September 10, 2021 - The City of Fremont has new 5G wireless services thanks to Joint Venture’s wireless communications initiative. Executive director David Witkowski provided counsel and conducted informational events, underscoring the socio-economic benefits of wireless technologies. Fremont Mayor Lily Mei serves as public sector co-chair of the wireless communications initiative.
September 12, 2021 - The Implementation Committee of the Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission of Santa Clara County has awarded $250,000 to Joint Venture’s food recovery initiative to oversee the launch of the first countywide food recovery program. Executive director Robin Martin and her team will guide county jurisdictions toward implementation of 
September 12, 2021 - Santa Clara County has granted $54,000 to Joint Venture’s Institute for Regional Studies to conduct a two-part project focused on Silicon Valley families. The undertaking, championed by Supervisor Susan Ellenberg and pursued in partnership with the University of Washington, will model the impact of universal preschool on family finances and the greater regional economy. The project will also explore other aspects of early childhood education.
September 12, 2021 - The American writer and theologian, Frederick Buechner, notes that the English word "vocation" comes from the Latin word vocare, to call, which means the work a person is called to by God. Greg Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County cites Buechner as he reflects on his own calling. “If this job didn’t already exist, I would have invented it,” he says. Once on track to be a Jesuit priest, Kepferle now leads a staff of 460 people and 1,200 volunteers for the $41 million nonprofit that works to build economic self-sufficiency for the poor and vulnerable. The Bridge to Recovery program conceived and implemented at CCSCC has pivoted to Joint Venture’s new 
Septembr 13, 2021 - At the urging of Joint Venture and its board, the California Energy Commission (CEC) has agreed to publish data on gasoline consumption for 375 California cities. The data reveals that Los Angeles and San Diego consume the most gasoline annually. Among Bay Area cities, San José ranks fifth statewide, San Francisco twelfth, and Oakland twenty-second. “Giving the public access to city-level data allows residents to track their community’s progress on clean air and climate goals, and to hold themselves accountable,” said Janelle London, executive director of Joint Venture’s Beyond Gasoline initiative.
September 13, 2021 - Joint Venture’s Institute for Regional Studies has added two new affiliate researchers to the team.
September 13, 2021 - When the Bay Area implemented quarantines, school districts were faced with a massive challenge: how to support distance learning for students who lacked adequate broadband access. The pandemic didn’t cause the digital divide but it magnified a pre-existing condition.
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Top Videos
The 2021 Silicon Valley Index: Tale of Two Valleys
Joint Venture CEO Russell Hancock summarized the major findings from the 2021 Silicon Valley Index at the annual State of the Valley conference held online February 23-24. The report showed the region in a state of bifurcation with the tech sector mounting record numbers while the in-person economy shuttered. "We are not one but two Valleys," Hancock explained, with charts showing the nation's most pronounced income inequality and troubling racial disparities, even while Silicon Valley's driving industries filled a crucial (and highly profitable) role in the global pandemic.
Joint Venture’s 2021 State of the Valley conference was held entirely online this year over two consecutive days, February 23 and 24. You can view all the sessions on our YouTube channel.
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Silicon Valley Multifamily Housing - September 16, 2021
The Silicon Valley Multifamily Housing report provides a snapshot of the trends in the region’s housing market for residential structures with more than one dwelling unit in the same building.
Unemployment Data Release - August 20, 2021
Silicon Valley’s latest unemployment rate for July is back to 4.9% — where it was three months prior. Variations in the region’s employment numbers have been relatively small month to month over the past eight months
Silicon Valley Commercial Space - Q2 2021
The Institute’s latest quarterly commercial real estate report prepared in partnership with JLL Silicon Valley showed the pace of Silicon Valley commercial space development far exceeds that of 2020.
Economic Impacts to Residential Real Estate from Small Wireless Facilities - July 2021
This study focused on whether objective evidence in real estate sales records show residential real estate valuation impacts from small wireless facilities or “small cells,” concluded that small cell facilities do not have an appreciable effect on nearby property valuations. It was authored by David Witkowski, executive director of Joint Venture’s civic technology initiative and Ralph B. McLaughlin, chief economist and senior vice president of analytics at Haus.com.
Silicon Valley Index - 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of Silicon Valley’s economy and the greater community, according to the 2021 Index, released by Joint Venture’s Institute for Regional Studies. From the health impacts of the virus, to its effect on employment, IPOs, childcare, hunger, and housing, the pandemic has plowed through every sector, often with long-term implications. As a timely addition this year, the Index includes a section devoted to the impacts of COVID.
Learn more about the Silicon Valley Index online at www.siliconvalleyindicators.org.
Research Brief: Food Insecurity & Distribution
The Institute’s latest research brief illustrates how the region’s residents have fared during the pandemic, outlining the impact of the decline in employment on regional food needs, and the rapid response of emergency food distribution efforts.
