Pacific City in Huntington Beach is hosting two makers markets this year.

The craft markets at the beachside retail center will include items like jewelry and other handmade products.

Here’s a little bit about each market and their dates …

Dreamers Market: A collection of local vendors selling jewelry and gifts. The event will feature live music, face painting, a fairy meet-and-greet and a butterfly exhibit. The market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on both levels of the center on three Saturdays and one Sunday (March 9, June 29, Sept. 7, and Dec. 8).

Creative Babe Market: At least 40 female artisans are signed up to sell everything from handmade jewelry to crochet plushies. The market will include a live DJ and face painting for children. The market will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on three Sundays: May 12, Aug 18 and Nov. 17.

Merchants and restaurants at Pacific City include H&M, Lululemon, Lush, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Urban Outfitters, Brandy Melville, Pandora, Philz Coffee, Bear Flag Fish Co., Brant Kitchen & Bar and The Bungalow.

Address: 21010 Pacific Coast Highway. Parking is not free.

Students at Golden West College in Huntington Beach can apply for grants this spring that will help them with rent, childcare and living expenses. (Photo courtesy of Golden West College)

College grants available at Golden West

Students at Golden West College in Huntington Beach can apply for grants this spring that will help them with rent, childcare and living expenses.

Those students enrolled in six or more units — and having completed a FAFSA or California Dream Act application — can apply for two of the three grants per semester, including $1,000 for rent assistance, $1,000 for childcare and $500 for basic living expenses.

The college grants program, called Basic Needs, uses money sent to the college from the California State Chancellor’s Office, as well as student equity and lottery funds. Assembly Bill 2884 recently expanded the use of California Lottery proceeds to include community college students’ basic needs.

Students can find the application form for grants at the college’s Basic Needs page at goldenwestcollege.edu/basic-needs

Leadership summit is Friday

The second annual Orange County Women in Leadership Summit, hosted by Girl Scouts of Orange County, takes place Friday, March 8 at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel in Costa Mesa.

The line-up includes speakers Goodwill of Orange County CEO Nicole Suydam, Yunkyung Kim, chief operating officer at CalOptima, Mona Pasquil Rogers, director of California Public Policy at Meta and Assemblywoman Laurie Davies.

Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. with the program beginning at 9 a.m.

Free self-parking is available at the Ave of the Arts parking structure. Valet parking is $10.

Space still available, so register at girlscoutsoc.org/en/get-involved.

Students filmmakers in sixth through eighth grade at Community Roots Academy in Laguna Niguel will screen their work March 8 at the third annual CRA Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Community Roots Academy)

Student film screening open to public March 8

Students filmmakers in sixth through eighth grade at Community Roots Academy in Laguna Niguel will screen their work March 8 at the third annual CRA Film Festival.

The theme this year: risk-taking that leads to positive growth.

Doors open to the public at 6 p.m. with screenings in three locations beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the CRA campus.

Students run the entire festival, including a concession stand. All proceeds go toward underwriting the cost of the festival.

The public is invited to the free event. Address: at 29292 Crown Valley Parkway in Laguna Niguel.

Irvine-based Karma Automotive recently bought the technology assets and intellectual property of Airbiquity, a Seattle-based automotive commercial software company. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Karma buys OTA software company

Karma Automotive, the Irvine-based luxury vehicle maker with its production facility in Moreno Valley, recently bought the technology assets and intellectual property of Airbiquity, a Seattle-based automotive commercial software company.

Terms of the deal, which closed Feb. 28, were not disclosed by Karma.

Airbiquity makes software used by automakers to deploy “over-the-air” software updates to vehicles. Investors include Toyota Motor Co. and Denso.

Karma, which said it hired key technical employees, assumed the software company’s contracts.

“We are wrapping Airbiquity’s software into Karma Cloud Services and embedded vehicle technology to create a new platform that is greater than the sum of its parts,” said Marques McCammon, Karma’s president.

Olga Dominguez of Anaheim won $750 in a Waba Grill competition that declared her a grill master for the Anaheim Hills-based fast food chain. (Photo courtesy of Waba Grill)

Alma Fuentes of Riverside won $500 in a Waba Grill competition that declared her a grill master for the Anaheim Hills-based fast food chain. (Photo courtesy of Waba Grill)

Alejandro Robledo of Mira Mesa won first place and a $1,000 prize during Waba Grill’s first grill master competition. The Anaheim Hills company saw 200 contestants from its franchise and corporate stores compete in Feb. for the title of grill master. (Photo courtesy of Waba Grill)

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Waba Grill taps three new grill masters

Anaheim Hills-based WaBa Grill recently held its inaugural Grill Master Competition at its flagship store in Yorba Linda.

The company said more than 200 cooks competed with just 73 advancing to certified grill master. From there, nine grill masters were invited to participate in a grill-off.

A $1,000 first-place prize went to Alejandro Robledo of Mira Mesa, the $750 second-place prize went to Olga Dominguez of Anaheim, and the $500 third-place prize was claimed by Alma Fuentes of Riverside. Runners-up got $250, and all nine contestants received a personal Grill Master plaque.

Waba told us its Yorba Linda location serves as a pilot test location and test kitchen. The company-owned restaurant offers the core WaBa Grill menu while also serving as a “hub for menu innovation, vetting test products prior to the first phase of testing in company and franchisee locations.”

Nataly Morales Sandoval has joined Orange County Power Authority as its energy programs analyst. (Photo courtesy of OC Power Authority)

On the move

Nataly Morales Sandoval has joined Orange County Power Authority as its energy programs analyst. She will focus on expanding energy programs to customers, including rebates, incentives and savings tools. Morales Sandoval previously was community engagement manager at Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, where she led 10 benefit pilot programs introducing energy-efficient technologies to environmentally underserved communities.

Correction

Paseo 17, formerly known as Plaza Sereno, is at 234 East 17th St. Because of an editing error, numbers were transposed in last week’s edition of Status Update.

Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.