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.

The Business Case for Why and How Mobile Phones Can – and Should – Move Towards Circularity

A report published by GSMA focuses on how "to develop a compelling business case for why and how mobile phones can – and should – move towards circularity." The report explores the following research questions:

1. Current status: How linear or circular are mobile phones, and how have relevant trends evolved over the past few years? What are the most common business models for phones used by mobile operators?
2. Adapting to emerging trends: How are consumer preferences and regulations accelerating the transition towards circularity? How are manufacturers, operators and other stakeholders responding?
3. Scaling circular business models: Which circular business models are most promising for mobile operators, and how can they be scaled up? What are the roles of operators, manufacturers, refurbishers and other stakeholders in overcoming barriers?

The report's key findings include:

• Consumer trends, regulatory requirements and growing impacts of e-waste are converging to challenge the traditional linear business model of the mobile phone industry.
• Rapid technological developments and growing demand for mobile connectivity contribute to significant environmental and social impacts from the production, use and disposal of mobile phones.
• Circularity is a critical lever in reducing the environmental impacts of mobile phones since most of them come from materials sourcing and manufacturing.
• Consumer and regulatory trends are driving the shift toward a more circular economy, albeit with significant variation between countries and regions.
• Circular business models – such as repair services, refurbished devices and trade-ins – offer a range of commercial benefits for the industry, including cost savings, new revenue opportunities, greater customer loyalty, improved brand reputation and supply chain resilience.
• Circularity also yields significant environmental and social benefits for companies and customers, including achieving climate targets, reducing e-waste, promoting digital inclusion and supporting local economies.
• Many mobile operators are already developing circular business models, but face barriers in scaling up.
• Collaboration is crucial to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for mobile phones.
• Ultimately, circular business models need to be financially sustainable, advance environmental goals and meet customer needs. 

Regarding the need for greater circularity, the report lists three ways circularity of mobile phones can be increased:

1. Reducing the environmental impacts of manufacturing by using circular resources, such as recycled and recyclable materials and renewable energy.
2. Increasing the potential and actual lifespan of phones by repairing and refurbishing existing phones, designing phones to be more durable and repairable, and providing adequate software and security support to match the potential physical lifespan of devices.
3. Ensuring no device ends up as waste by recovering and recycling phones that have reached their actual end-of-life.

With respect to opportunities for collaboration, the GSMA notes: "Phone manufacturers, network operators, refurbishers, recyclers, users and governments all play important roles across the mobile phone life cycle and value chain, but no single stakeholder can achieve circularity alone." Moreover, "While mobile operators are making progress in developing and scaling circular business models, responses to the operator survey indicated specific areas in which operators are seeking closer collaboration with manufacturers and other stakeholders, including":

• Joint marketing and education initiatives on circular services and products, takeback and e-waste management;
• Working with manufacturers on customer incentives, including extended warranties and special pricing;
• Authorized service provider agreements with manufacturers on repair;
• Collaboration on national takeback schemes with other operators, manufacturers and governments.

"Advancing circularity requires partnership and collaboration across the value chain to help overcome barriers – many of which are shared," the report concludes."

What are your recommendations for increasing collaboration to advance circularity of mobile phones?

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.

Report Delves Into the Transformative Power of Digital Innovation and Its Role in Driving Economic Prosperity

GSMA Intelligence published an insightful report that delves into the transformative power of digital innovation and its role in driving economic prosperity. Titled Economic growth and the digital transformation of enterprises, the report notes that "Industries worldwide are undergoing a profound digital transformation, reshaping the way businesses operate and interact. Connectivity, which is expected to account for 21% of enterprise digital transformation spending from 2024 to 2030, has become a critical enabler of this transformation. Businesses that can embrace advanced technologies that leverage connectivity, such as AI, IoT, robotics, AR/VR, big data analytics and cloud computing, can enhance operational efficiency, improve customer experiences and unlock new revenue streams."

Regarding how digitalization of enterprises is accelerating, the report says "This trend has been further accelerated by global challenges, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. These challenges have all underscored the critical importance of digital infrastructure in ensuring business resilience and continuity."

The report's key findings are listed below:

• 5G solutions are amplifying digital transformation, but enterprise adoption is still limited. Initial 5G adoption has unlocked new use cases and accelerated digitalization for early adopters across industries. But the reach of enterprise adoption of 5G remains limited. For example, according to GSMA Intelligence’s Digital Transformation Survey 2024, only 2% of surveyed enterprises had deployed 4G/5G private networks.
• Digital transformation's economic impacts are not yet fully understood, but this report bridges the gap. While the economic impacts of mobile connectivity are well documented, the broader effects of digital transformation across sectors remain less understood. This report seeks to bridge this gap by offering empirical evidence on how the latest wave of digital technologies drives economic growth.
• Mobile technologies and digital transformation will boost global value added by nearly $11 trillion in 2030. The continued integration of digital technologies in enterprises will increase mobile’s contribution to global GDP from 5.8% in 2024, equivalent to $6.5 trillion, to 8.4% by 2030, equivalent to almost $11 trillion.
• Four sectors (manufacturing, financial services, automotive and aviation) will account for 34% of this impact. By 2030, advanced connectivity could enable manufacturers to achieve over $400 billion in annual cost savings, while the automotive sector could save nearly $45 billion in quality-related costs. Airports stand to reduce nearly $10 billion in flight-delay costs, and financial institutions could see a revenue uplift of over $140 billion through enhanced process automation.
• Realizing 5G's transformative potential requires collective stakeholder action. 5G could unleash the full potential of digital transformation, driving significant economic impact and commercial value. But the benefits cannot be realized without action from all stakeholders. Policymakers, operators and the broader ecosystem must collaborate to overcome barriers to enterprise adoption, including high implementation costs, device compatibility issues and often a lack of internal technical expertise within enterprises.

