Fostering Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership in Silicon Valley and Throughout the World

Many people have asked about my latest venture, Silicon Valley Forum. In explaining why I decided to launch a nonprofit organization, let me start my reply by providing some background information. During my time residing in Seattle, Wash., I served as a volunteer with various professional organizations that provided me with the opportunity to connect with others who shared a mutual interest in international business. With the tech sector having a prominent presence in the Pacific Northwest's economy, many of my volunteer activities focused on learning from people leading some of the world's most innovative companies.

Immediately after relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2020, I started exploring local organizations where I could find a level of engagement similar to what I experienced in Seattle. The Silicon Valley Forum (SVF), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect people and organizations from around the world to the knowledge and networks of Silicon Valley, was among the organizations with a mission that aligned with my professional and personal interests.

In 2021, I learned about an event the SVF was organizing in Sunnyvale, Calif., which featured startup founders visiting from Austria. (I published a post about this event on this Forum.) This was a type of program that I had supported during my time in Seattle and was excited by the prospect of engaging with the nonprofit organization in my new home in northern California. My excitement, however, was tempered when I read a LinkedIn post noting SVF was ceasing operations. This came as a surprise since the organization had a history going back to 1992 and produced hundreds of events.

Silicon Valley Forum's Storied History

The Articles of Incorporation of The Center for Software Development were filed with the Office of the California Secretary of State on June 9, 1992 (File No. 1822829). Over the course of several years, the organization went through a merger and two name changes. As SVForum, the organization filed an Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation in 2012 listing the following purposes:

1. Engage the technology community by providing education and access to resources, creating connections and community, and facilitating the exchange of unbiased knowledge, insights, and best practices;
2. Conduct educational seminars and programs on subjects of interest to the technology community;
3. Undertake the creation, implementation, operation and maintenance of such other activities, programs, and facilities which are reasonably anticipated to assist in, or otherwise promote the development of the technology community; and
4. Do any acts which are necessary, proper, useful, incidental, or advantageous to the foregoing process.

After another renaming to Silicon Valley Forum in 2015, a Nonprofit Certificate of Dissolution was filed in 2020, effectively ending the organization's 28 years of operations.

The "New" Silicon Valley Forum

Still searching for an nonprofit organization in the Bay Area to engage with, I regularly thought about the aforementioned purposes of the now dissolved Silicon Valley Forum. Perhaps there was an opportunity to launch my own organization with a unique identity but building on the foundation of the previous organization. After performing some research with the Office of the California Secretary of State, I could not find evidence that "Silicon Valley Forum" was a name for an active corporation. I also inquired with the County Clerk-Recorder of each of the nine counties within the Bay Area as to "SVF" or "SVForum" being registered as a fictious business names (also known as doing business as). No results were found.

On March 15, 2024, I filed the Articles of Incorporation of Silicon Valley Forum, a Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation, with the Office of the California Secretary of State (File No. 6145131). The incorporation document list the same four purposes outlined in the previous organization's 2012 filing. A Fictitious Business Name Statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County registering "SVF" and "SVForum" as fictitious business names. I also filed an Application for Employer Identification Number with the Internal Revenue Service, which issued an EIN (36-510146) that is unique from the previous organization, as well as the required form to be recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which was approved on May 31, 2024.

With Patricia Berdejo serving as Chief Executive Officer and myself as Board Chair, the mission of the "new" Silicon Valley Forum is to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership in Silicon Valley and throughout the world. Through events, programs, and conferences, the relaunched Silicon Valley Forum functions as a center of knowledge and connections, covering everything from the latest tech trends to the startup and investment ecosystem. Building on 32 years of history, our organization is focused on educating, training, inspiring, and connecting technologists, entrepreneurs, corporates, and investors through high-impact events, programs and conferences.

We launched our website at SiliconValley.Forum (with much appreciation to Bloqs for donating their web hosting and development services). We also regularly post valuable and relevant information about the global tech sector on our LinkedIn page.

Our programs include the Silicon Valley Forum Fireside Chat series, Silicon Valley Forum Diplomat Series, and Silicon Valley Forum Executive Speaker Series. These events are held in-person and online. Our organization is also supporting environmental stewardship events as a way of giving back to our community.

We are planning to hold workshops focused on presenting best practices to startup founders on how to build a strong foundation to maximize success and minimize risk. Lessons will include delivering solid pitches to prospective investors, implementing effective sales and marketing strategies, and leadership development. These events will take place not only in the Silicon Valley, but in locations throughout the United States including Seattle, Denver, Washington, DC, St. Louis, Orlando, Miami, and New York City. Silicon Valley Forum's programs will also be held in countries outside the United States.

We will hold our "State of the Global Tech Sector Luncheon" in the Bay Area in December 2025, which will provide attendees the opportunity to hear from industry leaders who will share their insights about which trends will impact the global tech sector in 2026 and beyond. The intention is to hold this event on an annual basis.

I am proud that the "new" Silicon Valley Forum will leverage the history of the previous organization with a renewed mission. To produce our programs, as a nonprofit organization, we will require support from the public (and we thank you for your support).

You are invited to visit our website, follow us on LinkedIn, and engage with us on how you can support our mission of fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership in Silicon Valley and throughout the world. We look forward to hearing from you.

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.