"Technology and innovation drives our economy and industries are emerging and changing as technology advances.  However, technology is lacking in one area and that is in the area of diversity"

The above is a quote from the National Black MBA's San Francisco chapter president Debra Watson referring to a "Diversity in Tech" panel event being held at Wells Fargo learning Center at 333 Market Street, SF March 10^th from 6pm -  8pm. Event SOLD OUT (waiting List only) (click link more info)

Rainbow Push and Jesse Jackson stirred up a lot of interest about diversity in Silicon Valley with Jesse's last few visits. Major news stories across the nation concerning diversity and Inclusion are still "hot on the press" even today.

But who has a plan?

Intel's CEO Brian Krzanich and Intel President Renee James spearhead the $300 million Intel Initiative to build a pipeline of female and other groups of underrepresented engineers and computer scientists.  

Intel has a plan, but many times companies are in a quandary as they need diversity numbers NOW and they are challenged to look for mid-term and even longer term solutions to their diversity problem. The cry for "NOW" forces CEOs not to think past the obvious and forces them to focus their resources on results of NOW and little to no resources spend on the future. Yet, it will take a plan that can do both, answer the NOW and plant seeds for the future.   

We have that plan!

We have a plan that we believe can help pacify the "Now" cry and also plant seeds for a harvest of many years to come. We have two independent programs created to work together as one comprehensive solution to better prepare our youth, especially youth of color, to compete in this new global economy and to be the answer to many diversity and inclusion issues.

The names of these programs are "It Takes a Village using STEM" and "Intern to Perm". These two programs are designed to connect with our youth from 1^st grade through 12^th grade then connect with them through college to provide a "warm hand-off" as we assist them in getting into corporate internship programs or in seeking entrepreneurship opportunities.

For more info on each of these programs

1)      "IT Takes a Village using STEM" (click here)

2)     "Intern to Perm" (click here)

Happy New Year! 

Oh that's over huh? 2015 did bring in a new year, a new year with lots of changes. For many of you who've never been to our chamber this move I'm going to talk about means little or nothing, yet it's been BIG to us.

The Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce is located at 25 N. 14^th street on the corner of 14^th and Santa Clara street (downtown San Jose) inside a white medical looking building that has be renovated for offices.  

Our new address is still 25 N. 14^th street BUT we're now upstairs on the on the 5^th floor (better view).  

We had been on the 4^th floor for a nearly 3 years where we had a plenty of space, enough for 12 incubator offices and 7 cubicles. Although space is a little tighter upstairs on the 5^th floor (we have ONLY 8 offices for incubator type businesses with 1 "shared or virtual office"), we believe in the long run this will be better for our chamber.

Our Center for Entrepreneurial Development has also moved. It's now located at 480 N. 1^st street, inside the Legal Aid Society Building. The Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurial Development is its own 501c3 public benefit corporation with a mission to develop a pipe-line of future entrepreneurs through better education in the areas of business and financial literacy. Our Next Generation Business Academy and some of our other programs are SVCED driven initiatives.

With movement comes opportunities and we have opportunities for you to serve at the chamber, or you get served as an aspiring business person or just learn more about what The Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce and The Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurial Development are all about. The chamber even has miscellaneous office chairs, equipment, etc., it would like to give to another non-profit if you know of one in need.

In the end we're about making a difference in our community and if that's what you're about then we surely need to move on forging a new relationship.

Move on it and give us a call !!   (408) 288-8806