FALL 2015
SILICON VALLEY
BUSINESS Celebrating Our Region’s Business Success & Entrepreneurial Spirit
Grown in Silicon Valley
From Vitners to Distributors to Marketers: The business of wine
Business Referral Networks Introductions Made Easy
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CHAMBER VIEW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The San Jose/Silicon Valley region has a propensity for change and growth, and the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce is no exception. The Chamber is undergoing some exciting organizational and staffing changes that will have a dynamic impact on our growth in 2016. First, I want to formally announce the promotion of Derrick Seaver to Executive Vice President. Derrick is taking on a very important role where he will oversee Matthew Mahood, the tactical implementation of our Regional Economic President & CEO San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Development Initiative (REDI), the launch of Strive Commerce San Jose – a workforce initiative within the Chamber Foundation; while continuing to oversee the day to day operations of our public policy, political action and community development programs. Derrick’s promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2016. To support Derrick in his new role, we have hired Victor Gomez as the new Director of Public Policy & Advocacy. Most recently, Victor served as Deputy Chief of Staff for San Jose City Councilmember Johnny Khamis and Chief of Staff for San Jose City Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco. Victor will report to Derrick, and his role will be effective on Jan. 1, 2016. We have also hired Eddie Truong as the first hire of Strive San Jose, our workforce development initiative formed this year. Eddie will serve as a Career Pathways Liaison to the East Side Union High School District, and his position was made possible with grant funding provided to the Chamber by ESUHSD. Eddie will report to Derrick.
FEATURES
Bravo Zulu Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose celebrates 25 years
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Feature Story 8 Grown in Silicon Valley: The business of wine Special Report 2015 Study Mission explores public-private partnerships on large-scale projects
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Member Focus Business Referral Networks: Targeted networking for your business needs
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IN EVERY ISSUE
Additionally, we have some great news in the Membership Division.
Chamber View 3
Long time Membership Executive Rick Gerhardt has announced his retirement from the Chamber after 12 years. Rick, we wish you great success in the future!
Valley Gallery
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Save the Date Calendar
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Second, Charlene Elefante, Membership Retention Specialist, is shifting roles within the Chamber to become the Manager of Programs & Events. Charlene’s retention role will be backfilled as quickly as we can find a suitable replacement.
Just Joined
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Chris Horton has also shifted from his current role as Vice President of Membership & Sales to Membership Executive. Chris will be dedicating his time selling new memberships on behalf of the Chamber.
SAN JOSE SILICON VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Lastly, to manage the Membership Division, I am pleased to announce that Dave Perry has been hired as the new Director of Membership & Sales. Dave has a strong business background and most recently served as the CEO of the Campbell Chamber of Commerce. I am excited for these changes and for the future of the SJSV Chamber of Commerce.
Member Perspective 22
101 W. Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA 95113 p: 408-291-5250 f: 408-286-5019 sjchamber.com BOARD CHAIR Sean Cottle, Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc. PRESIDENT & CEO Matthew R. Mahood VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC POLICY Derrick Seaver DIRECTOR OF SPONSORSHIPS, PROGRAMS & EVENTS Kathryn Satcher DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP & SALES Dave Perry
Silicon Valley Business Quarterly/Fall 2015 ©2015. Published by the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce. With a distribution of 5,000, the Silicon Valley Business Quarterly celebrates our region’s business success and entrepreneurial spirit across all sectors and sizes of business. The SJSV Chamber represents nearly 1,400 businesses and their 250,000 employees in the greater Silicon Valley. A limited supply of extra copies is available at no charge to members only on a first-come, first-serve basis. Ad rates and specifications: sjchamber.com.
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Mayra Flores De Marcotte Design by Diana Rich Printed by Almaden Press, Santa Clara Cover photo courtesy Fortino Winery
Printed on certified recycled paper
Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
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BRAVO ZULU
Please Touch! Children’s Discovery Museum celebrates 25 years of hands-on-experience By Hal Silliman
I
t’s either magic or captive marketing …
When a child or adult walks into the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose as a visitor, they could end up becoming a summer school participant, a volunteer — or even an employee. The downtown San Jose museum that looks like a jumble of big purple blocks celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, but equally impressive milestones are the displays created by museum staff that now populate other museums and meeting places in more than a dozen states and numerous countries around the world. This museum has legs! As to its origins, it’s a case of necessity being the mother of invention. The museum was founded by two moms back in the mid-1980s looking for a place to take their children. Opened in 1990, partly with a $1.8 million grant from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, the 52,000-square-foot museum also represents the best in public-private partnerships, in that
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Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
the city owns the building and land, but a nonprofit operates the museum. Now, with an annual budget of more than $7.4
State University, could himself be propped up as a display of how the museum “curates” its audience. He evolved from a childhood
“ Everything is hands-on: We let kids play with everything except for the fire alarm.” million and a full- and part-time staff of nearly 100, the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose attracts 325,000 people annually — or to put it another way — almost 650,000 hands a year — for this is a museum where the signs say, “Touch!” (And for those with a hygienic perspective, every room in the museum has hand sanitation stations.) “Everything is hands-on: We let kids play with everything except for the fire alarm,” said Trevor Gutierrez, 28, a youth educator/youth coordinator. Gutierrez, now an education major at San Jose
visitor, to summer program participant, to a volunteer and then eventually to an employee. Gutierrez now runs the media program that he participated in as a youth himself — where children can make digital videos.
