Latest news with #Larsen
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Crypto billionaire offers $9.4 million to overhaul S.F. police tech hub
A crypto billionaire with a reputation for funding public safety projects San Francisco is asking officials to greenlight a $9.4 million gift to create a new, state-of-the-art technology hub for the city's police force. The donation, which is made up of funds linked to Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, would relocate San Francisco police's Real-Time Investigations Center, which oversees its work with drones, surveillance cameras and automated license plate readers, from the SoMa Hall of Justice to an office at 315 Montgomery St. in the Financial District. If approved, the Police Department would sublet the Montgomery Street location for free from Ripple, which paid $2.3 million for the lease through December 2026 but is no longer using the space, according to a proposal ordinance. The other $7.25 million would come from the San Francisco Police Community Foundation, a charitable organization Larsen set up last year to support local police and crime-fighting initiatives. Police commissioners are scheduled to discuss the funding proposal Wednesday at their weekly meeting. If they agree to accept the money, the decision would fall on the Board of Supervisors for a final approval. In a Monday interview, Larsen credited last year's tech advancements with helping a chronically short staffed police force drive down crime rates and keep themselves safe. 'I think we can clearly see what a force-multiplier this is,' he said, noting the city's historically low rates of crime over the last year. 'The number of tools that they have is quite small, and we know that (expanding them) will have an impact.' Evan Sernoffsky, a spokesperson for the police department, said the gift would 'supercharge' a unit that in 2024 assisted in over 500 arrests and helped drive a 40% drop in auto thefts over a one-year period. 'We cobbled together our current (Real Time Investigations Center) with everything we basically had lying around,' Sernoffsky said. 'Little did we know how effective it would become with just the tools at our disposal.' In a statement, Mayor Daniel Lurie credited the center for supporting an understaffed department and helping to keep neighborhoods safe. 'With this new facility, the SFPD will have the tools and the technology it needs to take this work to the next level,' Lurie said. 'I want to thank Chris Larsen for his continued dedication to our police officers and the safety of all San Franciscans.' Both police and other city officials have for months bemoaned deficiencies in housing the department's technological epicenter the Hall of Justice, a crumbling building constructed in 1958 that relies on 1960s-era wiring. 'In its current location, the RTIC has experienced power and internet outages, and plumbing leaks from the ceiling,' the proposal ordinance stated. 'The RTIC is in a windowless room in a concrete structure, which limits cell phone and emergency radio transmission capabilities.' During a recent press conference at the RTIC's Hall of Justice location, police asked reporters to refrain from charging their equipment in the room's electrical outlets because doing so risked overwhelming the system. Last year touched off a technological revolution for city police following the passage of Prop. E, an assortment of measures that increased police powers and loosened the amount of oversight surrounding their surveillance technology. A wave of new equipment was introduced in short order. It included a fleet of officer-piloted drones, hundreds of new automated license plate readers and towering mobile security cameras stationed in crime hotspots. Many San Franciscans have embraced the advancements as an overdue response to its stubbornly high rate of car break-ins and other property crimes. But the tools remain deeply unpopular with privacy advocates who fear that they're vulnerable to abuses. The proposed windfall would both relocate the RTIC and expand it; with funds earmarked for purchases included a dozen additional drones and related software, a new video wall and the installation of fiber internet services.
CNBC
a day ago
- Business
- CNBC
This software stock can gain more than 50% after being held back by macroeconomic concerns, says BTIG
Strong software demand from medical professionals can help Doximity forge a strong path ahead despite any macroeconomic concerns, according to BTIG. The investment bank upgraded the San Francisco-based company to buy from neutral on Monday, giving the stock a 12-month price target of $80, implying nearly 54% upside from Friday's $52.09 close. Despite broader macroeconomic headwinds lingering over the biopharmaceutical sector, analyst David Larsen says demand for the Doximity's software will remain strong. "Our view is that although there is macro uncertainty with respect to the bio-pharma industry, including the risk of tariffs, ongoing drug pricing reform, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Medicare Rate pressures, we believe that demand for high-quality, precise, [software as a service] commercialization efforts will continue to rise," Larsen said. DOCS YTD mountain Doximity stock in 2025. The analyst also said the market may be overstating macroeconomic concerns, especially those tied to President Donald Trump's tariffs. "While shares of DOCS have pulled back from ~$83 to ~$52 on F2026 guidance and worries around tariffs, drug pricing reform and macro headwinds, our view is that many of these concerns are overdone. We believe that the most-favored-nation order will not be broadly implemented," the analyst said. He also pointed to stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results in May, a strong balance sheet and innovations like Doximity's self-service portal, as examples of how the company is well positioned to ride out any headwinds ahead. Shares have slipped more than 2% so far in 2025, but have soared 88% over the past year.
