Archive for the 'community' Category

Burson-Marsteller is with the band

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on November 25, 2008
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SVR sponsor Burson-Marsteller is a leading global public relations and communications firm that develops smart, strategic communications programs to help its clients build stronger brands and corporate reputations. We recently spoke with the company about its commitment to good corporate citizenship and its contributions to the Bay Area community.

SVR: How does Burson-Marsteller support the Silicon Valley community?

Burson-Marsteller: From a business perspective, we partner with some of the iconic brands in Silicon Valley, including Intel, HP, and SAP. But we also believe in giving back to the community. We’re actively involved in the Greater Bay Area chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, supporting their annual Light The Night walk to raise awareness and funding for life-saving cancer research, and we’ve worked on projects with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula.

SVR: What inspired you to become involved in Silicon Valley Rocks?

Burson-Marsteller: You could say we’re with the band. Some of the communications professionals and journalists who are giving their time to perform at Silicon Valley Rocks are people we work with every day. That was our inspiration. But beyond that, we counsel our clients that being a good corporate citizen is the right thing to do, and sponsoring Silicon Valley Rocks is one small way for us to take this counsel to heart.

SVR: Do you have a burgeoning band or musicians at Burson-Marsteller?

Burson-Marsteller: We do have a few aspiring musicians who are checking our virtual rehearsal space, but we have no tour details at this time.

SVR: Why do you feel it’s important keep music education in the schools?

Burson-Marsteller: Thinking creatively is how we overcome challenges and break new ground, and that applies to the communications business and to society at large. The earlier we encourage young minds to think creatively through music and other arts programs, the better for us all.

Paragon’s Erica Levin on serving your community: “Just get started”

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on November 21, 2008
in community, interviews and sponsors
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We recently spoke with Erica Levin, a realtor with SVR sponsor Paragon Real Estate Group, about her work, her non-profit involvement, and Paragon’s commitment to community service.

SVR: Tell us about your job as a realtor.

Erica: My work allows me to be a therapist, financial adviser, designer, concierge, and overall life helper and confidant. I love that my clients really engage with me and that I am able to help them in so many ways—it is wonderfully rewarding work!

SVR: Besides your work at Paragon, you are very active in your community. Tell us more.

Erica: Yes! Sometimes I wish I could clone myself to get it all done! I sit on the board of directors of Mission Graduates. We work with kids in the public schools providing tutoring, after-school programs, pregnancy prevention counseling, and a vital program called College Connect that provides stewardship in getting kids to college. I also co-founded Inner Mission Community Association. IMCA is a group made up of residents and business owners in the inner Mission. We work on issues that are of concern to our members and coordinate to work with our supervisor, the mayor’s office, the police, and other agencies to address many issues in our neighborhood.

SVR: What inspired you become involved in these organizations?

Erica: I value engaging with the community where I live. I cannot see a problem or concern and not try to do something to address it. I believe that kids are the key to our future, and these days they need a lot of support. Knowing your neighbors makes communities safer, and having a sense of community provides people a sense of place. I feel grateful to be in a position to work with so many committed people and to learn so much and offer what I know as a resource.

SVR: What advice would you give to people who want to help?

Erica: Just get started! There are so many ways to engage, whether it is mentoring a young person, spending time at your kid’s school or volunteering at a food bank, or sweeping the street in front of your house. We each have a gift to give, and I have found that just doing something and applying the time and attention is a great way to begin.

SVR: Why do feel it’s important to keep music education in the schools?

Erica: I loved music class as a kid. I gravitated toward the creative arts and learned so much about discipline and follow-through from the creative process. Kids need the arts, and music is a great way to express oneself. It troubles me that in our time, music has to be fought for in the public schools.

SVR: Paragon Real Estate is also very involved in the local community. Can you tell me more about that?

Erica: Paragon places a great importance on community involvement. We have a community fund that each agent can elect to contribute to and Paragon will match the contribution 50/50. We participate yearly in Habitat for Humanity, and gave away $35,500 in 2007 and $25,100 so far in 2008.

A native of Chicago, Erica Levin went to the Claremont Colleges in Claremont, California and fell in love with the west coast. Erica has a B.A. in psychology and studio art and an M.A. in marriage family child counseling as well as art therapy. After nine successful years as a prop and wardrobe stylist on national ad campaigns, annual reports, and television commercials, she followed her personal passion into a full-time real estate career. Erica lives and works in San Francisco.

Silicon Valley Rocks… and Shops! with Kaboodle

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on November 19, 2008
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Besides sponsoring Silicon Valley Rocks, Kaboodle is a key participant in local TechCrunch, Blogher and TiE events. As one of the early pioneers of social shopping, Kaboodle believes in fostering innovation. A testament to that is Kaboodle’s CEO and co-founder, Manish Chandra, who generously mentors other entrepreneurs. Chandra is an alumnus of the Young Entrepreneur’s Association. He is also an active charter member of TiE and chairs the TiE Special Interest Group on Internet and New Media.