Exhibits For All Ages And just what is the magic dust that keeps kids coming back, fills museum coffers and attracts a myriad of Silicon Valley sponsors? “It’s that hands-on experience and the opportunity for kids to express themselves creatively,” said Gutierrez. And since this is Silicon Valley, the displays and creative spaces
also include a healthy dose of introduction to and hands-on exploration of science, technology, engineering and math. As a kid, Gutierrez fondly remembers the Rube Goldberg-like contraption that moved tennis balls across a room — and to make it work, a number of visitors had to be involved. The museum currently has an exhibit that explores the nature of circles, the nature of water and bubbles, and how city streets and stoplights work, among others. Most importantly, exhibits are geared to ages 3-10 — the perfect time to whet children’s interest in STEM subjects. Of course, there’s also the perennial favorite: a San Jose City fire truck for children to crawl over, and what must be the oldest display — literally — a 14,000-year-old mammoth fossil. But if you want another view through the museum’s magic looking glass, you could also ask Alice In Wonderland what the secret is. For Autumn Young, who began as a volunteer at the museum and eventually stepped into the role of Alice for one of the museum’s theater and storytelling programs, is now herself an employee — the organization’s marketing director, joining in 2008. Young recalls how when the museum opened 25 years ago, it launched a special outreach effort to the primarily-Latino neighborhood where it’s located and where she lived. That cultural sensitivity has kept current, and the museum has created popular displays on Vietnamese culture. In fact, all signs in
25 YEARS OF HONORS AND PRAISE Four Star Charity Transparency and Best Practices [2013]
Bay Area Parent Hall of Fame [2013] The BioSITE (Students Investigating Their Environment) initiative. Environment) initiative takes fourth and fifth graders out to local creeks to explore water science and test water quality.
the museum are in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. “One of reasons the museum stays so relevant is because when we go to develop an exhibit or program, it is done with community input,” Young said. “We aren’t subject matter experts. We convene advisors, schools, nonprofits and families to help us understand the community we serve and what they need — not what we think they need. Engaging community is the common thread of what the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose does.” At its core, though, the museum is dedicated to the joy of play and discovery — something which perhaps adults forget about. Fortunately, the museum encourages parents and caregivers to participate and play, too, as their children interact with the exhibits. In fact, many of the volunteers are also families — that is
Association of Childrens Museums Promising Practice Award -Zero Waste Practices [2010] -Summer of Service Youth Program [2000]
American Association of Museums Excellence in Exhibition Awards -Alice’s Wonderland [2003] -The Wonder Cabinet [2007]
National Geographic 10 Best of Everything: Families -Top Children’s Museums [2009]
GeekDad blog at wired.com Top 100 Geeky Places to Take Your Kids This Summer— [2009]
San Jose Magazine Lifeline Awards -Service Learning Programs [2006]
FIRST 5 Commission Cultural Institution for Family Participation in the Arts— [2006]
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Archive photo of the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose.
National Award for Museum and Library Services -Service to the Community [2001] Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
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adults and children — who help other children and adults enjoy the museum’s exhibits. There’s another set of hands involved at the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, as well. These are the silent hands of the hundreds of donors and the major Silicon Valley corporations — all who fund more than half of the organization’s yearly operating budget. Major corporate donors — and also San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber members — include Agilent Technologies, Inc., Adobe Systems Incorporated and the Adobe Foundation, Google Inc., Kaiser Permanente, Oracle and PricewaterhouseCoopers , along with the City of San Jose. The hand behind the scenes encouraging the generous sponsors is Executive Director Marilee Jennings, who has been with the museum since before it opened. She spent 15 years as its development director, another six as its associate director and the last seven in her current position. “Corporations support Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose because
of the educational and family enrichment opportunities for their employees,” Jennings said. “It helps them attract and retain a talented staff today while investing in creating the workforce of the future.” Those major sponsors are also helping in the museum’s current expansion program. A larger “Builders Building” to house the design and creation of museum displays that it uses itself or sells to others is almost complete, and construction of 27,000 square feet of additional outdoor garden area will occur this fall. One of the exhibits being planned there, said Young, is a single fruit tree that will be grafted to grow 40 different fruits. Along with other museum features like the play market and café, the tree is designed to encourage healthy food choices by children.
