Great news for Silicon Valley

For those who think Silicon Valley’s best days are behind us- I have great news to share.

When it comes to Venture Capital funding – those entrepreneurs who place their wallets where there words are – the results are in for the second quarter of investment throughout the United States. In the past 90 days, $6.5 billion was invested across the country, with an amazing 45 percent invested right here in Silicon Valley – a whopping $2.9 billion. No other region in the country received more than single digits, other than Southern California, with 13 percent.

There’s more good news. VC’s are placing their bets on a green energy economy, with the biggest beneficiaries going to the renewable energy sector – whose job growth continues to be the rainbow on an otherwise dark cloud in California’s economy. In fact, while California was losing jobs during this downturn, renewable energy jobs increased by five percent.

This past quarter, the Bay Area had seven of the ten biggest VC deals, with electric car infrastructure company Better Place of Palo Alto securing the biggest deal in the country at $350 million.

Silicon Valley: Proving once again that a green economy attracts the biggest stack of green backs.

A's to San Jose

Silicon Valley and San Jose are known world-wide for innovation and invention.

Yet when it comes to sports and cultural amenities for our workers and their families, we're still in the minor leagues.

This November, citizens of San Jose can change that. Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Chuck Reed, Councilmember Sam Liccardo and their Council colleagues- along with civic boosters like businessman Michael Mulcahy and former Mayor Susan Hammer- the A's may bring Major League Baseball to downtown San Jose.

Here's the pitch:

- First,the A's would be responsible for 100 percent of the cost of building, operating and maintaining the ballpark.
- Second, the proposal brings more than 1,000 new jobs to San Jose.
- Third, the stadium is only a line drive away from CalTrain and Light Rail, and the future of BART connection to San Jose
- And bringing it home. the Mayor's proposal calls for no new taxes.

I call this a home run, and encourage the City Council to place the stadium proposal on the November ballot. A major-league economy deserves Major League Baseball.

Best Buddies and the Hearst Castle Challenge

On Tuesday, I interviewed Best Buddies Founder, Anthony Kennedy Shriver on "The CEO Show". Anthony is the son of Eunice Shriver, who founded the Special Olympics and Sargeant Shriver, the driving force behind the creation of The Peace Corps.

Best Buddies is the world's largest organization that links people with and without Intellectual and Developmental disabilities, with chapters in all 50 states and 46 countries, currently serving more than 700,000 people.

This cutting edge non-profit cuts close to home. My wife Leslee & I lost our unborn son, Immanuel, on February 7, 2008, who had been diagnosed with multiple, severe intellectual and developmental abnormalities. In his honor, we are joining Best Buddies for their "Hearst Castle Challenge" bicycle ride September 11, riding from Carmel to the Castle to raise funds for this amazing program.

Turning a negative into a positive - that is what we do here in Silicon Valley. Please, check out Best Buddies on the web. Join us on the ride, or support our ride. Let's make a difference for people with - and without - disabilities.

California's Education System

Growing up here in the 1960’s and 70’s, California’s K-12 education system was the envy of the earth.

But we have gone from first - to close to worst – in math scores, reading scores, and drop-out rates.

Our kids deserve better.

Kudos to the Obama Administration for their reform efforts centered around a competitive program called “Race to the Top.” Dangling a carrot of several billion dollars, states have pushed forward reforms in the hopes of securing additional federal funds.

In the first round, California didn’t get a dime, but we did get some key accountability reforms through the California Legislature.

Now it's time for “Race to the Top” - Round Two - and California was selected as a finalist. As our application moves forward, we hope our state leaders will put kids first by emphasizing the following:

• Requiring both teacher and principal evaluations to be based, in part, on student performance
• ensuring effective teachers and principals are placed in low-performing and high-poverty schools and
• using robust data to turn around low-performing schools.

We can improve California’s schools – our kids deserve the best.

Attend Plug-in Public Night

For years, automakers in America and abroad eschewed the idea that car-buyers would be interested in electric vehicles. Now, they are embracing it.

Just here in Silicon Valley, we have electric vehicle automakers like Tesla, and infrastructure suppliers like Better Place and Coulumb Technologies making strong advances in the market. Traditional automobile manufacturers like Chevrolet, Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota are embracing the electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle space, with major brands rolling off of assembly lines as early as 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Whether its for environmental or economic reasons - car makers and customers alike - are embracing the electric vehicle market.

Here’s your opportunity. Join the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and our partners at EPRI on Tuesday night, July 27 at the San Jose Convention Center for our “Plug-In Public Night” to see these cars for yourself.

For more information, go to our web site at svlg.org. Here’s your chance to get charged up about the cars of the future – today.

Rev. Paul Locatelli

On Monday, Silicon Valley lost a giant. Father Paul Locatelli, former President of Santa Clara University, passed away from pancreatic cancer. He was 71 years old.

Paul turned an inward-focused institution into a community-focused University that taught students to be both educated and ethical. In a Valley filled with smart people, Father Locatelli was both smart – and wise.

Paul was a giant – not because he towered over others, but because he lowered himself to lift others up.

He served on my Board of Directors at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group for nearly a decade, joining 27 of Silicon Valley’s top tech CEOs. When Paul spoke, we all listened. He served as our champion for the BART Extension, and several education initiatives. He was a dear friend and cherished mentor.

He lived his life based on the shortest of scriptures, from the Old Testament book called Micah – “And what does your God require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Today, Father Paul Locatelli walks humbly with his God, and we are all the better for having known him.

BART on track

They say “good things often come in threes,” and that has certainly been true for the long-desired BART extension to Silicon Valley – with three pieces of great news in the past few weeks.

First, on June 24, the federal government announced that the first segment of the 16 mile BART extension met environmental clearance. This 10-mile segment will take the line from Fremont to Milpitas and Berryessa in North San Jose and serve more than 46,000 daily riders by 2030. It will also create thousands of private sector jobs to engineer, design and build the extension.

Second, on June 30, the California Transportation Commission – on which I serve – approved an additional $40 million in state funds towards the extension. Even in tough economic times, the BART extension is viewed as a critical transportation link for Silicon Valley and the Bay Area.

Third, the BART extension remains extremely popular with the voters and taxpayers who will pay for it. In the most recent independent poll, conducted a few weeks ago, 75 percent of Santa Clara County taxpayers support the project, with only 20 percent in opposition.

Thanks to the visionary voters of Santa Clara County, BART to Silicon Valley remains – on track.