEOs Chris Power of Hadrian Automation and Julie Bush of Valinor highlighted a growing shift from pure software to hard‑tech manufacturing. Hadrian is integrating AI with veteran welders and casting experts to redesign factories,...
LA500 2026: William Ahmanson
William Ahmanson has led the Ahmanson Foundation, a Los Angeles‑based charitable trust founded in 1952, for nearly two decades. Under his direction the foundation has dispersed capital grants across arts, education, health services and community programs. In 2025 the organization earmarked...
LA500 2026: Edythe Broad
Edythe Broad, co‑founder of The Broad Foundations, has spent a lifetime advancing philanthropy alongside her late husband Eli. Since establishing the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation in 1967 and the Broad Art Foundation in 1984, the couple shifted to full‑time...
LA500 2026: Jacquelyn Clites
Jacquelyn Clites became chief executive of the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region in December 2025, after 14 years with the organization and a prior stint leading the California Gold Country region. She succeeds Joanne Nowlin, who retires after a...
LA500 2026: Katherine Fleming
Katherine Fleming, president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust, oversees a $9 billion endowment and a workforce of more than 1,400. Appointed in August 2022 after a six‑year tenure as NYU provost, she has driven initiatives such as...
LA500 2026: Michael Flood
Michael Flood was honored in the 2026 LA500 list, recognizing his 24‑year tenure as president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Under his leadership, the organization has expanded food distribution, introduced nutrition‑focused programs, and navigated crises...
LA500 2026: Michael Govan
Michael Govan, who has led LACMA since 2006, has expanded the museum’s collection by roughly 35,000 works and driven annual attendance above 1.5 million. His tenure culminated in the opening of the $720 million David Geffen galleries, designed by Peter Zumthor and engineered with...
LA500 2026: Terry Karges
Terry Karges has steered the Petersen Automotive Museum through a dramatic overhaul since becoming executive director in 2012. Under his guidance ticket sales and staff numbers have each more than tripled, and the museum’s 1960s building was refreshed with a...
LA500 2026: Bill Kramer
Bill Kramer, chief executive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, oversees roughly $1 billion in assets, a $180 million operating budget, and a global workforce of more than 700 staff. His portfolio includes the Oscars, the Academy Museum, member...
LA500 2026: Peter Laugharn
Peter Laugharn, President and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, leads one of the nation’s largest private philanthropies. Under his stewardship, the foundation disbursed more than $300 million in 2025 across seven initiatives, including homelessness, foster youth, safe water, refugees,...
Amgen Sees C-Suite Shifts
Amgen Inc. announced a cascade of C‑suite reshuffles after Chief Technology Officer David Reese announced his retirement effective June 1. Senior Vice President of AI and Data Sean Bruich will step into the CTO role, while EVP of R&D James Bradner will take...
JetZero Embarking on Home Facility Revamp
JetZero Inc. is renovating its 32,000‑square‑foot headquarters at Long Beach Airport, with Mark Odom Studio leading the redesign. The modernized campus will feature flexible workspaces around a central hangar to accelerate decision‑making and foster innovation. The upgrade follows a $175 million...
Firm’s $650 Million Raise Will Trickle to Long Beach
True Anomaly Inc., the Denver‑born aerospace‑defense startup, closed a $650 million Series D round, lifting its valuation to $2.2 billion. The capital, led by Riot Ventures and Eclipse, will channel several hundred million into its Long Beach manufacturing hub, where the firm plans to...
OpEd: Artificial Intelligence Redefines Workspace
Los Angeles executives are shifting AI from pilot projects to enterprise‑wide deployment, with 92% naming it a top investment priority for 2026. The surge in AI use is reshaping task assignment, review, and governance, prompting leaders to balance speed with...
Who’s Who in Finance: Hollywood to Main Street
City National Bank, the Royal Bank of Canada’s Los Angeles subsidiary, is leveraging its SBA expertise to broaden its client base beyond the entertainment sector. The bank has become the nation’s second‑largest SBA 504 lender and processes most SBA applications in...
Avoiding a Fundraise
Convoso, a Woodland Hills SaaS dialer provider founded in 2006, has sustained profitability for two decades without any venture or private‑equity funding. The company’s bootstrapped path contrasts with the broader Southern California tech scene, where only about 47% of firms...
Adaptive Reuse Is a Slow Burn
Los Angeles has loosened zoning rules with a citywide adaptive reuse ordinance, allowing any building at least 15 years old to be converted into multifamily housing and permitting smaller unit sizes and added floors. While developers like Jamison Services are...
Brentwood Apartments Are Sold
Two multifamily complexes in Brentwood, Los Angeles, comprising 61 units sold for more than $46 million, establishing a new price‑per‑unit benchmark for the area. The properties—11911 Mayfield Ave. (31 units) and 11860 Kiowa Ave. (29 units)—attracted over 10 offers and closed...
Two Student Housing Projects Hit Milestones
Earlier this month a 153‑unit student housing portfolio near UCLA, Axiom Westwood, sold for $62.6 million, marking the largest unit‑count transaction in the area since 2020. The sale follows significant capital upgrades since 2015 and comes as UCLA plans a 6%...
Dunleer Buys Industrial Valley Asset
Beverly Hills‑based Dunleer acquired a Class A multi‑tenant industrial building in Van Nuys for $10.6 million. The 34,366‑sq‑ft, 2009‑built asset is fully occupied, featuring eight 20‑ft clear‑height units with loading doors and office space. The purchase includes a condo map that could...
Bay Cities Names New Successor
Bay Cities Container Corp. has named long‑time veteran Sahar Mehrabzadeh as chief revenue officer and the designated successor to CEO Greg Tucker. The promotion follows a two‑decade tenure during which the firm earned three Outstanding Merchandising Achievement Awards and several...
Williams Rebuild Debuts New Push
Williams Rebuild, a subsidiary of Williams & Watt Inc., launched in April 2025 and has moved 30 wildfire‑damaged homes through design, permitting and construction. The firm partnered with the nonprofit Foothill Catalog Foundation to build two demonstration "Tonia Homes" on...
Noma Opens Shop in Silver Lake
Noma opened its first U.S. retail outlet, Noma Projects, in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, selling fermented foods and cookbooks as part of a 16‑week residency that runs through June. The shop operates Thursday‑Sunday and marks the brand’s expansion beyond its...
Snapshot: Max Leather
Max Leather Inc., founded by Max Khansefid in 1986, grew from a $3,500 start to its first $1 million in revenue within five years, building a reputation for exotic leather boots and belts worn by NBA stars. The family‑run business kept...
Tourism: L.A.’s World Cup Moment
Los Angeles will host eight 2026 FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium from June through mid‑July, drawing up to 1.24 million international visitors. The tournament is projected to generate $892 million in direct economic impact, plus $230 million in media value, pushing...