Spring 2016
Silicon Valley
Impressions
Celebrating Diversity, and Promoting Community Awareness, Understanding and Inclusiveness
Remembering Camilla
Artistic Director, El Camino Youth Symphony
The Golden State Warriors Celebrate Chinese New Year
H E A L T H C A R E
& C O M M U N I T Y
Palo Alto Medical Foundation Dr. Albert Wang
Valley Medical Center Dr. Michele Hugin
El Camino Hospital
The Affordable Care Act In Common Language
At the Amazon Rainforest Healing from Within
Whole Foods Market
America’s Healthiest Grocery Store
Silicon Valley Investment New and Emerging Market
Community Social Media Ogle App
Education
Common Core Standards
and more
... ISBN 978-0-692-40495-9
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Cup ertino's New Facel i ft: Marina Plaza
PLAZA
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fter almost 30 years in Cupertino, the landmark Marina Food Plaza, at the corner of Stevens Creek Boulevard and De Anza, is he urban village looking to transform itself into an shopping and residential oasis. The plan is to have a 122 room hotel, 188 residential units with sixteen below market rate (1/3 of market price), and 230,000 square feet of retail space. The project’s scope is well within the city’s “Heart of the City” 2014 zoning limit, and from its initial feedback, the community received this project with enthusiasm. The project will update the 5.3 acre lot with modern architecture and an open promenade.
beginning of our establishment. We are not developers by trade. We are a family-run business. We are not looking to make a quick dollar. We have been living here for a long time, and we want to remain here” said Chris Huang, son of owner Steve Huang. Keeping the investment and development within the family makes the decision-making process simpler, and the proposal is flexible because of it’s communityminded design.
actively working to find a place for our supermarket. We will keep the new supermarket within 2-5 miles radius of our current location. We hope it will be an attractive place for our customers. We want to keep all of our employees. Some of them have been with us since day one.” Steve Huang told us. “When you are running a family business, your customers and employees are part of your family, so taking care of them is our responsibility”.
While we love new architecture, new landscape, and a new facelift for our community, it is still hard to see Marina Foods leave. We have enjoyed its humble and warm exterior, and abundant, casual interior for many years. It offers foods that everyone can afford. “We are
The soonest that Marina Foods can move is Summer, 2017. Cupertino is a small town, and we don’t want a Westfield-style shopping mall. Having a family-run plaza will bring character and charm, and it will be perfect for us.
PLAZA
“ I grew up in Cupertino, and our family has had a close bond with the community since the very
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CONTENTS
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SVI SILICON VALLEY IMPRESSIONS
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Healthcare in the time of the affordable care act, aka obama care Interview with Albert Wang, MD Ro Khanna for Congress Assisted living facilities - commercial real estate investment’s rising star Marian Chaney Doctor for delivery in room 19 Michele Hugin. MD community social media - making it work for our teenagers Silicon Valley’s Journey to new and emerging markets Andy Tsao healing from within: harnessing hope with the help of a shaman Eeli Ram California standards ensure students are college and career ready Michael Kirst MIKe honda for Congress NBA Celebrates chinese new year medical charity and Health care data the enchanted mount liang Aimin Tang the affordable Care act in common language - El Camino Hospital Shin shin Education foundation apapa leadership profile: sandy chau the story behind timely rain Chase Chen our community market: whole foods market and 365 by whole foods raising culturally competent children Cover page: Photo of Camilla Kolchinsky, remembering camilla courtesy of ECYS american colossus Book Review by George Tyson Photo of Stephen Curry, James Gong
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Healthcare in the Time of the Affordable Care Act, AKA Obamacare Dr. Albert Wang, MD , Dr. Albert Wang is an internist
Dr. Albert Wang: Obama care let many people who couldn’t afford it before buy health insurance through government subsidies. Although the basic insurance plans do not pay providers well, and some patients have a hard time finding doctors with these plans, at least some doctors or hospitals will accept them.
Dr. Wang was honored with the American Cancer Society Silicon Valley Region Lifetime Volunteer Achievement Award, as well as the Citizen of the Year Award by Citizens for Better Community, the Dana Sambor Volunteerism Award from the Alameda and Contra Costa County Joint Developmental Disability Council, and “A League of Their Own” award from the Fremont Education Foundation.
Before Obamacare, insurance companies could refuse insurance services to individuals who had serious or chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. Now they have to take everyone. .
and partner at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of the 1,300-plus physician Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group, as well as Chair of the Physician Benefit Committee, and member of its Finance and Philanthropy Committees.
He also received the 2007 KQED Disability Culture Award, was featured on a KGO TV Profile for Excellence in 2010, and was selected as the 2005 Community Hero by the World Journal. Dr. Wang and his wife Anna have three children and live in San Francisco Bay Area. SVI: This is the third year since the start of Obamacare - what changes have you seen in the healthcare industry?
couldn’t afford health insurance could only get services from county hospitals or community clinics that are supported by tax payers. These hospitals were overburdened, overcrowded and underfunded to provide quality care. Now the county hospitals can be paid for their services from insurance companies. This will lower the burden on taxpayers who subsidized this care before. SVI: How does Obamacare affect doctors and your group, The Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Dr. Albert Wang: Starting Since Obamacare requires probably in the 80s, many doctors insurance companies to accept found it difficult to contract with people with pre-existing insurance companies as individconditions, many people who are ual practitioners, so they formed healthy and could always afford independent practice associations quality health insurance have to or joined multi-specialty medical absorb the additional costs associ- groups to gain negotiation power . ated with these populations. As We saw the disappearance of small, a result, they have seen their individual primary care offices. premiums go up. The populations Now we have medical groups who are not benefiting directly consisting of over one hundred to from Obama care are mostly those thousands of doctors popping up all who bought individual plans before over the country . it was enacted. For example, While primary care physicians realtors and other self-employed found it difficult to survive in small people, immigrants working in practices, medical specialists could businesses without group plans, still afford to deal with insurance and small business owners. companies on their own. Specialists Before Obamacare, people who command 50% to 250% more pay
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for their services than primary care doctors. For example, the cost of an office visit may generate a charge of $100, hypothetically. A good insurance plan may pay $70 plus co-pay from the patient. However, MediCare may pay $50, MediCal maybe $20 with no payment from the patient. The practice overhead may be $50 per visit, meaning the doctor will get nothing for seeing a MediCare patient, and lose $30 to see a MediCal patient. For specialists or surgeons, performing a procedure commands higher payments. For example, hypothetically, for a particular surgery that may be $2000 with full charges, MediCal may still pay $500, which is enough to cover the costs and yield a profit. A primary care doctor cannot survive with $20 a visit. This has led to a shortage of primary care doctors that will soon reach crisis proportions. Our own medical group will lose money because Obamacare pays less to doctors than our prior contract with commercial insurance plans. However, the county hospitals or community clinics will benefit a great deal by getting reimbursement. Obamacare is a positive direction for the country overall, but at the beginning, it can be painful for many people. SVI: What new phenomenon will we see in the next five years because of Obamacare? We will see a fragmentation of services in healthcare. There will be many smaller clinics sprouting up in CVS, or Walgreens, as well as on-site clinics paid for by large companies such as Google and Facebook to help save on healthcare costs as well as employee time spent on doctor visits. These small clinics will most likely be used to treat simple cases such as colds, flu, a cut, a runny nose, or
a stomachache. Larger medical groups like the Palo Alto Medical Foundation will have more complicated cases on their hands. With Obamacare, there will be more transparency in costs. People will start to purchase insurance plans with high deductibles and less premiums to reduce their insurance cost. With higher deductibles, people pay more out of pocket when they see doctors. As the result, consumers will care more about fees and treatment options. SVI: As the Chairman of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Medical Group, what are your most challenging tasks? Dr. Albert Wang: My most challenging work is to build a better primary care group. Primary care is important for our medical group. It is the key for every medical group because the primary care doctors refer patients to specialists and support their practices. We need to offer better pay for primary care doctors and give them more support. There has been a severe shortage of primary care doctors in the United States despite the fact that the average pay for them has gone up significantly since 2010. In the past, when we hired a primary care doctor, we received twenty-tothirty resumes. Now, we receive very few resumes and we have to offer extra incentives for them to join us. As a patient focused medical group, our second challenge is to maintain our high level of service, starting with front desk support and the appointment office. Responsiveness and timeliness in communicating with patients is very important. Medical centers
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such as Stanford Hospitals, which traditionally are tertiary care sites for complicated cases that provide research opportunities, have trouble providing good primary care. Universities focus less on personal service and therefore have more difficulty with what we call “total patient experience� – providing top quality service starting from the first phone call and when they arrive at the parking lot, covering all aspects of health care from doctors, nurses, reception, lab, x-ray, assistance to the disabled, all the way to clean bathrooms. My third challenge is how to provide better support to our doctors. With Obamacare, doctors are required to use a computer based medical record system. Many of our doctors spend a lot of time everyday entering data on their computers instead of being with their patients. With the convenience of emails, patients like to communicate directly with the doctors through emails and the doctors have to spend time to reply. We would like to find a way to provide better support to our doctors so they can spend more time with their patients and focus on healthcare instead of doing busy work. Dr. Wang Reflects On Health Care in Silicon Valley Silicon Valley has diverse cultures and therefore, diverse lifestyles. The large portion of the population, such as Indians and Chinese, have different expectations from their health care experiences. Many Asians in their home countries are used to doctors prescribing more antibiotics and medical interventions such as lab tests, x-rays, procedures, and other treatments. These cultural differences also influence the use of alternative and traditional medical practices, such
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as Chinese medicine, acupuncture, yoga, and herbal medicines. Many people in Silicon Valley trust their own traditional remedies more than conventional, Western medicine. However, alternative medicine and conventional medicine are generally good for different ailments. It will take more education to encourage many Silicon Valley residents to accept Western medicine and to become compliant about taking medications, following-up with doctor’s appointments, and to stop asking for unnecessary tests and drugs. Another aspect of our health differentiation is dietary habits. In Silicon Valley, there exists very diverse dietary choices such as
vegetarians, vegans, paleo diets, etc. These diets, when taken to the extreme, can bring about different health issues. Finally, Silicon Valley engineers like technology; they like computer related tests, analysis, and the most advanced imaging, and robotics. They also like to research everything and ask questions. As doctors we have to take more time to explain to them our treatment choices and make them understand and accept our plans. Silicon Valley residents are also very focused on health. They are avid fitness buffs and many carry exercise to the extreme, causing harm to their knees, ankles, and other parts of the body.
