![Mark Otero, CEO of Alice Capital, is best known as the founder of KlickNation, the mobile game company he started in 2008. (Photo by Wes Davis)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0221_feat_next-chapter_mark_lead.jpg?1612984861)
Game of Skill
The Next Chapter: Mark Otero uses his gaming background in algorithms to program his quant hedge fund
In December 2019, a few months before the fastest drop in global
stock markets in financial history, Mark Otero launched Alice
Capital, a hedge fund designed to bypass emotion.
![Doug Wright (left), president, and Heather Svahn, vice president, oversee the day-to-day operations of Mountain Hardware and Sports in Truckee. The company has been fully owned by employees since 2013. (Photos by Katey Hamill)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1120_feat_mergers_kateyhamill_lead.jpg?1604688983)
Transfer of Power
Some owners who want to sell decide the best buyer is their staff
Research indicates that employee ownership can improve profit margins and company culture, but it may not be the right choice for every seller.
![Sarah Rivas, who just turned 27, in her childhood room where she teaches high school history from her parents’ Elk Grove home on Oct. 13, 2020. Rivas worries she won't be able to afford an apartment in Sunnyvale. (Photos by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/101320_sarahrivas_aw_sized_05.jpg?1602788734)
For Many Californians, the Pandemic Marks the End of ‘Barely Making It’
The pandemic is accelerating the demise of the middle class, leaving many unable to sustain financial independence. In Silicon Valley and elsewhere, middle-class workers have found themselves unable to make rent.
Sponsored
![Virginia Varela, CEO of Golden Pacific Bank](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/golden-pacific_lead_1.jpg?1602018645)
Your Community Banking Partner
Golden Pacific Bank
Headquartered in Sacramento, Golden Pacific Bank is unique as the region’s only community-owned bank that manages under $1 billion — a fact that CEO Virginia Varela takes great pride in. “We understand what it takes to support the needs of our small local businesses, because we too are a small local business,” she says. “Small businesses make up the backbone of our region, and we take our mission to support, foster and uplift this community with great pride and integrity.”
![(Illustration by Carly Cornejo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/the_big_fix_manufacture_1.jpg?1596689528)
California Manufacturers Are Innovating for the Pandemic
In our series, The Big Fix, industry experts explore how the region can rebound from the coronavirus shutdown
The pandemic has revealed how manufacturers can pivot and innovate quickly to make needed products, keeping the critical supply chain going.
![(Illustration by Carly Cornejo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/the_big_fix_banking.jpg?1596681660)
Providing Funding to Businesses Will Be Crucial in Recovery
In our series, The Big Fix, industry experts explore how the region can rebound from the coronavirus shutdown
When there is change in consumer behavior, there are also opportunities for entrepreneurs with vision, access to capital and the skill to implement successfully.
![(Illustration by Carly Cornejo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/the_big_fix_manufacture.jpg?1596499146)
Infrastructure and Workforce Will Help Attract Companies
In our series, The Big Fix, industry experts explore how the region can rebound from the coronavirus shutdown
Developers are working to strengthen the Capital Region’s competitive advantages and redefine its value proposition for businesses looking to move or expand.
![(Shutterstock illustration)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0720_feat_finance_shutterstock_lead.png?1594754089)
Planning During Coronavirus
For young business owners, the time is right to put together a savings and investment plan
Here’s what financial planning experts in the Capital Region say young adults can think about to stay alive financially through 2020 and beyond.
![(Shutterstock photo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_115212217.jpg?1591304359)
Navigating the New Flexibility
Brett Sargent, founder and CEO of True North Consulting, offers advice on Paycheck Protection Program loans
On June 5, President Donald Trump signed an extension as part of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, allowing business owners 24 weeks, instead of eight, to use loans. Brett Sargent explains the options.
![CalPERS has averaged an annual rate of return on its investments of 9.1 percent over the past decade and 8.1 percent over the past 30 years. (Photo by Graham Womack)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0520_blog_statuscheck.jpg?1590092435)
Status Check: Cloudy Days for Pensions?
COVID-19 might lead to even fewer defined-benefit pensions in the private sector
It’s still early to fully gauge what effects the coronavirus economic shutdown will have on the pension landscape, but the preliminary outlook for certain parts of the industry, particularly with defined-benefit plans, isn’t encouraging.