Argentine Tango experience captivates the South Bay

San Jose, California, October 19, 2007

WOW! What a way to “kick start” the new 2007-2008 season for Music@Market / Music at the Mission, the tandem chamber music concert series in the South Bay. With the debut of “Zero Hour… The World of Astor Piazzolla”, the halls of the San Jose Museum of Art were punctuated with the rhythm of Argentinian Tango. The formidable cast of world-class musicians included Seth Asarnow on bandoneon (the instrument of Astor Piazolla), versatile San Francisco guitarist, John Imholz, San Antonio Symphony Associate Concertmaster, Ertan Torgul, Symphony Silicon Valley Principal Bassist, Bill Everett, and our very own, Aileen Chanco on piano. “Their timing was impeccable” as each musician wove intricate rhythms into a powerful tapestry of tempos, melodies and emotions. With two rounds of standing ovation from the full house, it was clear, Tango has arrived, and so has this fledgling new music series.

The brainchild of Aileen Chanco and Julie Wind, Music@Market and Music at the Mission bring together two historic venues, the St. Joseph Cathedral Basilica in San Jose and Mission San Jose in Fremont, as the backdrop for presenting new and exciting experiments in modern chamber music. The first concert of this season, “Zero Hour…” showcased not only the music of Tango, but the elegant dance of tango as well. The Bay Area Tango Bandeonista treated the audience to a dazzling display of footwork as dancers pranced and swayed to the beat of Argentine Tango.

The after-party reception brought audiences and participants together to share in the exuberance of the evening and sample the wine and food of Argentina. The “Zero Hour… The World of Astor Piazzolla” event has brought music, dance, culture, art and food together in a complete experience that redefines “a night on the town.” I anxiously look forward to the next offering served up by South Bay’s new cultural icons, Music@Market and Music at the Mission.

TiECON: The New Face of Entrepreneurship

What struck me about the recent TiECON event (this was my 3rd year attending) is that it has gone far beyond the “techno-engineering-entrepreneur meet venture-capital-monies” event and is attempting to address social, cultural, economic and “health and well being” issues. Sure, there are the hundreds of entrepreneurs with innovations that will change the world (or at least make themselves very rich), but there were others that were truly interested in social networks and communities as not just a “web 2.0” phenomenon, but a means to connect with others, to share experiences and to enrich lives.

At first it seemed odd to me that one of the keynote speakers, Robert Ingram, Chairman and CEO of GlaxoSmithKline was discussing the healthcare system in our nation and how 45% of the total U.S. population has a chronic disease. Does this matter to the next “Bill Gates” whose well-guarded software code is on the line for a hefty round of VC funding? Well, considering 45% is almost one out of every two people, I think it should matter. In fact, isn’t that what really matters? Quality of life? Our health and well being? Our friends, family, community?

For sure TiECON embodies the spirit of Silicon Valley: The “think-out-of-the-box” entrepreneur. The “go beyond” attitude. The ‘next great thing”. But taking Silicon Valley to the next level of personal and social responsibility, community and environmental sustainability as well as global economic leadership is the bigger picture and the greater opportunity.

Enlightened TiECON founders brought the likes of yogi Sadhguru, Founder of the Isha Foundation to talk about “inner wellbeing” and “self-awareness” as a critical core of effective leadership. Meg Whitman, President and CEO of eBay, spoke not only about the visions and strategies that made eBay the number one ecommerce site on the internet today, but about eBay’s social responsibility and commitment to positive changes in the world through its philanthropic endeavors.

And what about Nobuyuki Idei, the deposed Chairman and CEO of Sony, who for the past 20 years guided the consumer electronics company to become a $70B global giant? He continues to invest in the future with his new company, Quantum Leap, guiding budding entrepreneurs and the next generation CEOs. His philosophy of “soft alliances” suggests that building relationships for the long term is the only way to sustain business.

Which brings us to Anshul Samar, the 13 year old CEO and founder of Elementeo, the creator of, a board game that teaches science and chemistry in a fun and challenging way. Watching Ansul pitch his company demonstrates that the vision and hope for the future lies in our youth. Their vision is more about “understanding the world around us in order to create a better life for all” than about “going IPO and creating wealth for the shareholders”. We must nurture and encourage this valuable commodity and continue to create an environment that is healthy, stimulating and supportive.

