?? Lunchtime Reads: Kicking off 2025 with a fresh face

Welcome to “Lunchtime Reads,” your monthly dispatch from Sterling Communications on what’s new in Silicon Valley and beyond!

?? Putting on a Fresh Face for the New Year?

Sterling’s website has a fresh new look for 2025. Check it out here.

?? Sterling Spotlight

EnterpriseTalk published a case study on how Hakkoda and its partner Blue Yonder created a Snowflake native app for business transformation. Chris Puuri, VP and global head of healthcare and life sciences, penned an article in MedCity News with his 2025 outlook for healthcare IT in the age of AI. In addition, Anand Pandya, global head of financial services, posits in The Financial Brand that banks and lenders should prepare their data architecture for a lending surge, and predicts How AI Will Reshape the Financial Services Sector in 2025 for Payments Journal.

The Sakuú announcement on commercial availability of their Kavian dry-process battery manufacturing platform grabbed attention from both EV Design & Manufacturing and Charged Electric Vehicles magazines.

San Jose Water?President Tanya Moniz-Witten authored The Compounding Benefits Of Driving A Safety-Conscious Culture for Water Online, which was also published in this month’s issue of Water Innovations. SJW Corporate Communications Manager Pal Hollywood was selected as a Rising Star in Ragan’s Top Women in Communications Awards!

The partnership between Veea and BG Titan Group to bring reliable internet access to North Africa’s underserved regions, announced in July, was #9 on?EdTech Innovation Hub’s list of 2024’s top 20 moments in edtech.

?? In the News

• Historical mysteries solved by science last year - CNN
• 2024 in review - The Verge
• How to build a healthier relationship with your screen - Wired
• The most stunning reveals from CES 2025 - CNET
• JPM dispatches: Nvidia, Recursion, Dexcom, and more - STAT
• How influencers are impacting journalism -?NPR

?? Fun Facts

• The third Monday in January?is MLK Day - a federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service?encouraging?community volunteer activities to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Ellis Island opened in January 1892 to serve as a processing station and gateway into the United States for more than 12 million immigrant steamship ? passengers before its closure in 1954.
• Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple iPhone at the Macworld conference?in January 2007.?
• In 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to be sworn into office on January 20th;?presidential inaugurations were previously held on March 4th.
• January 28th is National Fun at Work Day for team-building activities to boost employee engagement, but doesn’t National Chocolate Cake Day on January 27th sound more appetizing ?
• The Beatles held their final public performance on the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters in London on January 30, 1969. Get back, Jojo!

????Mark Your Calendars

• Jan. 20-24 - The world’s movers and shakers descend on Davos, Switzerland, for the annual meeting of The World Economic Forum, where they’ll consider key global and regional challenges.
• Jan. 27-29 - San Diego hosts the Cleantech Forum North America for investors and innovators in sustainability and climate solutions.
• Feb. 1-5 - The 80,000 members of the largest nonprofit K-16 edtech association in the U.S. are invited to Austin for the annual TCEA Convention & Exposition.
• Feb. 11-12 - Use promo code “Speaker25%” for a 25% registration discount to hear Arwed Niestroj, Sakuú SVP of e-mobility and product, speaking in the TechBlick online event Battery Materials: Next-Generation & Beyond Lithium Ion Battery Technology.
• Feb. 11-13 - The conference agenda at IoT Evolution Expo in Fort Lauderdale covers topics such as 6G and AI integration, security and privacy, edge computing, and supply chain optimization.
• Feb. 16-19 - Information management decision-makers convene in Nashville for the annual ViVE digital health event focused on the business of transformation in healthcare.

???Volunteer Opportunities

• Southern California Wildfires - In the short term, and at a distance, probably the best way to help communities affected by the wildfires is to donate funds. The L.A. Daily News, NBC Los Angeles, and KTLA News are regularly expanding their lists of organizations coordinating donations, supplies, and volunteer opportunities.
• American Red Cross - Make an appointment to donate blood by Jan. 26 and get a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Help with Southern California fire relief by signing up as a shelter service advisor to work with people to ensure their basic needs are met as well as helping them access additional services.
• Habitat for Humanity - To honor the late President Jimmy Carter’s life of service, find a Habitat project near you to help build affordable housing.
• Humane Society - Find a volunteer opportunity in your state — at a local clinic or from home — to help protect animals while enriching your own life. Various Los Angeles-area Humane Societies are asking for donations of food, water bowls, blankets, crates, and foster families as well as cash. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals?also fields a Los Angeles Disaster Animal Response Team.
• World Central Kitchen - Create a profile to become a member of the WCK Volunteer Corps so you can view opportunities to bring meals to communities – and first responders — affected by disasters.