are first trained by the museum. It’s a savvy daisy chain of engaging children and then keeping them engaged as they age — another hands-on experience where one generation trains the next about the fun and wonder of discovery at the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose. Hal Silliman is the former vice president of communications for the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Cultivating children’s curiosity is at the center of the museum’s mission. Case in point: the BioSITE (Students Investigating Their Environment) initiative. This program takes fourth and fifth graders out to local creeks to explore water science and test water quality. It uses high school students to teach the grade-schoolers, and the high school students
Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
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FEATURE STORY
Grown in Silicon Valley —
From Vitners to Distributors to Marketers: The business of wine
T
he San Jose Silicon Valley region has always been known as a place for innovation, a place for firsts and a place for industry growth. But before the microchips, the Dot coms and the self-driving cars, before we wore the name Silicon Valley we were known as the Valley of the Heart’s Delight and were known for our agriculture and our wine. The Santa Clara Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA)—located in Santa Clara County—was California’s first premium wine production region. In the 1880s, Santa Clara had more acres of vineyards than any other county in California—15,000 acres of vines and more than 100 wineries. Today, it is home to more than 20 wineries across 332,000 acres—approximately 1,500 of which are planted vineyards. “The history of Silicon Valley is one of a rich farming region,” said Michael Beck, Cinnabar Winery Tasting Room manager. “It is an area where both climate and soil provided for an agricultural mecca. Today there is a desire
to reconnect with growers. Silicon Valley is ideally situated for the current trend of the farm to table movement.” Our members are some of the first—and oldest—wineries in the region. Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2015, making it the oldest continuously operated and family-owned winery in the Valley.
“Our company was founded in 1940, long before the Silicon Valley was the hub for all things tech,” said Bert George, President at Joseph George Wines. “My grandfather saw great growth potential in our little valley. I don’t think he could have imagined this.” Founded by WWII veteran Joseph George, the company grew into one of the largest Northern California wine distributors, all
“ My grandfather saw great growth potential in our little valley. I don’t think he could have imagined this.” An ambitious launch amidst prohibition, Guglielmo embodied the Silicon Valley spirit along with the right amount of risk-taking and strategic vision. Eventually, the winery grew from 15 acres to 80. Another local stalwart, Joseph George Wines in San Jose, was established 75 years ago. They began their story as distributors and then began selling their own wine from their winery, which was established in 2001.
while remaining an active member of the local community. George donated funds to build schools, parks and contributed to multiple community organizations. A SJSV Chamber member since 1987, Joseph George continues to differentiate itself through “old-fashioned” customer service and personal attention. “We have been a chamber member for
The Silicon Valley Advantage We have a significant population within a localized area. A notable part of that population contains an affluent demographic with a genuine interest in quality wine and food. —Michael Beck, Cinnabar Winery
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The nice thing about doing business in this valley is that we truly are in a little bubble all of the time. We are usually the first to get out of recessions and we have a very wine educated customer base. —Bert George, Joseph George Wines
The perks of being in this area are that it’s the best place to live. Everything you would like to do is close. If you want to go to the beach, it’s there or if you want to go up to the city it’s not far at all. We are in the heart of it. —Jazmine Ancira, Fortino Winery
decades and I can’t imagine not being a member,” George said. “It’s our business community. If it weren’t for the businesses supporting us, we wouldn’t be here.” Fortino Winery also chose the Valley as its home before the tech boom. Founded 45 years ago, the Fortino family decided to open their business in the Silicon Valley because they had immigrated here to Gilroy from Italy in 1959. Gino’s father Ernesto Fortino decided to open his own winery in 1978. “The climate [in Silicon Valley] is reminiscent to southern Italy so it’s pretty constant in temperature, making this region perfect for the grapes we grow here,” said Jazmine Ancira, Wine Club/Marketing Director at Fortino Winery. “What sets Fortino Winery apart is the atmosphere that we have here for our clientele,” she said. “We try our best to showcase who we really are and make everyone feel like family.” Cinnabar Winery’s genesis story begins much like Fortino and Guglielmo, 34 years ago with a simple 1-acre vineyard in Woodside where founder Tom Mudd—a scientist by trade—made wine in his backyard under a home label. Mudd moved on to plant a 22-acre estate vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, firmly establishing the roots of Cinnabar and in 2007, after Mudd’s passing the Estate was sold and his children opened its tasting room in Saratoga. The winery, a popular stop in the quaint downtown Saratoga, doesn’t plan on leaving its location. “Regions known for their wine production have the benefit of being a destination for locals and tourists,” said Beck. “Silicon Valley has untapped potential for both.”
Business Challenges Although highly popular, the wine industry still faces heavy challenges, particularly the industry within Silicon Valley. Areas known for wine like Napa and the Central Valley overshadow the gems within the Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey AVAs. Beck said that Cinnabar’s biggest business
Left: Barrel party room at Folktale Winery. Above: Tasting room (inside and out) at Cinnabar Winery)
challenge is in creating an awareness of the Santa Cruz Mountains’ AVA versus the traditional tourist destinations such as Napa that already have prestige and name recognition.
