September 25, 2023 - On October 4, this year’s Silicon Valley Poll Briefing at Evergreen Valley College will dissect the results of the annual public opinion survey overseen by Joint Venture’s research arm, the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies in partnership with The Mercury News and the Bay Area News Group. The effort, in its third year, has become one of the most closely watched surveys in the region. Joint Venture will host an in-person briefing featuring detailed analysis as expert panelists probe deeper questions about the Bay Area. Russell Hancock, CEO of Joint Venture, will host.
September 18, 2023 - Join Egon Terplan, an expert in place-based economic development, downtown revitalization, regional planning, land use, transportation policy, and government reform, at the Silicon Valley Poll Briefing on October 4. As downtowns grapple with the aftermath of the pandemic and evolving work models, Terplan and other experts will delve into public sentiment and offer invaluable insights into this pressing issue. Register now for an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing Bay Area downtowns.
September 18, 2023 - Join Joint Venture on October 4 at Evergreen Valley College for the Silicon Valley Poll Briefing, featuring a distinguished panel discussion moderated by Bert Robinson. As the Senior Editor of the Bay Area News Group, Bert Robinson brings journalistic expertise, including a Pulitzer Prize for breaking news and the Norwin S. Yoffie Career Achievement Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Robinson is a co-creator of the Poll. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with top-tier insights and analysis at this essential event.
September 25, 2023 - Is homelessness a top concern for Bay Area residents? Find out what the public thinks October 4 at the third annual SIlicon Valley Poll Briefing event at Evergreen Valley College. Delve more deeply into the subject with Jennifer Loving, CEO of Destination: Home, a San José-based nonprofit that advocates for strategies to reduce and prevent homelessness. With more than 25 years working in a variety of shelter, street and housing programs, Loving has spent her career working to solve homelessness in Silicon Valley.
September 25, 2023 - When Dontae Lartigue turned eight, the County became responsible for his welfare. He lived most of his life in shelters, group homes, and multiple foster placements. To counter that, he founded Razing the Bar to help young people develop long lasting relationships with adults who can mentor them and change outcomes. Join Dontae on October 4 when he joins a panel of experts at the Silicon Valley Poll Briefing to shed light from an insider’s perspective on the challenges of the system. How will the public perceptions revealed in the Poll compare to lived experiences for someone like Dontae?
September 25, 2023 - Join Ian Griffiths, Co-Founder and Policy Director of Seamless Bay Area (SBA), at the Silicon Valley Poll Briefing on October 4. With over 15 years of experience in urban and transportation planning, Griffiths will serve as a panelist and provide valuable insights into the alignment—or disconnect—between public perceptions, as revealed by the newly-released Poll. SBA's mission is to revolutionize the Bay Area's fragmented transit system into a world-class, unified, and equitable network. Discover if this vision resonates with the broader public at this enlightening event.
September 15, 2023 – The unemployment rate in Silicon Valley increased to 3.7% in August from 3.4% in July, mirroring the 0.3 percentage point increase in unemployment throughout the Bay Area (3.7% to 4.0%). This follows a decrease in the rate from June to July, according to analysis by Joint Venture’s Institute for Regional Studies. So far in 2023, the unemployment rate has increased five times when measuring month-to-month estimates and has only decreased twice (between March and April and between June and July). For comparison, the unemployment rate decreased five times (month-to-month) between January and August 2022.
September 20, 2023 - Community engagement drives transformation. When businesses, nonprofits, and citizens hold authorities accountable, progress is possible. And sometimes, when the community is very fortunate, people like Adina Levin view civic engagement as fun. Adina Levin is Advocacy Director and Co-Founder of Seamless Bay Area (SBA), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform the region’s fragmented and often-inconvenient public transit into an equitable and united system. As is the case with many community activists, Adina’s parents also were involved in their community.When We Call Home
What do we call home
Where we recognize every creak the walls make
Every footstep getting closer
I wake up in a place that feels
that is so familiar
One that I call home
Is it the one within four walls ?
Or is it my community that has called for me
For me to be helped and to also help others who need help to see
It took me a long time to get over my pride and confide in those
willing to lead
I have moved on from a place of perils and pain
And reframed my state of mind.
It wasn’t an easy feat
When I hear the news it makes my stomach churn,
And my mind yearns for peace and quiet
As I look around, I see my world made violent
The country whose soil I sink my feet into
The wind making me sway as I stand here and think
Terrified of the world
Or terrified of the changing tide
Hope negates the fear I feel
I see change that is tangible
Change that is real
There is so much work to be done
Don't forget yourself
Don't forget what could be won
WE are here to make positive change
We are here to unite
Gather round and join us in our everlasting fight
Everyone
Together
We’ll weather the weather whether
We march together or walk hand in hand
How do you feel about being in this new age of enlightenment
Hate is no longer the front runner
A bunch of kids who want to change things from the way they were
before
Are willing to help lead
We know how to innovate, create, become the change
We have reframed our state of mind
Only to find home within each other
We are all hungry for it
The beginning is written at a time I was at peace
But my peace lease is up
Time to move out of my mind
Our fates are intertwined
We are unrefined
Learning
Changing
Making mistakes
Once we enter adulthood they'll raise the stakes
This world we live in is ours
The only one have
Hopefully, it can get better
Become the best it will ever be
One day
Even the close-minded will see
We can all call each other home
About the Author
Shika Acolatse is 19 and a student at Azusa Pacific University. She shared this poem via Zoom at the briefing for the Silicon Valley Poll, October 12, 2021.
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