User:Egjellison/Joint Venture: SIlicon Valley Network

Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, founded in 1993, is a non-profit (501(c)3), non-partisan organization located in San Jose, California, which seeks to better all aspects of life and business in Silicon Valley. Joint Venture's unique regional model convenes the members and communities of Silicon Valley and facilitates collaboration between leaders in the business, government, labor and educational sectors.

To identify the problems facing Silicon Valley, Joint Venture looks for guidance from its core -- a board of directors, staff and specially selected initiative champions -- and creates initiatives based upon their recommendations. Once an initiative has been created, Joint Venture relies on board members, industry players, relevant local government entities and initiative area experts to help form actionable solutions. Joint Venture determines the appropriate paths by which those solutions can be implemented and creates the regional infrastructure needed to achieve results.

Products of Joint Venture - RUSS EDIT

Initiatives
Piloting initiatives is the way that Joint Venture forms and provides regional solutions to Silicon Valley's problems. There are generally close to ten initiatives active at any given time, covering a range of policy topics. Many of these initiatives become stand alone entities after capturing regional appreciation and support. Below are examples of topics Joint Venture has addressed.


 * Building Codes and Permits
 * California Governance
 * Climate Protection
 * Disaster Preparedness
 * Economic Development
 * Education
 * Federal Outreach
 * Health
 * Technology Cluster Vitality
 * Urban Planning
 * Wireless Services
 * The Workforce

State of the Valley
State of the Valley is Joint Venture's annual town meeting where the members of the valley convene to discuss important issues and ask questions of experts in fields of interest. It is the only event that brings the entire community of Silicon Valley together. It includes academic presentations, policy discussions, performances, awards and an exhibitors section.

The Silicon Valley Index
During State of the Valley the Index of Silicon Valley is released and discussed by Joint Venture's CEO and the CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The index measures everything from employee turnover to languages spoken in Silicon Valley homes and guides many new Joint Venture initiatives. In addition, the index acts as a barometer for the economic, cultural and social situations in the Valley. The index is Joint Venture's most broadly visible contribution and it receives media attention across the country and across the world.

The David Packard Award
The David Packard Award is Joint Venture’s highest honor for civic and community service, presented annually to an exemplary individual who brings an entrepreneurial, cross-boundary, problem-solving approach to Silicon Valley’s challenges. Recipients embody the spirit of David Packard, Silicon Valley’s legendary pioneer who set the highest standard for civic engagement. . Recipients include:


 * 2010 Richard M. Levy, Chairman of the Board, Varian Medical Systems
 * 2009 Paul L. Locatelli, S.J. Secretary for Jesuit Higher Education in Rome, former Santa Clara University President, former Santa Clara University professor of accounting
 * 2008 William F. Miller, Herbert Hoover Professor of Public and Private Management Emeritus Stanford University; Professor of Computer Science Emeritus; President Emeritus, SRI International; Chairman Emeritus, Borland Software Corporation; and Chairman/Founder of Nanostellar, Inc.
 * 2007 Eric A. Benhamou, Chairman of Cypress Semiconductors Board of Directors and the chairman of the board of directors of 3Com Corporation.
 * 2006 Bruce Chizen, Former CEO of Adobe Systems

Publications
Joint Venture is the source of numerous publications, most notably The Silicon Valley Index.


 * 2010 Index of Silicon Valley
 * 2009 Special Analysis: Economic Restructuring and Workforce Transitions
 * 2009 Index of Silicon Valley
 * 2008 Index of Silicon Valley
 * 2007 Index of Silicon Valley
 * 2006 Index of Silicon Valley
 * 2005 Index of Silicon Valley
 * 2005 A Vision of a Wireless Silicon Valley
 * 2004 The Future of Bay Area Jobs
 * 2004 Main Street Silicon Valley: Shared Issues, Snapshots of Success and Models for Moving Forward
 * 2004 Index of Silicon Valley
 * 2004 Statement of Principles: California Budget and Tax Reform Initiative
 * 2003 Preparing Tomorrow's Innovators
 * 2003 Building the Next Silicon Valley: Strategy and Actions
 * 2003 Index of Silicon Valley
 * 2003 Tax Prinicples Workbook: A tool for Critiquing Tax & Fiscal Proposals
 * 2002 Next Silicon Valley: Opportunities and Choices
 * 2002 Workforce Study: Connecting Today's Youth with Tomorrow's Technology
 * 2002 Index of Silicon Valley
 * 2001 Index of Silicon Valley
 * 2001 Next Silicon Valley: Riding the Waves of Innovation
 * 2000 Internet Cluster Analysis
 * 2000 Silicon Valley Index
 * 1999 Workforce Study
 * 1998 The Joint Venture Way: Lessons for Regional Rejuvenation, Vol. 2
 * 1998 The Joint Venture Way: Lessons for Regional Rejuvination, Vol. 1
 * 1998 Silicon Valley 2010: A Regional Framework for Growing Together
 * 1992 An Economy at Risk

History
In the early 1990s Silicon Valley a 'culture of blame' and competition was poisoning the business environment. In 1992, leaders of the Valley's high-tech industry conducted an analysis of the regional economy and determined a need for greater regional collaboration. In response to the analysis, Joint Venture was launched in 1993.

At first the community was unsure of Joint Venture's model but after a short time, in which concrete results were achieved, Joint Venture was embraced. Joint Venture has continued to build upon its reputation as an organization that provides the analysis and action needed to affect real change and foster important collaboration between sectors in Silicon Valley.