“With budget cuts in California and the elimination of special interest programs throughout our school system, Silicon Valley Rocks! allows us to give back to the community and not only encourage but also stimulate our youth’s interest in the music and the arts,” says Chandra.

Kaboodle has a rocker of its own: while most employees are “more adept at playing Rock Band instruments than real ones,” resident Kaboodler mightyj is the talented bass player of the slow-core, super-mellow band Coastal. Since forming in 1999, Coastal has performed everywhere from L.A. to England. “Whether we’re grooving to Coastal tunes or any other musician’s, music is extremely important to us. In fact, some of our favorite products we feature on Kaboodle.com are musically inspired or themed,” says Chandra.

Kaboodle is a strong supporter of music as part of any child’s complete education and advocates for the arts as a way to increase overall achievement, citing studies that consistently show students who participate in arts programs display significant increases in self-esteem and cognitive skills.

About Kaboodle

Kaboodle is the largest and fastest-growing online social shopping community where people discover, recommend and share products. At the heart of Kaboodle is its engaged community of passionate shoppers—nearly 11 million strong! Kaboodle offers a forum for people to connect and inspire each other through shared advice, product feedback and suggestions, and the ability to create and join groups. Members have wish lists, styleboards, polls and other cool widgets at their fingertips, all of which they can use to express their own unique style.

Ladies Rock Camp - Experience Optional. Enthusiasm Required!

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on November 15, 2008
in Music events and community
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Ladies, have you always wanted to rock out but were too afraid to try? Wish no further. Ladies Rock Camp, is taking applications for 2009. The camps fill up fast, so don’t wait to apply. Don’t take my word for it - even Oprah and the Huffington Post touted its awesome-ness.

As written about before and just recently by our good friends at BlogHer, Ladies Rock Camp is a four-day rock immersion program designed for women ages 18 and over. Recent college grads mix with rocker mamas and grandmamas. It’s a fundraiser for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls.

Here’s the deal:

  • Cost is $375 (includes meals, instrument training, and even a self-defense workshop)
  • Learn drums, bass, keyboards, vocals, or guitar, or just improve your skills
  • Form a band, write an original song, and perform it four days later at the LRC Showcase
  • Have a great time with staff, volunteers, and women from around the US (and beyond)
  • And of course, there’s the infamous Saturday night Karaoke party at the Rock Camp and the party bus to Portland’s late night spots.

Do not hesitate. Sign up now. I’ll be there rockin’ the bass guitar.

Sponsor Joie de Vivre gives back to Silicon Valley

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on November 10, 2008
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Ventana Inn and Spa (Big Sur)

“Giving back to the community has always been a cornerstone of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, which is why one of our five core values is to have a connection and responsibility to our community,” says Linda Palermo, Joie de Vivre Chief Revenue Officer.

“We wanted to be a part of Silicon Valley Rocks since we are deeply ingrained in the Silicon Valley community. Our Silicon Valley hotels include the Wild Palms and Domain in Sunnyvale, the Avante in Mountain View, the Moorpark in San Jose, and the Hotel Los Gatos. Not too far south, we also launched the Dream Inn on the beach in Santa Cruz this year and are re-opening the Ventana Inn and Spa in Big Sur this November.”

Joie de Vivre has always been very involved in the communities in which its hotels are located. Hotels are given an annual goal of how much money they should donate throughout the year to local causes. Connecting to the community is so important to Joie de Vivre that hotel general managers are evaluated on this donation metric, along with employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and profitability.

Ocean Beach Clean Up

In 2007 alone, Joie de Vivre hotels donated a total of over $1.3 million to local organizations in the form of gift certificates, cash donations, in-kind donations, and events. Joie de Vivre continues to take a grassroots approach to philanthropy, staying true to its entrepreneurial roots, rallying behind causes and organizations that inspire its employees. Because of that, the company is able to help organizations who may not receive much attention or support from the broader community. Supported causes in 2007 were primarily in the areas of arts and culture, education, and family and community.

Joie de Vivre will also have several hotel packages for the Silicon Valley Rocks! silent auction. Stay tuned for more info!

About Joie de Vivre Hospitality

Based in San Francisco, Joie de Vivre Hospitality is a creative collection of lifestyle businesses. As California’s largest boutique hotel collection, Joie de Vivre encompasses other hospitality businesses such as restaurants and spas. Celebrating more than 20 years of creating dreams, Joie de Vivre Hospitality is expanding its California presence in Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Sunnyvale, Huntington Beach and beyond.