Welcome back to the Sunstone Way.
First, allow me to thank everyone who participated in and/or helped organize the first Irvine Tech Day earlier this month.
I was grinning from ear to ear watching the great engagement and community building during everything from the speeches and panels to Popup Irvine to Pitch Irvine to the Irvine Dream Run. Special thanks to the organizing team – it was a lot of work, but it was worth it!
Working Partnerships
Speaking of work, one of our specialties here at Sunstone is working with partners. I’ve worked hard to become an expert in the Public-Private Partnership (P3) approach, and to get close to experts like Jeff Fullerton to move projects forward. The concept continues to gain traction as a way to get things done – infrastructure, education, acceleration and more.
This P3 approach is so important that we have formed a subsidiary called Public Private Partners LLC to work with Sunstone Cities on specific projects. Our great partnership with sister company American Lending Center makes the approach even stronger.
And there are our government partners – both as resource providers and as customers. We’re honored to call government leaders on several levels our friends, as can be seen by those who have participated in our P3 Strategy Series.
On the Stage
Last year, we launched a new initiative we call the P3 Strategy Series. Fittingly, the first session explored what is believed to be the most expensive public-private partnership project to date, the Long Beach Civic Center, completed in July 2019. Both Jeff and I were part of that project’s planning and execution, albeit in different roles than we play today. My friend Pat West was the Long Beach City Manager at the time, and shared the stage with Jeff.
We were fortunate in 2025 to have a number of speakers from different areas of government at the P3 Strategy series. We’ve had city planners, development directors and city managers – most recently, Irvine’s own Sean Crumby, who I had the pleasure of working with in Long Beach.
Then there are the amazing partners from the state, and most specifically from GO-Biz (the Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development) and the IBank (California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank). It was quite a coup when we booked Andy Nakahata to speak before he was formally named Executive Director & CEO of the IBank.
Maintaining the Pace
We started 2026 off with a P3 Strategy Series home run – California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA, graciously spent more than two hours providing insights about how the state partners with businesses to keep the California economy healthy and growing.
This impactful series continues later this month with Josh Humphries, senior advisor of the nonprofit California Community Foundation to talk about the philanthropic side of our economy. Then Elsa Wadzinski, the senior economic development specialist at the California Employment Training Panel, will visit to talk about the very necessary workforce pipeline.
These sessions are free to attend, but registration is required. Go to sunstonecities.com/events/ to find out more about the series.
Putting P3 to Work
2025 was the year that Sunstone Cities hit the ground running, contracting with cities to put P3’s power to work (See list at www.sunstonecities.com). We’ve helped municipalities refine economic development plans and talked with others about recovery from the devastating wildfires.
Several cities are exploring potential infrastructure projects with innovative financing in these uncertain financial times, and we’re at the table. As Southern California prepares to host the 2028 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympics, we stand ready to help make the venues come to life.
Most recently, Sunstone Cities has agreed to come alongside the city of Riverside as a consultant to begin planning for two major capital projects that are designed to make that city a destination.
In Our Community
As I’ve said many times, I believe the Public-Private Partnership approach can help our communities grow to the benefit of all involved. In many cases, a P3 strategy is the preferred alternative.
It is a preferred alternative to help make our communities better places to live, work and thrive. That’s why P3 is the epitome of the Sunstone Way.
And remember, always be a Sunstone!
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone
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Sunstone Investment Group, headquartered in Southern California, is the holding company for the Sunstone family of entities, including: Sunstone Investment Management Services, responsible for administrative services; Sunstone Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser, which oversees Sunstone Venture Partners LLC, a private capital fund manager; Sunstone Cities, a government economic development consulting firm; and Sunstone Community Fund, a charitable organization that supports entrepreneurship. Sunstone is dedicated to enriching lives through investment, entrepreneurship, and community. Email us at contact@sunstoneinvestment.com.
©Sunstone, 2026