In writing the report's Foreword, Richard Cockle, Head of GSMA Foundry and Connected Industries at GSMA, explains that "The digital transformation journey is not merely about adopting new technologies; it is about reimagining business models, enhancing customer experiences and fostering a culture of continuous innovation. Enterprises that embrace this transformation, working in partnership with mobile operators, are better positioned to navigate the complexities of the modern economy, unlock new opportunities and achieve sustainable growth."

I agree with Mr. Cockle's concluding paragraph that "Together, let us embrace the opportunities that digital transformation presents and work towards a future where economic growth and technological innovation go hand in hand."

How is your business embracing the transformative power of digital innovation?

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.

More Investment in Advanced Forms of 5G Will Unlock New Use Cases and Monetization Opportunities in Europe's Mobile Economy

"Digital infrastructure has been at the heart of social and economic progress in Europe for the better part of the last three decades. Today, nearly half a billion people across Europe are connected to the mobile internet, predominantly through high-speed 4G and 5G networks," according to GSMA's annual report on Europe's mobile economy.

The report points out that "[m]obile technologies and services now generate around 5% of GDP across Europe, a contribution that amounts to almost €1.1 trillion of economic value added. 5G, in particular, is expected to benefit most sectors of the European economy, adding around €164 billion of economic value by 2030. However, achieving further growth beyond this will be challenging within the constraints of the current regulatory environment."

The GSMA importantly notes that "Europe is at a crossroads in the development of crucial digital infrastructure, with key network-performance and consumer adoption metrics showing that it is falling behind some of its global peers. This underlines the need for urgent action by the European Commission and other authorities to implement critical policy reforms to ensure that Europe's digital economy – underpinned by strong, sustained network innovation – can re-establish a leadership position in the global tech race by 2030."

Below are the key trends shaping Europe's mobile ecosystem:

• The focus shifts to 5G standalone and 5G-Advanced. "By the end of 2024, 5G accounted for 30% of mobile connections in Europe, equivalent to over 200 million connections. However, 5G has not yet materially altered mobile revenue growth, which remains low in most European markets. Shifting investment to more advanced forms of 5G, particularly 5G networks based on the standalone (SA) architecture, as well as 5G-Advanced, will be important to unlock new use cases and monetization opportunities. However, this investment will not occur automatically, and issues that limit the mobile sector's capacity to invest will need to be addressed first."
• GSMA Open Gateway gains traction. "As of December 2024, 67 operator groups had signed up to the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, accounting for 75% of mobile connections globally. The geographic breakdown of operator commitments indicates regions at par, above or below their established market share. Europe is a leading region, with committed operators representing more than 20% of GSMA Open Gateway commitments despite accounting for around only 10% of mobile connections. Many of the early API launches in the region have focused on fraud prevention and security, using SIM Swap and Number Verification APIs. These represent easy wins, given the ever-present risks from fraudsters and breaches for operators and their customers."
• Driving AI transformation responsibly. "European operators are leading the way in generative AI (genAI) adoption, with a strong emphasis on network optimization, security and enhanced customer service. Mobile operators are catalyzing genAI innovation through strategic partnerships, exemplified by Telefónica's collaborations with technology partners, as well as Deutsche Telekom's development of telecoms specific large language models (LLMs) with the Global Telco AI Alliance. To foster responsible AI, operators are prioritizing ethical AI practices to ensure fairness, protect users and reduce inequalities. The EU's AI Act sets regulatory standards for responsible AI, while the GSMA's Responsible AI Maturity Roadmap offers a framework for ethical AI use."
• Momentum builds behind aerial connectivity. "Terrestrial networks remain the primary form of connectivity, supported by the wide area coverage of wireless networks and the mass production and adoption of mobile devices. In recent years, however, technological advances in various satellite and other non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) have helped to overcome several limitations associated with aerial connectivity. Recent developments suggest that European authorities are taking steps to keep up with their global peers in the development and application of satellite connectivity, as a complement to terrestrial-based mobile connectivity services. Recent examples include the award of a contract to the SpaceRISE consortium to develop, deploy and operate the IRIS constellation, as well as the emergence of new players across the European satellite ecosystem."

Infographic: GSMA Intelligence

The GSMA also presents a list of recommended policy reforms that will lead to increased investments in digital infrastructure that "will not only be felt across the telecoms and technology sectors but across every other industry as well":

• Re-evaluate the existing regulatory framework that was conceived 20–30 years ago, and update the policy objectives and principles to match today’s market realities and challenges.
• Implement additional measures to ensure fairness in the internet value chain by defining an obligation on content and application providers (CAPs) to negotiate with internet service providers (ISPs) on the terms and conditions for IP data transport services, thereby making the negotiating parties subject to a dispute resolution process in the event that an agreement cannot be reached.
• Take a more long-term view on investment and innovation effects. The Commission needs to initiate a review of the EU Merger Regulation, which has not been reviewed for 20 years, in order to put more emphasis on the long-term investment viewpoint.
• Establish a pro-investment approach to EU spectrum policy, including the adoption of best practices to achieve a more predictable and harmonized approach to spectrum auction designs, licensing costs, the prolongation of licenses and the identification of future bands.
• Apply circular economy principles to network equipment and incorporate the EU taxonomy for green investment in electronic communication networks, based on robust metrics.

With respect to the mobile mobile industry's impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the report says the impact is "driven by the increased reach of mobile networks and growing take-up of mobile internet services. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being) have seen the biggest improvement in mobile industry impact score, according to GSMA research."

What are your recommendations for how to unlock new use cases and monetization opportunities in Europe's mobile economy?

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.