Bay Area Council

As we explore the possibility of bringing the World Expo to San Francisco, the Bay Area Council and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce invite you to join us for CityTrip Osaka from May 10-17, 2025! This immersive journey will offer our delegation the opportunity to explore Japan's vibrant culture, innovative technologies, and dynamic business environments of two of Japan’s most influential cities. This trip will be a combination of business delegation and a study tour to visit the International World Expo. Starting in Tokyo, attendees will experience the city's mix of traditional and modern attractions, followed by a visit to the bustling city of Osaka. The highlight of the trip will be attending the World Expo, where members will engage with government officials and business leaders, discover cutting-edge innovations, and explore the latest trends in various industries. With an expected 24 million visitors, the expo is anticipated to provide a significant positive economic impact. However, it is essential to consider how the city's infrastructure will be managed to accommodate such a large crowd. On this trip, we will also meet with the international pavilions featured at Osaka International Expo 2025 and Los Angeles Expo Park 2028. Brief Itinerary: May 10th: Depart San Francisco (cross international date line) May 11th: Arrive in Tokyo May 12-13th: Meet with local business leaders and government officials in Tokyo May 14th: Travel to Osaka (half day stop in Kyoto) May 15-16th: Visit World Expo exhibition in Osaka May 17th: Depart for San Francisco See official flyer here: https://lnkd.in/g8789QWf For more information, please contact Alexander Foard at afoard@bayareacouncil.org.

San Francisco continues making progress in addressing public safety challenges. In a recent ABC7 News Bay Area interview, Bay Area Council President & CEO Jim Wunderman shared his optimistic vision for the city: “When people start coming back, they tell their friends and neighbors to come. San Francisco’s going to recover quite nicely.” Our iconic city remains a world-class destination, drawing visitors and businesses with its unique beauty, innovation, and resilient spirit. Read more: https://lnkd.in/geSbMvrb #SanFrancisco #BayArea

Join Bay Area Council President & CEO Jim Wunderman today at 4:30pm on KPIX | CBS San Francisco/Bay Area for a live discussion on downtown San Francisco's recovery. Jim will share insights with anchor Anne Makovec on critical revitalization initiatives and what's needed from incoming mayor Daniel Lurie's administration to accelerate positive change in our downtown core.   Don't miss this important conversation about the future of San Francisco's downtown and the broader implications of our recent election results. Tune in to KPIX at 4:30pm! #SanFrancisco #DowntownRevitalization #BayAreaBusiness

The Bay Area Council Economic Institute and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea on Monday (Dec. 9) jointly hosted a half-day conference aboard the Klamath on Global AI Governance and Policy. A sold-out audience of 140 heard from Jaeho Yeom, Korea’s top AI expert and Vice Chair of its Presidential AI Committee, from representatives of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GoBiz) and the three countries hosting global AI Summits (the United Kingdom, Korea, and France), and from business leaders Anthropic, Visa, and Principal Venture Partners. Discussion covered national and global regulatory policies and strategies, AI Safety Institutes, and how governments and companies are seeking to manage risk while promoting innovation. As AI adoption is becoming a bellwether of national and corporate competitiveness, the Council is continuing to support dialogue around policies that will both enable growth and establish appropriate regulatory guardrails.

Sometimes, you just have to 🤫 shush the crowd… even Bill Gates! What an absolute honor to emcee the 79th Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame Awards for the Bay Area Council at the iconic The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square. The energy in the room was electric with over 500 of the Bay Area’s brightest business leaders gathered together. As someone who believes deeply in building community and creating change through storytelling, the Bay Area Council’s mission resonates with my own goals to Build a Better Bay Area. Together, we believe that, despite our region’s challenges, bold ideas and collaboration can fuel transformations and solutions. Sharing the stage and the evening with leaders like former BlackBerry CEO John Chen and Kaiser CEO Carrie Owen Plietz left me inspired and humbled. And yes… commanding a room this powerful sometimes requires quieting the crowd—I joked next time I’d bring a foghorn 😂 Here’s to pushing boundaries, embracing innovation, and continuing to build a brighter Bay Area together. Thank you to Chris Gill of WestBound Photography for these images really capture the essence of the night! #Leadership #Community #Inspiration #BayAreaCouncil #BusinessHallOfFame