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I believe that Silicon Valley will have new innovations for medical care. Not so much on the technology or medicine side, but on how to care for patients better. However, beyond technology and beyond treatment, medicine is also about communication, about establishing trust. It doesn’t matter if you are a well trained doctor with exceptional medical skills. If your patients don’t trust you, they won’t listen to you and follow your advice. The human aspects of healing can never be replaced by technology.
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“Dear Parents, Do Not Fill Out FAFSA & CSS Until You Fully Understand The Very Complicated Rules of Financial Aid and IRS Tax... “ How to avoid the deadliest mistakes in applying for college financial aid? Parents, do you fit in any of the financial situation below: • High Income with High Assets • High Income with Normal Assets • Low Income with High Assets • Didn’t get or only got some financial aid after you submitted FAFSA/CSS Parents, when you fill out FAFSA “as is”, for sure, you cannot get college financial aid.
Our Suggestions: 1. If your family income is over $300,000 and you only have one child or two children four years apart---you should focus on saving taxes by setting up a Family Foundation. 2. For the rest of the families, please don’t fill out FAFSA with an “as is” financial situation. You should listen to a financial aid professional’s audio to understand the basic rules of Financial Aid, then position your family’s net income MAGI & net assets accordingly before filling out FAFSA/CSS. http://www.4089962002.com/Audio_Clips.php Parents, without preparation, for sure you cannot get college financial aid. Michael Chen College Financial aid & Tax Planning Specialist, Finacial Planner
When we make college more affordable, we make the American dream more achievable. (Bill Clinton) izquotes.com
Sucessful Cases: Case 1: Family Income over $300,000 An engineer’s family, after exercised its stock options (RSU), had income over $400,000. After setting up a Family Foundation, they saved $50,000 in taxes and can use this $50,000 for their retirement and for college. Case 2: High Income with Normal Assets An IT engineer’s family had a W-2 income around $200,000. As most parents, they never thought they would qualify for financial aid, through our FinAid tax planning, they have reduced $100,000 net AGI income. Each year they receive $40,000 financial aid and also $34,000 tax refund. Case 3: Low Income with High Assets A business owner with 5 rental properties had filled out FAFSA on their own and their application for financial aid was rejected. After getting planning, help and guidance from us, their child received $30,000 financial aid from UC’s and saved $120,000 for four years. Consult with us to avoid making mistakes. We are the #1 Financial Aid and Tax Planning specialist! Our email: michaelchencfp@gmail.com Phone: 408.246.6900
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Ro Khanna S
Education, Equality for Women, and Campaign Finance Reform
ilicon Valley Impressions: It’s good to see your running for your second election. What are your agendas this year?
women in every sector of the economy moves America forward – bolstering our position as a social and economic leader in the 21st century. We will fight for Ro Khanna: I am focusing forward-looking policies that give on three agendas: free higher women economic independence, education, equal pay for equal ensure work-family balance, and work for women, and ending politi- close discriminatory gender gaps cal financing from corporations, wherever they exist. PACs and lobbyists. SVI: And campaign financing SVI: What is your agenda for reform? education? Ro Khanna: We need to make Ro Khanna: I propose that campaign funding clean and free education for all public collegof interest groups. This means that es and universities should be free political campaigns should not to help our nation better educate receive money from corporations, all our citizens, and eliminate PACs and lobbyists. We need to heavy student loan repayments. have online disclosure of interest Education is very important to groups’ independent expenditures. our ability to compete in a global This will help our government to economy. We should have more be fair and transparent, providing California students in UC’s and better service to the people. Cal-State Universities. Each student can pay back the state with SVI: How is your campaign ten percent of their salaries after financed this year? they start working. It won’t cost Ro Khanna: I accept the government much, and in four donations from individuyears it will start paying off. als only, and the donation SVI: What are you doing for equal limit is $2700 per person pay for women? Is there a disparity for the primary election, in Silicon Valley salaries between and $2700 per person for men and women? the general election. This way, my campaign is Ro Khanna: Yes, there is. Women funded by many people, get paid seventy-seven cents on everywhere. I don’t have the dollar in comparison to men a particular group or in many sectors including profesindividual to serve. sional jobs. Having successful
SVI: What’s the difference between your campaign this year and when you ran in 2014? Ro Khanna: I have been spending more time focusing on issues that concern our community, and approaching more community leaders. I have been working with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo on the city’s manufacturing initiative, as well as working with Cupertino residents on the Lehigh Cement plant environmental efforts.I’ve also been standing with Santa Clara residents to urge the City Council to ask the San Francisco 49ers to pay fair market value on the parks and soccer fields around Levi’s Stadium, and I’m supporting Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves efforts to find a solution to the Newby Landfill’s odor issue. Paid for by Ro for Congress
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Assisted Living Facilities - Commercial Real Estate Investment’s Rising Star By Marian Chaney
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Your Realtor for Life!
t felt so odd to me. Suddenly, in the past couple of years, I keep getting inquiries from my investor clients to find them assisted living facilities. On the other hand, sellers are not selling.
The aging of one of the nation’s largest generations – the baby boomers – is a potential investment opportunity that has been on the radar of astute real estate investors for years. Now the alert level is high. Twenty million baby boomers will translate into a senior housing boom for the next decade. The Silver Tsunami will continue until 2029 when the last Boomer turns 65. Studies show that by 2035, seniors age 65 and up will increase by 62%, and those age 85 and over by 84%. Seniors are living longer, but many with chronic conditions. The Assisted Living/ Memory Care market will need to double to meet demand. All these facts explain why investors are flooding their money into assisted living facilities’ acquisition and development. It’s a specialty market, yet a rising star. First, let’s understand what are assisted living facilities. Assisted Living is a broad term used to describe a housing facility for people with disabilities. These facilities provide supervision or assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), coordination of services
by outside health care providers, and monitoring of resident activities to help to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Assisted living is a special combination of housing, supportive services, personalized assistance and health care that responds to the individual needs of those who need help with activities of daily living, in a way that promotes maximum dignity and independence for each resident. Depending on the level of care, it has a few categories: independent living, assisted living, nursing homes, and memory care. In California, assisted living is a highly regulated business. Operators need licenses and are subject to frequent inspections. Investors need to find qualified and reliable staff if they are not going to manage a facility themselves. So, what are the typical ways that investors enter this market? Typically two: first, buy an existing senior housing project and partner (or not) with current operator or second, build a new senior housing project. The first method has become more and more difficult because, as I mentioned above, sellers are not selling. Many of them don’t want to let go a profitable business and the real estate that’s appreciating rapidly, which are both true especially in Silicon Valley. Inventory is low, nearly non-existant. The
Marian Chaney, DRE # 01937247 (408)805-6680 / (650)383-7388 agentmchaney@gmail.com www.MarianChaney.com
biggest challenge for the second option is to find a well-located lot that allows such installment. I help my clients with such endeavors and they always require both work and luck. This February, the city of Fremont approved a 23.2 acre rezoning from tech/industrial to residential, and a development plan by East Warren Park LLC that includes 497 senior housing units and a fifteen thousand square foot, city-owned senior center. Some local governments have responded to the market need of increasing senior housing, others are slower to change. The need will continue to grow. If an investor wants to share a slice of the pie of this multi-trillion dollar market, and does not plan to buy REIT that specializes in such health care facilities, he or she will need to roll up their sleeves and get involved in some real projects. To achieve successful investments, finding suitable real estate, getting appropriate consulting services, and hiring trusted and competent operators are the spot-on steps to take.
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Doctor for Delivery in room 19!
Michele Hugin, MD is a Silicon Valley native. She graduated from Los Altos High School, and received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biology from UC San Diego. She had obtained her medical degree from Tufts Medical School. Michele has been working at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center since 1996 as an Attending Staff Physician and as an Affiliated Faculty member at Stanford Medical School. She enjoys running, cooking, traveling, and spending time with her family. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband and one teenage son.
