BRIEFLY IN BUSINESS

Digital media the topic of program discussion

The Orange County Venture Group and the Orange County Technology Action Network are partnering to hold a major Digital Media program from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, at [seven degrees], 891 Laguna Canyon Road.

This program will feature the chief executives of four Southern California venture-stage digital media companies: SodaHead’s Jason Feffer, IBY’s Abdul Kahn, Red5 Studios’ Mark Kern and Slacker Radio’s Dennis Mudd. Beer, wine and appetizers will be served.

The moderators will be two leading area venture capitalists specializing in digital media investments: Jeff Lee from Mission Ventures and Peter Lee (no relation) of Baroda Ventures. Mayor Kelly Boyd is scheduled to welcome the groups for their first joint program in Laguna Beach.

Admission is open to all at a cost of $50 per person for those who register at www.ocvg.com by 5 p.m. Monday, or $60 at the door. Orange County Venture Group members can attend free.

Global adventure with a ‘green’ twist

Safari Air, a luxury private jet charter service offering flights on a per-seat basis, is set to take flight Oct. 15 with a 21-day “Around the World Grand East Africa Safari.”

Resident Ken Jillson, chief executive and founder of Safari Air, said his firm has pioneered a “green” component by purchasing carbon offsets for passengers, as well as applying various operational components that reduce emissions.

The “once-in-a-lifetime” trip costs nearly $145,000 per traveler and is limited to eight people per aircraft.

The 25,450-mile adventure will depart from John Wayne Airport and circle the globe, stopping at world-class hotels in Quebec City, Edinburgh, Cairo, Agra-India, Hong Kong, Guam and Honolulu. The centerpiece of the journey will be a two-week African safari by award-winning Micato Safaris beginning in Kilimanjaro and featuring one week in both Tanzania and Kenya at a well-appointed tented safari camps and lodges.

“By flying relatively short daytime flights, jet lag is minimized, thus creating a leisurely eco-friendly around-the-world experience,” Jillson said. “The added bonus of restful stopovers in five-star hotels is that our guests get to see amazing sights along the way such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Taj Mahal and magnificent Hong Kong Harbor.”

Safari Air’s inflight service will feature fine wines, gourmet food, afternoon tea and laptops with Bose headsets for each passenger to watch pre-selected movies

Founded in 2008, Safari Air bills itself as is the first green, luxury private jet charter service to offer scheduled flights on a per-seat basis from Orange County exclusively aboard Rolls-Royce-powered Gulfstream IV aircraft, to destinations such as New York, Honolulu, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.

With zero financial commitment required and no need to charter an entire aircraft, Safari Air fills a special niche in today’s private jet industry by saving both business and leisure passengers thousands of dollars and opening the market to a much broader audience, according to spokeswoman Barbara McMurray.

For more information, visit www.safariaircharters.com.

Business seeking ‘green graffiti’ on windows

Laguna Green is asking customers to write what “green” means to them during April, known as Earth Month “” and to do it on the showroom window.

“We are inviting anyone to write their ideas about being green on the window of our showroom “” using special pens of course,” said Pam Sterling, owner of Laguna Green at 1025 S. Coast Hwy. “It’s a kind of ‘green graffiti’ and it is intended to raise awareness about the many things we can all do to create a healthier planet.”

Laguna Green is an exclusively green kitchen and bath showroom whose owner is committed to education about eco-friendly products and practices.

The store offers workshops and in-home EcoSMART assessments to help people learn what options are available to them in their efforts to “go green.”

In addition to writing on the window of the showroom, anyone can write electronic “green graffiti” on www.laguna-green.com.

For more information about Laguna Green or the Green Graffiti project, contact Sterling at Pam@laguna-green.com or (714) 654-9860.