We’re proud to honor three remarkable leaders in our 2024 Bay Area Business Hall of Fame:   Sandy Robertson (posthumous), whose legendary impact on technology investment banking included founding Robertson Stephens and Francisco Partners. His legacy includes financing over 500 growth technology companies and helping build the foundation of today’s tech ecosystem.   John Chen, whose visionary leadership transformed Sybase from challenges to a $5.8B acquisition by SAP, and later reshaped BlackBerry into a cybersecurity powerhouse. His remarkable four-decade career spans Silicon Valley’s most influential companies, consistently driving innovation and growth.   Ann Winblad, a pioneering venture capitalist who broke barriers in tech, co-founded Hummer Winblad Venture Partners (Aspenwood Ventures), and helped shape countless successful startups. Her journey from programming at the Federal Reserve to becoming one of the most influential VCs exemplifies Bay Area innovation.   Congratulations to these visionaries who embody the entrepreneurial spirit and transformative leadership that define the Bay Area’s business community. #BACAnnualDinner

We are incredibly grateful to Nor Cal Carpenters Union, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Salesforce, and TMG Partners for their invaluable support as Platinum Sponsors of our 79th Annual Dinner and Bay Area Business Hall of Fame. Their commitment played a crucial role in gathering over 650 of the region’s top business, civic, and elected leaders for a memorable evening of celebration and networking. Thanks to their support, we were able to honor the remarkable achievements and contributions of our community’s leaders. Together, we continue to inspire growth and innovation in the Bay Area! #BACAnnualDinner

A heartfelt thank you to Hanson Bridgett LLP for their outstanding Diamond Sponsorship of our 79th Annual Dinner and Bay Area Business Hall of Fame. Their commitment to supporting regional business leadership and community innovation shines brightly. Hanson Bridgett’s support highlights their dedication to fostering excellence and innovation within the Bay Area’s business community. Thank you for helping us honor the outstanding achievements of our region’s leaders! #BACAnnualDinner

We extend our deepest gratitude to Kaiser Permanente for being the Presenting Sponsor of our 79th Annual Dinner and Bay Area Business Hall of Fame! Your partnership made it possible for us to bring together over 600 of the region’s top business, civic, and elected leaders for an incredible evening of recognition and connection. By supporting this signature event, Kaiser Permanente demonstrates its commitment to celebrating outstanding business and philanthropic leadership in the Bay Area. #BACAnnualDinner

Meet our honorees for the 79th Annual Dinner and Business Hall of Fame Awards! Ann Winblad is a titan in the pantheon of Silicon Valley tech investors. Winblad co-founded Winblad Hummer Venture Partners 35 years ago and has launched over 160 enterprise software companies across a range of industries. She is widely considered one of the most important venture capitalists of her generation and continues to seed new and starting tech companies. Ann will be introduced by Microsoft founder, Bill Gates. Sandy Robertson was an icon in the Bay Area tech financing world. Not only was he present at the start of Silicon Valley but played a leading role in building the financial infrastructure that powered its growth. As a founder of Francisco Partners and two other prominent investment banks, Robertson seeded the emergence of such companies as Gilead, eBay, Pixar and E*Trade and Dell, among hundreds of others. With his passing in August, we’ll be honoring him posthumously. Sandy will be introduced by Francisco Partners CEO, Dipanjan Deb. John Chen holds similarly legendary status in the tech world. He joined enterprise software company Sybase as CEO in 1998 at a time when it was largely considered a dead company. Over 14 years, Chen led the remarkable re-invention and turnaround of Sybase, from a market capitalization of $362 million to $5.8 billion. He later went on to engineer the successful turnaround of BlackBerry. John will be introduced by mLogica Chairman, Steve Capelli. Get your tickets today! https://lnkd.in/gypEKg4V