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ringing a new life into the world is one of the best parts of my job. After twenty-three years of delivering babies (four years as a resident and nineteen years as an attending staff physician mostly supervising residents) it is still an awesome experience to hand a squirming newborn into the arms of her waiting parents. I decided in high school that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine. I had no doctors in my family so I didn’t
really know what I was getting myself into. My love of biology and my desire to help people started me on the path. I volunteered at a local community hospital during high school and then in the intensive care ward at the University of California, San Diego hospital where I attended college to gain more exposure to medicine. In college I became more politically aware and decided I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me to help women. Getting into medical school was a challenge a lot of studying, taking standardized tests and doing extra-curricular activities like volunteering and working in a neurobiology lab at the Salk Institute. I spent one year after graduating from UCSD working in a research lab helping my PI discover the mechanism of ovulation using a rat model. That work granted me a Master’s degree. I applied to many medical schools and flew around the country attending interviews. I was accepted at Tufts University in Boston and moved across the country with my boyfriend (now husband) to attend school. I missed my family and the mild California winters! Medical school was fast paced - lots of memorization and competitive classmates. I spent many long hours in the classroom, anatomy lab and hospital trying to soak up all the information I would need to form the foundation of my career. At the end of four years I was ready for my next step, residency. I chose ObGyn because I liked being able to follow my patients from adolescence through their childbearing years, and then into menopause. This field allowed me to do primary care and surgery. Four years later I graduated again. After graduation I took a job at a county hospital back in the Bay Area, and that is where I am today. I chose my job because I wanted to work with an underserved population, and I wanted to teach medical residents. My current job has many challenges but it also has great rewards. I take care of uninsured patients. Many of my patients are immigrants who do not speak English and who have not had medical care for many years. I often need to use a translator to communicate with my patients. Many of them have not had much education so I spend a lot of time explaining about how their bodies work and how treatment will affect them. continued on page 13... Doctor
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ommunity social media company Ogle in Mountain View has experienced unprecedented online sign-up volume. However, not everyone has been using it nicely. On Ogle’s posts, there have been online threats and bullying, which raised concerns from our community. In an effort to turn things around and provide a positive platform for its users, Ogle has sought guidance from online safety consultant, Hemu Nigam of SSP Blue.
Hemanshu “Hemu” Nigam founded SSP Blue and led safety, security and privacy efforts for companies such as Microsoft and News Corporation. SSP Blue helps companies identify what to do, how to do it, and often helps them execute their plans.
explain the Ogle phenomenon, and what it looks like to you. Hemu Nigam: The social media world has two different approaches. One approach is when we post things to people we know for people who know us. Another approach is anonymous social media where nobody knows us. The anonymous social environment has inspired a lot of great things such as positive social changes, overthrowing dictatorships, and exposing the wrong doings of powerful people. However, the younger generation of users often do not focus on the bigger world. Instead, they focus on their local high schools.
one is looking in real life. They carry their offline behaviors online. This is what Ogle has experienced. In a school environment, teachers, parents and principals would contain and resolve these problems without affecting the public at large. However, in an online environment, thousands, even millions of people are reached, including the media, local and federal government, as well as law enforcement officials. What happened in a small environment now has an impact on a very large scale. Students don’t often understand the effect that an abusive post about a girl they don’t like can have, that it can become a story being written about in newspapers and drawing concern from authorities.
Community Social Media Making It Work For Our Teenagers
Hemu also served as one of the first federal prosecutors against Internet child predators and computer crimes for the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition, he served as an advisor to a Congressional commission on online child safety, as well as advising the White House on cyberstalking. Silicon Valley Impressions Magazine had a chance to interview Mr. Nigam. Silicon Valley Impressions: Please
While most use social media to explore personal interests and share them in a positive way, a few sometimes take advantage of the situation. These are usually the same kids who would write on bathroom walls at school when no
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SVI: Yik Yak has pulled itself out of the online high school community, declaring that high school kids are not “mature enough” to use anonymous social media. What do you think about that?
Hemu Nigam: It’s not so much about maturity as it is about children of high school age needing rules and guidance to help them define their lives. Yik Yak has chosen not to take on the task of setting the rules, so they left the high school market. Since they were doing very well in the college community, they would rather spend their efforts building their core competency in that area. continued on page 13... Ogle
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S
ilicon Valley and the Bay Area remain at the epicenter of the world’s innovation economy. Driving Highway101, we see daily reminders of the dozens of tech giants that have truly changed the world. However, the landscape is changing. There are more unicorns, those companies valued at more than $1B, located outside of the Bay Area than here. In fact, CB Insights recently reports that nearly a quarter of the unicorns, are in emerging markets. China alone has twenty-seven. The business of technology innovation and entrepreneurship has indeed become global. Over the past two decades, emerging market economies have transformed with increasing GDP and a
other international investors are already betting big. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has been involved in emerging markets for nearly 20 years. Notably, SVB has been active in China since the late ‘90s and now has a joint-venture bank in Shanghai. SVB also has a branch in the U.K. and a representative office in Israel. The bank’s Global Gateway team is doing business development in newly emerging technology hubs in Latin America, Turkey, Russia, India and Australia. In March, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, took a delegation to Brazil. It was organized by Latin SF, a trade promotion business funded in part by the city. Latin SF joins its sister organization China SF, which focuses on cross-border investment.
Silicon Valley’s Journey to New and Emerging Markets growing middle class, which often drives consumerism. Furthermore, China and India, with populations of more than one billion, are in the midst of a shift from offline to online. We’re seeing U.S. and European Internet business models localized in emerging market countries. Examples include the revolution in the taxi and transportation business led by Uber, which in turn has led to startups such as Didi Kuaidi in China, Ola in India and 99 Taxi in Brazil. (Uber and Didi Kuaidi, which booked one billion rides in China last year, are considered unicorns.) The fastest growing economies over the coming decades will be those of emerging markets, and despite the volatility, Bay Area and
Latin SF reflects the city’s historic ties to Latin America, and promotes economic activity between San Francisco and Latin America. SVB’s Global Gateway team members were active members of the delegation, and organized events for Mayor Lee to meet Brazilian venture capitalists and local entrepreneurs. Investors and entrepreneurs continue to remain optimistic despite the difficult political and economic conditions, as they are targeting market opportunities that are not related to energy and natural resources which are the sectors most adversely impacted. In addition, given the longer term time horizons of early stage venture capital, most investors feel conditions will be much more favorable when they exit their investments
Andy Tsao Andy Tsao is a Managing Director and leads SVB’s Global Gateway, which assists innovation companies in the emerging markets with their US and international market expansion. In addition, Tsao leads SVB Global Private Equity Services, working with SVB’s international private equity and venture capital clients, particularly those in the emerging markets. He brings more than 20 years of experience banking dynamic companies in technology industries worldwide. In his roles, Tsao manages SVB’s relationships with venture capital and private equity firms outside the U.S., and also helps emerging market companies as they seek U.S. market entry, and U.S. companies as they seek to expand abroad. In both capacities, Tsao provides these firms with strategic advice and banking services, including debt financing, based on a deep understanding of their needs. Previously, Tsao led and helped found SVB’s U.K.-based operation, SVB Financial Group UK Ltd, which was established in 2004. Tsao is a TiE Silicon Valley Charter Member and Asia America MultiTechnology Association (AAMA) Silicon Valley Co-President and Charter Member, and serves on the West Coast Advisory Board for Colgate University. Tsao earned a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and an MBA from Boston University.
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in five to seven years. In fact, the adage in play in Brazil and many of the emerging markets today is one that we’ve heard here in the Silicon Valley – that great companies are often times built in difficult markets. As mentioned, innovative business models created in the Bay Area are being localized in foreign markets. Bay Area venture capitalists and investors are playing a critical role in providing growth capital for some of these new breakout companies. In Brazil, for example, U.S, investors are providing funding directly. In China and India, we’ve seen the proliferation of many VC funds that carry a U.S. firm’s brand name, but are separate funds managed by local VCs that invest solely in their home markets. Returnees, sometimes referred to as “Sea Turtles” by the Chinese, are entrepreneurs or investors who immigrated to the U.S., gained education or experience working in technology and then moved back to their homeland to launch or invest in a business. These individuals, many who have spent time in the Bay Area, have had a significant impact on the startup ecosystem in emerging markets as well. The Bay Area and Silicon Valley are poised to remain home to the world’s largest and most significant technology ecosystem. That being said, the future is bright for the development of many technology hubs around the world, especially in emerging markets. And we all stand to benefit. Andy Tsao is the head of Silicon Valley Bank’s Global Gateway group, overseeing the companies network of relationships with entrepreneurs and investors in emerging markets for the innovation sector around the world.
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continued from page 11... Doctor
continued from page 11... Ogle
I work for a large organization that is slow to change and sometimes puts barriers in the way of patient care. I also train residents, which challenges me to explain my thought processes and tries my patience as I guide them through procedures and surgeries. I am constantly rewarded when I see my trainees grow their skills. Ultimately I leave work grateful that I have had the opportunity to touch the lives of my patients. Working with an underserved population reminds me that I am very fortunate.
