Podcasts about Silicon Valley Community Foundation

In this episode of the Dakota Fundraising News Podcast, Pat and Konch cover notable job changes, including Kimy Ruiz Seitz joining Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Carina Diamond becoming Chief Growth Officer at 4100FS. The RIA/FA M&A segment highlights LPL Financial's addition of a $150M Texas duo and Merrill Lynch's recruitment of advisors managing $1.5B in LA and Miami. We also discuss key institutional searches, investments, and fund commitments, including updates from Ohio Police & Fire Pension and the Texas County & District Retirement System. Stay tuned for the latest industry updates and trends!

‘Everyone Watches Women's Sports' Those are the words on a shirt that you might have seen celebrities wearing when courtside at a WNBA game or while cheering during a goal made at a NWSL match. And it does seem to be true, that everyone has their eyes on women's sports. The hope, of course, is that this will help to grow the leagues, the interest, the investment, so that the future of women's sports will never be in doubt. And there are people right here in the Bay Area that are taking that declaration to heart - The Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative has been doing the good work of supporting young women in the sports world for years, by engaging with the community, with the coaches and the teachers, and by encouraging girls to take up space on the field or the court. BAWSI is supported in part by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the nation's largest community foundation. SVCF donated $3.1 billion dollars to local nonprofits in 2023, and has supported BAWSI for over 15 years. To talk more on what is affectionately called BAWSI, I'm joined by Dana Weintraub, Co-CEO of the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative, and Brisa Rojas, a BAWSI alum and board member.

Nicole Taylor, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, reveals key insights on philanthropy. In 2023, the foundation in Mountain View, California, saw its donations surge to nearly $4.6 billion from the previous year's $2.6 billion, driven by large donors. Predicting donor activity in 2024 remains challenging due to global and local factors. Donor-advised funds have broadened participation in philanthropy, allowing more people to contribute without creating private foundations. The foundation promotes donations through various issue area funds and moves contributions to a community fund if donors are inactive for over two years. It actively addresses racial justice through the California Black Freedom Fund, supporting legal education and advocacy. In Silicon Valley, tech, politics, and giving intersect, with donors from both political parties being particularly active around elections. The foundation emphasizes civic engagement and journalism to influence public participation. Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing civic engagement and combating disinformation.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1: 3:05pm- Speaking from Oakland, California, Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that his running mate will be Nicole Shanahan, a Silicon Valley patent attorney who was once married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Shanahan explained: “There is only one moment in time and one candidate that I would step into this capacity for. That time is now. And that candidate is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.” 3:10pm- Is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vice presidential selection far-left? Diana Glebova writes of Nicole Shanahan: “The 38-year-old, who has spoken about her involvement with criminal justice reformers in San Francisco, is the founder and president of the Bia-Echo Foundation, which has contributed more than $11.6 million to left-wing causes, according to a review of receipts by The Post. The bulk of that money, $10 million, went to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which passed the cash to organizations advocating for lighter prison terms and supporting lawyers representing illegal migrants in the US. The foundation also sent $625,000 to Impact Justice, which advocates giving homeowners stipends in exchange for housing newly released prisoners in private homes and whose founder, Alex Busansky, has called the US prison system ‘a direct legacy of slavery.'” You can read the full article here: https://nypost.com/2024/03/27/us-news/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-vp-pick-has-a-long-history-of-supporting-criminal-justice-reform/# 3:15pm- Joseph Mackinnon of Blaze Media writes: “CBS News' ‘60 Minutes' recently boosted the grievances of activists who fancy themselves online narrative curators, including so-called "misinformation expert" Kate Starbird, the cofounder of the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public. The liberal news network framed Starbird as a defender of truth and a victim of conservative criticism but failed to mention critical biographic information about the so-called expert, namely that she's a partisan who has taken money from the Biden administration and is named as a defendant in an ongoing legal battle over censorship.” You can read the full article here: https://www.theblaze.com/news/60-minutes-omits-critical-details-about-misinformation-expert-otherwise-painted-as-victimized-researcher 3:45pm- During a conversation with YouTuber “Destiny,” Dr. Jordan Peterson disputed that government vaccine mandates were a net-benefit societally—citing his experiences with the draconian lockdowns and restrictions imposed by the Canadian government.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (03/27/2024): 3:05pm- Speaking from Oakland, California, Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that his running mate will be Nicole Shanahan, a Silicon Valley patent attorney who was once married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Shanahan explained: “There is only one moment in time and one candidate that I would step into this capacity for. That time is now. And that candidate is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.” 3:10pm- Is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vice presidential selection far-left? Diana Glebova writes of Nicole Shanahan: “The 38-year-old, who has spoken about her involvement with criminal justice reformers in San Francisco, is the founder and president of the Bia-Echo Foundation, which has contributed more than $11.6 million to left-wing causes, according to a review of receipts by The Post. The bulk of that money, $10 million, went to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which passed the cash to organizations advocating for lighter prison terms and supporting lawyers representing illegal migrants in the US. The foundation also sent $625,000 to Impact Justice, which advocates giving homeowners stipends in exchange for housing newly released prisoners in private homes and whose founder, Alex Busansky, has called the US prison system ‘a direct legacy of slavery.'” You can read the full article here: https://nypost.com/2024/03/27/us-news/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-vp-pick-has-a-long-history-of-supporting-criminal-justice-reform/# 3:15pm- Joseph Mackinnon of Blaze Media writes: “CBS News' ‘60 Minutes' recently boosted the grievances of activists who fancy themselves online narrative curators, including so-called "misinformation expert" Kate Starbird, the cofounder of the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public. The liberal news network framed Starbird as a defender of truth and a victim of conservative criticism but failed to mention critical biographic information about the so-called expert, namely that she's a partisan who has taken money from the Biden administration and is named as a defendant in an ongoing legal battle over censorship.” You can read the full article here: https://www.theblaze.com/news/60-minutes-omits-critical-details-about-misinformation-expert-otherwise-painted-as-victimized-researcher 3:45pm- During a conversation with YouTuber “Destiny,” Dr. Jordan Peterson disputed that government vaccine mandates were a net-benefit societally—citing his experiences with the draconian lockdowns and restrictions imposed by the Canadian government. 4:05pm- Phil Kerpen—President of The Committee to Unleash Prosperity & President of American Commitment—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to breakdown a new study he helped conduct which concluded that the government-led shutdowns of businesses, schools, and churches to prevent the spread of COVID-19 resulted in a wide array of negative economic and social outcomes without providing any health benefits. You can find the full study here: https://committeetounleashprosperity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/240313_CTUP_COVIDCommitteeReport_Doc.pdf 4:20pm- Truth Social's stock price surged on Tuesday, and consequently so did Donald Trump's net worth. Amrith Ramkumar of The Wall Street Journal reports: “Shares of Donald Trump's social-media company surged 16% on their first day of trading, boosting the presidential candidate's fortune. The question is, how soon can he tap his roughly $4.5 billion stake in Truth Social? That is up to the board of Truth Social's parent company. The group includes his son, three former members of his administration and the former congressman who took a leading role in defending the former president in his first impeachment trial.” You can read the full article here: https://www.wsj.com/finance/truth-social-stock-trades-dwac-trump-18a6cd74?mod=hp_lead_pos4 4:35pm- Joseph Mackinnon of Blaze Media writes: “CBS News' ‘60 Minutes' recently boosted the grievances of activists who fancy themselves online narrative curators, including so-called "misinformation expert" Kate Starbird, the cofounder of the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public. The liberal news network framed Starbird as a defender of truth and a victim of conservative criticism but failed to mention critical biographic information about the so-called expert, namely that she's a partisan who has taken money from the Biden administration and is named as a defendant in an ongoing legal battle over censorship.” You can read the full article here: https://www.theblaze.com/news/60-minutes-omits-critical-details-about-misinformation-expert-otherwise-painted-as-victimized-researcher 4:50pm- The Philadelphia Phillies home opener has been rescheduled to Friday, March 29th at 3pm—but make sure you're still listening to Rich while watching the game! 5:05pm- Julie Mitchel, co-administrator of container royal and a Baltimore port worker, told an ITV News broadcast that the container ship, Dali, which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge had been experiencing “serious power outages” while it was docked. 5:10pm- Joseph Mackinnon of Blaze Media writes: “CBS News' ‘60 Minutes' recently boosted the grievances of activists who fancy themselves online narrative curators, including so-called "misinformation expert" Kate Starbird, the cofounder of the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public. The liberal news network framed Starbird as a defender of truth and a victim of conservative criticism but failed to mention critical biographic information about the so-called expert, namely that she's a partisan who has taken money from the Biden administration and is named as a defendant in an ongoing legal battle over censorship.” You can read the full article here: https://www.theblaze.com/news/60-minutes-omits-critical-details-about-misinformation-expert-otherwise-painted-as-victimized-researcher 5:40pm- Is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vice presidential selection far-left? Diana Glebova writes of Nicole Shanahan: “The 38-year-old, who has spoken about her involvement with criminal justice reformers in San Francisco, is the founder and president of the Bia-Echo Foundation, which has contributed more than $11.6 million to left-wing causes, according to a review of receipts by The Post. The bulk of that money, $10 million, went to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which passed the cash to organizations advocating for lighter prison terms and supporting lawyers representing illegal migrants in the US. The foundation also sent $625,000 to Impact Justice, which advocates giving homeowners stipends in exchange for housing newly released prisoners in private homes and whose founder, Alex Busansky, has called the US prison system ‘a direct legacy of slavery.'” You can read the full article here: https://nypost.com/2024/03/27/us-news/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-vp-pick-has-a-long-history-of-supporting-criminal-justice-reform/# 5:45pm- BREAKING NEWS: Four-term U.S. Senator from Connecticut and former Democrat party Vice Presidential nominee Joe Lieberman has died at age 82. You can read more here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/03/27/joe-lieberman-senator-vice-president-dead/ 6:05pm- Julie Mitchel, co-administrator of container royal and a Baltimore port worker, told an ITV News broadcast that the container ship, Dali, which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge had been experiencing “serious power outages” while it was docked. 6:10pm- Spencer Lindquist of The Daily Wire writes: “Voters say that immigration is the single biggest issue facing the country, with President Joe Biden facing his lowest approval rating over his handling of immigration, a new poll has found. The new Harvard Harris poll in conjunction with the Center for American Political Studies found that immigration is not only the top issue facing the country, but that Biden has the lowest approval rating on his handling of immigration compared to other issues.” You can read the full article here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/voters-say-immigration-is-top-issue-facing-country-biden-faces-widespread-disapproval-on-immigration 6:20pm- According to a report from Katie Rodgers of The New York Times, “President Biden is making regular calls to former President Barack Obama to catch up on the race or to talk about family. But Mr. Obama is making calls of his own to Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House chief of staff, and to top aides at the Biden campaign to strategize and relay advice. This level of engagement illustrates Mr. Obama's support for Mr. Biden, but also what one of his senior aides characterized as Mr. Obama's grave concern that Mr. Biden could lose to former President Donald J. Trump. The aide, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said that Mr. Obama has ‘always' been worried about a Biden loss.” You can read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/us/politics/obama-biden.html 6:30pm- Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., the parent company for Truth Social, now has a market capitalization of $9.44 billion after seeing its stock rise more than 14% on Wednesday—which means Republicans presidential candidate Donald Trump, who owns 60% of the company, now has shares valued at $5.66 billion. 6:40pm- Would you pay $18,000 to become an alpha male?

