Sunday, February 26, 2012
Talari Networks Raises $4.5M
Last month Talari Networks--a San Jose company focused on wide area network virtualization--raised an additional $4.5M in what I am guessing is a Seires B round. It's nice to see another non-greentech company get some venture support in San Jose.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Saturday Stats: San Jose Set for Real Estate Rebound
Forbes recently put out an article on the 10 areas where real estate prices will recover faster than the rest of the country. San Jose ranked #1 on the list. Here are some quotes from the article:
"San Jose is a veritable oasis of prosperity."
"Employment in the capital of Silicon Valley is expected to expand 3.3% this year."
"New home construction in the area was up a whopping 97% in 2011's third quarter"
For the full article just click the source link below!
Source: Forbes / MSNBC , Hat-tip to Dan
"San Jose is a veritable oasis of prosperity."
"Employment in the capital of Silicon Valley is expected to expand 3.3% this year."
"New home construction in the area was up a whopping 97% in 2011's third quarter"
For the full article just click the source link below!
Source: Forbes / MSNBC , Hat-tip to Dan
Friday, February 24, 2012
Sobrato House: A Green Solution for Teenage Homelessness in San Jose
Guest Post by Tim Eyre
At the corner of Third and William Street downtown, there's an attractive yellow-and-green house with a wrap-around porch. In my travels to San Jose over the last two years, I've driven past this intersection several times but never given the building much thought beyond, 'That's a nice looking house.'
As it turns out, it's a life-changing house.
Recently in Oakland, someone sparked a conversation with me about Crossroads, (http://www.eocp.net/what-we-do/crossroads/) an $11 million emergency homeless shelter constructed to green-building standards. It seemed questionable to spend that kind of money on a population of people who may never return the investment, but I kept listening and was soon convinced of the merits. When we show the needy the same sort of care and comforts we would want ourselves, they respond with hope and motivation to reenter society.
Wondering if San Jose had anything similar, I discovered a website for the Sobrato House Youth Center. Of course, I immediately recognized the building.
Relocated from where City Hall now sits in 2008 (and virtually rebuilt, to the tune of $12.8 million), the Sobrato House is an outreach of EHC LifeBuilders (www.ehclifebuilders.org). The 2,500 square foot historic home is flanked by an adjoining 13,000 square foot brand new facility, including nine apartment units, a community room, and a kitchen designed for homeless teenagers and young people.
Santa Clara County is estimated to have over 5,000 people under 18 who experience homelessness at some point during the year, many of whom leave home due to physical or sexual abuse. Leaving young people to fend for themselves on the street after a troubling childhood only asks for more problems, be it drugs or criminal activity. With the Sobrato House, San Jose has found a solution.
In Santa Clara, the Sobrato Family Living Center on Agnew Road offers the same sort of respite. Its' 50 private apartments offer families that would otherwise be on the street a transitional bridge to self-sustenance through stability and a comfortable roof over their head.
Like Crossroads in Oakland, both Sobrato facilities embrace green building principles typically reserved for city government buildings and private businesses.
"All of the lighting is energy efficient, with water-saving laundry facilities and a new HVAC system," explains Anna Bagirov, the Communications Manager for EHC LifeBuilders, adding that they've reduced energy costs by 40 percent since the upgrades in 2008.
Both sites use reclaimed rainwater in their landscaping and feature double-paned window insulation. Most importantly to the residents, they're attractive dwellings that are worth taking pride in, a crucial element to gaining a new start in life.
"The Sobrato House, in particular, is beautiful," says Bagirov. "There's a lot of pride and happiness within these shelters."
In most cities around the country, homeless shelters are dreary, dim places. In that type of environment, it can be almost impossible for a person to find the hope required to make real life changes.
It's refreshing to find an organization like the Sobrato House and EHC Lifebuilders right here in San Jose. When we build shelters for the homeless that those of us more well off would find worthy of our own families, we're on the path to ending homelessness. That's something San Jose can take pride in, and a unique model that will hopefully be replicated elsewhere.
