Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, colleagues from the Stanford Business School’s Class of 1994 decided to take collective action to address systemic racism in the United States.
When some of the classmates came together in a working group on organizational practice and accountability, many working as general managers said they felt they could be doing more on diversity, equity, and inclusion. They knew resources were out there, but they didn’t know where to start. After speaking with leaders who had made progress on DE&I, DE&I consultants, and academics, the group put together a framework and specific recommendations for change. The Racial Equity Playbook, a tool designed to help corporations make meaningful changes to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion, came out of this collaboration.
SAN JOSE, CA (January 20, 2022) — A new coalition of more than 25 business associations throughout California have collectively engaged with federal legislators to reveal how a slate of proposed antitrust bills in Congress would harm consumers, small businesses and entrepreneurs.
SAN JOSÉ, CA (January 10, 2022) —Ahmad Thomas, CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, issued the following statement today in response to the release of Governor Newsom’s proposed budget for FY 2022-23:“As California enters the third year of an unprecedented global pandemic, we thank Governor Newsom for proposing a budget designed to tackle existing challenges and provide a strong framework for growth and renewal.Silicon Valley remains the best place on Earth for innovation, yet our region’s value proposition is vulnerable to the challenges of the pandemic, shifting dynamics tied to a remote or hybrid workforce, climate impacts, and the ever-rising cost of living.Our record-breaking budget surplus makes this an ideal time to fuel growth by investing in our state and enacting policies that safeguard our innovation infrastructure, providing an opportunity to create shared value for all Californians.It remains vital that we focus on ensuring our state remains a competitive place to do business. We strongly support the Governor’s proposal to restore the critical business tax credits and net operating loss deductions that were previously suspended and capped under AB 85 (2020).Much work remains to be done as the problems that face our state are complex and solutions must be ambitious. SVLG’s outstanding budget and policy priorities go to the heart of improving the economic and quality of life of not just our region, but all of California. To this end, SVLG and its world-leading member companies are poised to work with the Governor in order to lay a strong foundation for the future, one that increases equity and earnestly addresses the challenges that face our state.”
The SVLG Launch Circuit Speaker Series last week hosted a lively discussion with former US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez touching on immigration, workforce effectiveness, and leadership. Gutierrez is also the former CEO of The Kellogg Company, where he was both the youngest and first Hispanic CEO in the company’s 100-year history.
When a tiny light went on at a table in the lunchroom at ACE Academy, cheers erupted from a group of girls working on an electronics project made up of tiny metal parts pinned to a foam block. Debbie Andres, one of three volunteers from SVLG member companies guiding groups of middle school girls through the project as part of the 2021 Young Leaders Forum, leaned in as she coached each girl, then went around to other tables to help other groups.
Whether they started with a brilliant idea that they sensed could help people or were inspired by a problem caused by current events, every startup founder is changed by the journey.
Sasha Seletsky, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of SummerBio, and Ainsley Braun, Co-Founder and CEO of Tinfoil Security, are no exceptions. Both have dealt with challenges and have pivoted when faced with failure. They’ve experienced loneliness after success, and politely tolerated unsolicited advice. But both also leaned on colleagues and experienced unexpected support from people in their networks, learning valuable lessons and skills every step of the way.
In a recent discussion moderated by Jason Baker, SVP of Transportation, Health and Housing Policy at SVLG, Seletsky and Braun spoke candidly about what it’s like to be an entrepreneur, sharing wild stories, useful insights, and inspiring ideas.
Great achievements often start small.
In the case of Annamarie Huerta Franc, Managing Director of SAP Labs US, she can trace it back to her five-year-old self having a conversation with her father about what she wanted to do when she grew up. She told him she wanted to be a nurse, because boys were doctors and girls were nurses.
WASHINGTON, DC (Dec. 2, 2021)—UNCF – the nation’s most effective minority education organization – and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) – California’s most dynamic business association, representing more than 350 leading companies in Silicon Valley – today announced a partnership and initiative that will connect HBCU students to internship and career opportunities within the Silicon Valley tech companies, and address longstanding tech-workforce diversity issues.
SAN JOSÉ, CA (December 1, 2021) — Federal officials from the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services will join an important conversation around mental health challenges among the nation’s youth stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation comes on the heels of a recent report issued by SVLG examining how Bay Area schools are addressing the underlying stressors and concerns facing local youth during the pandemic. The summit will also include an important announcement around establishing new career pathways between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Silicon Valley’s innovation ecosystem.
San Jose, CA (Nov. 30, 2021) — The Silicon Valley Leadership Group today unveiled its new Launch Circuit Initiative, a startup support network in which a dynamic and diverse selection of founders will gain access to training, networks, events, access to capital, and mentoring curated to propel them toward success. SVLG CEO Ahmad Thomas emphasized the importance of supporting entrepreneurs in a highly competitive business environment.
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