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3: 5:05pm- Julie Mitchel, co-administrator of container royal and a Baltimore port worker, told an ITV News broadcast that the container ship, Dali, which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge had been experiencing “serious power outages” while it was docked. 5:10pm- Joseph Mackinnon of Blaze Media writes: “CBS News' ‘60 Minutes' recently boosted the grievances of activists who fancy themselves online narrative curators, including so-called "misinformation expert" Kate Starbird, the cofounder of the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public. The liberal news network framed Starbird as a defender of truth and a victim of conservative criticism but failed to mention critical biographic information about the so-called expert, namely that she's a partisan who has taken money from the Biden administration and is named as a defendant in an ongoing legal battle over censorship.” You can read the full article here: https://www.theblaze.com/news/60-minutes-omits-critical-details-about-misinformation-expert-otherwise-painted-as-victimized-researcher 5:40pm- Is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vice presidential selection far-left? Diana Glebova writes of Nicole Shanahan: “The 38-year-old, who has spoken about her involvement with criminal justice reformers in San Francisco, is the founder and president of the Bia-Echo Foundation, which has contributed more than $11.6 million to left-wing causes, according to a review of receipts by The Post. The bulk of that money, $10 million, went to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which passed the cash to organizations advocating for lighter prison terms and supporting lawyers representing illegal migrants in the US. The foundation also sent $625,000 to Impact Justice, which advocates giving homeowners stipends in exchange for housing newly released prisoners in private homes and whose founder, Alex Busansky, has called the US prison system ‘a direct legacy of slavery.'” You can read the full article here: https://nypost.com/2024/03/27/us-news/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-vp-pick-has-a-long-history-of-supporting-criminal-justice-reform/# 5:45pm- BREAKING NEWS: Four-term U.S. Senator from Connecticut and former Democrat party Vice Presidential nominee Joe Lieberman has died at age 82. You can read more here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/03/27/joe-lieberman-senator-vice-president-dead/

Ever since former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissioner Mary Jo White announced the Silicon Valley Initiative, we have seen the enforcement division moving into the private company sphere. Major compliance and governance failures, such as Theranos, FTX, and IRL, have put the spotlight on what is communicated internally and externally in employee, customer, and investor communications. In fiscal year 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched 760 total enforcement actions, including hundreds of stand-alone, follow-on, and individual actions running the gamut from failures of conduct to “first-of-their-kind” to cases charging trading securities law violations. Money ordered in SEC actions comprised over $6 billion, almost doubling the prior year's amount.What is the role of the compliance function in the pre-initial public offering company, and who owns it, how do you get started, and when do you start deploying resources? When the government or a plaintiff comes knocking on the door, what is the role of directors in managing the response? The panel explores what the role of the compliance function is and why directors should care.The NACD Private Company Compliance: Investigations, Regulations, and Litigation Webinar was sponsored by Foley and Partners Louis Lehot and Thomas Carlucci joined this discussion together with:* Claudia Fan Munce - Venture Advisor NEA, Board Member of Best Buy, Arteris.IP, BMO Financial Corp., Faculty at Stanford University Graduate School of Business* Scott Kupor - Managing Partner, Andreessen Horowitz; Lecturer, Stanford University Graduate School of Business; Board Director, Cedar, Headway, Pearl Health, Ultima Genomics, Foursquare, Labster, Journera, SnapLogic, MIO Partners, The Global Impact Investing Network, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Genesys Works* Jeff Thomas - Executive Vice President, Corporate Platforms, Nasdaq, Inc. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit louislehotattorney.substack.com

Nicole Taylor: How Community Foundations Can Help You Do Good Where You Live Nicole Taylor, the CEO and President of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the country’s largest community foundation, talks to me about what community foundations are and how they make it easy for all of us to get off of the sidelines and make meaningful contributions in our communities. Whether you want to contribute to a fund for a particular cause, help endow your community for the long term, or open up a donor advised fund, learn how community foundations are powerful resources for anyone that wants to make a contribution to their communities, but doesn't know where to start. Think of the Community Chest cards in monopoly! To find your local community foundation, click here for the Council on Foundations Community Foundation Locator. To subscribe to my weekly Substack Newsletter, Life/Death/Law, subscribe here: https://lifedeathlaw.substack.com/ To listen to more episodes of Life/Death/Law, go to www.lifedeathlaw.com AND THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: https://www.redesigningtheend.com/ a professional education platform for the next generation of eldercare, senior housing, estate planning, and death care leaders. To follow me: twitter-twitter.com/lifedeathlaw instagram-Instagram.com/lifedeathlaw facebookcom/LifeDeathLaw Linkedin.com/in/lizahanks

I'm honored to share this special Father's Day Episode featuring my very own father-in-law, David Neale. I started dating my husband Chris when I was only 19, so I realize David has been a source of inspiration and guidance in my life for over 30 years. How lucky I am to have had his example of leadership, impact, and joy for life to light my way for my entire adulthood!  The inspiration for this episode was sparked several months ago at a big milestone birthday celebration David organized to honor his 80th year. That celebration was also the launch of a new fund he initiated through the San Jose Rotary, inspired by his experience as a grandparent to my two boys, Ryan who is autistic, and Jacob who navigates dyslexia, ADHD and dysgraphia.  In this episode, we explore the stories and wisdom of David's life, including his childhood in England, his move to Montreal and then San Jose, CA, his impactful work as the founder and CEO of The Core Companies, and all the thoughtful ways he shows up as a grandfather. We also talk about the Youth Empowerment Neurodiversity Fund, which Ryan and I have had the honor of helping to shape, alongside David and other Rotary committee members.  One of David's most significant contributions in leadership has come through his innovative thinking and outside-the-box solutions for redevelopment housing, including the creation of Art Ark, an innovative housing community for artists in San Jose, Willow Housing, a Veteran's housing project in Menlo Park, CA that includes access to critical support services, and most recently the Agrihood in Santa Clara, CA, a unique affordable housing project that includes retail and has an Urban Farm at its center.   His achievements are many, but as David says, his success did not happen in a straight line. His life journey was filled with plot twists, pivots, and even a few failures. Through it all, with my mother-in-law Anne by his side, he continued to believe in himself and his dreams. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did and leave inspired as I am to keep persevering through challenges, opening ourselves to new perspectives and out-of-the-box thinking, and knowing that each setback may bring us closer to all we've ever wanted.   About David Neale: David Neale is a leader and visionary in real estate development, known for his commitment to community building and for his innovative approaches to affordable housing and redevelopment. A career that began in 1978 in Montreal brought David to San Jose, CA in the 1980s and led him to found The Core Companies in 1989. As CEO of The Core Companies, David has built a vibrant company and spearheaded transformative projects that have left a lasting imprint on the communities they serve. Notable projects Core has completed with David at the helm include Art Ark, an innovative housing community for artists in San Jose, Willow Housing, a Veteran's housing project in Menlo Park, CA that includes access to critical support services, and most recently the Agrihood in Santa Clara, CA, a unique affordable housing project that includes retail and has an Urban Farm at its center.   His leadership also extends into community engagement and education. David spent 16 years on the board of directors for the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and served as a founding member of the non-profit First Community Housing. His almost two decades of service on the San Jose Rotary recently led David to initiate a new Youth Empowerment Neurodiversity Fund, inspired by David's experience with two of his grandchildren who are neurodivergent. Throughout his career, David exemplified a commitment to building projects that not only enhance the physical landscape but also uplift the lives of individuals and communities. His greatest accomplishment however is the family he has built with his wife of over 60 years, including his two children, and his four grandchildren.  Connect with David: The Core Companies website  David's profile on LinkedIn San Jose Rotary Youth Empowerment Neurodiversity Fund Link to Donate (select the specific fund from the pull-down menu) Topics Discussed in this Episode: David's childhood experiences in England and his mother's transition from a stay-at-home mom to small retail store business partner. The influence of David's father's ambition on his pursuit of independence and his adventures around the world. The political upheaval in Montreal during the 1970s that led David to pursue his fate and a life and career near San Jose, CA.  David's reflections on spending time with his grandchildren and mentoring them on life skills and overcoming challenges David's individual toasts at a recent family dinner, celebrating each grandchild's unique qualities and stages in life, one example of how he mindfully engages with them. David's efforts to understand and champion his neurodivergent grandsons, Ryan and Jacob, and his leadership in starting the Youth Neurodiversity Empowerment Fund through the San Jose Rotary. David's impactful career in building communities, particularly in affordable housing, including the creation of the artist housing project, Art Ark. Also why building housing communities requires more than just the physical structures.  Reflections on personal lessons learned, through many pivots and failures, and his advice for us about how to more fully live our E.P.I.C. lives.  This Episode's Challenge:  David invites us to embrace the understanding that life is not a straight line. He encourages us to adapt and pivot to new circumstances, recognizing that daily adjustments may be necessary. Despite the obstacles that may arise, David urges us to never give up on pursuing our goals and to engage in activities that we truly love. By cultivating a passion for what you do, he believes that success will naturally follow. David also emphasizes the importance of asking questions and maintaining an inquisitive mindset, as continuous learning is a fundamental aspect of personal growth. As we move through our own epic life journey, David's invitation is to embrace failures as valuable lessons and to persevere with unwavering determination, knowing that each setback brings you closer to your ultimate destination. This Episode is dedicated by:  Jacob Neale, David's youngest grandchild. Jacob can also be heard in the recording for last year's Father's Day episode with Normal Sucks author and fellow dyslexic ADHDer Jonathan Mooney. Listen to the episode here: https://mothersquest.com/different-is-not-deficient-with-normal-sucks-author-jonathan-mooney/ You Might Also Be Interested In These Father's Day Special Episodes Here Comes the Sun: A Solocast on Death, Grief, and Love Ep 75: A Call for Kinetic Partnership with While Black's Darius Hicks Ep 44: A Family Legacy of Service and Leadership with California Assemblymember Rob Bonta Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).As Mother's Quest approaches 100 episodes, we invite you to help us spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Help us reach 100 reviews to honor 100 episodes this Season Eight of the Mother's Quest Podcast! You can also support the podcast by making a contribution or joining one of our memberships at our Patron Page on Ko-Fi.com.  Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest  

Tune in to this insightful interview with Judi Powell, Executive Vice President of Philanthropic Partnerships at Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Join the host as they explore the inspiring work and initiatives undertaken by the center to make a positive impact on society. From discussing the organization's current activities to unveiling future projects, Judi provides an in-depth understanding of their dedication to serving the community. Gain valuable insights into philanthropy, community engagement, and the transformative role of Silicon Valley Community Foundation in shaping a better future for all. Host: Saankhya