This is a perfectly fine way to do business.
Since I embarked on my career path, medicine and ObGyn has changed. We now use an electronic health record so I spend many hours after I see my patients to document on a computer. The number of surgeries has gone down so there are fewer people in my field who are performing major operations. As ObGyn’s we are becoming more specialized in the services we provide. The patient population I serve has also gotten more complex - patients have more medical problems (often due to obesity) which makes caring for them more difficult. I also see many people with social problems that interfere with their ability to comply with treatment. We do not have enough social workers and mental health support staff to help us care for our patients.
Instilling self-governance into the platform is also important and empowering. Making a feature for some students such as reminder to a user that you don’t like what they’re saying and that they should respect others. Teaching children to be kind and respectable online is just as important as what we would do in real life.
On balance I am happy with my career choice and I would recommend medicine to a student who wants to make a difference in the lives of others. If you are not afraid to work hard you will be rewarded!
SVI: What can Ogle do to turn the situation around? Hemu Nigam: Ogle can take a multi-pronged approach. First, Ogle must establish certain community rules and enforce them. They can start with a simple one such as content moderation, that is, sending a quick message to a problematic post reminding the kids that someone is watching them like a teacher in the classroom.
The Ogle executive team is committed and determined to build a platform for people to engage in behaviors that are respectful, dignified, and kind. The goal is to create a village for people to enjoy and not get hurt. Ogle will also have designated staff to provide quick responses to school and law and enforcement authorities in case of emergencies. Every excellent brand in the world exists because of the trust of its customers, communities, and stakeholders. Through various community outreach efforts, Ogle created opportunities to build their brand and win that trust.
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dmittedly, seeking help from a shaman during a 30-day retreat to the Amazon jungle was an act of desperation due to a unique set of medical circumstances. This path may not be appropriate for everyone, yet the following narrative of transformation describes a journey of hope and will encourage the belief in the role of patient self-advocacy. At times, the practice of medicine involves extreme measures as described in the following personal account of one person’s ten - plus year journey traversing the modern western medicine system and most recently a bold move to the care of a shaman. Those who possess the spirit to move forward find themselves with alternatives that lead to promising solutions. Up until a decade ago Traci was living her life as a wife, mother, sister, Rabbi, and computer programmer. She took her good health in stride and her readily available western based health care as a given. Traci is a highly intelligent, warm and open person. Since I’ve known her she naturally infuses a contagious joie de vivre into most social situations. A decade ago Traci stepped into the arena where medicine becomes an art-form; a system of finessing knowledge, experience and tools to achieve the best possible outcome. Married to an orthopedic surgeon, Traci was a confident consumer of western medicine. When she first became sidelined by a variety of physical ailments she consulted doctors who followed a routine of evaluating, prescribing and hoping for the best. Following a four-year period of treatment, Traci felt almost back to normal but never achieved a full recovery. Then an unfortunate fall from a ladder seemed to resurrect
HEALING FROM WITHIN: HARNESSING HOPE WITH THE HELP OF A SHAMAN EELI RAM
the medical merry-go-round along with a regiment of multiple pharmaceuticals. A year ago Traci’s ill health had progressed to an intolerable state. Once known for her can-do attitude Traci’s mindset shifted to a dark self-doubt. Rather than identifying as a mother or Rabbi she found herself spending more time in her head identifying as an ill person. This dynamic woman wondered if she would ever resume living a productive life while burdened with so many unmanaged health ailments. Acknowledging this radical change from just a decade ago was Traci’s rock bottom. Now was the time for her to take a good look at personal assumptions, test herself and step
eeliramwords@gmail.com
out of the “echo chamber” of her own habits. Although Traci was ill she did not second-guess her intuition. Enough was enough. Traci’s research revealed that shamans of the Amazon possess centuries of therapeutic wisdom and an understanding of the healing power of plants. A friend of a friend suggested that Traci get in touch with a shaman he had visited the previous year. With new found clarity, Traci’s insights into the world of ancient healing practices led her to this provocative solution. Traci was ready to put her faith into the hands of a shaman practicing out of the Amazon jungle. And that is exactly what she did as she embarked on a journey that crossed more than the equator but also crossed into a world filled with
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A Shaman’s Tambo
ancient healing practices. On day one as this adventurous women moved deeper into the chattering, stifling hot jungle, her brain remained on high alert as it processed this exotic setting. Home was a tambo, a small hut, with a mat on the ground where she worked with Shaman Antonio learning the healing rituals. The rites governed diet, medicine, and all ceremonies. The simple diet excluded salt and included boiled potatoes, veggies, tomatoes, brown rice and a very small amount of fruit. Indigenous medicines included ayahuasca, an entheogenic brew made out of Banisteriopsis caapi vine in combination with various other plants, cocona, a bright orange berry the size of a large avocado with an intensely acidic flavor, Kambo, collected from the Phyllomedusa Bicolor frog, a traditional medicine used by many of the tribes of the Amazon rainforest and Uncaria Tomentosauno, an herb commonly known as Uno de Gato. The most pleasant sounding medicine came in the form of a leaf bath where Traci enjoyed a cascade of dried
medicinal leaves poured over her head. Healing ceremonies filled the evening hours when, one-onone, the shaman would assess Traci’s well-being, determine the appropriate medicines, and apply therapies. It was not long before the locally sourced medicines took effect and her body began the purging process. Despite the daily discomfort, she did not waiver in her commitment. Ultimately, she achieved a sense of calm that allowed her to become a small yet integral element within the larger mosaic of jungle life and she resolved to complete the 30-day retreat. Traci’s 30-day retreat into the jungle was an act of giving up all control. She would become dependent on her shaman for both physical and also psychological survival. By letting go she also was surrendering her fear and attachment to preconceived outcomes. After emerging from the jungle and back home in the U.S., Traci was off all prescriptions, lost weight, and was feeling considerably better. During the first 40 days at home her “post dieta” included guidelines to avoid activities which may have caused an elevated heart rate, avoid physical contact, and avoid some foods such as spices, dairy, red meat and sugar. Traci’s next trip to the jungle will be in 10 months. Until that next visit, she
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will Skype with her shaman for continued spiritual guidance. Thus far the trip appears to have been successful as Traci is sleeping well, has increased mobility, remains off all western prescriptions and most of all feels a renewed sense of optimism. An important element in Traci’s success rests with the support shown by her family and friends. Traci’s supportive community helped her to take this journey freely without fear. While in the midst of fighting disease one’s impulse may be to detach from a support group of family and friends. Who wants to be judged for being sick? Traci’s success is based on the fact that she stood shoulder to shoulder with the disease. This did not always yield rewards yet she remained engaged in the constant conversation toward understanding and planning next steps. Modestly, she might say she did not have a choice. Yet she did. And she chose to remain engaged and continued to search for and find choices. Traci’s travels were more than just a trip across the equator. It was also a crossing of cultural norms of medicine and the traditional roles of passive patient to active participant. A sense of adventure allowed her to tap into self-healing powers and renewed a partnership with family, friends, and most importantly with herself.
Some of the items used during an ayahuasca ceremony
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California Standards Ensure Students are College and Career Michael Kirst, Ready
President
By:
Q
uality teaching is a critical factor in ensuring a student’s academic success. Equally important are relevant and robust academic standards. Nearly six years ago, California adopted new standards in English and mathematics, commonly referred to as Common Core standards. These new state standards were developed nationally, but were in large part based on California’s and Massachusetts’s previous state content standards, which were recognized as the most rigorous in the nation. California’s new standards aim to ensure that students graduating from high schools are prepared for the college and career experiences that await them. In English, students are required to read complex texts closely, communicate effectively, use evidence to justify responses, and engage in inquiry and research. In math, students are required to use and apply mathematical reasoning, and use math skills across content areas. They also must be able to justify, analyze, model and apply their learning to real world problems in science, engineering and technology. With the new standards, teachers have time to go into more depth
in their subjects and provide clear and concise learning targets for students. The standards are guidelines to help schools focus on deeper, richer, more applicable learning. Commitment for the new standards among K-12 educators, higher education, the business community, policymakers and the public remains strong. A March 2016 report by WestEd a national, non-partisan research agency - reveals that teachers and principals value the rigor of California’s new standards and believe they will positively impact students. Teachers say the standards help prepare students for the modern economy by building the critical thinking and problem solving skills that can be applied in any context. California’s higher education community also is highly supportive of the standards as a way to dramatically improve college readiness. The course requirements for admission into a California public university, often referred to as “a to g,” have been revised to reflect the new standards. This change is an acknowledgement of the strength of the standards and their ability to address the inadequate preparation that plagued students and universities in the past.
