Economic Development Director’s April Update Spotlights New Openings, Small Business Grants, and JPL Partnership

The Pasadena Economic Development and Technology Committee on Tuesday, April 21, will receive an information-only update from Economic Development Director David A. Klug covering recent business openings, small business support programs, special events, and technology and innovation initiatives across the city.

As a Tier 4 advisory body, the Economic Development and Technology Committee has no independent authority to direct the work of the Economic Development Division or approve the programs described in the update. The committee’s role on Tuesday would be limited to receiving the memorandum. The City Council retains final authority over all economic development policy and funding decisions.

For Pasadena residents, the memorandum offers a wide-ranging snapshot of the local economy: new restaurants and retailers opening in Old Pasadena and at The Paseo, a Shop Local Pasadena pilot that has generated more than $145,000 in measured economic impact since its October launch, ongoing wildfire recovery grants, and continued engagement with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the city’s deep-tech initiative.

According to the memorandum, notable recent openings include Monarca Sol Collective at The Paseo, which held a grand opening on March 22 with a ribbon-cutting featuring Mayor Gordo; Love Baked Wings at 38 W. Colorado Blvd. in Old Pasadena, offering oven-baked chicken wings, cauliflower wings, house-made sauces and compostable packaging; Sliders Bakery and Ice Cream Factory at 1355 N. Hill Ave., which held a grand opening April 3 to 5 as its second location following an original shop in Burbank; and THAIM at One Colorado, a Thai street food restaurant serving Pad Thai, basil stir-fry, grilled vegetables and rotating seasonal specials.

On the Shop Local Pasadena Open Rewards pilot program, the memorandum reports that over 1,100 local businesses are participating since the Oct. 1 launch and nearly 1,200 users have downloaded the app to earn 5% cash back on purchases. The pilot has been extended through June 30. The memorandum notes that the publication PublicCEO recently featured the program as an example of how cities are modernizing shop-local efforts, highlighting Pasadena’s use of its business license database to automatically enroll retailers and restaurants and its real-time incentive adjustments during peak activity periods.

Small business support activities detailed in the memo include the Back in Business Recovery Fund, a partnership of 11:11 Media Impact, GoFundMe.org, and the Pasadena Women’s Business Center that provides grants of $10,000 to $20,000 for women-owned small businesses affected by recent Los Angeles County wildfires. According to Klug, the fund is modeled on a local recovery effort that assisted 50 women-owned Altadena businesses following the 2025 Eaton Fire, with 90% of those businesses continuing to operate today. Applications for the current round close April 30.

The memorandum also notes that Los Angeles County launched the second cycle of its Commercial Acquisition Fund on April 3, offering $2.6 million in forgivable loans to help small businesses, nonprofits and mission-aligned developers purchase their first commercial properties, with applications opening May 5. The Microenterprise Recovery Grant application window is referenced as having closed April 16, with applications now under review.

On special events, the memorandum describes a Feb. 27 site tour of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, where Economic Development staff were briefed on JPL’s small business engagement activities, nanotechnology research, and future collaboration opportunities supporting the city’s deep-tech initiative. Staff also attended the Broad Foundation’s Family Office Annual Open House on Feb. 25, followed up with workforce nonprofit Per Scholas regarding potential expansion of its no-cost tech training programs to Pasadena, and engaged with the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity about implementation of a $24 million state investment in the region’s Five-Year Life Sciences Strategy, which aims to create 10,000 quality jobs by 2030.

Additional events cited include LA28’s Regional Business Improvement Districts Convening on April 7, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce & Civic Association’s Spring Soirée on March 26 at the Langham Huntington Hotel — where Hahn and Hahn LLP received the Legacy Award for more than 125 years of service, accepted by Councilmember Jason Lyon — and the LA–Netherlands Life Sciences and Healthcare Program on April 13 hosted by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation’s World Trade Center Los Angeles.

Under technology and innovation, the memorandum notes that Innovate Pasadena, in coordination with the Economic Development Division, held Connect Week from April 12 to 16, with sessions on quantum technologies, climate innovation, and a pitch competition. The memo also references NASA’s recently released update outlining new initiatives advancing the United States’ National Space Policy, including lunar exploration, long-term low Earth orbit operations, scientific missions, and nuclear power and propulsion systems for spaceflight, with JPL supporting several of those efforts.

The Economic Development and Technology Committee is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, in the Council Chamber at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., Room S249, in Pasadena. For more information call (626) 744-7311 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.