***
Tim Eyre works in the self storage industry, regularly traveling to see locations like San Jose storage facility. In many locations, like the storage units yard in San Diego, Tim helps his customers store seasonal equipment when it is not being used for outdoor activities or home improvement projects.
At the corner of Third and William Street downtown, there's an attractive yellow-and-green house with a wrap-around porch. In my travels to San Jose over the last two years, I've driven past this intersection several times but never given the building much thought beyond, 'That's a nice looking house.'
As it turns out, it's a life-changing house.
Recently in Oakland, someone sparked a conversation with me about Crossroads, (http://www.eocp.net/what-we-do/crossroads/) an $11 million emergency homeless shelter constructed to green-building standards. It seemed questionable to spend that kind of money on a population of people who may never return the investment, but I kept listening and was soon convinced of the merits. When we show the needy the same sort of care and comforts we would want ourselves, they respond with hope and motivation to reenter society.
Wondering if San Jose had anything similar, I discovered a website for the Sobrato House Youth Center. Of course, I immediately recognized the building.
(Source)
Relocated from where City Hall now sits in 2008 (and virtually rebuilt, to the tune of $12.8 million), the Sobrato House is an outreach of EHC LifeBuilders (www.ehclifebuilders.org). The 2,500 square foot historic home is flanked by an adjoining 13,000 square foot brand new facility, including nine apartment units, a community room, and a kitchen designed for homeless teenagers and young people.
Santa Clara County is estimated to have over 5,000 people under 18 who experience homelessness at some point during the year, many of whom leave home due to physical or sexual abuse. Leaving young people to fend for themselves on the street after a troubling childhood only asks for more problems, be it drugs or criminal activity. With the Sobrato House, San Jose has found a solution.
In Santa Clara, the Sobrato Family Living Center on Agnew Road offers the same sort of respite. Its' 50 private apartments offer families that would otherwise be on the street a transitional bridge to self-sustenance through stability and a comfortable roof over their head.
Like Crossroads in Oakland, both Sobrato facilities embrace green building principles typically reserved for city government buildings and private businesses.
"All of the lighting is energy efficient, with water-saving laundry facilities and a new HVAC system," explains Anna Bagirov, the Communications Manager for EHC LifeBuilders, adding that they've reduced energy costs by 40 percent since the upgrades in 2008.
Both sites use reclaimed rainwater in their landscaping and feature double-paned window insulation. Most importantly to the residents, they're attractive dwellings that are worth taking pride in, a crucial element to gaining a new start in life.
"The Sobrato House, in particular, is beautiful," says Bagirov. "There's a lot of pride and happiness within these shelters."
In most cities around the country, homeless shelters are dreary, dim places. In that type of environment, it can be almost impossible for a person to find the hope required to make real life changes.
It's refreshing to find an organization like the Sobrato House and EHC Lifebuilders right here in San Jose. When we build shelters for the homeless that those of us more well off would find worthy of our own families, we're on the path to ending homelessness. That's something San Jose can take pride in, and a unique model that will hopefully be replicated elsewhere.
***
Tim Eyre works in the self storage industry, regularly traveling to see locations like San Jose storage facility. In many locations, like the storage units yard in San Diego, Tim helps his customers store seasonal equipment when it is not being used for outdoor activities or home improvement projects.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Nanosolar Adds $20M in Funding
Nanosolar is the latest of many San Jose greentech companies to get additional funding. This also means VC confidence is still strong in the greentech sector, where San Jose dominates.
Nanosolar has developed technology that let's you "print" thin-film solar cells to produce much more cost-effective solar panels. This latest infusion of $20M will bring them up to a total of $420M of capital raised to date.
Source: SJBJ
Nanosolar has developed technology that let's you "print" thin-film solar cells to produce much more cost-effective solar panels. This latest infusion of $20M will bring them up to a total of $420M of capital raised to date.
Source: SJBJ
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
SJ Metblogs: Content Launches Print Era
Content Magazine has officially launched their print edition, and it looks fantastic. Matt from SJ Metblogs has already done a blog post about their launch event (below). I would highly encourage anyone reading this blog to subscribe to the magazine, and make sure to flip to page 18 for an interview featuring Metblogs and The San Jose Blog!