Santa Cruz Mountain wineries and create pride in the local Silicon Valley populous to support us,” he said. “Current wine offerings are predominately based on wines from traditional wine regions such as Napa.”
Current wine offerings within the retail and restaurant environment are predominately from traditional wine regions, such as Napa.
George agrees.
“We want to create a national awareness of the quality of wines being produced by
“It seems crazy for me to say after 75 years in business not one day goes by that someone doesn’t come in and say ‘Never knew you were here,’” he said. Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
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Fortino Winery
Fortino Winery, a member of the Chamber since 2010, said their number one reason for being a member is to give more notoriety to the winery, while generating a broader customer base for their establishment, but this alone isn’t enough to grow business. “We need for Chamber members or community leaders in this area to promote the Santa Clara Valley,” Ancira said. “We want more exposure. There are about 28 different wineries in this area that are great but fall unnoticed because of the lack of exposure.”
2014 California Wine Profile*
California makes 90% of all U.S. wine California is the world’s 4th leading wine producer after France, Italy and Spain California has 4,400 bonded wineries up 93% from 2,275 wineries in 2005 Nearly all California wineries are familyowned businesses 60% share of U.S. market by volume Three of every five bottles sold in the U.S. is a California wine * Source: the Wine Institute, a San Francisco-based trade group for California producers
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Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
Along with name recognition, the cost of land is prohibitive in terms of expansion for existing wineries and the creation of new ones. “Our top needs are to always grow,” George said. “It’s very expensive to do business here in San Jose and in Napa.” Vitners in Monterey County are also feeling the pinch. The Monterey County Vitners & Growers Association (MCVGA), which represents more than 30 wineries,
became a Chamber member in order to build relationships with more restaurants in the Silicon Valley. Kim Stempler, MCVGA executive director notes that expense of land is a real challenge its members have, though some are finding creative ways around this. “Wineries opening up in warehouses, both in Marina and Salinas … its an affordable model,” Stempler said. “And the Marina warehouses don’t need any additional cooling—being right on the coast, the Monterey Bay takes care of that.”
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Source: Wine Institute, Gomberg-Fredrikson Report, *Stonebridge Research California Impact Study 2009, California Dept. of Food & Agriculture, U.S. Tax & Trade Bureau, and U.S. Dept of Commerce. Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
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SPECIAL REPORT: 2015 STUDY MISSION
Collaboration & Vision — Keys to Creating Thriving Urban Cores
What makes a great city? Is it the buildings and architecture that leave a lasting impression on visitors? Is it the walkability of a city’s downtown? Or is it the sense of place and local pride that resonate? How do cities work together with community organizations, non-profits and private companies to ensure the success of their urban cores? How do cities manage urban growth, homelessness and economic growth (or loss)? Each year, the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce Study Mission attempts to place our delegates in cities and conversations applicable to the shaping of San Jose’s future. On Sept. 16 through 18, a group of more than 50 public and private sector delegates from across Silicon Valley came together to travel to downtown Denver with the sole purpose of answering these questions and coming back home with fresh perspectives on what worked and, in some cases, what didn’t. The SJSV Chamber had visited Denver back in 2004 and was eager to return to the Mile High city more than 10 years later. Before we can discuss the learnings, however, we have to look at the history—for context. In
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1983, with the economy in severe recession and Denver on a sharp decline, newly elected Mayor Federico Peña, the city’s first Latino Mayor, challenged Denver’s then roughly half a million residents to “Imagine a Great City.” Now, 30 years later, Denver’s current population of 663,000 (an 11 percent increase since 1983) lives in that imagined urban landscape. Our own newly elected Mayor, Sam Liccardo, has asked our residents to come together and recognize that “We are San Jose.” These two visions came together on this Study Mission, as we asked our delegates to “Imagine a Great Downtown” for Silicon Valley’s urban core. What we believe stood out most about Denver’s vibrant downtown is how it is seemingly planned—top to bottom—to flow together into one cohesive place. Over the last 30 years, Denver decision makers stayed the course and kept laser-focused on their vision: transform Denver into a great city. The stops on this year’s visit highlighted this dynamic. Study Mission attendees visited Commons Park and explored the walking bridges placed over the South Platte River that
seamlessly connect the Lower Highlands, or LoHi District, and its housing to the rest of Denver. This focus on connectivity was key to decision makers in order to seamlessly bridge the urban core with the surrounding neighborhoods. These suburban communities now have easy access to the downtown core, making it their prime choice when looking for things to do, places to shop, eat and play. Another standout project that thrilled our delegates was the Denver Union Terminal. This historic building, which had been underutilized as simply a train station, was transformed through historic restoration; converting static attic space into a 112-room boutique hotel; the addition of shopping and dinning establishments as well as reconfiguration of the waiting room; all to encourage public use. The results: a key destination, for locals and tourists alike. This model resonated with many of the delegates, painting the possibilities for our very own Diridon Station. The last stop on our trip was an in-depth look at the Denver Center for Performing Arts, and how the area around it has been transformed to produce one of the most