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, March 30th, 2023. Alps Precious Metals Group THE PAST WEEK HAS BROUGHT SOME “EXCITEMENT” TO THE MARKETS. BANK RUNS. STOCK COLLAPSES. WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE STABLE SUDDENLY APPEARS UNSTABLE. AND YET, GOLD’S PRICE *WENT UP* AS THE HEADLINES BECAME MORE OMINOUS. ALPS PRECIOUS METALS WAS ESTABLISHED BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT ONE’S HARD-EARNED WEALTH FROM THE SERIOUS FINANCIAL PROBLEMS THAT ARE UPON US IS BY OWNING PHYSICAL GOLD AND SILVER. CALL JAMES HUNTER OF ALPS AT 251-377-2197, AND VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.ALPSPMG.COM TO DISCOVER HOW YOU CAN BUY PHYSICAL PRECIOUS METALS FOR YOUR INVESTMENT AND IRA PORTFOLIOS. OWN THE ASSET GOD SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED AS “GOOD” IN THE 2ND CHAPTER OF GENESIS, AND OBTAIN A PEACE OF MIND THAT CAN BE HAD WITH FEW OTHER INVESTMENTS. AGAIN, CALL JAMES HUNTER OF ALPS PRECIOUS METALS AT 251-377-2197, AND VISIT WWW.ALPSPMG.COM TO LEARN HOW TO OWN THE BEDROCK ASSET OF THE AGES.   https://www.foxnews.com/us/dna-half-eaten-burrito-ties-wisconsin-doctoral-student-pro-life-center-firebombing-attack DNA from half-eaten burrito ties ex-Wisconsin doctoral student to pro-life center firebombing attack DNA found in a half-eaten burrito helped exposed a former Wisconsin university research assistant now accused of firebombing a pro-life center last Mother's Day. The attack on the headquarters of Wisconsin Family Action in Madison, Wisconsin, came about a week after the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that would later overturn Roe v. Wade. About 10 months after a Molotov cocktail was tossed inside the office and the message, "If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either," was scrawled on the building's side, Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, was arrested in Boston on Tuesday and charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. The Justice Department said he traveled from Madison to Portland, Maine, and he purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City, Guatemala, departing Tuesday morning. Law enforcement arrested Roychowdhury at Boston Logan International Airport. "According to the complaint, Mr. Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorize and intimidate a private organization," Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said in a statement. "I commend the commitment and professionalism of law enforcement personnel who worked exhaustively to ensure that justice is served." "Violence is never an acceptable way for anyone to express their views or their disagreement," Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division said. "Today’s arrest demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue those responsible for this dangerous attack and others across the country, and to hold them accountable for their criminal actions." According to the complaint, on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison. Once inside the building, police observed a mason jar under a broken window. The jar was broken, and the lid and screw top were burned black, the Justice Department said. The police also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar. On the opposite wall from the window, the police saw another mason jar with the lid on and a blue cloth tucked into the top, and the cloth was singed. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant, the complaint says. Outside the building, someone spray-painted on one wall, "If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either" and, on another wall, a large "A" with a circle around it and the number "1312," according to the Justice Department. During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack. In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect. The affidavit said officers conducting surveillance on a protest at the Wisconsin State Capitol over the construction of an Atlanta public safety center dubbed "Cop City," observed an individual later identified as Roychowdhury. Local police officers later observed Roychowdhury dispose of food in a public trash can, and the officers recovered the leftover food and related items, and law enforcement collected DNA from the food. The affidavit says officers recovered a paper bag filled with "a quarter portion of a partially eaten burrito wrapped in waxed paper, a soiled napkin, a crumpled napkin, a stack of napkins, the wrapper of the burrito, a crumpled food wrapper, [and] four unopened hot sauce packets." "On March 17, 2023, law enforcement advised that a forensic biologist examined the DNA evidence recovered from the attack scene and compared it to the DNA collected from the food contents. The forensic biologist found the two samples matched and likely were the same individual," the Justice Department said. State Rep. Barbara Dittrich, a Republican, shared screenshots to Twitter Tuesday showing that the University of Wisconsin-Madison's website listed Roychowdhury as a trainee/research assistant for the Biophysics Interdisciplinary PhD in Structural and Computational Biology and Quantitative Biosciences. A LinkedIn profile for Roychowdhury also listed a UWMadison Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Biochemistry under education. "This man should be charged with domestic terrorism, and the good taxpayers of this state should not be paying his salary," Dittrich tweeted. In an update, the lawmaker said UWMadison campus "notified us after this post that Mr. Roychowdhurdy ended his affiliation with the UW System the year that this incident occurred. If convicted, Roychowdhury faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, prosecutors said. Transition: In world news… https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/03/28/former-general-calls-for-eu-military-in-north-africa-to-defeat-russian-mercenaries/ Former General Calls for EU Military in North Africa to Defeat Russian Mercenaries A former Italian General has called on the European Union to act militarily in Northern Africa, blaming the Russian mercenary PMC Wagner Group for the current wave of illegal immigrants. General Carlo Jean, former commander of the Italian unit of the NATO Mobile Force and Alpine Brigade “Cadore”, is the latest Italian official to blame Private Military Company Wagner — Russian mercenaries, in other words — for the surge of illegals that have arrived in Italy so far this year. According to General Jean, local governments in African countries have become too weak in the face of ethnic and tribal groups making cash from illegal migration, preventing European nations from making effective deals with governments to halt illegal migration. General Jean added that the solution to the problem is military force saying, “something that is against the values of which we are very proud. That is, force would be needed, a massive intervention, to field a colonial-type army in Africa to stabilize regimes and regions.” “The big problem is that Europe is not a state, it has neither military nor political capacity to do something that can only be achieved with rather harsh methods, with occupation and strengthening of the governments of North Africa and the Sahel. We should operate like Wagner,” he said and added that if Europe does not act military then it should resign itself to becoming a “mestizo continent.” The statements from General Jean come just weeks after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani blamed PMC Wagner for the rise in illegal migration, which has close to tripled since last year. “We have indications that they are very active and in contact with gangs of traffickers and militiamen interested in the smuggling of migrants,” Tajani said of the Russian private military group. Tajani was joined in his view by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, who PMC Wagner allegedly has a $15 million bounty on, according to Italian media reports. https://nypost.com/2023/03/29/pope-francis-hospitalized-for-lung-infection-vatican/ Pope Francis hospitalized for lung infection: Vatican Pope Francis was hospitalized with a lung infection Wednesday after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days and will remain in the hospital for several days of treatment, the Vatican said. The 86-year-old pope doesn’t have COVID-19, spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement late Wednesday. The hospitalization was the first since Francis spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital in July 2021 to have 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed. It immediately raised questions about Francis’ overall health, and his ability to celebrate the busy Holy Week events that are due to begin this weekend with Palm Sunday. Bruni said Francis had been suffering breathing troubles in recent days and went to the Gemelli for tests. “The tests showed a respiratory infection (COVID-19 infection excluded) that will require some days of medical therapy,” Bruni’s statement said. Francis appeared in relatively good form during his regularly scheduled general audience earlier Wednesday, though he grimaced strongly while getting in and out of the “popemobile.” Francis had part of one lung removed when he was a young man due to a respiratory infection, and he often speaks in a whisper. But he got through the worst phases of the COVID-19 pandemic without at least any public word of ever testing positive. Francis had been due to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, kicking off the Vatican’s Holy Week observances: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday on April 9. He has canceled all audiences through Friday, but it wasn’t clear whether he could keep the Holy Week plans. Francis has used a wheelchair for over a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture. He has said the injury was healing and has been walking more with a cane of late. Francis also has said he resisted having surgery for the knee problems because he didn’t respond well to general anesthesia during the 2021 intestinal surgery. He said soon after the surgery that he had recovered fully and could eat normally. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/elon-musk-apple-co-founder-tech-experts-call-pause-giant-ai-experiments Elon Musk, Apple co-founder, other tech experts call for pause on 'giant AI experiments': 'Dangerous race' Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and a host of other tech leaders and artificial intelligence experts are urging AI labs to pause development of powerful new AI systems in an open letter citing potential risks to society. The letter asks AI developers to "immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4." It was issued by the Future of Life Institute and signed by more than 1,000 people, including Musk, who argued that safety protocols need to be developed by independent overseers to guide the future of AI systems. GPT-4 is the latest deep learning model from OpenAI, which "exhibits human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks," according to the lab. "Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable," the letter said. The letter warns that at this stage, no one "can understand, predict, or reliably control" the powerful new tools developed in AI labs. The undersigned tech experts cite the risks of propaganda and lies spread through AI-generated articles that look real, and even the possibility that Ai programs can outperform workers and make jobs obsolete. "AI labs and independent experts should use this pause to jointly develop and implement a set of shared safety protocols for advanced AI design and development that are rigorously audited and overseen by independent outside experts," the letter states. "In parallel, AI developers must work with policymakers to dramatically accelerate development of robust AI governance systems." The signatories, which include Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque, researchers at Alphabet-owned DeepMind, as well as AI heavyweights Yoshua Bengio and Stuart Russell, emphasize that AI development in general should be not paused, writing that their letter is calling for "merely a stepping back from the dangerous race to ever-larger unpredictable black-box models with emergent capabilities." According to the European Union's transparency register, the Future of Life Institute is primarily funded by the Musk Foundation, as well as London-based effective altruism group Founders Pledge, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Musk, whose electric car company Tesla uses AI for its autopilot system, has previously raised concerns about the rapid development of AI. Since its release last year, Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT has prompted rivals to accelerate developing similar large language models, and companies to integrate generative AI models into their products.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, March 30th, 2023. Alps Precious Metals Group THE PAST WEEK HAS BROUGHT SOME “EXCITEMENT” TO THE MARKETS. BANK RUNS. STOCK COLLAPSES. WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE STABLE SUDDENLY APPEARS UNSTABLE. AND YET, GOLD’S PRICE *WENT UP* AS THE HEADLINES BECAME MORE OMINOUS. ALPS PRECIOUS METALS WAS ESTABLISHED BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT ONE’S HARD-EARNED WEALTH FROM THE SERIOUS FINANCIAL PROBLEMS THAT ARE UPON US IS BY OWNING PHYSICAL GOLD AND SILVER. CALL JAMES HUNTER OF ALPS AT 251-377-2197, AND VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.ALPSPMG.COM TO DISCOVER HOW YOU CAN BUY PHYSICAL PRECIOUS METALS FOR YOUR INVESTMENT AND IRA PORTFOLIOS. OWN THE ASSET GOD SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED AS “GOOD” IN THE 2ND CHAPTER OF GENESIS, AND OBTAIN A PEACE OF MIND THAT CAN BE HAD WITH FEW OTHER INVESTMENTS. AGAIN, CALL JAMES HUNTER OF ALPS PRECIOUS METALS AT 251-377-2197, AND VISIT WWW.ALPSPMG.COM TO LEARN HOW TO OWN THE BEDROCK ASSET OF THE AGES.   https://www.foxnews.com/us/dna-half-eaten-burrito-ties-wisconsin-doctoral-student-pro-life-center-firebombing-attack DNA from half-eaten burrito ties ex-Wisconsin doctoral student to pro-life center firebombing attack DNA found in a half-eaten burrito helped exposed a former Wisconsin university research assistant now accused of firebombing a pro-life center last Mother's Day. The attack on the headquarters of Wisconsin Family Action in Madison, Wisconsin, came about a week after the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that would later overturn Roe v. Wade. About 10 months after a Molotov cocktail was tossed inside the office and the message, "If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either," was scrawled on the building's side, Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, was arrested in Boston on Tuesday and charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. The Justice Department said he traveled from Madison to Portland, Maine, and he purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City, Guatemala, departing Tuesday morning. Law enforcement arrested Roychowdhury at Boston Logan International Airport. "According to the complaint, Mr. Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorize and intimidate a private organization," Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said in a statement. "I commend the commitment and professionalism of law enforcement personnel who worked exhaustively to ensure that justice is served." "Violence is never an acceptable way for anyone to express their views or their disagreement," Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division said. "Today’s arrest demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue those responsible for this dangerous attack and others across the country, and to hold them accountable for their criminal actions." According to the complaint, on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison. Once inside the building, police observed a mason jar under a broken window. The jar was broken, and the lid and screw top were burned black, the Justice Department said. The police also saw a purple disposable lighter near the mason jar. On the opposite wall from the window, the police saw another mason jar with the lid on and a blue cloth tucked into the top, and the cloth was singed. The jar was about half full of a clear fluid that smelled like an accelerant, the complaint says. Outside the building, someone spray-painted on one wall, "If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either" and, on another wall, a large "A" with a circle around it and the number "1312," according to the Justice Department. During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA from the scene of the attack. In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect. The affidavit said officers conducting surveillance on a protest at the Wisconsin State Capitol over the construction of an Atlanta public safety center dubbed "Cop City," observed an individual later identified as Roychowdhury. Local police officers later observed Roychowdhury dispose of food in a public trash can, and the officers recovered the leftover food and related items, and law enforcement collected DNA from the food. The affidavit says officers recovered a paper bag filled with "a quarter portion of a partially eaten burrito wrapped in waxed paper, a soiled napkin, a crumpled napkin, a stack of napkins, the wrapper of the burrito, a crumpled food wrapper, [and] four unopened hot sauce packets." "On March 17, 2023, law enforcement advised that a forensic biologist examined the DNA evidence recovered from the attack scene and compared it to the DNA collected from the food contents. The forensic biologist found the two samples matched and likely were the same individual," the Justice Department said. State Rep. Barbara Dittrich, a Republican, shared screenshots to Twitter Tuesday showing that the University of Wisconsin-Madison's website listed Roychowdhury as a trainee/research assistant for the Biophysics Interdisciplinary PhD in Structural and Computational Biology and Quantitative Biosciences. A LinkedIn profile for Roychowdhury also listed a UWMadison Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Biochemistry under education. "This man should be charged with domestic terrorism, and the good taxpayers of this state should not be paying his salary," Dittrich tweeted. In an update, the lawmaker said UWMadison campus "notified us after this post that Mr. Roychowdhurdy ended his affiliation with the UW System the year that this incident occurred. If convicted, Roychowdhury faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, prosecutors said. Transition: In world news… https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/03/28/former-general-calls-for-eu-military-in-north-africa-to-defeat-russian-mercenaries/ Former General Calls for EU Military in North Africa to Defeat Russian Mercenaries A former Italian General has called on the European Union to act militarily in Northern Africa, blaming the Russian mercenary PMC Wagner Group for the current wave of illegal immigrants. General Carlo Jean, former commander of the Italian unit of the NATO Mobile Force and Alpine Brigade “Cadore”, is the latest Italian official to blame Private Military Company Wagner — Russian mercenaries, in other words — for the surge of illegals that have arrived in Italy so far this year. According to General Jean, local governments in African countries have become too weak in the face of ethnic and tribal groups making cash from illegal migration, preventing European nations from making effective deals with governments to halt illegal migration. General Jean added that the solution to the problem is military force saying, “something that is against the values of which we are very proud. That is, force would be needed, a massive intervention, to field a colonial-type army in Africa to stabilize regimes and regions.” “The big problem is that Europe is not a state, it has neither military nor political capacity to do something that can only be achieved with rather harsh methods, with occupation and strengthening of the governments of North Africa and the Sahel. We should operate like Wagner,” he said and added that if Europe does not act military then it should resign itself to becoming a “mestizo continent.” The statements from General Jean come just weeks after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani blamed PMC Wagner for the rise in illegal migration, which has close to tripled since last year. “We have indications that they are very active and in contact with gangs of traffickers and militiamen interested in the smuggling of migrants,” Tajani said of the Russian private military group. Tajani was joined in his view by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, who PMC Wagner allegedly has a $15 million bounty on, according to Italian media reports. https://nypost.com/2023/03/29/pope-francis-hospitalized-for-lung-infection-vatican/ Pope Francis hospitalized for lung infection: Vatican Pope Francis was hospitalized with a lung infection Wednesday after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days and will remain in the hospital for several days of treatment, the Vatican said. The 86-year-old pope doesn’t have COVID-19, spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement late Wednesday. The hospitalization was the first since Francis spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital in July 2021 to have 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed. It immediately raised questions about Francis’ overall health, and his ability to celebrate the busy Holy Week events that are due to begin this weekend with Palm Sunday. Bruni said Francis had been suffering breathing troubles in recent days and went to the Gemelli for tests. “The tests showed a respiratory infection (COVID-19 infection excluded) that will require some days of medical therapy,” Bruni’s statement said. Francis appeared in relatively good form during his regularly scheduled general audience earlier Wednesday, though he grimaced strongly while getting in and out of the “popemobile.” Francis had part of one lung removed when he was a young man due to a respiratory infection, and he often speaks in a whisper. But he got through the worst phases of the COVID-19 pandemic without at least any public word of ever testing positive. Francis had been due to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, kicking off the Vatican’s Holy Week observances: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday on April 9. He has canceled all audiences through Friday, but it wasn’t clear whether he could keep the Holy Week plans. Francis has used a wheelchair for over a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture. He has said the injury was healing and has been walking more with a cane of late. Francis also has said he resisted having surgery for the knee problems because he didn’t respond well to general anesthesia during the 2021 intestinal surgery. He said soon after the surgery that he had recovered fully and could eat normally. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/elon-musk-apple-co-founder-tech-experts-call-pause-giant-ai-experiments Elon Musk, Apple co-founder, other tech experts call for pause on 'giant AI experiments': 'Dangerous race' Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and a host of other tech leaders and artificial intelligence experts are urging AI labs to pause development of powerful new AI systems in an open letter citing potential risks to society. The letter asks AI developers to "immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4." It was issued by the Future of Life Institute and signed by more than 1,000 people, including Musk, who argued that safety protocols need to be developed by independent overseers to guide the future of AI systems. GPT-4 is the latest deep learning model from OpenAI, which "exhibits human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks," according to the lab. "Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable," the letter said. The letter warns that at this stage, no one "can understand, predict, or reliably control" the powerful new tools developed in AI labs. The undersigned tech experts cite the risks of propaganda and lies spread through AI-generated articles that look real, and even the possibility that Ai programs can outperform workers and make jobs obsolete. "AI labs and independent experts should use this pause to jointly develop and implement a set of shared safety protocols for advanced AI design and development that are rigorously audited and overseen by independent outside experts," the letter states. "In parallel, AI developers must work with policymakers to dramatically accelerate development of robust AI governance systems." The signatories, which include Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque, researchers at Alphabet-owned DeepMind, as well as AI heavyweights Yoshua Bengio and Stuart Russell, emphasize that AI development in general should be not paused, writing that their letter is calling for "merely a stepping back from the dangerous race to ever-larger unpredictable black-box models with emergent capabilities." According to the European Union's transparency register, the Future of Life Institute is primarily funded by the Musk Foundation, as well as London-based effective altruism group Founders Pledge, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Musk, whose electric car company Tesla uses AI for its autopilot system, has previously raised concerns about the rapid development of AI. Since its release last year, Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT has prompted rivals to accelerate developing similar large language models, and companies to integrate generative AI models into their products.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: A Comparison of Donor-Advised Fund Providers, published by MichaelDickens on March 9, 2022 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Last updated 2022-03-09 to add Charityvest to the list of providers. A donor-advised fund (DAF) is an investment account that lets you take a tax deduction now and give the money to charity later. When you give money to a DAF, you can deduct that money just as you would deduct a charitable contribution. The DAF invests the money tax-free. At any time, you can direct the DAF to donate some or all of its holdings to the charity of your choice. You can open a DAF through a donor-advised fund provider. A provider charges an administrative fee to invest your DAF and make donations in accordance with your recommendations. For donors in the United States, which DAF provider is the best? The short answer: All of the big DAF providers offer similar features. For most people, it doesn't really matter which one you choose. If you already have a DAF, you might as well keep using it. If you have a brokerage account at Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard, then the easiest thing to do is to open a DAF with your brokerage account. That way, you can manage all your investments in one place. Otherwise, I believe Schwab Charitable is the best DAF provider for most people. The long answer: Even if all the major DAF providers are reasonably good, they do have their own strengths and weaknesses. In the rest of this post, let's look at how they compare. Cross-posted to my website. My process I made a list of every United States nationwide DAF provider I could find. I excluded regional DAF providers (example: Silicon Valley Community Foundation), providers that weren't cause-agnostic (example: National Christian Foundation), and providers that don't work with individual donors (example: American Online Giving Foundation). Your local community foundation might offer a better DAF than any of the national providers of my list, but there are too many community foundations for me to look at them all. I ended up with eight DAF providers (in alphabetical order): American Endowment Foundation (AEF) Charityvest (see disclaimer) Fidelity Charitable Greater Horizons National Philanthropic Trust (NPTrust) Schwab Charitable T. Rowe Price Charitable Vanguard Charitable This list is probably not comprehensive, but it's all the DAF providers I could find that meet my criteria. I spoke to representatives at these providers to get more information about their offerings. I also spoke to a few financial advisors who manage DAFs at different providers. I then eliminated four DAF providers: T. Rowe Price Charitable has the most investment options, but most of the funds have expense ratios of 0.6% or higher. Not worth it unless you really want those extra investment selections. AEF and NPTrust both look like decent options, but they charge higher administrative fees than Vanguard/Schwab, offer a worse user experience, and don't have any special features to compensate. So we might as well exclude them. Fidelity is nearly identical to Schwab, but it offers fewer investment options, so let's exclude it. Four DAF providers remain: Charityvest, Greater Horizons, Schwab, and Vanguard. Caveat 1: I don't have good firsthand knowledge of any of these eight DAF providers except for Fidelity Charitable, which I used to use, and Greater Horizons, which I currently use. I created accounts at Charityvest, Schwab, and Vanguard to get a sense of how they work, but I haven't tried to do anything fancy like set up an advisor-managed account. I had to make subjective judgments on things like UI, so don't take my claims as definitive. Caveat 2: This article is not about whether you should open a DAF in the first place. For some people, a foundation would better serve their needs; other people should simply keep their...