The new K-12 and higher education linkage in California sets our state apart from others where disconnects between the sectors still persist. The collaboration in California will help both systems transition to the new standards while ensuring that new and improved K-12 coursework aligns with university admission requirements. Today in Santa Clara County, 73 percent of high school students attend schools where their course of study is aligned with the courses required for admission into California’s colleges and universities. The percentage of Santa Clara County students completing these requirements is growing faster than the percentage of students statewide. Students and schools also are adjusting to a new statewide assessment that measures progress in meeting the new standards. Last year was the first administration of the new test and more than half of the students in Santa Clara County met or exceeded the state’s standards in English and math. Statewide, 44 percent of students met or exceeded the standard in English and 33 percent did so in math. The 2016 statewide testing continued on page 29... Michael Kirst
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M
ike Honda represents California’s 17th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives including Silicon Valley. Mike is a dedicated public service leader and has been a strong advocate on innovation and developing the jobs for the future. For almost two decades, his work on education, civil rights, immigration, transportation, and the environment in particular have helped the Silicon Valley to advance its public sector . Mike is committed to public service. In 1965 he served in the Peace Corps where he built schools and health clinics in El Salvador. He then received his bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish, and a master’s degree
in Education from San Jose State University. He worked as a science teacher for 20 years and was a principal in two public schools. In 1971, Mike was appointed by San Jose Mayor Norm Mineta to San Jose’s Planning Commission. In 1981, Mike won his first election on the San Jose Unified School Board. In 1990, Mike was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. As a supervisor, he passed landmark welfare reforms that have saved millions of dollars for the county. Mike was elected to the California Assembly in 1996 and 1998 where he worked with Governor Gray Davis to draft landmark education reforms, including smaller class sizes and increases in teachers’ benefits.
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Mike worked to pass sensible gun safety legislation. He was elected in 2000 where he has brought over $1.3 billion in funding back to his constituents for investments that help the community and create jobs. Mike helped to secure funding for the BART Extension to San Jose at the Federal level which created 13,000 jobs throughout Silicon Valley. Mike supports the Revitalizing American Manufacturing and Innovation Act. The bill would create centers for manufacturing innovation throughout the country, bringing together private industry, universities, and other entities to accelerate innovation in manufacturing. He co-authored the Nanotechnology Research & Development Act of 2003, which was passed and signed into law by President George W. Bush. The bill led to $3.7 billion in funding for critical research and development for Silicon Valley. He supported the Lily Ledbetter Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act to close the income disparity gap between men and women. Mike has also delivered over $2.4 million in Federal funding for affordable housing programs in Silicon Valley. He supports President Obama’s efforts to change the tax code so that the most wealthy amongst us do not pay a lower tax rate than middle-income Americans. Paid Advertisement
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NBA elebrates Chinese New Year O n February 9th,
2016, the second day of Chinese New Year 2016, the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets held their game in the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The game brought in extra festivity and fun by incorporating Chinese New Year themes. Photos by
James Gong
Golden State Warrior Shaun Livingston shoots a basket
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Cheering for the Golden Monkey 2016
Houston Rockets James Harden and Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry fighting for the ball.
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Buddhist Tzu-Chi Medical Foundation offers fre
How much does it cost to educate a Doctor in the United States of America? •
• Average annual costs of a public medical school (tuition only) $32,889 for in-state students and $56,796 for out of state students.
•
• Least Expensive Medical School: University of Texas, Houston $16,300
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• Most Expensive Medical school: Tufts University $55,667
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• UCSF Medical School: $32,356 for in-state tuition, $44,610 for out-of-State tuition
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• Stanford University School of Medicine: $52,491 AAMC Association of American Medical Colleges
People waiting in line to be served
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ers free dental clinic at Oakland’s Oracle Arena
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Photos by James Gong
Physicians per 10,000 population by country 50
45 40 35
30 25 20 15
10
Health care world data
Physicians per 10,000 population by country
5 0
From: the Kaiser Family Foundation
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d e t n a ch n E The nt Liang: es by Mou olor Seri n C a r h e t S a e i W T , A g n a u H Aimin Tang
H
unan artist Huang Tie Shan was born in September, 1939 in Dong Kou County, Hunan Province, China. At age 14, he debuted his artistic career with an oil painting- “The Scenery of My Home Town”. However, for the rest of his life, he focused his artistic creations using watercolor. He says “Sentimentally speaking, if we think of paintings as music, oil painting is like the piano; Chinese ink painting is like the zither; and watercolor is like a flute. Piano is grand and earth shattering; Chinese zither is lofty and elegant; but the flute is like a shepherd’s pipe to be carried personally everywhere and played in the leisure setting of the grassy plains.” Huang Tieshan’s water color series The Enchanted Liang Shan (神 美崀山) is a collection of bright melodies from the shepherd’s flute.
Liang Shan is a 3,636 ft / 1,108 m mountain peak near Huaihua, Hunan, China. The land formation in this area belongs to the Dan Xia landform with characteristics similar to that of the Grand Canyon surrounded by carved rocks of reddish colors. Human remains from 4,000 years ago have been found here. A popular local saying goes “The Guilin landscapes is the best in the world. Mount Liang’s landscape is better than Guilin” (“桂林山水 甲天下，崀山山水赛桂林”). Famous poet Ai-Qing said during when he worked at Mount Liang: “Why am I often moved to tears here; it is because I love this place so deeply.” The legendary ancient King of China, Shun Di had said: “The best of mountains, Mount Liang.” Due to its remote location, Mount
Liang is a well-preserved natural park with original environment intact. Its hills, rock formations, streams, caves and paths have never been commercially developed or exploited. This series of watercolors by Huang Tie Shan has five paintings of various scenic spots in Mount Liang bringing to you authentic colors of the region. The wonderful sceneries of the local villages, tea plantations, rivers and lakes depict simple lifestyles in pristine natural beauty. Tang Aimin is a businessman from Xiang (Hunan region). Outside of being a successful businessman, he enjoys promoting art and literature. He also advocates for the preservation of natural environment and ancient cultures.
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Kiss the ground you walk on Eco-friendly and comfortable f loor technology that you will love and cherish happily ever af ter
T
he floor covering industry has developed new technologies and styling to create environmental friendly products. Two improved products are Resilient Plank and Carpet Tile. They are versatile and may be combined to create unique designs. Resilient Plank advantages• Waterproof • Termite proof • Odorless • Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) tested • Scratch resistance • Bacteria control • Appearance of wood or stone • Durable coating and fiberglass reinforced • Fast and easy installation with strong, robust locking. Carpet Tile advantages• High performance durable backing and fibers • Versatile designs from one consistent pattern to combination for unique textures. • Individual tiles may be replaced when needed.
High end resilient floors can have a look of stone or wood; it’s 100% water and terminte resistent. Carpet tiles are easy to install and very versatile in use, practice a little imagination and thinking out of the box, you can have a floor covering that is uniquely yours.
Suggested uses for resilient plank or carpet tile are for high traffic areas include airports, healthcare facilities, offices, government facilities, schools, retail stores, etc. For residential areas, resilient plank has a waterproof surface making it a valuable addition to a kitchen or bathroom. More and more customers are appreciating the combined benefits of performance, looks and value compared to other flooring options. Both resilient plank and carpet tile are made with environmentally sustainable materials and can be recycled.
Home Flooring Plus specializes in the floor preparation, installation, and after sales service of these two new floor coverings. We carry many good quality brands, including Patcraft owned by Warren. E. Buffett. Patcraft is one of the top brands for carpet tile and resilient products. We have many years of experience in floor covering product selection and installation. We always update our knowledge of flooring design, technologies, and trends. Every floor we offer has more than surpassed our own high standards of performance and comfort. We not only care about choosing the best quality products, within the clients’ budget but also work with the interior designers and provide on-site supervision to make sure that the floor preparation ( a key to durability) and installation is perfectly done. “Only the best is good enough for you”. We stand behind our products and we guarantee that you will be satisfied.
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The Affordable CARE act in common language: (With Permission to use presentation by Brenda Taussig, El Camino Hospital Government & Community Relations)
Goal:
Benefits:
Essential benefits:
• Expand access to insurance coverage • Increase consumer protections • Improve quality and system performance • Expand healthcare workforce • Curb rising health care costs
• Children can stay on parents plan till age 26 • No denial for preexisting conditions • Rates not based on health status/gender/preexisting conditions/tobacco usage • Rates based on age, zip code, household size and income and health plan and benefit level • No annual/lifetime limits on coverage/cannot be cancelled if one is sick
• Ambulatory services • Emergency services • Hospitalization • Maternity and newborn care • Mental Health and substance abuse services • Prescription drugs • Pediatric services • Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices • Lab services • Chronic disease management. Chart courtesy of California Health Benefit Advisors CAHBA.com
https://www.elcaminohospital.org/
http://www.coveredca.com/
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Guardian Acupuncture Natural Healing to Optimal Health
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1614 S. De Anza Blvd, San Jose, CA 95129 Tel: 408-996-8404 Fax:408-996-8004 email: yeh@guardianacupuncture.org
For chronic ailments and pain, visit Guardian Acupuncture and let Dr. Yeh help you to gain health naturally with acupuncture, massages, diet changes, and life style modifications. Start today to take control of your health.
Dr. Mao Jung Yeh LAC#: 6494
Academician of The American Board of Traditional Chinese Orthopedics
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S
hin Shin Educational Foundation has been providing resources, educational services, care, and love to elementary schools in remote and rural regions of China since 1997. During this time, Shin Shin has rebuilt or renovated 342 schools and served 350,000 students throughout China, where the average per capita income is less than two-tothree US dollars a day. In addition, it provides a number of educational programs such as training and professional development for teachers and principals.
