TheCoderSchool, a franchise aimed at children ages 7 to 18, opened Sept. 9 in Irvine. The school at 14200 Culver Drive, Suite 200, is owned by Will Tungpagasit, who also owns theCoderSchool in Pleasanton. Tungpagasit has a background as a software engineer and plans to open 10-13 additional coding schools throughout California over the next three years. (Courtesy of TheCoderSchoo

TheCoderSchool, a franchise aimed at children ages 7 to 18, opened Sept. 9 in Irvine. The school at 14200 Culver Drive, Suite 200, is owned by Will Tungpagasit, who also owns theCoderSchool in Pleasanton. Tungpagasit has a background as a software engineer and plans to open 10-13 additional coding schools throughout California over the next three years. (Courtesy of TheCoderSchoo

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Kathy Caswell has been elected president of the Orange County Chapter of the Society of Marketing Professional Services.

Tiffany Alva has joined The Children and Families Commission of Orange County as the new early learning director.

Joe Brenneman of Ladera Ranch has launched The Growth Coach of South Orange County. The firm provides group coaching workshops and one-on-one coaching for sales professionals, managers, management teams, self-employed professionals and more. (Photo by Steven Georges/Press-Telegram)



Staff and volunteers at Irvine-based Tillys help load three, 26-foot trucks with aid and recovery supplies for the Houston area in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The apparel company originally planned on loading and driving one truck with goods to Texas, but donations multiplied. (Courtesy of Tillys)

Irvine-based Tillys has sent three, 26-foot trucks loaded with aid and recovery supplies to the Houston area in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The apparel company originally planned on loading and driving one truck with goods to Texas, but donations multiplied and the truck count grew. (Courtesy of Tillys)

Coding for kids

TheCoderSchool, a franchise aimed at children ages 7 to 18, opened Sept. 9 in Irvine.

The for-profit school at 14200 Culver Drive, Suite 200, is owned by Will Tungpagasit, who also owns theCoderSchool in Pleasanton. Tungpagasit has a background as a software engineer and plans to open 10-13 additional coding schools throughout California over the next three years.

“theCoderSchool’s goal will be to show both parents and children in Irvine that learning to code does more than just open career doors,” said Tungpagasit in a statement.

The school teaches a variety of coding languages, such as HTML, CSS, Python, Javascript and more.

The company was founded in 2014 with franchising launching in 2016. It has 15 schools operating in six states. For more information, visit thecoderschool.com/

Cyber degree

While we’re on the subject of computer programming, Webster University in Irvine is offering a classroom-based master’s degree in cybersecurity. The program, which was launched in Colorado Springs in 2014 at the request of the U.S. military, is offered through the George Herbert Walker School of Business and Technology.

Cybersecurity is a growing field as hackers continue to steal data from companies and databases worldwide. Irvine is home to Cylance and Crowdstrike which all specialize in preemptive software systems. A startup, Obsidian Security, was launched by two former Cylance employees this year and raised $9.5 million in seed money.

The master’s program at the Irvine campus will start with the university’s Fall 2 term Oct. 23. Webster, a nonprofit university with campuses across the globe, has five six-week terms that make up the academic year. Its graduate courses are traditionally taught in the evening, to better accommodate the schedules of adults who currently are working regular jobs.

To request more information about the program, or learn more about how to apply, go to webster.edu/irvine/ or webster.edu/masters/cybersecurity.html.

People on the move

Kathy Caswell has been elected president of the Orange County Chapter of the Society of Marketing Professional Services. The local chapter, in its 10th year, is part of a nonprofit that provides members with resources and opportunities to get more involved in the architecture, engineering, and construction community. Caswell is the marketing manager for civil engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam in Orange. She will oversee the chapter’s affairs and officers.

Tiffany Alva has joined The Children and Families Commission of Orange County as the new early learning director. Alva is responsible for the implementation of school readiness, early literacy and math programs.

New ventures

Joe Brenneman of Ladera Ranch has launched The Growth Coach of South Orange County. The firm provides group coaching workshops and one-on-one coaching for sales professionals, managers, management teams, self-employed professionals and more.

U-Haul Company of California has a new dealer in Huntington Beach. A-1 Mail Stop, owned by Mark Correll, at 9114 Adams Ave. will offer U-Haul trucks, moving supplies and in-store pick-up for boxes. Normal business hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday.

Good works

Grocery Outlet’s seventh annual Independence from Hunger campaign has raised more than $1 million to provide over 500,000 meals to families in need. Throughout the month of July, the discount grocer’s customers, employees and independent owner-operators in Orange County and across six states contributed food and monetary donations. The chain raised $1,075,583 and local food banks will receive 100 percent of the proceeds as no administration or collateral fees will be deducted from the funds.

Irvine-based Tillys is sending three, 26-foot trucks loaded with aid and recovery supplies to the Houston area in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The apparel company originally planned on loading and driving one truck with goods to Texas, but donations multiplied. The trucks include Tillys merchandise, cleaning products, hygiene products, nonperishable food, baby supplies from the Purist Group, car enthusiasts who help members of the community when in need. The third truck contained apparel from Nitro Circus, an action sports entertainment collective led by pro motorsports icon Travis Pastrana.

Coming up

The Orange County Asian Business expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Garden Grove, 12861 Harbor Blvd. The expo is an opportunity to meet businesses leaders in the Asian community. For a booth reservation, email mislam100@hotmail.com. The event and parking is free.

The 28th annual Southern California Alzheimer’s Disease Research Conference will be held from 7:30-4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22 at the Irvine Marriott Hotel. Registration for professionals seeking continuing education units is $175 and general admission is $75 prior to Sept. 8, 2017. Conference fee includes breakfast, lunch, parking and materials. Discounted rates and scholarships are available for those who qualify. For more information or to register, go to alzoc.org/events/2017-research-conference or call 949-757-3721.

The Orange County Small Business Development Center, an economic development program of Rancho Santiago Community College District, will host several business-oriented workshops in September:

Sept. 13: “Small Business Jump-Start,” 6-8:30 p.m., Garden Grove Community Meeting Center 11300 Stanford Ave. B Room, Garden Grove. Cost: $10.

Sept. 19: “Human Resource Laws You’re Not Complying With,” 6-8:30 p.m., Cielo – Golden West College – Student Services Annex, Room 125, 15744 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach. Free.

Sept. 27: “The Art and Science of Creating a Successful Business Plan,” 6-8:30 p.m., Garden Grove Community Meeting Center 11300 Stanford Ave. Constitution Room, Garden Grove. Cost: $25.

Place reservations for any of the workshops at 714-564-5200 or ocsbdc.org.

The Small Business Administration will host its fourth annual West Coast SBA Export Lender Roundtable on Tuesday, Sept. 12 in Garden Grove. The roundtable will provide small business lenders, business development officers, credit officers, and other banking professionals with the skills needed to help small businesses use SBA exporting loans to start or increase their international trade activities. The program will feature Peter Cazamias, the new associate administrator of SBA’s Office of International Trade. Other federal agencies participating include Export Import Bank of the U.S., and the U.S. Commercial Service. The event is free, includes lunch, and space is very limited. Register at eventbrite.com (search Garden Grove events).

Status Update is compiled by contributing writer Karen Levin and edited by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items to sgowen@scng.com. High-resolution images also can be submitted. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.