*******************************************************
from San Jose Metblogs
Content Magazine "Cultivator" Daniel Garcia at the print launch party.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign we reported on previously, San Jose’s local personality and fashion magazine Content has now printed its first issue. A launch party last night was attended by numerous recognizable local figures.
The printed magazine is dominated by interviews of local personalities somehow connected to the “Tech” theme of the issue, including politicians, artists, inventors, and even a blogger or two. I thought the most interesting story was an interview with Joel Slayton, director of the Zer01 art biennial. The interview covers Slayton’s history in art, starting at MIT, and future plans for Zer01. An interview with Slave Labor Graphics publisher Dan Vado brings together insights on the downtown San Jose business culture and the broader publishing business. Beyond those two interviews, there are 10 other stories filling out the issue.
The final few pages of the magazine switch over from interviews and profiles to fashion, with two multi-page photo spreads featuring dresses from The Usuals and men’s shirts from So What Industries. The photography is stylish, but some of the spreads don’t account for the fact that the binding of the magazine doesn’t let the pages lie open flat.
Content Magazine is attempting to finance their operations mainly through reader support rather than advertising. This keeps the “content” at the forefront and avoids the reader having to wade through ads to find the stories. A 6-issue annual subscription is now available for $42.
*******************************************************
from San Jose Metblogs
Content Magazine "Cultivator" Daniel Garcia at the print launch party.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign we reported on previously, San Jose’s local personality and fashion magazine Content has now printed its first issue. A launch party last night was attended by numerous recognizable local figures.
The printed magazine is dominated by interviews of local personalities somehow connected to the “Tech” theme of the issue, including politicians, artists, inventors, and even a blogger or two. I thought the most interesting story was an interview with Joel Slayton, director of the Zer01 art biennial. The interview covers Slayton’s history in art, starting at MIT, and future plans for Zer01. An interview with Slave Labor Graphics publisher Dan Vado brings together insights on the downtown San Jose business culture and the broader publishing business. Beyond those two interviews, there are 10 other stories filling out the issue.
The final few pages of the magazine switch over from interviews and profiles to fashion, with two multi-page photo spreads featuring dresses from The Usuals and men’s shirts from So What Industries. The photography is stylish, but some of the spreads don’t account for the fact that the binding of the magazine doesn’t let the pages lie open flat.
Content Magazine is attempting to finance their operations mainly through reader support rather than advertising. This keeps the “content” at the forefront and avoids the reader having to wade through ads to find the stories. A 6-issue annual subscription is now available for $42.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Aria Diagnostics Raises $52.7M
A San Jose company that does molecular diagnostics has just closed a huge Series C investment round of $52.7M. They are going to use the infusion of cash to develop prenatal tests that will determine whether or not unborn children have certain trisomies, such as one associated with Down syndrome.
It's also nice to see some companies outside of the greentech industry get funded in San Jose!
Source: SJBJ
It's also nice to see some companies outside of the greentech industry get funded in San Jose!
Source: SJBJ
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Will Johnson Open Studio
San Jose ceramicist Will Johnson will be a participant in The Art Of Living Black (TAOLB), the Bay Area’s longest running annual African American exhibition of its kind.
Johnson's Open Studio will be February 25th & 26th, March 3rd & 4th from 11am–5pm at the Black Bean Ceramic Art Center located at 561 Emory St., San Jose.
The TAOLB was co-founded by Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward. Both remarkable women have passed away but, their legacy lives on.
The driving force for Jan and Rae founding TAOLB was to present to the public artworks from artists of African descent, to show the richness and diversity of the artists and to give them exposure in the art world. Together they joined with the Richmond Art Center (RAC) in 1997, to have an annual exhibition for bay area African American Artists. The exhibition features emerging and established artists. The TAOLB Exhibition and Art Tour is a yearly event which is held at the RAC presented to the public between January and March. For more information, please visit www.taolb.net
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