Steve Ting, Vice Chairman of Shin Shin Educational Foundation and a well-recognized community leader, has served as a board member since 2002. He was also the immediate past president for five years. Wen Yuan is the current president, and David Tsang is the Executive Director. We’re grateful for the time they took to talk about the accomplishments, impact, and challenges of Shin Shin in the nineteen years since it’s founding. Silicon Valley Impressions: With the success of Shin Shin Educational Foundation, other
than continuing its work, what challenges are you facing today? Steve Ting: During recent decades, enormous changes have taken place in education in China, so we face the challenge of how to constantly find the most effective solutions to better serve them. Another challenge is planning for our future, including identifying future leaders and planning a strategic blueprint which will help Shin Shin to continue for many years. We have also been investing more of our resources in educational
cation Foun u d E dat n i h S i c a u t i d o E o n y I t n n i n: l R i a ura u Q h l Ch S ging i
M
a n a
na
Village kids are all raised by their grandparents since the parents have to go to the cities to find work and cannot afford to bring the children along. Photo by Alex Verstak
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Wen Yuan
programs than in building school facilities. Another challenge is to find ways to effectively connect with local partners and clearly understand their needs. Shin Shin officially established a representative office in Beijing in 2013. From our office in China, we have started to develop our volunteer network. We have now 50 volunteers in China. SVI: Mr. Yuan, what programs are you implementing this year as current president of Shin Shin Foundation? Wen Yuan: This year, we will continue to support the school construction program and facility improvements in Shandong province. Our library program brings books into classrooms, creating a reading corner for the students. Our computer lab program offers opportunities for children to work on multi-media creations, and for our reading month, we hold a speech and for debate contest. We also have reading and art programs that help to engage students in their own learning experiences. This July, we will have teacher training programs in China. We will have English language training and computer skills training, as
Steve Ting
well as principal trainings in three locations. We will also be holding forums to discuss topics in rural education. To support our work, we will have a major donor fundraising event on April 23rd (Shin Shin Foundation is a California registered 501(C) (3) organization). We will hold a dinner party at Alexanders by the Sea restaurant for 120 people, and tickets will be $500 per person. SVI: David, it’s amazing that Shin Shin has grown to have such a wide presence in rural China. Did you anticipate this when you first started? David Zang: No. We had a very simple idea in mind, which was to do something for the children in Northeast China (Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning provinces). We were thinking that if we could have twenty schools, we would be thrilled.
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David Zang
the Northeast of China. However, after visiting Xiangxi, Ningxia, and Qinghai provinces, we realized that their schools were in poor condition, too. So we started to expand into these regions. After building many schools, we also realized that they had no educational resources, so we began to build libraries, and train teachers and principals. Our mission is to close the education gap between rural China and its cities. We will do whatever it takes to achieve that. SVI: Has this been an rewarding experience for you? David Zang: Yes, I have traveled to many regions in China. Children are the same everywhere, rich or poor. They are innocent and curious. When they talked to us, they didn’t hide anything. They are genuine and truthful, and I am happy to work for them.
SVI: Who did you approach first to start your work and how did you select your locations? David Zang: We started with the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office which was under the leadership of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. We started from S I L I C O N VA L L E Y I M P R E S S I O N S | M a y 2 0 1 6
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APAPA LEADERSHIP PROFILE SANDY CHAU: RAISING LEADERS THAT WILL GIVE BACK TO SOCIETY SVI: You have been very involved in Vision New America which is an organization that is focused on raising Asian American leaders who are public service minded. Please tell us about your idea of excellent leadership in Silicon Valley. Sandy Chau: Silicon Valley has many high tech company founders who are very socially conscious. For example, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan donated one billion dollars to their own foundation to “advance human potential and promote equality in areas such as health, education, scientific research and energy”. Not everyone here is like Larry Ellison, who spends all his money on himself. The younger generation is beginning to learn the value of caring for society. In terms of leadership in civic engagement, Silicon Valley has done a very good job. I want to talk about the Asian community. There are still many newer immigrants who have not yet integrated into American society. They emphasize getting ahead in a safe profession that will generate a high income. Education and earning a good living are their top priorities. Our innate passion for something more strengths and interests, are not considered. Civic
engagement has not become a priority for these families. Typical Asians have professions such as engineers, lawyers, and doctors because we are, in general, good in math and analytical skills that come from hard work, memorization and diligence. I would hope to see that as time goes on, our community investing time in developing diverse professions. Our family values should include some education on how to involve ourselves in serving and being part of society. The socalled leadership education model in business and politics is to compete for resources, market share, and positions. The giving leadership model is just the opposite from the competition mentality. The giving leadership encourages looking for opportunities to identify and meet the needs of our communities. During the last twenty years, my focus has been on developing leaders who are inspired by this vision, and willing to lead efforts in giving through the Vision New America leadership training program. SVI: At what age does Vision New America start training participants? In Vision New America, the youth
development program starts at high school. We have trained between 500 – 800 high school students. Our most famous alum is Jeremy Lin. This year, our high school students are focused on leadership in healthcare. Currently, we start with sixteen-year-oldsophomores and juniors. Children at this time begin to form an idea of their future and start to thinking about what they want to do and pursue. When they go to college they continue to search, and we continue to encourage them to be leaders. After participants go off to college, Vision New America offers continuous training to them in civic engagement. My focus in the last five years has been developing the Vision New America training program for college students. We provide them with funding, special programs and internship opportunities in civic engagement. Civic service throughout their college years will instill in them the talent and leadership skills they will need as they move into the workforce. SVI: What do you think of the environment here Silicon Valley in terms of philanthropy? Giving back to the community, making a contribution to the society, is an empowering process, for the community as well as the individual. In many cases, the individual receives more blessings
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from the giving experience. Giving is a simple human pleasure. You don’t have to be strategic, you don’t have to fight over other people. You just simply give. As we can see from Google, Salesforce, Facebook and many
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other companies in Silicon Valley, the hightech industry is very blessed - they create so much value for society as well as financial gains for themselves. It is very encouraging to see many of them caring about society and giving back in a big way. I am very
very thankful for SiliconValley, and I hope that our hardworking engineers will follow the lead of the companies they work for, taking their place as civic leaders, despite all the difficulties.
For California overall, ensuring successful implementation of the standards in every classroom is a major undertaking. The state’s
6.2 million students, 300,000 educators and 11,000 schools are counting on our steadfast support for their ongoing work.
continued from page 16... Michael Kirst
season has begun, and educators predict that overall student scores could rise due to familiarity with the new test and exposure to the standards. According to the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, seven out of 10 jobs today require proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math. These are skills that the new standards will help students master during their K-12 academic career. A review of progress in Santa Clara county shows that many schools and students are on the right path to meet the challenges of the new standards.
Brand New European-style manor designed by locally renowned Kohler associates Architects/a showcase combination of Contemporary elegance and private silicon valley living! Total square footage per architectural plans is 13,500 Sq Ft - Main House 11594, Guest House 808, Attached 1 car garage 264, Detached 2 car garage 484, Covered Porches 350) The perfect combination of comfort and luxury! Located in the beautiful and desirable central section of Atherton. Upon driving down the long private driveway this beautiful three level estate begins with foyer that features an urban sheik staircase, fully automated for sound, lighting, security and more, 8 Suites, 9 full bathrooms, 3 powder rooms, 6 fireplaces, a theatre, gym, temperature-controlled wine cellar, steam room, library, elevator, guest house, pool, fire-pit, outdoor barbecue, 3 car garage.
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Catherine Qian
Intero Chairman Circle (Top 1%) Intero Prestigio Specialist ASP
Catherine specializes in Cupertino, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton ...
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The Story behind Timely Rain By Chase Chen, Harvard Graduate School of Education
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y name is Chase Chen, founder of Timely Rain Microfinance Non-Profit Corporation, and student at Harvard Graduate School of Education. My interest in education stemmed from my vision to improve economic conditions in impoverished communities around the globe. Extended travels around the world have given me a profound international perspective. Despite having lived and studied in China, Canada, and the United States, I never felt the need to assign a hometown for myself. My nationality is Canadian, but I also think of myself as a global citizen. I had grand dreams as a high school student, but I knew that I had to start by interacting with the communities around me. As a result, when I attended university, I sought for ways to make a difference in the extremely diverse student body of UC Berkeley. As the founder of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, I chartered one of the oldest and largest fraternities in the U.S. onto Berkeley campus to establish a new home for students seeking friendship, advice, and brotherhood. As the president of the Chinese People Union, I planned and coordinated trips, festivals, and shows to ensure fellow international students can
feel at ease in a new environment. Outside of academia, I worked as a policy intern at San Francisco City Hall, and an educational consultant in Bay Area tutoring centers. Even though I have greatly enjoyed my involvement in multiple local communities, I still felt that there was something missing; there seemed to be a calling to reach further and accomplish more. When I was admitted into Haas Business School in my junior year, a transformative experience marked a turning point in my outlook of life. I joined a Philanthropy and Leadership Program and went to Ningxia, China, where my team and I used microfinance to help underprivileged people. We assessed their portfolios, analyzed market trends, made investments (entrusted by microfinance companies and banks), and subsequently improved the economy of local communities. After witnessing the improved financial conditions of local farmers, I found what I was searching for. Through this trip, I realized that my business skills can make an impact all the way across the globe. After having determined my calling, I founded Timely Rain to invest in small businesses, organize fundraising activities, and make
donations. I sought to emulate one of the first successful microfinance institutions in the world, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, and I was fortunate enough to be accepted as their microfinance intern in the summer of 2013. It was a one-of-akind experience, as I got to personally observe how a developed microfinance institution operates on a population suffering from extreme poverty. In addition to having well-defined management and operating structures, Grameen Bank regards all of the potential borrowers as family and offers supportive work such as teaching them fundamental business and accounting strategies and motivating them with slogans and relatable examples. One of the senior managers there emphasized that the success in Grameen microfinance initiatives lies in the fact that they teach the players the “tricks� to the game. This environment is especially good for enabling the borrowers to assume a strong sense of responsibility. It puts very little burden on the enforcers of rules, allows little room for error, and minimizes wasted efforts and resources as lenders are not compelled to guess or predict potential problems if proper feedback is always available. A positive climate within the leadership pyramid resonated throughout the branches
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of Grameen, weekly borrower meetings, and other charitable activities. Even though most borrowers did not have collateral, with positive mindsets and proper skills, they were more dependable than those who had massive wealth yet were not motivated enough to pay their loans. I interviewed many borrowers, and it was clear that they were confident in the education they received and were eager to work with Grameen staff to make their dreams come true.