TiECON exemplifies the “best of the best” of the Silicon Valley brain trust. Let’s hope the “New Face of Entrepreneurship” is an enlightened leader that values long term sustainability and the health and well-being of our global community. I look forward to the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovations that will lead us to this vision of the “world 2.0”.

The end of an Era - A Silicon Valley Icon.

First in a series of articles.
One of the icons at the core of Silicon Valley has passed away a few weeks ago. It wasn’t the inventor of the silicon wafer, semiconductor, or the “dot” in the dot com. It wasn’t the computer with a “fruity” name. Nor the next greatest thing on the internet since sliced bread.

Sadly, the Silicon Valley Charity Ball never made it to its twentieth anniversary. Founded during the first boom of Silicon Valley when the tech sector was making its mark in the global forum, the Charity Ball reflected the exuberance and vision of the early pioneers who struck “silicon” gold. “Celebrating fortunes and giving back to the community” was the new mantra that would distinguish Silicon Valley philanthropy as the new model for success.

The Charity Ball mirrored the ups and downs of the Valley as more and more companies jumped on the bandwagon of giving. It was not only the mark of a good corporate citizen, it was an excellent opportunity to “network with the big boys” and a great way to promote one’s company. “Philanthropy” was a full-fledged marketing tool that created critical mass in the media as the “successes of the Valley gave to the needy of the Valley”.

Altruism? Marketing? Compassion? Networking? Opportunities? Social and civic duty? Or just plain fun? Silicon Valley was on a roll, and so was the Ball. How ever one was sucked into the frenzy, the Ball not only gained “traction” for itself, but kicked up charity fundraising in the Valley to heights.

Like the venture companies and the dot com entrepreneurs, there was “no stopping us now” as the bar continued to rise in terms of glitz, glamour and monies raised. “It was fun while it lasted”… “It gave exposure to a lot of smaller non-profits that were below the radar of the general media”… “It introduced the concept of giving to a lot of new tech venture companies”… “Times have changed”.

The rise and fall of a Silicon Valley icon gave birth to new ideas, different perspectives of raising monies, and attempted to “create community” in a diverse land of opportunity for many.

For the many who were involved from all aspects of the community, I welcome your thoughts, memories, critiques and commentaries on the passing of this Silicon Valley icon.

Welcome to NewCali. The other side of Silicon Valley and California

It’s a new year, and a new beginning. An annual reminder that we have the opportunity to make great changes in our lives. To alter the course of our meanderings accumulated over the many years.

Silicon Valley. A great place to live. Multimillionaires who made their fortunes on tech IPOs and built great mansions overlooking the valley. Home of Intel, Apple, Cisco, HP, Yahoo, eBay, Google. Changing the way we live work and play.

The concept of Silicon Valley as the global technology leader plays well on the news, but what about you and me. And your next door neighbor. Your children. Getting to school. Your brother who lost his job. Your uncle who can’t afford health insurance. What about the homeless man you ignore everyday on your way to work.

The war. Terrorism. Economy. Housing prices. Traffic. Insurance. Taxes. Finances. Education. Jobs. Healthcare. Environment. Alienation of people. Disintegration of family. Relationships. Even the quality of our entertainment and leisure. Where did we go wrong?

While a select few have reaped the rewards of stock options, the rest of us keep our noses to the grindstone and hope that someday, we’ll hit the big one. Good luck.

The future of our community depends upon not just the lucky few, but the health and well-being of each and everyone of us. The working class, the homeless, the jobless, the poor, the marginalized, the sick, the elderly, our children.
We all play an important role in the fabric of our society.

We hear the stories of the rich and famous. Where are the stories of the “everyday people”? Within these stories are the possibilities for new beginnings, new opportunities. Silicon Valley is famous not only for the computer chip, but for creativity, innovation, diversity, and a zest for making life better for the future. Or even just for our neighborhood.

I welcome your stories. The heroics of the daily grind. The epiphanies of the moment. The confrontations and resolutions. The challenge of just getting to the end of the day.

We might not change the world. But we’re working on it.

Welcome to the other side of Silicon Valley.