ALF Silicon Valley CEO and host of The Dialogue Podcast, Suzanne St. John-Crane, is joined in this episode by Senior Fellows Jayne Battey (Class XXIV) and Mark Bahaus (Class XX) to discuss what we can all do in the face of a changing climate. Jayne and Mark each give insights into their personal and professional conservation and climate action journeys and discuss how others can help reduce the footprint we leave on the planet. Our guests are both members of ALF's Climate Action and Sustainability Affinity Group, which aims to bring together a diverse group of leaders to consider cross-sector solutions to accelerate carbon reduction locally. About our guests: Jayne Battey is the founder and owner of Miramar Farms, a leadership development center north of Half Moon Bay. Jayne provides senior leadership coaching and facilitation for organizations working primarily on environmental, health, housing, and education work. She is vice-chair the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board and previously served on the boards of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Youth Outside, and Cabrillo Education Foundation. Jayne is a member of the ALF National Board of Trustees. Mark Bauhaus is a market-oriented systems thinker, Environmental Entrepreneur, Partner @JustBusiness, Mentor to purpose-driven startups, Senior Advisor to Joint Venture Silicon Valley, and an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow. He served 35+ years as a technology EVP / General Manager building global businesses up to $5 Billion revenue in internet consulting, software, hardware and networking products at Juniper Networks, Sun Microsystems, and Hewlett-Packard. Mr. Bauhaus graduated with a B.S. degree in "Business Management and Environmental Systems Analysis" with high honors from the University of California at Davis.

