For many, November equals Thanksgiving, and we have much to be thankful for here at Sunstone.
Before we got to the feast at the end of the month, we got plenty of work done in several arenas. In addition to all the meetings with clients and potential clients, we had the chance to make a difference in our communities as well.
We started the month joining the American Lending Center gang to form Team Dragon at the City of Hope Walk for Hope at the cancer research institutes new Orange County campus. More than 200 team members took that 2K walk to express our support for cancer patients and survivors, along with fundraising for the research to fight the many types of that deadly disease.
It’s all about community.
Sunstone Cities
Talking about community, the Sunstone Cities team talked to several cities in November to explore ways to help them. Of particular interest were discussions with the city of Malibu to talk about creating an economic recovery plan after the horrific wildfires there last January.
In the middle of the month, we attended and helped sponsor the Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC) Annua Conference in Indian Wells. Several connections were made, and follow-up has already begun.
All the work is paying off – by the end of November, Sunstone Cities has seven engagements on the books. That’s nearly double what we had just a couple of months ago.
Sunstone Investors
The hard-working team at Sunstone Investors continues to go above and beyond, connecting with partners and assisting startup companies in our portfolio. In addition to the popular Sunstone Stage Connects series on Fridays, the team was present at a number of outside events.
The grand finale of the Connects series took place on Nov. 21 with the Pop-up Market Showcase. Despite a bad weather forecast causing a last-minute shift from outdoors to the sixth floor of the Airport Tower, the event was a smashing success. There were 20 brands demonstrating their wares, and nearly 100 attendees crowding the halls.
Preparing for 2026
We were honored to host Dr. Karen McBride, founder of the MKCircle CEO Institute, to begin a Leadership and Strategy Training Program with an Operational Style Assessment. It was fascinating to delve into what our priorities and values are as individuals, and how that knowledge can help us be more successful communicators as a team.
We will continue to follow this training program path as we enter the Year of the Horse. It’s fitting that we put on a new skin as we leave the Year of the Snake.
Thankful
As I said at the beginning of this piece, November – at least the end of November – means Thanksgiving. I am so very thankful for our Sunstone team. I’m also thankful for our many partners, and that includes you.
Together, we can and will make our community a better place. We can all be Sunstones!
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
©Sunstone Management, Inc. 2025