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Jan Larsen Joins ValidMind as Chief Revenue Officer to Drive Next Phase of Growth
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ValidMind, the leading platform for model risk management and AI governance, is proud to announce that Jan Larsen has joined the company as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Larsen, who previously served on ValidMind's Advisory Board, brings a distinguished track record in capital markets, credit, model development, and enterprise risk solutions to the company's leadership team. Larsen was formerly the President and Head of CRISIL Integral IQ (formerly Global Research & Risk Solutions), where he led enterprise-wide efforts to deliver cutting-edge analytics and risk solutions to financial institutions globally. His appointment marks a strategic move for ValidMind as the company scales to meet the growing demand for technology-driven risk management solutions across banking, insurance, and asset management. 'I got a demo of the ValidMind platform and was immediately impressed,' said Larsen. 'Model validation is a huge cost driver for financial institutions. ValidMind's AI-native solution addresses this challenge head-on by making validation more objective, consistent, and less error-prone—while significantly reducing both cost and risk.' Larsen's decision to move from the Advisory Board to a full-time executive role reflects his strong conviction in ValidMind's mission to modernize how financial institutions govern and validate risk and AI models. 'The traditional paradigm of annual model reviews just doesn't cut it anymore,' Larsen explained. 'With AI accelerating the model development cycle, institutions need continuous validation capabilities to manage risk effectively. ValidMind is the tech-forward solution that enables this new reality.' Larsen also highlighted the growing relevance of model risk management outside of traditional banking. 'As businesses of all types accelerate deployment of AI to automate and improve their operations, AI governance and model risk management will become a core function spanning across all industries,' he noted. 'The need for streamlined and automated solutions to enable these critical activities has never been more acute.' As CRO, Larsen will lead ValidMind's global revenue strategy, working closely with the go-to-market, product, and customer success teams to deliver scalable value to clients navigating the evolving regulatory and risk landscape. 'Jan's leadership and depth of experience in risk and analytics are invaluable as we expand our footprint,' said Jonas Jacobi, CEO of ValidMind. 'His vision for a faster, smarter, and safer model validation lifecycle aligns perfectly with our mission. We're thrilled to welcome him to the executive team.' About ValidMind ValidMind is the AI-native model validation platform for regulated industries, allowing for next-generation model risk management and AI governance. Built for compliance, speed, and accuracy, ValidMind enables financial institutions to continuously monitor, document, and validate traditional and AI/ML models. Learn more at
West Australian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Molly Parker: House of Cards actress stars in US drama Doc which has just aired in Australia
Molly Parker has a newfound respect for doctors after starring as one in Doc, the US's biggest medical drama, which has finally hit screens in Australia. The Canadian actress plays Amy Larsen, the chief of Internal Medicine at Westside Hospital in Minneapolis, who sustains a brain injury and loses the last eight years of her life. Dr Larsen is forced to navigate an unfamiliar world — while still practising medicine, she has no recollection of patients she's treated, colleagues she's encountered, the man she loves, or the tragedy that caused her to push everyone away. She can rely only on her estranged 17-year-old daughter, whom she remembers as a nine-year-old, and a few devoted friends, as she struggles after losing nearly a decade of knowledge and experience. It is based on an Italian series of the same name inspired by true events. Parker, best-known for her roles in House of Cards and Lost in Space, said while stepping into scrubs had been a challenge, she discovered a greater respect for medical professionals. 'The first couple of episodes are quite emotional for Amy, and so just that, in and of itself, is quite difficult,' she told The Sunday Times. 'It's given me a whole new appreciation for actors who play medical professionals, but also for medical professionals. It is such hard work and just so important. It's given me a whole a whole new respect.' With many days of intense and emotional filming, Parker said she uses knitting, a hobby she took up a few years ago, to cope. 'For me, in between setups or in between scenes, I need to be doing something with my hands, but it can't be something that takes me emotionally into another place,' she said. 'Like a big part of the job as an actor is to manage your emotional reality over the course of a day of working and knitting kind of is meditative. 'My husband's daughter just had a baby, so we have a little three-month-old granddaughter, and she's like the cutest thing ever. So I'm making little outfits. She also has a mini dachshund, Birdie, whom she takes on walks. While the series has aired in Australia for the first time, Parker admitted she hasn't spent a lot of time in the country. 'It's so embarrassing. And actually, I have an aunt from Melbourne, although she hasn't lived there in many, many years,' she said. 'I grew up on the west coast of Canada, and I just sort of always thought work would take me there. Like for a long time, all the travel I did was only for work, and I've sort of only recently really started travelling for myself, and somehow I just have not gotten a job in Australia.' Doc has been renewed for a second season of 22 episodes — double that of the first season — but Parker couldn't spill the beans as she 'doesn't know very much'. 'I expect that everything you can think of is gonna happen in this second season. But for me, that's part of what is really exciting about this dynamic, (Larsen's) amnesia gives space where almost anything can exist in that void,' she said. 'All secrets and surprises are going to show up for Amy. And I guess the big question is, Is she going to get any of her memory back? If she does, what will it be? And will it be an end?' Stream new episodes of Doc on 7plus every Tuesday.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Tenders for Mumbai road projects worth Rs 14,000cr scrapped, SC told
Representative image Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Friday informed Supreme Court it had decided to scrap the tenders for the proposed Rs 6,000 crore Mumbai Elevated Road Project and the Rs 8,000 crore Road Tunnel Project. The matter reached SC after Larsen and Toubro challenged the decision of MMRDA to reject its technical bids for the projects. Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd, which was a prominent purchaser of electoral bonds prior to these getting scrapped by SC, was declared the successful bidder. A bench of CJI B R Gavai and Justices A G Masih and A S Chandurkar had expressed surprise over Megha emerging as successful bidder on Thursday. "It is for the Maharashtra govt to take a call on whether to invite fresh tenders for the two projects," it said and disposed of the L&T's appeal as infructuous.