Davis is the founder and CEO of Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand with a humanitarian mission, recently backed by Bain Capital Double Impact. He is a member of the United Nations Foundation's Global Leadership Council and a Presidential Leadership Scholar. Davis previously started Brazil's "Startup of the Year,” was Silicon Valley Community Foundation's “CEO of the Year," and is an EY Entrepreneur of the Year. Davis holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA from Brigham Young University. Davis is an adventurer who has floated down the Amazon on a self-made raft, kayaked from Cuba to Florida, and explored North Korea.   Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.

Davis is the founder and CEO of Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand with a humanitarian mission. He is a member of the United Nations Foundation's "Global Leadership Council" and a Presidential Leadership Scholar. Davis was Silicon Valley Community Foundation's “CEO of the Year” and previously started Brazil's "Startup of the Year." Davis holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA from Brigham Young University. Davis is an adventurer who has floated down the Amazon on a self-made raft, kayaked from Cuba to Florida, and explored North Korea. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Asialene, and their four children. 

"Earth Patriotism" Hosts: Darren Weeks, Vicky Davis Vicky's Websites: https://thetechnocratictyranny.com http://channelingreality.com ON THIS SHOW: Anthony Fauci is being exposed as a corrupt, lying bureaucrat who needs to be investigated for possible crimes against humanity. But will there be any real consequences, now that thousands of his e-mails have been released? What is the role of the U.S. Agency for International Development in funding of dangerous viral experimentation and why won't administrator Samantha Powers answer Congressman's questions? More ransomware attacks this week on U.S. supply chains are JBS, the largest meat packer in the world is targeted. Deep dive into the evolution of the "Green" agenda, as Vicky discusses her latest research article. Rosa Koire examines the Silicon Valley Community Foundation as we say goodbye to a freedom warrior.

"Earth Patriotism" Hosts: Darren Weeks, Vicky Davis Vicky's Websites: https://thetechnocratictyranny.com http://channelingreality.com ON THIS SHOW: Anthony Fauci is being exposed as a corrupt, lying bureaucrat who needs to be investigated for possible crimes against humanity. But will there be any real consequences, now that thousands of his e-mails have been released? What is the role of the U.S. Agency for International Development in funding of dangerous viral experimentation and why won't administrator Samantha Powers answer Congressman's questions? More ransomware attacks this week on U.S. supply chains are JBS, the largest meat packer in the world is targeted. Deep dive into the evolution of the "Green" agenda, as Vicky discusses her latest research article. Rosa Koire examines the Silicon Valley Community Foundation as we say goodbye to a freedom warrior.

This past year has been trying for everyone, with the economically vulnerable particularly hard hit. In a heartening turn, there has been an uptick in both volunteering and philanthropy throughout the country: charitable giving increased approximately 25% in 2020, and volunteerism also rose in response to increasing unemployment, poverty, and food insecurity. This week on … Continue reading Nicole Taylor of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation → The post Nicole Taylor of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation appeared first on Sea Change Radio.

In 2013, the One Nation Bay Area Project—a collaborative funded by Silicon Valley Community Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, Marin Community Foundation and Asian American/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy—released a benchmark report called The Bay Area Muslim Study. In partnership with the One Nation Foundation and research support from The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, the study came after a two-year effort created to support American Muslims and non-Muslim allies working to enhance civic engagement in the Bay Area Muslim Community and to strengthen the relationships between American-Muslims and non-Muslim community partners. In this episode, SVCF Director of Community-Building Mauricio speaks with Zahra Billoo, SVCF Community Advisory Council member and Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, to reflect on the changes in the Bay Area American-Muslim community since the study was published, and the most pressing issues we face today. In SVCF’s Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. What you will learn: Zahra’s personal journey to becoming a civil rights leader The inception of the Bay Area Muslim Study is and what has changed in the last decade The most pressing issues in the American-Muslim community today and how CAIR addresses these challenges Recommendations for foundations, philanthropists, and American-Muslim nonprofit leaders Resources from this episode: Zahra Billoo, Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations of the SF Bay Area Mauricio Palma, Director of Community-Building, SVCF The Bay Area Muslim Study: Establishing Identity and Community, the OneNation Bay Area Project 2013 benchmark report Ground Breaking Study on Bay Area Muslim Community, highlights from Northern California Grantmakers Learn more about SVCF’s Community Advisory Council Did you enjoy the SVCF Philanthropy Now podcast? Never miss an episode by subscribing in iTunes, Stitcher or RSS.

What is the role of philanthropy in our community, and has that role changed during the pandemic? Can philanthropy be an agent of social change in the community? Join us to hear from Nicole Taylor, president and CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, in conversation with Dean Malcolm Clemens Young about the work of SVCF and the future of philanthropy. 

Welcome to the sixth episode in our SVCF Philanthropy Now podcast mini-series featuring conversations focused on Racial Equity and Social Justice with the members of SVCF’s Community Advisory Council. Listen to the previous episode in the mini-series here, and continue to subscribe to the podcast to hear future episodes. Katrina Logan, Directing Attorney of the Economic Advancement Program at Community Legal Services and member of SVCF's Community Advisory Council joins Joyce Song, Director of Donor Engagement at Silicon Valley Community Foundation in conversation about how formerly incarcerated community members have been impacted by the pandemic. Community Legal Services advocates for changes to policy and systemic issues that perpetuate disparities, such as overincarceration in lower income communities, particularly communities of color. Listen to learn about Katrina’s work to address these disparities, how the changes brought on by the pandemic, and how you can get involved. In SVCF's Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Welcome to the second episode in our SVCF Philanthropy Now podcast mini-series featuring conversations focused on Racial Equity and Social Justice with the members of SVCF’s Community Advisory Council. Listen to the last episode in the series here and continue to subscribe to the podcast to hear future episodes. Silicon Valley Community Foundation has continued to emphasize that COVID-19 has only exacerbated existing inequities, and we have seen that the COVID-19 death-rate among Black individuals is increasing at an alarming rate in our communities. André Chapman, Founder and CEO of UnityCare and member of SVCF’s Community Advisory Council, and Noha Aboaleta, CEO of Root Community Health Center, join this episode to discuss COVID-19 BLACK, a regional initiative designed to address the public health crisis in the Black Community. In a conversation facilitated by SVCF’s Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, Mauricio Palma, hear how the Black community has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, why such disparate health inequities exist and what COVID-19 BLACK is doing to change to make a difference. In SVCF’s Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

During the course of our first season of The Value in Giving podcast, we've been fortunate to speak to some incredible guests. They include leaders from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, UNICEF USA, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the CDC Foundation, Feeding America, and the Center for High Impact Philanthropy (CHIP). On this final episode of Season 1, Vanguard Charitable President Jane Greenfield and Vanguard Charitable Chief Strategic Planning Officer Rebecca Moffett discuss some of the highlights from each episode and what has changed since we last spoke with our guests. In addition, we also get to hear from a few Season 1 guests about what their organizations are working on today in a world where COVID-19 and social justice are at the forefront. We thank everyone who listened to the first season of The Value in Giving and look forward to sharing more conversations with leaders in the world of philanthropy very soon. For more information about Vanguard Charitable, please visit www.vanguardcharitable.org.

In this episode, you will learn about the work of Intero Foundation. Stephanie Hicks, President of Intero Foundation, speaks with Tyler Faust, Manager of Corporate Responsibility at Silicon Valley Community Foundation, in a conversation exploring Intero Foundation’s focus on local giving. The discussion delves into SVCF’s relationship with the foundation, their local work and recent grant round, how operations have pivoted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and more. In SVCF’s Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

In this episode, you will learn about the impact of COVID-19 on the economically, ethnically and geographically diverse school districts in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Director of Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s Center for Early Learning, Michelle Sioson Hyman, speaks with the county superintendents from these counties, Mary Ann Dewan and Nancy Magee, as well as the superintendent of Jefferson Elementary School District, Bernie Vidales. The conversation among these education leaders highlights the creativity inspired by teaching remotely, the challenges in distance learning and its impact on less affluent students, food insecurities of families relying on school meal services, plans for reopening schools in hybrid learning formats this autumn and more. The SVCF Education Partnership is expanding the capacity of local school districts and the County Offices of Education to address immediate challenges and long-term recovery efforts related to COVID-19, including but not limited to: Social and emotional health and wellness support for students, families and staff Distance learning, including IT infrastructure and equipment, technical assistance and training for teachers and staff, support for students with special needs and dual language learners Emergency child care centers, including additional staffing needs, program materials, health care and cleaning supplies Continued and/or expanded access to nutrition services Family engagement strategies Other extraordinary measures required to address the COVID-19 crisis and shelter-in-place orders In SVCF’s Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Start of Interview [1:51]How is a16z dealing with COVID-19, plus its new Talent & Opportunity Fund [2:31]Scott's professional background [3:48]The shift from traditional VC firm to Registered Investment Advisor (to pursue investment opportunities beyond traditional equity, such as crypto) [6:00]The governance chapters of his book The Secrets of Sand Hill Road. Distinctions between public and private venture-backed boards [12:11]:The contrast in board composition in the private and public board context [12:38]Dual fiduciary duties owed by VC directors [13:48]"Common controlled" boards vs "preferred controlled" boards [14:50]Andreessen Horowitz' different approach to support its portfolio CEOs post-investment (institutionalizing the network) [17:03]Number of boards seats held by VC investors (and why it's different to public boards) [20:33]Scott's take on dual-class shares, and distinctions in the private and public company context [25:13]Scott's take on tenure-voting ("rethinking what's fair in corporate governance") [29:10]Why a16z invested in the Long Term Stock Exchange [32:35]Scott's recommendations to boards of venture-backed companies in down-rounds and M&A [36:09]Trends of independent directors in venture-backed companies [40:00]The rise of private markets in the tech financing ecosystem [42:46]The new governance challenges of late stage private companies [44:20]The Purpose of the Corporation and the Governance of Cryptonetworks [47:06]Two of his favorite books: "The Lost Lawyer" by Anthony Kronman, and "The Master of the Senate: the Years of Lyndon Johnson" by Robert Caro [54:06]His mentors: Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz. Early (informal mentor): Armin Weinberg [55:38]His favorite quote “In the long run, we are all dead” by John Maynard Keynes. [57:13]Scott Kupor is the managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz where he is responsible for all operational aspects of running the firm. He has been with the firm since its inception in 2009 and has overseen its rapid growth, from three employees to 180 and from $300 million in assets under management to more than $12 billion.Scott is chairman of the board of Genesys Works; cofounder and co-director of the Stanford Venture Capital Director’s College; Executive in Residence at Haas School of Business and Boalt School of Law; and a Lecturer at Stanford Law School. He is vice-chair of the investment committee of St. Jude’s Children’s Cancer Research Hospital and also serves as a member of the investment committees for Stanford Medical Center, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Lick Wilmerding High School.Scott served as Chairman of the Board of the National Venture Capital Association (2017-2018). He is the author of the national bestselling book Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It, published by Portfolio, a division of Penguin.___Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License 

