SJSV Chamber Honors Distinguished Business Leaders

The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce is a 131-year-old organization with a mission to create a strong local economy and vibrant business community. Last night they honored several local business leaders during their annual membership dinner. The sold-out event was filled with Silicon Valley politicians, executives, and power players.

Matthew Mahood, the Chamber's President and CEO, reinforced the organization's commitment to economic development, protecting jobs, and regional success during this address to the guests. He also mentioned some interesting tidbits such as making a "Made in Silicon Valley" brand for local manufacturing, creating a "smart building" zone, and putting together a group called "San Joseans for Jobs" to protect the local business climate by minimizing taxes and unnecessary regulations (that last one got a vigorous a round of applause).

Given 2016 is a big election year, you can also expect the Chamber to be very active in political races and supporting candidates that are aligned with regional economic objectives. A strong economy benefits just about everyone--I know I'll be paying extra attention to their recommendations this year.

Below you can find a press release about the event, and you can learn more details about each of the winners at the SJSV Chamber website over here.

Nonprofit of the Year: Downtown Streets Team
Photo courtesy of the SJSV Chamber of Commerce

Business Advocate of the Year: Ru Weerakoon
Photo courtesy of the SJSV Chamber of Commerce

SJSV Chamber Honors Distinguished Business Leaders

San Jose, Calif.— The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2016 Distinguished Business Awards and Business Hall of Fame inductees, who will be recognized at its Annual Membership Dinner on Thursday, Feb. 25, at the DoubleTree by Hilton San Jose.

Now in its fifth year, the Distinguished Business Awards aim at honoring those business leaders from within the SJSV Chamber’s 1,400-member organization. There are eight award categories that honored annually and their peers nominate all but the Business Hall of Fame inductees.

The highest honor of the night, the Distinguished Business Leader Award, is given to an individual who has demonstrated long-term excellence in both business and civic engagement. Nominees should have demonstrated leadership and continuous service to the greater Silicon Valley region through the promotion of business, civic engagement, community promotion, philanthropic support and quality of life enhancements.

This year’s Distinguished Business Leaders are Mike and Mary Ellen Fox from M.E. Fox & Company, Inc. Nominators highlighted the Fox’s steadfast commitment to their community throughout their many years in business.

“It is a genuine pleasure to be able to honor our business leaders in front of their peers every year. These are businesses and individuals that work day in and out to ensure that their businesses are successful, create jobs for our residents and help create a great community where we all live, work and play.” –Matthew Mahood, SJSV Chamber President & CEO

2016 Award recipients:

• Distinguished Business Leaders: Mike and Mary Ellen Fox, M.E. Fox & Company, Inc.
• Business Woman of the Year: Claudia Folzman, Iron Construction
• Business Man of the Year: Mark Tersini, KT Urban
• Small Business of the Year: 360 Payment Solutions
• Business Advocate of the Year: Ru Weerakoon
• Nonprofit of the Year: Downtown Streets Team
• Volunteer of the Year: Casey Quisol

Business Hall of Fame inductees:

• Guglielmo Winery – Founded 1925
• Westin San Jose – Founded 1926
• Kaiser Permanente – Founded 1944
• KBM Workspace – Founded 1946
• Tech CU – Founded 1960
• Good Samaritan Hospital – Founded 1966 

About the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce
The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit business association representing nearly 1,400 employers and 250,000 employees throughout the greater Silicon Valley. Its mission is to create a strong local economy, provide premier business connections and visibility, represent the interests of business to government, promote the community and initiate political and community action.

Westfield Oakridge Winter Walk & Senior Resource Fair

The 9th Annual Westfield Oakridge Winter Walk takes place tomorrow from 8:30am to 10:30am. Staff from Districts 10, 9, and 2 have worked together to create a resource fair with over 50 vendors targeted towards San Jose's senior citizen community. The vendors include activity clubs, health and wellness providers, and services offered by the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County. The walk takes place inside of the mall and guests will receive one door prize drawing tickets at the end of each lap.