impressive private-public partnerships for urban art amenities in the nation. From the LED and static oversized signage connecting the area with visitors to the Interactive Kiosk Experiences—or IKE—found in multiple locations, this successful convergence of art and community left a lasting impression … and a desire to replicate this in downtown San Jose. Aside from the great opportunities to learn from Denver’s development, delegates were able to also see first-hand how Denver gracefully wove the historical character of the Mile High City into everything in the urban core: from the red, white and gray granite along the 16th Street Mall that resembles the skin of the Diamondback snake—a throwback to its Old Western past—to the restored historic buildings sprinkled amongst new, modern high-rises and structures throughout the downtown. More than 30 different companies and organizations sent representatives on this year’s Study Mission, including: • Apple • Arcadia Development Company
• • • • • • • • • •
California Apartment Association, TriCounty Division Cisco Systems City of San José Comcast Goodwill of Silicon Valley Microsoft Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport Pacific Gas & Electric Company San Jose Water Company San Jose Downtown Association
What we learned from our short time in the Mile High City is that Denver, through private/ public partnerships, strong collaborative efforts and a passion for making their city great was able to successfully carry a collective vision of a great downtown over the last 30 years. San Jose, and Silicon Valley for that matter, can take a note from Denver’s book and find success in its own downtowns by taking a more collaborative approach that allows both public and private organizations to come together to reach the same goal: a vibrant urban core where its community can live, work and play.
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Celebrating Community Leaders —
19th Annual Excellence in Education Awards & Community Leadership Award What makes a legend? What makes a leader? The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce believes in making our Valley a better place to not only work but also play and live and the Excellence in Education & Community Leadership awards are just one of the ways the SJSV Chamber ensures it does its part to highlight those who work toward that same goal: our local legends and leaders. The recipients of the 2015 Excellence in Education Awards and the Community Leadership Award were chosen for their embodiment of the Chamber’s spirit of convening, collaborating and championing their communities.
Legends & Leaders The Community Leadership Award was presented to Marianne and Carl Salas for their work in bringing back the 4th of July Fireworks to downtown San Jose and ensuring that this community celebration lives on. The Salas have worked within the community for countless years and after Carl became the president of the Rotary Club of San Jose, made it their mission to bring back the annual event that brought together more than 80,000 community members every year.
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Alejandra Fraume Valenica, senior at Gunderson High School, was presented with the Student of the Year award and was our top choice not only because she is a great student academically-speaking but also because both her peers and teachers see her as a leader. She helped her school’s Tennis Team become division champions—the school’s first—and through it all, she made personal sacrifices because of her need to financially help her family (she had to quit tennis because of her job). Christian Rubalcaba, instructional coach at Olinder Elementary, was presented with the Teacher of the Year award. He is not only an effective leader inside his own classroom, but his leadership and passion extends into his district (impacting curriculum, teaching methods, etc.) as well as the parent community (through his home visits to all his students). He is also an innovator, utilizing technology through his monthly Skype sessions to put his classroom in direct contact with business, education and professional leaders from across the country. Maria Evans, principal at Washington Elementary, was presented with the Principal of the Year award for her endless dedication to her school community and innovative thinking
in terms of collaborative partners to aid in the betterment of the Washington community. These recipients were all honored at the Chamber’s 19th Annual Legends & Leaders event in November, with four-time Super Bowl Champion Joe Montana giving the keynote. “I’m excited to have been invited to be part of this signature Silicon Valley event,” Montana said. “Our local students and educators are an integral part of our communities and celebrating them through the Legends & Leaders’ Excellence in Education awards is a great way to highlight what’s taking place in our classrooms.”
The EIE Awards The EIE awards first began in 1996 and recognizes students, teachers and administrators within the County of Santa Clara that embody the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce’s spirit of acting as a convener, collaborator and champion within their communites. Along with public recognition, the SJSV Chamber through the Chamber Foundation also offers recipients educational grants— totaling more than $80,000 over 19 years. “These students and educators have a direct
From Left: Alejandra Fraume Valencia, Gunderston High School senior and recipient of the Student of the Year Award; Christian Rubalcaba, Olinder Elementary School Instructional Coach and recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award; Maria Evans, Washington Elementary School Principal and recipient of the Principal of the Year award; Marianne and Carl Salas, recipients of the Community Leadership Award.
impact on the region’s economy: as the future workforce and, in many cases, as our future leaders,” SJSV Chamber President & CEO Matt Mahood said. “As the organization trusted to be the voice of business, many of which have a direct impact on our region’s economic health, we want to recognize these individuals and let the greater community know about their fantastic work.”
Montana is the most recent in a long line of legendary leaders who have spoken at this annual event. Others include Colin Powell, Christopher Reeves, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Walter Cronkite, Barbara Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Magic Johnson—and all see the true value of not only supporting but also recognizing our local community leaders.
communities,” Montana said. “It’s great to see organizations that represent businesses, like the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, offering an opportunity to share the work and dedication taking place in our schools with the community at large.”