Start of Interview [1:22]Kate's path to the Venture Capital ("VC") industry [2:00]Kate's path to serving on boards [5:18]Distinctions between serving on private and public boards [8:43]The investor nominated director [9:10]The role of the independent director [12:47]Directors representing preferred stock, and longer term horizons  [13:51]In a startup board, "all constituents are around the table, or right outside the door coding" [15:10]Startups staying private for longer, and effects on liquidity (secondary markets)  [18:25]History of the JOBS Act: 5 capital formation bills to improve access to capital for startups [25:50]Kate's take on dual class shares [32:53]The Long Term Stock Exchange [38:26]The importance of IR and leadership. Example: Jeff Bezos' Amazon shareholder letters. [35.33]Sunset Provisions [37:12]The Governance of Unicorns [43:17]Diversity and inclusion initiatives. Examples: ILPA, NVCA, Him for Her, SWB, etc. [47:10]Her favorite book: "The Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens [53:36]Her take on "Composite Mentors" [55:36]Her favorite quote [59:01] “Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it” Sir Winston Churchill.The living person she most admires: the Notorious RBG [01:01:00]Kate Mitchell  is a co-founder of Scale, a Silicon Valley-based firm that invests in early-in-revenue technology companies that are looking to scale. She and the Scale team have backed successful, high growth companies including ExactTarget (Salesforce), RingCentral (NYSE:RNG), HubSpot (NYSE:HUBS), Box (NYSE: BOX), DocuSign, and Omniture (Adobe). Kate is past chairman and board member of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and is active in policy matters that impact entrepreneurship, start-ups, innovation and inclusion. She co-authored the IPO section of the 2012 JOBS Act and is currently working on additional legislation to help small company IPOs. In 2014, Kate co-founded the NVCA Inclusion & Diversity Task Force (now called VentureForward), which focuses on advancing opportunities for women and minorities across the venture ecosystem. Mitchell received the NVCA Outstanding Service Award in 2013 for her policy work on behalf of the venture industry. She currently serves on the boards of SVB Financial Group (NASDAQ:SIVB), Fortive Corporation (NYSE:FTV) and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and she is a charter member of Environmental Entrepreneurs (Silicon Valley). Kate is also a Kauffman Fellows mentor, a member of the NASDAQ Private Market Advisory Board, and a commentator on technology trends for CNBC Squawk Alley.___Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License  

On Episode 1 of the Value in Giving podcast, Nicole Taylor, President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, speaks with Jane Greenfield about the importance of supporting COVID-19 relief efforts through philanthropy. Nicole shares more about how her background as a public school teacher inspired her to be an agent of change and how the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and its donors are working to alleviate the serious inequalities in our communities brought to light by COVID-19.

Buck Gee is a pioneer in helping to improve Asian representation in business and technology. Buck retired in 2008 from Cisco Systems, where he was Vice President and General Manager of the Data Center Business Unit. He joined Cisco with its 2004 acquisition of Andiamo Systems where Mr. Gee was President and CEO. In 2010, he co-founded the Advanced Leadership Program for Asian American Executives, an executive education program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business; and he is also a co-founder of the Corporate Executive Initiative, a national network of Asian American executives. He teaches executive leadership workshops for Ascend, a pan-Asian professional organization. He is a board member of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation and co-chair of the Donor Advisory Board of Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Mr. Gee is a co-founding board member of the Chinese American Community Foundation and serves on the board of Ascend/Northern California, the advisory board of the Asia Society/Northern California, and the advisory board of the Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute. Previously, he held management positions in engineering, marketing, and business development at Hewlett Packard, National Semiconductor, 3Com, Crescendo Communications, Com21, and Iospan Wireless. He has also taught computer and electrical engineering courses at Stanford University and Howard University. He holds BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. On this episode, I chat with Buck about how his upbringing as one of the few Asians in his community shaped his life, the one thing that has motivated him throughout his career, and the top skill that Asians need to develop to be more successful in their career. If you are interested in learning more about Buck's pioneering work be sure to check out: HBR article by Buck "Asian Americans Are the Least Likely Group in the U.S. to Be Promoted to Management" : https://hbr.org/2018/05/asian-americans-are-the-least-likely-group-in-the-u-s-to-be-promoted-to-management Buck's research on "The Illusion of Asian Success" published by Ascend: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ascendleadership.org/resource/resmgr/research/theillusionofasiansuccess.pdf Buck's interview on the podcast 'Asian Women of Power' https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-asians-glass-ceiling-in-america-with-buck-gee/id1377363433?i=1000436606339

As a trusted leader in the philanthropic realm, Silicon Valley Community Foundation is leading a COVID-19 Regional Response effort in the Bay Area counties. In this episode, SVCF President and CEO Nicole Taylor and Executive Vice President of Community Impact Erica Wood discuss the foundation’s regional response initiative. The conversation highlights the critical partnerships across sectors, the Silicon Valley and San Mateo Strong initiatives and SVCF’s donor engagement and fundraising goals. In SVCF’s Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Moderator: Michael Gordon Voss, publisher of Stanford Social Innovation ReviewGuests:Nicole Taylor, President and CEO, Silicon Valley Community FoundationKim Laughton, President, Schwab Charitable After you listenIf you’d like to learn more about donor-advised funds and how to maximize your charitable impact, check out SchwabCharitable.org—where you’ll also find information on donating complex assets, identifying impactful charities to meet your giving goals, and asking important questions to align your giving vehicles.Decisions about what you do with your financial assets are just as important as the decisions you make while you’re accumulating them. Listen to this episode of Financial Decoder as Kim Laughton discusses a smarter way to give to charity.You can find out more about the work of Silicon Valley Community Foundation by listening to their podcast Philanthropy Now.Subscribe to Giving with Impact for free on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.Giving with Impact is an original podcast from Schwab Charitable and Stanford Social Innovation ReviewIf you enjoy the show, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Vice President of Community Impact, Manuel Santamaria, has worked at Silicon Valley Community Foundation for more than 20 years, joining SVCF's predecessor, the Peninsula Community Foundation, in 1999 as a program officer. In this episode, Manny sits down with SVCF Senior Vice President of Public Policy, Gina Dalma, to share some of his career highlights, philanthropy trends he is seeing, learning opportunities and what keeps him energized after two decades in the field. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

In this podcast episode, Silicon Valley Community Foundation is pleased to feature a conversation between SVCF board member Wade Loo and Nicole Taylor, our president and CEO.  Wade has been a board member since 2015, and Nicole has now been at her post for 11 months. Listen in on their conversation, in which they reflect on 2019 and discuss what’s ahead in 2020.  In our Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems.  Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

On October 8, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the nation's most far-reaching bills, which are designed to prevent homelessness, protect tenants from being evicted and make it possible to create new homes for many thousands of Californians. The work was made possible by a collaboration of diverse allies who are attempting to preserve existing affordable homes, protect the families in them and produce more housing at all income levels. They were joined by a broad coalition of elected officials, including Assemblymember David Chiu, who authored several of the recently passed bills and who has made preventing homelessness and providing affordable homes to all Californians one of his signature issues. While these represent important strides, some say a great deal of work still needs to be done. On November 4, The Commonwealth Club will host a panel discussion about the implications of this new legislation as well as what the future holds for addressing the challenge of homelessness and housing in the Bay Area. The panel will include Chiu; Guillermo Mayer, president and CEO of Public Advocates—a key organization that helped advance the public call for a comprehensive housing package; Denise Pinkston, a partner at TMG Partners—a local developer that has been involved in the housing debate at the local, regional and statewide levels and that has been a strong advocate for more housing; and Gina Dalma, special adviser to the CEO and vice president of government relations at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, where she has brought her leadership into the housing arena. The event will be moderated by Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, which helped lead the coalition to advance the housing legislation. Larry Kramer, president of the Hewlett Foundation, which is providing unrestricted grant support to the San Francisco Foundation, will provide introductory remarks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Bio:Davis is the CEO of Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand with a social mission at its core. Davis was named CEO of the Year 2016 by Silicon Valley Community Foundation and is a member of the United Nations Foundation's Global Entrepreneurs Council.He was previously the Co-CEO of Baby.com.br and Dinda.com.br, Brazil's Startup of the Year in 2012, which raised over $40M in venture capital. In 2004, he also founded, and later sold, PoolTables.com, America's largest pool table retailer.Davis holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania's Lauder Institute, and a BA from Brigham Young University.