The event is completely free and also includes breakfast. However, you have to be at least 50 years old to participate.

Two new coworking spaces coming to San Jose

Not one, but two new coworking spaces are coming to San Jose! Coworking allows entrepreneurs and small companies to lease a small amount of space in a shared office space with access to resources needed to run a business. Some come with cool perks like free popcorn and happy hours. However, what is really important to us is that these coworking establishments bring entrepreneurial talent into the San Jose ecosystem, where companies will hopefully decide to stay as they grow.

Downtown San Jose currently has two coworking offices that I'm aware of, NextSpace and Pacific Workplaces. The two new ones coming in though are quite a bit larger and will add a combined 105,000 SQFT of coworking space into the mix.

WeWork is the market leader of the coworking world. They are worth over $15 billion and have dozens of offices around the world. They are grabbing 75,000 SQFT across four whole floors at 75 E. Santa Clara Street. This is the same complex where the San Jose Mercury News is located. The building also happens to be just a few blocks away from the new San Jose Patent Office, a very nice luxury few entrepreneurs across the US can claim. WeWork is also going to put a sign on top of the high-rise and paint one side to bring the building to life with cool imagery.

Regus is bringing 30,000 SQFT of co-working to Tisch Tower, a 12-story building behind Santana Row. This will be the first west coast launch of Regus' "Spaces" concept, which is targeted at creatives and startups. Once those startups grow up, there will be plenty of room available in the area since Santana Row is planning to add at least 500,000 SQFT of office space.

Creating more collaborative office spaces that attract entrepreneurs could only help both our economy and reputation as an innovation leader.

Source: SVBJ, SVBJ (2)

Sprouts and Ross will anchor a new North San Jose retail center

The San Jose area in most need of extra retail options and grocers would be in the north. Not only is that where most of are jobs are, but housing has exploded in North San Jose over that past decade. Fortunately, a new retail center called Brokaw Plaza is being built at the corner of Brokaw and Oakland Road and they announced two of their anchor stores earlier this month: Sprouts and Ross.

Sprouts Farmer's Market will take about 30,000 SQFT and is a solid options for fresh groceries. Ross will grab 25,000 SQFT and be one of the few clothing stores in the area. Both will help create a more convenient ecosystem for those that either live or work in the rapidly growing area.

In addition to those two anchors, Brokaw Plaza will have another 90,000 SQFT of retail when it is fully built out. There is no official ETA yet on when the first anchor will open.

Source: The Merc

San Jose will be first major California city to get High Speed Rail!

San Jose has just scored a major infrastructure win that should provide a nice economic boost next decade. California High Speed Rail officials have decided to build the first segment of its 220 mph rail line between the Central Valley and San Jose.

The original plan going back to 2012 was to initiate high-speed service between the Central Valley and Burbank. However, that southern segment requires expensive tunneling through mountains and drew major opposition from a small number of NIMBY cattle farmers. LA's loss is our gain, as the plan is now to bring High Speed Rail to Downtown San Jose by 2025.

The new service will put some serious pressure on increasing jobs in Downtown San Jose as it will dramatically open up our job market. Madera will now only be 40 minutes away by train from Downtown, previously a two to three hour drive. That is a feasible commute to the tech job capital of the world, while not clogging up our freeways. A home in Madera costs about $250k, which also opens up new affordable housing options for those that want to work in San Jose but can't afford to live here. This is a big win for local companies that are hungry for talent and contribute more to the local economy (financially) than most residents. Considering it is much more likely that people will be commuting in for jobs than the other way around, this will help correct the jobs and housing imbalance that San Jose currently faces and negatively impacts the city's financial position.

BART is also scheduled to come Downtown around 2025, making Diridon in Downtown San Jose the most connected transit station on the West Coast. Over 600 trains could be stopping at the station each day after all of these projects are completed.