“Businesses are another key element of our
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Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
15
MEMBER FOCUS
Introductions Made Easy — Your Chamber benefit: Business Referral Networks
By Charlene Elefante
I
ntroductions are tricky. As the adage goes, you can only make a first impression once and a misstep can close doors indefinitely. Having an “in” makes these introductions easier. A large network can facilitate these, but what if you are in the beginning stages, still trying to grow that network?
a decade, there are currently seven active BRN groups, with more than 100 total members—from sole proprietors to business professionals from larger companies.
SJSV over other chambers in the area. If you are looking to grow your business through relationships, there is no better way than this format.”
These SJSV Chamber BRNs have generated more than 6,000 referrals to-date and continue to grow.
The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce offers its members many opportunities for business growth and development—opportunities to take their existing networks and grow.
Gretchen Brennan, owner of G. Brennan Bookkeeping, is an example of a member who has found success by being in a BRN group.
Each of the seven BRNs meet on a weekly basis—varying days and times. These weekly meetings provide members the ability to build trust and relationships with one another. Although all aim to create new referral pipelines, each has a different environment and focus.
Gretchen initially joined the Aim High BRN group to network, make connections and build relationships. She was new to the area and starting a business, so not only did she
Along with the weekly meetings, the Chamber provides BRNs with consistent structure, branding, and collateral material. Each BRN group can continue the
Aside from the more than 200 events a year that the Chamber offers for casual, largerscale networking experience, members can find a smaller-scale, more focused approach with our successful Business Referral Networks (BRNs). The BRNs are exclusive groups where members of the chamber can generate leads, referrals and build long-term relationships in a non-competitive environment—meaning simply that if there is one chiropractor in the group, another will not be able to join.
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“ While leads and referrals are important, there is tremendous value in building solid relationships with like-minded professionals.” need clients, she also needed others that she could refer to for services she didn’t provide.
These groups are essentially clusters of likeminded business professionals that strive to build both their personal and professional networks—offering you an “in” you may not already have developed on your own.
Through her BRN, Brennan was able to find a “power partner” with a certified public accountant in her group. Through them, she was able to generate leads and referrals as well as gain professional input.
A chamber member benefit for more than
“The BRNs were the selling factor in joining
Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
conversation online through an exclusive LinkedIn group provided by the Chamber. Groups stay on top of Chamber news and activities through their individual Chamber representative. Another added perk of participating in a BRN group is the ability to perfect that “elevator pitch” on your products and services to a
small, attentive audience before taking that speech to primetime. There, members can offer insight, suggestions and adjustments that can mean the difference between a successful pitch and one that falls flat. Reciprocity is another benefit of becoming a BRN member. Like Brennan, finding and cultivating a relationship with a power partner that can offer you an ongoing pipeline for referral exchanges can help accelerate the growth of your network. Referrals, though a vital part of the BRNs, aren’t always the most important reason to join. A prominent and longtime member of a BRN, Scott Caldwell, Associate Vice PresidentInvestment for Wells Fargo Advisors, holds the chair position for the West Valley BRN group. His group’s focus has slightly changed from the time when he first became a member. “While leads and referrals are important, there is tremendous value in building solid relationships with like-minded professionals,” Caldwell said. “Our group is a great resource for business development ideas, case discussions and
BUSINESS REFERRAL NETWORKS SVB2B
Meets Noon-1PM, Mondays
Business Builders
Meets 7:30-8:30 a.m., Wednesdays
Aim High
Meets 8-9:15 a.m., Thursdays
West Valley BRN
Meets 8-9 a.m., Wednesdays
GBRN
Meets Noon-1 p.m., Thursdays
Masters of Business
Meets Noon-1 p.m., Wednesdays
Almaden Business Partners Meets 7:30-8:30 a.m., Fridays
Art of Business - New Group Starting Meeting TBD
SOME WORDS OF ADVICE ...
access to professionals in various industries. Consistent members build respect, trust and camaraderie, and in depth knowledge of each other’s businesses. This trust, respect and knowledge is what leads to ‘quality’ referrals and introductions.” Be patient and remain active. - Louis Apodaca, GBRN Over the time Caldwell has been a part of this BRN, he has noticed a 15 percent growth in his business and can link about half of that success The formula for success: Give, Ask, Receive. back to his BRN activities. - Patrick Adair, BUSINESS BUILDERS Being a part of a BRN group opens your network and helps you make the connections you need to Find a group that is a good match. get you a solid “in.” - Ken Keegan, SVB2B “We all have to get the word out about our services some way and this is a good way to do just that,” Ken Keegan, co-chair of SVB2B BRN.
Choose one that fits your schedule, geographical location and has some synergy. This alone will insure you attend regularly.