financial knowledge (which could be too theoretical or simply insufficient), and failure to tackle different challenges can be the gravitational pulls that drag impoverished individuals back into the cycle of poverty. Just like how we should teach a man to fish, in order to prevent potential relapse, we need to provide borrowers with sufficient mental and monetary boost to escape the cyclical bondage of poverty once and for all.
In Bangladesh, I have seen firsthand that financing, although helpful, is inherently limited and can only go so far. Education and empowerment are the keys to helping people around the world escape the cycle of poverty. Modifying Timely Rain’s mission statement, I combined financial service provision with the development of global economic awareness in our local education system by providing opportunities for high school and university students to get involved in microfinance work.
I realize that initiatives started by small organizations like Timely Rain, albeit well-intentioned and effective to a certain extent, cannot be long-term solutions.
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Strengthening the building blocks of all microfinance organizations is the only way for me to impact a bigger audience much more quickly. This ideology drove me to think about how I should use elements of psychology to design workplace training and development programs in the context of Chinese microfinance initiatives to help employees become better at what they do. At Harvard’s Special Studies Program, I committed myself to transform global communities through an appropriate amalgamation of business, psychology, and education. In a year’s time, I hope I will have pieces of the answer I am looking for.
UC Berkeley psychology professor Kaiping Peng also piqued my interest in utilizing psychology to more effectively deliver education and ensure lasting impact. After working as a research assistant in Tsinghua University to study the applications of positive, cognitive, social, and cultural psychology, I have further solidified my belief that the most important economic resource for fueling positive changes is not money, but people. Compared to the maturity and effectiveness of Grameen Bank, many Chinese microfinance institutions in rural regions are still in their infancies. Temporary amelioration of financial urgencies with money is never the best answer. Factors such as lack of confidence/ motivation, inability to apply S I L I C O N VA L L E Y I M P R E S S I O N S | M a y 2 0 1 6 SVIspring2016.indd 31
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Our community market W
hole Foods Markets have been a national phenomenon for the last thirty years. Not only has it instilled its food and agricultural philosophy in the American grocery system and food practice, it has led each community where it has a store to be aware of their local farmers and how to protect their agricultural systems.
It will be in the Santa Clara Square MarketPlace. It’s near the Levi’sStadium and we are happy to serve that community. We are also planning to open a Whole Foods Market in Walnut Creek and in Sacramento in 2017. We are also going to open two 365 concept stores in San Francisco and Concord.
Recently, it has encountered some challenges. With negative news last year for overcharging its customers, and with more and more competition in the organic food market, Whole Foods has seen its stock decline. How is American’s healthiest grocery store doing in 2016? Silicon Valley Impressions interviewed Beth Krauss, Public Relations Coordinator for Whole Foods Market Northern California and Reno region about its new and exciting plans for 2016 and 2017.
SVI: Tell us about your concept stores.
SVI: We have been anticipating the opening of your Santa Clara Store as well as the 365 stores this year. Can you discuss these stores and what other plans you have for Northern California? Beth Krauss: Our Santa Clara Whole Foods Market will open this summer. This is a 50,000 square-foot full service store like every one of our other stores.
Beth Krauss: Our 365 stores are a little smaller than the Whole Foods Markets. They are about 20,000 square feet with more streamlined products. They carry our 365 house brands, as well as local brands. We are committed to the same quality as our larger stores but they will be smaller, affordable and condensed. The 365 stores will provide value and convenience for our customers living in urban areas who want to stop in for a quick meal. We will have digital integration too which I will not disclose here. The 365 stores won’t be a full service experience like Whole Foods Markets. They won’t have a butcher to cut and clean meats for our customers; it will be a grab-and-go place. SVI: Last year we saw some negative news about Whole Foods
Beth Krauss Markets. Fortunately none of it pertained to our neighborhood. How is Whole Foods dealing with the issues mentioned in the press? Beth Krauss: Today the media is everywhere, news from one place can easily affect the whole area. Whole Foods Market is a company that very assertively stands for a lot of things. We state all the time that we care about the environment, and we care about animal welfare. We have a commitment to our team members, and we want our customers to have a better experience at our store. Other retailers don’t come out and say those things. So the media can be more critical towards us because we are willing to take a stand and be accountable for it. People also see us as a higher quality grocery store, so they demand more quality from us. However, we believe in what we do and we believe in communicating openly to our customers. If we made a mistake, we will admit it and be transparent about it. We listen to our customers and we will
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do what we need to make it right. We have a lot of great customers, we are working very hard to evolve our business, to be more affordable and more dependable. As for the weights and measurements issue, that was within one city and it got blown up to affect the entire company. We are paying attention now and we are checking closer on it on a daily basis. We have put signs on all of our check stands telling our customers that if they think that they are being over or undercharged, to please let us know. For overcharged items we will give a refund or make it free of charge. We also trained our team members to handle these issues. (Note: the company has hired a third- party company to verify that Whole Foods packaged foods are not under weight or overcharged.) SVI: Can you briefly discuss a few of your community programs? Beth Krauss: We have two ongoing programs that are focused on community giving. Our 5% Day
Event is a program where, four times a year, we give to a charity that our regional teams select. Our next one will be on April 6th, and every Whole Foods Market store will donate five percent of their proceeds to the Community Alliance of Farmers, an organization that works with family farms to develop their products and promote local healthy eating. The CAF organizes farm-to-school and farm-to-hospital programs, enabling school children and people who are sick to have access to locally grown foods. This is a great program, especially for kids, who get exposed to locally grown foods, like them, and bring them home. In the past, through our 5% Day program, we have donated to the Planet Bees Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that works to protect the pollenating bee population, the American Heart Association, and to teens cooking in school programs. We also have a Nickels For Nonprofit program which invites
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our shoppers to donate their bag refunds to local charities through our online donation portal. Any charitable organization can go online and apply for food or gift cards donations Our lending farm programs gives local food producers low rate and low interest loans. These loans enable the small food producers to launch sauces, jams, or products when they cannot find funding from traditional sources of capital or collateral. This helps them to be a part of the local food economy. Since the program began, we have given more than one hundred of these loans here in Northern California. Sometimes, we also give grants to small producers with no strings attached to help them grow. SVI: Thank you Whole Foods Market for introducing America to a new way of eating, and thank you Whole Food Market for offering support to our community. We look forward to your new stores, and to innovations in the way we shop and manage our health.
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Raising culturally competent children: Little Tree Montessori International School and Growing Tree Learning Centers E
stablished in 2004, Little Tree Bilingual Montessori Preschools, and Growing Tree Learning Centers have graduated almost 700 students. In 2013, Little Tree Montessori International School was established to offer more languages besides Mandarin, as well as internationally-geared curriculums. Today, all together, Little Tree and Growing Tree schools serve a total of almost 800 students. All the schools are founded on the idea that the combination of Montessori and bilingual education is best for early childhood education. “We have discovered after many years of education experience, that the Montessori system is the most complete and the most humane, inspiring children’s curiosity and desire for learning. We hope to promote this type of education and let more and more children experience its benefits” school founder Jerry Chen said. Montessori education respects children’s inner drive and curiosity. It builds skills so they can learn through exploration. In a Montessori classroom, there
are rich teaching materials to explore the areas of practical life through the five senses, plus math, language, natural sciences, music, and geography, as well as giving children a chance to be exposed to many aspects of international cultures. In the Montessori classroom, the teacher is a guide while the students are active participants in their learning experiences. Learning in a Montessori classroom is calm, unrushed and quiet. Children can pick their
own areas of interest and explore without interruption. Another element to introduce in early childhood education is learning a second language. Many educators have published reports showing that exposing children to another language at a young age promotes the development of “out-of-the-box” thinking. Children learning to communicate in more than one language have the tendency to try to use more than one mode of communication to express themselves.