Construction has already started on California High Speed Rail last summer in Fresno. Ridership is expected to be between 2.2 million and 4.1 million riders when the San Jose service begins in 2025.

Source: SVBJ

Playful People presents: Disney's Mulan Jr. and Cinderella Kids

Playful People Productions Presents:
Disney Mulan JR

Disney Mulan JR will take you back to the legendary, storytelling days of ancient China with the action-packed, stage adaptation of Disney’s film.

The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous sidekick Mushu to save the Emperor! Disney’s Mulan Jr. is a heartwarming celebration of culture, honor, and the fighting spirit. Mulan, a young woman who breaks tradition and pretends to be a man, learns a valuable lesson against all odds while teaching her family the importance of determination and balance. It’s a show that features music and dancing that will captivate audience members with a message that will inspire children of all ages!

Our shows often sell out prior to the show weekend. Be sure to buy your tickets early, you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic production.

All Shows at the Historic Hoover Theatre, 1635 Park Ave  San Jose, CA 95126

Show Times:
Friday, February 26th - 7:00pm
Saturday, February 27th - 11:00am. 3:00pm and 7:00pm
Sunday, February 28th - 11:00am, and 3:00pm


Tickets available at www.playfulpeople.net
$12 attendees 12 and up, $8 children 11 and under,  and $6 Children’s floor seating

Tickets at the door (30 minutes prior to curtain)
$15 attendees 12 and up, $10 children 11 and under, and $6 Children’s floor seating

For questions: barb@galiotto.com

Playful People Productions Presents:
Disney Cinderella KIDS

The timeless fairy tale of Cinderella meets the magic of Disney in this adaptation of the treasured animated film.  Poor Cinderella is endlessly mistreated by her wicked Stepmother and Stepsisters, and denied the chance to go to the Royal Ball.  With a little help from her mice friends, and a lot of help from her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella goes to the ball, and discovers that dreams really can come true!

Our shows often sell out prior to the show weekend. Be sure to buy your tickets early, you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic production.

All Shows at the Historic Hoover Theatre, 1635 Park Ave  San Jose, CA 95126

Show Times:
Friday, March 4th - 7:00pm
Saturday, March 5th - 11:00am, 3:00pm and 7:00pm
Sunday, March 6th - 11:00am, and 3:00pm


Tickets available at www.playfulpeople.net
$12 attendees 12 and up, $8 children 11 and under,  and $6 Children’s floor seating

Tickets at the door (30 minutes prior to curtain)
$15 attendees 12 and up, $10 children 11 and under, and $6 Children’s floor seating

For questions: barb@galiotto.com

Founded in 2010, Playful People Production’s mission is to provide a quality, caring environment where children, teens and their families can have positive theater experiences. We strive to involve all family members in the many aspects of on stage and backstage theater in a safe and fun environment and offer participation in theatrical productions, classes, summer stock and camps for ages 3-93.

Playful People Productions is run by a mother-daughter team, Barbara Galiotto and Katie D’ Arcey, who between them have approximately 50 years of experience in the musical theater world. Both are Positive Discipline trained and worked as early Childhood Educators as well as in the theater.

Josh Marcotte featured in the latest issue of Content Magazine

Lost San Jose creator Josh Marcotte has a great feature in the latest edition of San Jose's best magazine, Content. The article focuses on his Monterey Highway project, showcasing a grittier side of our city. To subscribe to Content and access this article along with many others, just head over here.

San Jose Getaway

Mark Haney from Think Bigger San Jose found a great article that highlights San Jose as a nice getaway destination. You don't see too many of these unfortunately. The Press Democrat article highlights various areas of Downtown San Jose, local museums, cultural institutions, and Santana Row. Read it over here and then forward it to any visitors coming into town!