In this final episode of Season 1, Course of Mind unearths a question to ponder - What if the best use of technology in the classroom is to make education more human? In this second part of conversation with Dr. Bror Saxberg, Vice President of Learning Sciences at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the Course of Mind podcast looks at the future of technology and education. Yes, advances in technology will no doubt deliver highly tailored learning for each student. But for Saxberg, the most exciting prospect is using technology to free up teachers to spend more time with students. Teachers could then focus on building a stress-free environment that's most conducive to learning. Saxberg also says technology could give teachers a holistic picture of how a class is faring. Finally, Saxberg sees technology helping teachers to find evidence-based solutions for their toughest learning problems.This podcast is produced by NarayanKripa Sundararajan (@KripaSundar) as part of the Course of Mind project, an ISTE initiative made possible in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.Support the show (http://www.iste.org)

When it comes to learning, technology isn’t always an enhancement. Static images can sometimes be better than video, and Powerpoint presentations can often be a hindrance. It is about how we use the technology. Not even the most cutting-edge technology can help students learn if it’s not used correctly. The principles of how people retain information remain constant whether the information is coming from a textbook or virtual reality. In this installment of Course of Mind, Dr. Cris Castro from the Center for Advanced Research in Education at the Universidad de Chile talks about learning research that offers guidelines for how to use multimedia technology in the classroom. Cris stresses the importance of applying learning science principles while using technology as well as having a firm grasp on students’ knowledge and what they need to learn.This podcast is produced by NarayanKripa Sundararajan (@KripaSundar) as part of the Course of Mind project, an ISTE initiative made possible in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.Support the show (http://www.iste.org)

Forgetting what you were taught a week ago isn’t a shortcoming; it’s just part of being human. The inability to recall information may say more about teaching methods than your intellectual capacity. To help students really learn takes an understanding of how the brain works. Something as simple as changing the way a teacher asks questions can help ensure that learning is taking place. That’s the message of Dr. Pooja Agarwal, a cognitive scientist and former K-12 teacher, who has long sought to bridge the gap between the learning sciences and the classroom. In this episode of Course of Mind, she presents what scientists know about learning and how teachers can put it to use. This podcast is produced by NarayanKripa Sundararajan (@KripaSundar) as part of the Course of Mind project, an ISTE initiative made possible in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.Support the show (http://www.iste.org)

How do humans learn? How does technology help understanding how the brain works? Dr.Bror Saxberg, an engineering doctorate, a medical doctor, and Vice President of Learning Sciences at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative explains how human learning works and identifies common roadblocks that teachers encounter. Unsurprisingly, learning is a complex process that involves not just academic skills but a person’s entirety including their social, emotional, physical and mental health. Even sleep, hydration and hunger play a role in students’ ability to learn. Despite the complexity, Bror offers ideas that teachers can use in their classrooms to identify what’s holding students back and come up with strategies to overcome barriers.This podcast is produced by NarayanKripa Sundararajan (@KripaSundar) as part of the Course of Mind project, an ISTE initiative made possible in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.Support the show (http://www.iste.org)

Scott Kupor is the managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz where he is responsible for all operational aspects of running the firm. He has been with the firm since its inception in 2009 and has overseen its rapid growth, from three employees to 150+ and from $300 million in assets under management to more than $7 billion. Prior to joining Andreessen Horowitz, Scott worked as vice president and general manager of Software-as-a-Service at Hewlett Packard. Scott joined HP in 2007 as part of the Opsware acquisition, where he was senior vice president of Customer Solutions. In this role, he had global responsibility for customer interaction, including professional services, technical pre-sales, and customer support. Scott joined Opsware shortly after the company’s founding and held numerous executive management positions including vice president, financial planning and vice president, corporate development. In these roles, he led the company’s private financing activities as well as its initial public offering in 2001. Scott also started the company’s Asia Pacific operations and led the execution of the company’s multiple acquisitions. Prior to Opsware, Scott represented software companies in both financing and mergers and acquisitions transactions at Credit Suisse First Boston and Lehman Brothers. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in public policy with honors and distinction. Scott also holds a law degree with distinction from Stanford University and is a member of the State Bar of California. Scott is chairman of the board of Genesys Works; cofounder and co-director of the Stanford Venture Capital Director’s College; co-founder and co-director of the Stanford Rock Center’s Guide to Venture-Backed Board Membership; Executive in Residence at Haas School of Business and Boalt School of Law; and a Lecturer at Stanford Law School. He is vice-chair of the investment committee of St. Jude’s Children’s Cancer Research Hospital and also serves as a member of the investment committees for Stanford Medical Center, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Lick Wilmerding High School. Scott served as Chairman of the Board of the National Venture Capital Association (2017-2018). He is the author of the forthcoming book (June 2019), published by Portfolio, a division of Penguin, on Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It. https://a16z.com https://a16z.com/book/secrets-of-sand-hill-road https://twitter.com/skupor

As educators, we teach the students we believe they are. But if we don’t know who we are as teachers, how do we know who our students are? Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez, co-author of the book “The Teaching Brain,” talks about how teachers can become better educators by being more keenly aware of how their personal beliefs and traits affect how they see students and approach the learning process. If teachers are never taught to explore those lenses, they are missing who their students truly are. By understanding three sides of themselves -- private, public and perceived - teachers can build relationships that help students thrive. Vanessa reminds us that teachers are learners too and cautions that the education community’s focus on student-centered learning ignores crucial components of the learning process - that learning is an interaction. This podcast is produced by NarayanKripa Sundararajan (@KripaSundar) as part of the Course of Mind project, an ISTE initiative made possible in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.Support the show (http://www.iste.org)

In this installment of the ISTE podcast series Course of Mind (@courseofmind), hosts Zac Chase (@MrChase) and Shana White (@ShanaVWhite) talk to Dr. Ranjini Johnbull, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education and faculty lead for the Mind, Brain and Teaching program, about how teachers can keep cultural differences and implicit biases from becoming walls between them and their students. Ranjini and hosts discuss how social bonding and a strong connection between teachers and students improves outcomes, especially at the middle and high school levels. Also included are discussions of ways in which educators can reach out to students on the fringes, build a culture of inclusiveness and create bridges to reach disruptive students.This podcast is produced by NarayanKripa Sundararajan (@KripaSundar) as part of the Course of Mind project, an ISTE initiative made possible in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.Support the show (http://www.iste.org)

In this installment of the ISTE podcast series Course of Mind (@courseofmind), hosts Zac Chase (@MrChase) and Shana White (@ShanaVWhite) talk to Dr. Ranjini Johnbull, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education and faculty lead for the Mind, Brain and Teaching program, about the importance of teachers believing in their own effectiveness and in the ability of their students to learn. These beliefs, which go beyond subject matter and teaching strategies, have a tremendous power to affect student outcomes. A teacher who believes in their ability to teach and believes that students can achieve results lays the groundwork for successful learning. Teachers can support students by understanding their cultural context and ensuring they feel safe in the classroom, both socially and physically. This podcast is produced by NarayanKripa Sundararajan (@KripaSundar) as part of the Course of Mind project, an ISTE initiative made possible in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.Support the show (http://www.iste.org)

In this introduction to the ISTE podcast series Course of Mind (@courseofmind), hosts Zac Chase (@MrChase) and Shana White (@ShanaVWhite) talk to ISTE Chief Learning Officer Joseph South (@southjoseph) about what the learning sciences are and why educators should care. South acknowledges that teaching is a tall order. Educators are often dealing with 25-30 students in one class who come from different backgrounds, different cultural contexts, and have different beliefs and abilities. The learning sciences look at the whole child and offer an expanded toolbox to deal with a wider range of situations. This podcast series will cover the basic principles — or the big ideas — of the learning sciences and address key findings that have practical applications in the classroom.This podcast is produced by NarayanKripa Sundararajan (@KripaSundar) as part of the Course of Mind project, an ISTE initiative made possible in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.Support the show (http://www.iste.org)

As a former Development Officer for Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Chuck Brown possesses unique insight into Donor Advised Funds, which he shared in an article entitled "Zombie Philanthropy: What I Learned About Donor-Advised Funds as a Foundation Insider." Greg and Chuck discuss the growth of Donor Advised Funds, critiques, and potential ways to reform this charitable giving vehicle to more equitably serve communities.

In this edition of our podcast, Silicon Valley Community Foundation is pleased to feature a conversation between Greg Avis and Nicole Taylor. Greg has been leading SVCF as interim president since April 30, and Nicole Taylor was named by the board of directors as the new CEO and president of SVCF in early November. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Dr. Heidi talks with Jennifer Raiser is a writer, strategist, and nonprofit junkie. She is the Treasurer of the Burning Man organization, and author of the bestselling book, "Burning Man: Art on Fire." Jennifer Raiser divides her roles as an author and management innovator. She is the author of the bestseller, Burning Man: Art on Fire, 2014/2016, Race Point Press, and lectures extensively on the significance of the Burning Man art movement, in Black Rock City and around the world. As founding Treasurer of Burning Man Project, she oversees a $47M budget. She is the author of In the Spirit of Napa Valley, 2015, Assouline, The Art of Being Bill: The Many Faces of Awesome, 2018, Race Point Press. She is the founding editor of SFWire.com, and writes for the San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, and other publications. She also works in corporate communications for clients in the health care and food tech sectors. As a nonprofit advisor, she has served on the boards of the Bently Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Peninsula Community Foundation, Junior Statesmen Foundation, CuriOdyssey Museum, Ecology Action, Gatepath, and many community benefit organizations. Jennifer Raiser founded and managed Raiser Senior Services, a provider of luxury retirement communities in the Bay Area. The subject of a case study at the Harvard Business School, she was a trailblazer in the implementation of continuing care for the elderly, outlined in her book Designing Retirement Communities for the Future, 1998, John Wiley and Sons. She earned a BA in English Literature and an MBA, both from Harvard University. website: www.jenniferraiser.com Facebook Page - Twitter ID - Instagram : Jennifer.Raiser This episode is sponsored by Oska Pulse, the opiod-free solution for chronic pain. Oska Pulse is a Pain Relief and Recovery Device using Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF). For a discount on your order go to http://bit.ly/EDS-Oska, or simply enter discount code 2BU at checkout at OskaWellness.com. Your order will help support the Evolving Digital Self podcast. If you like it, please feel free to share it with your friends (both the discount and the podcast ).  

On October 23, Silicon Valley Community Foundation will host its second On The Table event, a day of conversation to help find solutions to our region’s housing shortage. You can register to participate or host a small-group conversation at siliconvalleycf.org/onthetable. In this podcast, Bay Area director of programs for the Youth Leadership Institute, Fahad Qurashi, is joined by Mauricio Palma, SVCF’s director of initiatives and special projects. Their conversation centers on how On The Table helps increase civic engagement, and how we can all approach the problem of housing in the Bay Area. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

In this episode, we’ll hear from SVCF’s Interim President, Greg Avis, in conversation with Luisa Buada of the Ravenswood Family Health Center. Greg will discuss how Silicon Valley Community Foundation is moving forward after recent events, and offer his thoughts about the future of the organization. This episode was recorded on June 20, one week before the announcement of the departure of Emmett Carson, SVCF’s former CEO. Information about that announcement is available on SVCF’s blog. We anticipate that a future podcast will include further conversation with Greg about how SVCF is moving forward. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal set of goals, targets and indicators that United Nations member states are usingto frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years. There is a significant movement for the private sector toalso adopt the SDG framework and become key actors role in achieving these goals through their corporate responsibility efforts. On Dec. 13, 2017, to celebrate the launch of its new report about how companies can approach the SDGs within their businesses, Silicon Valley Community Foundation hosted a moderated discussion among corporate responsibility leaders about their experiences integrating the SDGs into their companies. The discussion was moderated by Stuart Burden, vice president of corporate responsibility at SVCF. Panelists are:Debra McLaughlin, senior manager, corporate responsibility, Symantec; Emily Stone, co-founder and CEO, Uncommon Cacao; and Mary Mazzoni, freelance journalist and sustainability author. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Major American foundations have given millions of dollars in funding to Islamic organizations accused of having ties to radical Islamist movements or designated terrorist organizations and a group of activists are trying to convince them to stop.  Groups like Islamic Relief Worldwide, which some countries have banned for allegedly funding Hamas and other terrorist organizations, have received millions of dollars from corporate charities like the GE Foundation, community foundations like the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and independent foundations like George Soros’ Open Society Foundation.  (By Peter Hassan, Daily Caller, November 3, 2017). Researchers with the Middle East Forum, an activist group devoted to promoting American interests abroad, identified the financial stream from American foundations to seven Islamic groups with radical ties: Islamic Relief Worldwide and its sister organization in the United States.  — Islamic Relief USA, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and, despite rebounding from highly damaging terrorist allegations in 2008, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Join us tonite as our guest is PAM GELLER - FOUNDER (PUBLISHER AND EDITOR)  OF   "The Geller Report American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and Stop Islamization of America (SIOA).   HOSTS:  DOREEN LA GUARDIA AND CISCO ACOSTA Sponsor: Studentsforabetterfuture.com

This episode was recorded Oct. 12, 2017, at SVCF’s Regional Meeting event, held at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The panelists are Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League. The discussion is moderated by Dr. Emmett Carson, CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation. In today’s national environment, there are mounting concerns about protecting the civil rights of immigrants and refugees, about the spike in hate crimes, and about threats to women’s rights and the rights of the LGBTQ community. These speakers are uniquely qualified to discuss these issues and address how the civil rights of all people can be protected. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Davis Smith is the founder and CEO of Cotopaxi. He was Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s CEO of the Year in 2016 and is a member of the eight-person United Nations Foundation's Global Entrepreneurs Council. Davis holds an MBA from the Wharton School and is an adventurer who recently led the first successful crossing from Cuba to Florida via kayak!   On this episode, we chat with Davis on how his childhood shaped his career, he recounts the journey that eventually led him to start Cotopaxi and the story of how he crossed Cuba to Florida via kayak!   This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.