Charlene Elefante is the Programs & Events Manager for the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce. Don’t expect referrals immediately. Relationship building takes times. Once people trust in you, you will be referred to. - Casey Quisol, BUSINESS BUILDERS
+6,000 Referrals +100 Members 7 BRNs
Commit to attending the meetings consistently, meet with the other members one on one outside of the BRN meetings, do everything you can to give quality referrals and leads to the other members, and be patient. It takes time to build relationships, don’t expect referrals just because you show up, earn the trust of others. - Gretchen Brennan, AIM HIGH You get nothing out of it if you do not participate and contribute. - Pete Bucter, SVB2B Especially for new members, visit all of the BRN’s twice to meet all the members. These will be familiar faces at other Chamber events and will help jumpstart your networking. If you decide to join, make a commitment to participate consistently. Focus on building relationship, not on making a quick sale. It may take time for others to get to know (trust) you and understand your business. Know how others can help you grow your business and ask how you can help them. - Scott Caldwell, WEST VALLEY BRN
Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
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VALLEY GALLERY CHAMBERPAC BBQ August 27, 2015 History Park San Jose 1 Mercury News Columnist
Sal Pizarro takes a photo of Barry Swenson and Chamber President & CEO Matt Mahood
2 Assemblymember Nora 1
Campos and San Jose Councilwoman Madison Nguyen
3 Empire Broadcasting President Bob Kieve and Rep. Mike Honda
4 Local dignitaries and
community activists, including San Jose Councilman Chappie Jones, San Jose Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio, former San Jose Councilman Pete Constant
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Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
CHAMBERPAC BBQ August 27, 2015 History Park San Jose 1 Santa Clara County
Association of Realtors
1
2 Thang Do 3 State Board of Equalization Fiona Ma and Assistant Majority Whip Evan Low
4San Jose Councilman Ash
Kalra and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren
5 Chamber President & CEO Matt Mahood and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo
2
3
4
5 Silicon Valley Business Quarterly 2015 Silicon Valley Business Quarterly 2012 | Fall| Fall
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VALLEY GALLERY LEGENDS & LEADERS presented by Cisco With Joe Montana November 19, 2015 The Fairmont San Jose 1 Matthew Mahood, Christian
Rubalcaba, Alejandra Fraume Valencia, Tom Tognoli, Maria Evans, Sean Cottle, Marianne Salas, Carl Salas
1
2 Marianne and Carl Salas 3 Four-time Super Bowl Champion Joe Montana,
3
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Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
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2016
SAVE THE DATE
CHAMBER EVENTS JA N UA RY 2016
JUST JOINED Welcome to new San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce members who join the ranks of nearly 1,400 businesses in the Silicon Valley and beyond.
14 Monthly Chamber Power Lunch
1st Street SJ Enterprise (408) 898-6700
Greystar greystar.com
QuintessenceLabs. Inc quintessencelabs.com
14 Access Silicon Valley
Achieving Character Through Sports (951) 231-7017
Hudson Group hudsongroup.com
Rachel Hamel-DC CaliforniaCranialInstitute.com
19 Cloud First seminar
AIA Santa Clara Valley aiascv.org
Hyatt Place San Jose - Downtown sanjose.place.hyatt.com
Reading Partners readingpartners.org
Airfoil airfoilgroup.com
lauraluong.com lauraluong.com
Recovery Cafe San Jose recoverycafesj.org
All Spectrum Insurance Brokers, Inc. asibrokers.com
Light House Information Systems lighthouseis.com
San Jose Teachers Association sanjoseta.org
Aloft Hotel Santa Clara aloftsantaclara.com
LinkedIn linkedin.com
ShantiArt Design
Argyris Mah, LLP argyrismah.com
Los Gatos Electric losgatos-electric.com
Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers
Bay Area Loan bayarealoan.com
Macate Group Corporation macate.com
Built with Principle builtwithprinciple.com
Main Stream Electric callmainstream.com/san-jose
svfaces.org
Business for Clean Energy- A Program of the Center for Climate Change biz4cleanenergy.com
Media X-Ray mediaxray.com
Stitch N Ink stitchnink.com
Milpitas Christian School milpitaschristian.org
The Miceli Group micelifinancialpartners.com
MyBusiness ToDo Inc. MyBusinessToDo.com
The Sanctuary thesanctuary10.com
NC Fitness, Inc. ncfitness.com
The UPS Store theupsstorelocal.com/4636
One South Market onesouthmarket.com
Tiara Consulting Services, Inc. tiaraconsulting.com
OrthoSynthesis orthosynthesis.com
Touch To Heal Spa touchtohealcenter.com
Oz Custom Homes ozcustomhomes.com
Trade Office of Ecuador proecuador.gob.ec
Panalo Solutions panalosolutions.com
TruAdvantage TruAdvantage.com
Pixel Websource pixelwebsource.com
Wood Motivation woodmotivation.com
Plaza Loans plazaloans.com
XpressMedia xpressmedia.com
19 JUMPSTART: New Member Briefing 21 Monthly Chamber Breakfast 26 Hoge Fenton 2016 Employment Law Seminar
27 Monthly Chamber Mixer
F E B R UA RY 2016 2 Monthly Chamber Power Lunch 11 Monthly Chamber Mixer 16 JUMPSTART: New Member Briefing 18 Monthly Chamber Breakfast 25 Annual Membership Dinner & Distinguished Business Awards
M A RC H 2016 1 Monthly Chamber Power Lunch 10 Monthly Chamber Mixer at the SJ Sharks Game
10 Acess Silicon Valley 15 JUMPSTART: New Member Briefing
Child Development Centers cdicdc.org Coyote Creek Golf Club coyotecreekgolf.com DeVry University devry.edu e2f translations e2f.com Electro Imaging Systems, Inc. eisonline.net European Rolling Shutters ersshading.com Faz Restaurant & Bar fazrestaurants.com Four Points by Sheraton San Jose Airport fourpointssanjoseairport.com
17 Monthly Chamber Breakfast
Fund Dreamer funddreamer.com
PremierOne Credit Union premieronecu.org
21-24 State Legislative Summit
Gregg Fiscalini New York Life Insurance newyorklife.com/agent/gfiscalini
Pro-Sweep, Inc. pro-sweep.com
shantiartdesign.com svcrimestoppers.org
Silicon Valley FACES SJSC Properties, LLC
Register for events at sjchamber.com.
Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
21
MEMBER PERSPECTIVE
For 2016:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS KEY Join us and let’s work together By Sean Cottle, 2015 Board Chair, Hoge FentonJones & Appel, Inc.
ur success in 2015 along with key staff and organizational shifts in O 2015 are making way for an exciting 2016 for the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and its members. As mentioned by Matthew Mahood at the font of this book, staff and organizational shifts in 2015 are making way for an exciting 2016 for the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and its members. But before we can look forward, we must look back to what we’ve accomplished and the work that’s still to come. Public policy, economic development, networking and events—across all fronts— the SJSV Chamber has made a tangible impact.
In the fall, we held our 12th annual Study Mission trip, this year revisiting the city of Denver. The trip was an overall success on both the financial front—completely sold out—as well as on the impact front—there’s some
From a broader community impact, the Chamber worked tirelessly behind the scenes with the Norm Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport and others to bring several new flights to San Jose, including international flights to Beijing, London, Frankfurt, and Vancouver. Our events have had a strong year, with the launch of our new Monthly Membership Breakfast series and sold out both our Annual Membership Dinner and Women in Leadership Luncheon. We partnered with the California Restaurant
Let’s begin with public policy and our work to ensure a positive business climate in San Jose and the greater Silicon Valley.
“ Public policy, economic development, networking and events—across all fronts—the SJSV Chamber has made a tangible impact.”
The Chamber successfully advocated for the passage of numerous state legislative actions, including multiple wins within the workforce education arena.
news coming regarding downtown San Jose signage so be sure to stay tuned.
We offered members a chance to engage with their elected officials through our Access Silicon Valley series—six events that included two members of Congress, three San Jose City Councilmembers and State Controller Betty Yee. The Chamber also took a proactive role in our greater community through the participation (and leadership) of six public committees, including SCC Housing Task Force (Co-Chair); San Jose Youth Jobs Initiative (Co-Chair); SCC Human Trafficking Commission; San Jose Immigration Office Steering Committee; SCCOE Early Education Steering Committee; and the San Jose General Plan Review Committee. Our ChamberPAC also had a stellar year.
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Within the 2015 calendar year, it aided in the election of Manh Nguyen to San Jose City Council District 4 and raised more than $500,000.
January 14 with a panel of local leaders and decision makers from East San Jose.
Silicon Valley Business Quarterly | Fall 2015
On the economic development front, let’s start with our biggest news: the public launch of our Regional Economic Development Initiative or more commonly known as REDI. We held the first REDI Summit at the Microsoft Silicon Valley campus in October with a fantastic keynote delivered by from Kailesh Karavadra from EY. Moving forward, Derrick Seaver, who we recently promoted, will be the face and driving force behind REDI in 2016. The Chamber also held two Business Walks, complete with Spanish & Vietnamese translators, with more than 200 businesses surveyed along Story Road and Alum Rock. The findings of these will be presented at our
Association to engage our members in the food and beverage space with the first Restaurant University series. We’ve entered a “Digital First” era for the Chamber communications, updating our current presence while expanding into social media. As we look to 2016 and the future, we are excited about the relaunch of our Young Professionals program—Next Gen—and the launch of our workforce development program: Strive San Jose program. But we can’t do it alone. We are a membership-based organization and we hope you, our members, will join us in the work that still needs to be done. Onward!
San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center are working together to help our communities
THRIVE
San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce where organizations and employers THRIVE
For more information, visit businesshealth.kp.org
Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center where physicians, employees, and members THRIVE