Cellista performs Messiaen's "The End of Time" at Anno Domini Gallery on Feb 20, March 12, 13

San Jose cellist and musical entrepreneur Freya Seeburger, also known as Cellista, will be performing Olivier Messiaen's "Quartet For the End of Time," on February 20, March 12 and March 13 at Anno Domini Gallery in San Jose. This unique musical presentation is part of an installation she created with visual artist Barron Storey, illustrator of Neil Gaiman's Sandman Chronicles, that will be on display at Anno Domini starting February 5. 

Storey's artwork was created in response to Messiaen's famous quartet, which was composed and performed in a Nazi prisoner of war camp in 1941. Cellista and the Juxtapositions Chamber Ensemble will be performing the quartet nearly 75 years to the day of its premiere in Germany. Tickets to the February 20, March 12 and March 13 shows are available online at artful.ly/theendoftime. The February 5 art opening is free to the public; Cellista will be reading an introduction to "The End of Time" that explains its historical significance and relevance to San Jose. 

San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce announces unprecedented partnership with SJSU Career Center

San Jose State University's Career Center has been able to offer more job opportunities to SJSU students thanks to a new partnership with The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is playing matchmaker and helping local companies access the newest talent coming into the Silicon Valley labor pool. The benefits work both ways as 300 new organizations have been attracted to the Chamber of Commerce over the past three months because of the new partnership. It's a win-win situation that will benefit both students and employers in the Valley. For all the details check out the press release below.

San Jose, Calif.—In a continued effort to grow the local and regional economy, the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce has partnered with San Jose State University’s Career Center to create an opportunity for employers to find qualified candidates for open positions.

The partnership, a first of its kind, offers Silicon Valley businesses direct access to industry/academic partnerships, recruitment opportunities, and affordable talent acquisition services to help develop their first internship program or to fill open employment opportunities. SJSV Chamber members also gain discounted access to staffing and recruiting services by the SJSU Career Center via the only known university staffing agency in the U.S.: SJSU Spartan Staffing.

The SJSV Chamber and SJSU deploy a cross referral process upon registering with each organization, connecting businesses, non-profits, and government entities directly to each institution.


“As the region’s largest business organization, it is vital that we provide our members and the greater business community with the connections, information, resources and tools they need to be successful.  The San Jose State Career Center is the perfect partnership for us creating a direct pipeline between the business community and the talent pool that keeps our economy thriving.”
- Matthew R. Mahood, San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce President & CEO


After the first three months, this partnership has attracted and referred more than 300 organizations to the Chamber, allowing members the opportunity to sustain and grow their business by hiring an intern, part-time or full-time candidate through SJSU.

As a result of the partnership, SJSU has connected approximately 250 Silicon Valley organizations to services and resources to assist them in filling internships and jobs in technology, business, government, education, architecture and design, nonprofit, and various other sectors.


“As the leading supplier of talent to Silicon Valley, and a global access point for companies around the world, we understand the importance of industry collaboration. Our students and alumni provide the practical intelligence and entrepreneurial attitude that continues to make Silicon Valley a global hub of innovation. We are proud of our partnership with the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce; it’s a natural fit for us. Providing organization cross-referrals, recruitment and staffing solutions, while collaborating with local community initiatives are creative systems that will serve our student, employer, and community needs.” 
-        Dr. Reginald S. Blaylock, Vice President for Student Affairs, San José State University


SJSU refers jobs and internships to the SJSV Chamber for the Opportunity Youth Partnership and San Jose Works Initiatives; SJSU has referred 10,000+ jobs and internships in the past six months.

About the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce
The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit business association representing nearly 1,500 employers and 250,000 employees throughout the greater Silicon Valley. Its mission is to create a strong local economy, provide premier business connections and visibility, represent the interests of business to government, promote the community and initiate political and community action.

About San Jose State University
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 134 areas of study with 110 concentrations – offered through its eight colleges.

With more than 33,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San Jose State continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing more than 7,000 graduates to the workforce.

The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 220,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.