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www.ilovegrowingtree.com
www.littletreemisg.com/
Erika Levy, Ph.D, assistant professor of speech and language pathology of Columbia University Teachers College, proposes that the best age for kids to learn another language is between two or three years old. “Kids this age are developing language skills rapidly, and they quickly absorb whatever they hear, and they can learn to understand new words in two different languages at an incredibly fast rate.”
age three, and we lose the capacity to hear and produce certain sounds if we aren’t exposed to them early on, according to Francois Thibaut, director of the Language Workshop for Children, in New York City.
Growing Tree Learning Centers and Little Tree Montessori International Schools celebrate many cultural holidays. Students learn about the history and traditions of Chinese New Years, Cinco de Mayo, Dia de los The ability to hear different phonet- Muertos, the Dragon Boat Festival ic pronunciations is sharpest before and the Moon Festival, Dawali,
Thanksgiving, Christmas and many others. Music, stories, foods, as well as arts and crafts related to these cultural events, are incorporated in the curriculum so the children can experience the joy of these festivals. Having the best combination of Montessori and bilingual educational with a large base of students, Growing Tree Learning Centers and Little Tree Montessori International Schools will enrich our community with culturally competent citizens. Although bilingual education needs to extend beyond preschool, Having Little Tree and Growing Tree experiences is a great start.
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Remembering
Camilla 1931 - 2016
T
he El Camino Youth Symphony was created in 1963. It is older than many corporations in Silicon Valley. Its last music director, Dr. Camilla Kolchinsky, had led local young musicians to a rich music education as well as international experience. On February 16, 2016, Dr. Kolchinsky passed away, leaving deep rooted musical memories with many people in Silicon Valley who had played under her baton. Silicon Valley Impressions interviewed the Executive Director of ECYS, Cathy Spieth, in memory of Dr. Kolchinsky’s life and work, and her connection with the orchestra she had so loved. SVI: When did you join ECYS? And What was ECYS like at the time? Cathy Spieth: El Camino Youth Symphony started in 1963. I have been with ECYS since 1995, starting as their operations manager. I became their executive director in 2001. Dr. Kolchinsky came to
ECYS a year before me in 1994. When I first came to ECYS, she had been the artistic director for just one year. The board of directors who had hired her determined that ECYS needed to attain higher artistic achievement. At the time, my eldest daughter was playing in the symphony. She loved Dr. Kolchinsky, and so did the other kids. In order to raise the quality of ECYS’s music training, Dr. Kolchinsky brought revolutionary programs to the symphony: she started the sectionals and progress checks for the musicians. This gives the children a chance to work with a music director closely on an individual basis. The most important thing is that Camilla brought great heart, great soul and great inspiration to her work and her orchestra. SVI: How was Camilla’s music selection different from previous music directors? CS: For a high school youth symphony, ECYS had always had
high standards with the repertoire. Camilla brought more Russian standards, great personal knowledge, and inspiration in classical music. Very few youth symphony orchestra artistic directors had met Shostakovich, and was friends with and had conducted Rostropovich. She personally knew many great artists and musicians, and could tell stories about them and what she had learned from them during her studies. She also decided that we needed to offer kids who wanted it, a more demanding program at the preparatory level. She created the Sinfonieta orchestra and the Gabriel honors strings, where she conducted and coached them in preparation for our senior symphony. SVI: The ECYS senior symphony goes on a summer European tour every other year. Did Camilla start the European tour when she came on board? CS: Before Camilla, ECYS had gone to Hawaii in the ‘80s, and New York in the early’ 90s. We
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played in many concert halls. When Dr. Kolchinksy came, she was determined to have the orchestra tour Europe. In 1996, two years after she came here, she started that tradition. We competed in the Youth in Music Festival in Austria and won top prizes. Dr. Kolchinsky accepted an award for ECYS.
small child came over to play, she could be so happy to see a young person develop as a musician. It was a great experience for me to spend so much time with her.
SVI: Did Camilla work with other youth symphonies before coming to ECYS?
Cathy Spieth: Camilla’s family was very poor in Moscow. They lived in a crowded apartment. Her own space in the apartment was underneath the dining table where she could store her own things. She studied violin at a very young age, and she was placed in the school for gifted young musicians.
Cathy Spieth: Prior to ECYS, Camilla was the music director for the University of Santa Barbara. She also conducted in New Jersey, New York state, Israel, and Oslo, in community and professional orchestras. SVI: What was it like to work with her? Cathy Spieth: I have often said that aside from my mother, Dr. Kolchinsky was the most influential woman in my life. She taught me about passion, about working hard, about caring, about the potential of every human being, especially the potential of every young person. She strengthened me with her strength and passion. Part of my job was to work with her on season planning, scheduleing, and policy and rules for ECYS. She could be very determined and but also very changeable. Sometimes when we had a schedule and had to stop on time, she would be in the middle of a very passionate piece of music and she was unstoppable. I had to learn to manage that, and I had to be strong. It’s a beautiful thing that she was so passionate, but sometimes life has to go on. She loved children, she would light up with joy, at auditions, when a
SVI: Tell us something about Dr. Kolchinsky that you remember well.
She had to practice in the cold hallway. When she got older, she started working at a movie house accompanying silent films. She discovered that she had a great passion for conducting. At the time, it was unheard of for a woman to conduct. Also being Jewish in the Soviet Russia was a challenge to making progress - she had two marks against her. She would often tell me “ if you are not allowed to go in from the front door, you have to go around and find a window to get in.” That was the story of her life, because she met challenge after challenge and heard “no” so many times, that she had to find many ways to pursue her passion. After studying violin, she got into conducting programs in Russia and started conducting local and community orchestras, including the Bolshoi orchestra, and really made a name for herself. However, fame brought her other troubles. The authorities in the Soviet Union would not allow her to accept engagements outside of the country even though she was invited to many places in Europe to perform.
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In 1975 she was invited to perform in Prague Spring, a renowned festival where many great conductors performed. But, again, the authorities would not let her go. Finally an agreement was reached and she was allowed to go to the festival but not allowed to perform. She was presented with the Smetana medal. She was very touched but it was also very painful for her. Camilla was told that if she were able to conduct, that she would become a star. However, she had to go home. When she went home, she told her family that in order be a conductor, she had to leave the Soviet Union. In 1976, Camilla left her country and family to come to the West. I give someone like her enormous respect for forging a path despite difficulties. She was truly a magnificent woman. That’s the Camilla I know. SVI: When was the last time she conducted the Symphony? Cathy Spieth: It was May 2015. She conducted the Sinfonieta orchestra, and was 83 at the time. Those that knew and loved her understood that leaving ECYS was hard. She couldn’t do what she loved anymore. Music was her life. ECYS was her life. After retirement, she planned to move to Baltimore to stay with her sister and take some private students but she died before that could happen. We are fortunate to have many talented people devoting their lives to our community. Camilla’s passing away was not only a formidable loss for the 500 ECYS students, but for Silicon Valley as a whole. Fortunately, the legacy of her love and passion for classical music has blossomed in the lives of thousands and thousands of our area’s youth to carry on and to continue.
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Book Review:
by George Tyson
American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism 1865-1900” H.W. Brand
M
ost of us, if we think of the United States from 1865 to 1900 at all, have a pretty murky idea of what was happening back then. We might know that there was a long line of mostly Republican presidents sporting long beards, and maybe we have some idea that there was Reconstruction in the American South. But it was a vibrant time, as detailed in this thoroughly-researched history. America morphed from a largely agricultural, divided nation into a world power, with incredible growth in population and industrial capacity.
it possible for readers to just focus on areas of their greatest interest. Even our most avid historians found surprising things we didn’t know before. All of us found it interesting to compare and contrast some of these issues of that time (e.g. Do large corporations control the government?, Do traditional political parties meet our needs?) and compare them to today.
This didn’t happen without growth pains, however. The creation of massive industrial trusts (including oil, steel, banking, and railroads) put unbridled capitalism at odds with democracy, with important repercussions in labor relations and political corruption. Massive immigration created cultural strains as the new Americans tried to assimilate. Growth of cities led to new approaches for housing and infrastructure. Frustration with existing political systems led to new break-away movements, and strains emerged between different parts of the country. Relations with Native Americans reached a crisis, with often tragic consequences. Military adventurism reared up, creating further strains as new territories (e.g. the Philipines) were added to American control. And, of course, there was Recon- struction. Although industrial growth increased the economic connections between the opposing sides in the Civil War, the social issues of treatment of African Americans kept the South distinct, with the passage of laws that strike us as unbelievable today. Our Cupertino Rotary book club group found this to be a thorough, if a bit dry, treatment of a littleknown era in our history. The division of chapters by major issues (e.g. the Trusts, Reconstruction), made
(Cover Courtesy of Anchor books, a Division of Random House)
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Published on Mar 1, 2016
Silicon Valley Impressions Magazine 2016. We remember Camila Kolchinsky, looking at hospitals and healthcare in Silicon Valley.
Published on Mar 1, 2016
Silicon Valley Impressions Magazine 2016. We remember Camila Kolchinsky, looking at hospitals and healthcare in Silicon Valley.