Welcome back to the Sunstone Way, and to the holiday season – the season of light.
“Do you see what I see? A star dancing in the night.” Those are lyrics from one of my favorite Christmas songs, “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
In this case, the “Christmas Star” was used by many for navigation and is believed to have guided Three Wise Men (some say Philosophers or Scientists), from foreign kingdoms to cross the deserts and mountains in search of hope, joy, and a new beginning. In the Christmas story, Three Wise Men (and many others), were seeking “A child sleeping in the night,” who would “bring the (world) goodness and light.”
Hope, joy, a long journey and a new beginning. Sound familiar? In my own family, the Christmas Star embodies themes of hope and joy for new beginnings. Like a beacon of hope, it can also help guide us through dark and challenging times. It can provide a consistent point of reference over a long and arduous journey.
About The Sunstone
It’s been a bit since I talked about our namesake, the Sunstone. The stories go back to my Scandinavian roots – Vikings reportedly used sunstones as early as the 13th century to navigate the seas when clouds covered the sun. The stones could find the light of the sun through the clouds, keeping the Vikings on course.
That ability to find and follow light likely is why sunstones are believed to bring light and vitality into one’s life. Healing powers are attributed to the stone as well, particularly seasonal affective disorder – when the lack of light causes depression and more.
Finally, the sunstone boosts the self-confidence of those who wear or carry it. It allows people to see and feel the light.
A Sunstone Year
As we close 2024, we can look back to a number of ways that Sunstone has shined. For example, in partnership with American Lending Center we organized and hosted the first-ever Irvine Dream Run, including the Irvine Tech Week 5K and the FirstGen Color Run, bringing together the diverse Irvine community, entrepreneurs and runners of all ages. The event raised more than $50,000 for the Sunstone Community Fund.
In its second year, SCF stepped up with sponsorships of pitch competitions to support young founders at Cal State Long Beach, the California State University system and more.
We launched Sunstone Cities in 2024 to be a light for local government leaders particularly in economic development. Later in the year, Sunstone Cities added a department to help with public infrastructure financing solutions.
Sunstone Advisors, LLC focused on strengthening its client service approach in 2024. That includes creation of a dedicated website and distribution of annual and quarterly reports. Sunstone also hosted a symposium for the general public to educate folks about public-private collaborations and clean energy approaches.
Shining Light
2024 was the 10th year of Sunstone Management’s efforts to shine the Sunstone light with our partners in many fields and configurations, from public officials through public-private partnerships to entrepreneurs in the universities and founders striking out on their own.
Our founder, John Shen, started Sunstone Management in 2015 in Long Beach, California, with the goal of being a shining light in our communities. Each year since then, the Sunstone has shined a little brighter.
By the time I joined Sunstone in early 2022, John had moved headquarters to Irvine. In 2024, we opened branch offices in New York City and back in Long Beach.
With a little help from our friends, we want to continue shining the light of positivity and promise as we celebrate our 10th year. That means we are looking for help from you. Because that’s the Sunstone Way.
Merry Christmas, let your own light shine this year, and remember to always be a Sunstone!
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone Management, Inc.
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©Sunstone Management, Inc. 2024