The Philanthropy Podcast listeners can receive 10% when they register at PhilanthropyNEXT and use the promo code: PODCAST10.   Be sure to share this episode with colleagues and friends you believe might like to attend and save 10% especially those in Washington DC and along the east coast.     Our guest on The Philanthropy Podcast is Cody Switzer, Assistant Managing Editor and Director of Digital Products for The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Cody explores with us the upcoming PhilanthropyNEXT Conference and why it is increasingly important to engage diverse donors in support of our organization, the value a diverse staff brings to an organization's fundraising, and more.    Our discussion with Cody reveals the way the Chronicle of Philanthropy approaches organizing the PhilanthropyNEXT conference, what attendees can expect to gain from attending, how to make the most of any conference you attend, and how nonprofits can improve our efforts in order to better engage and authentically appeal to diverse benefactors and staff members. The conference also features a special session on women's philanthropy and Cody discusses how attendees will be able to review their organization for implicit biases that might create obstacles to engaging women and their philanthropy. All that, a great podcast recommendation for fundraisers, and a 10% discount code for PhilanthropyNEXT can be found in our episode.   Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners online at:   The Philanthropy Podcast Linkedin Group, a great place to share articles and learn from your peers The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page, another way to be part of the conversation around our episodes @PhilanthropyPod on Twitter for the latest news and interactions   thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome - If you think 52 episodes of The Philanthropy Podcast, each like a conference session delivered straight to you, is worth 1/100th the price of attending a conference, please consider visiting becoming a patron of the show at $1 per month or more! Your support is incredibly appreciated and honestly each patron has made me even more excited to continue to produce the show!   Links mentioned in today's show:   Cody Switzer on Twitter   The Chronicle of Philanthropy (Website)   The Chronicle of Philanthropy (Twitter)   Nonprofit AF Blog - How donor-centrism perpetuates inequity, and why we must move toward community-centric fundraising   The Turnaround - A podcast where interviewers are interviewed about the act of interviewing   PhilanthropyNEXT Speakers:   Adrienne Brooks of National Museum of African American History and Culture   Sonia Barnes-Moorhead of Astor Services for Children and Families   Lisa (Lynn) Bowman of United Way   Emmett D. Carson of The Silicon Valley Community Foundation   Catherine Craighead Briggs of the Dartmouth College Fund   Diana DeJesus-Medina of Latino Justice   Jeriah Ebling of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County   Jamel Jimerson of The Minority Inclusion Project   Kathleen Loehr of Kathleen Loehr & Associates   Jaye Lopez Van Soest of Public Justice   Felicity Meu of The Stanford Effective Philanthropy Lab   Birgit Smith Burton of Georgia Tech   Lynne Wester of The Donor Relations Guru

Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) is the largest community foundation in the world, with more than $8 billion in assets under management.  The community  foundation serves the Silicon Valley community and offers donor advised funds and other means for philanthropists to support the local and global causes they care about. It was founded in 2007 and... The post Episode 15: Interview with Dr Emmett Carson, founding CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, appeared first on Financing Social Entrepreneurs Podcast.

Episode 14 is a two-part podcast that covers the highlights of a dynamic event held on Jan. 21, 2017 – the Community Trust in Policing Forum, held at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose. The event was a collaboration between SVCF and the San Francisco 49ers and featured speeches, panel discussions and group sessions that allowed our community to debate the status of trust in policing in our community.  In Part 1, we hear from Walter Katz, independent police auditor of San Jose; Sam Liccardo, mayor of the City of San Jose; Jed York, CEO of the San Francisco 49ers; Emmett Carson, CEO and president of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation; and Chief Eddie Garcia of the San Jose Police Department.  Part 1 also features a discussion with a panel of community leaders: Panteha Saban, deputy public defender in Santa Clara County; Priya Murthy, policy and advocacy director for SIREN (Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network); Peter Ortiz, East San Jose native and school board member for Mount Pleasant School District in San Jose; and Jesus Ruiz, from People Acting in Community Together (PACT). Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org 

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/296CBda. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Lindsey Kneuven, Chief Impact Officer at venture-backed Cotopaxi, recently told me, “Businesses can be a force for immense good; let’s ensure they do good well.” At the moment, she’s focused on making sure that Cotopaxi does good well. The social enterprise is scaling quickly and her role is to ensure that they don’t lose focus on the targeted impact. Lindsey brings valuable experience to Cotopaxi, having spent time with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation helping some of the area’s largest companies with their corporate philanthropy. She is concerned that startups today need to become more disciplined to have the impact they want. She asks, “As more young companies build models that integrate their social and environmental goals, how do we create a movement to ensure that they are leveraging best practices from the development sector? How we capitalize on the enthusiasm for social impact in a way that ensure models are informed, that effective solutions/interventions are prioritized, builds on the collective impact model, and prevents the dilution of donor dollars?” The type of legal structure a company uses has an impact on its ability and commitment to having an impact. “Cotopaxi incorporated as a Benefit Corporation and was the first company to take this structure and then receive venture funding. We are committed to infusing social impact and sustainability into all aspects of our work. This takes shape in our giving, our employee engagement, our supply chain, our operations and our design and development philosophy,” she says. One of the challenges she faces in her work at Cotopaxi is dealing with the rapidly changing context of her work. With rapid changes in supply chain, for instance, she must quickly react to ensure that each supplier meets the company’s impact standards, stretching her capacity. Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/296CBda. Need a speaker for an event, learn more about Devin Thorpe at devinthorpe.com.

Robert Pesich is the new editor and publisher of Swan Scythe Press, orignally founded by poet Sandra McPherson. Robert resides near San José, California with his partner and their two young sons. He works at Stanford University in the Department of Biochemistry. He was also marketing director for Poetry Center San José from 2000 to 2007 and was an associate editor for The Montserrat Review. His work has recently appeared in Slipstream,The Bitter Oleander, Apercu Quarterly, Skidrow Penthouse, Red Wheelbarrow and Sleet Magazine. He’s the recipient of the Littoral Press Poetry Prize and fellowships from Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Djerassi Foundation and Arts Council Silicon Valley. In 2001, Dragonfly Press published his chapbook Burned Kilim. He is currently working on a second chapbook, tentatively titled Night Sutures. Rolan Remo Resendiz helps to organize the largest mural to date in Hollister, California (Artists are Phillip Ray Orabuena, Joel Esqueda, Adam Valentino).

详细内容请关注周日微信，或登录以下网址： http://english.cri.cn/7146/2014/10/20/2582s848529.htm This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Yun Feng in Beijing. Here is the news. Australian scientists have made the alarming discovery that sea levels have risen more in the past century than at any other comparable period in the past 6,000 years. Researchers from the Australian National University, based in Canberra, say that the 20-centimetre rise in sea levels since the start of the 20th century was unprecedented. The rise was caused largely by global warming and the melting of polar ice. The ANU study is a lengthy analysis of historical sea level trends. It found that levels have remained steady for thousands of years before rapid rises over the past 150 years, since global industrialization. The study found that the sea level has been quite stable in the last 6,000 years before the modern onset of sea level rise. The study has been described as the most comprehensive of its kind looking at the period. The scientists say the sea levels will continue to rise for some centuries to come even if carbon emissions are kept at present day levels. This is NEWS Plus Special English. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife are donating 25 million US dollars to the CDC Foundation to help address the Ebola epidemic. The money will be used by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Ebola response effort in the world where Ebola is a threat. The grant follows a 9 million-dollar donation made by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen last month. Zuckerberg and his wife are making the grant from their fund at the nonprofit Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page that people need to get Ebola under control in the near term so that it doesn't spread further and become a long term global health crisis. He believes the grant is the quickest way to empower the CDC and the experts in this field to prevent this outcome. The World Health Organization has said that West Africa could see up to 10,000 new Ebola cases a week within two months. It confirmed that the death rate in the current outbreak is 70 percent. The disease has killed more than 4,000 people, almost all of them in West Africa. The WHO has called the outbreak "the most severe and acute health emergency seen in modern times". You are listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Yun Feng in Beijing. The Singapore government is working with IBM to adopt a supercomputer system that can answer personalized questions on government policies and services, in a bid to boost efficiency in government consultation. This is the first time any government works with IBM on its cognitive computing system called Watson, a supercomputer that can process and analyze large amounts of data, to come up with solutions to solve problems. The system was named after IBM's first CEO and industrialist Thomas J. Watson, and is capable of answering questions posed directly in natural language, which is different from traditional way of using computer codes. Singapore will first use Watson to deal with consultations in areas such as income tax, employment and work pass, and workplace health and safety. The pilot project will go live next year, and will answer enquiries about the above areas based on its analysis. Singapore hopes the collaboration with IBM will bring about a transformative change in how the government can better interact with citizens and address their needs. This is NEWS Plus Special English. China's ailing moon rover Yutu has entered its 11th dormancy as the lunar night falls, with its functions degrading gracefully. The rover is currently in good condition and works normally, but its control problem persists. Yu Dengyun, deputy chief designer of China's lunar probe mission, says that Yutu has gone through freezing lunar nights under abnormal status, and its functions are gradually degrading. He said that the moon rover and the lander of the Chang'e-3 lunar mission have completed their tasks. The rover's designed lifetime is three months, but it has survived for over nine months now. Chang'e-3 mission was the second phase of China's lunar exploration program, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to the Earth. The program is scheduled to end around 2020. The Chang'e-4 mission is under further analysis. As the backup probe of Chang'e-3, Chang'e-4 will verify technology for Chang'e-5. The more sophisticated Chang'e-5 and 6 missions are aimed for tasks including unmanned sampling and returning to Earth. China plans to launch an experimental recoverable moon orbiter before the end of this year to test technology vital for the success of Chang'e-5.