Events

Local resident, Caroline Cocciardi, the author of Leonardo’s Knots, will introduce us to a facet of Leonardo da Vinci that you have not seen before.  Caroline will explain how da Vinci used mathematically-inspired knots throughout his work containing hidden messages that appear in his most famous pieces including The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Every Spring, along with Los Gatos Morning and San Jose Rotary, we sponsor the Enterprise Leadership Conference bringing together nearly 100 high school juniors from over 20 Silicon Valley schools to learn how to become the entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow! This is a three-day event at the beautiful Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove where students break into teams led by Rotarian mentors to develop an idea for a business. Throughout the conference, they are introduced to the concepts of Marketing, Finance, Research, and Human Resources as they develop their Business Plans. On the final day of the event, all of the teams present their plans before a panel of judges in a spirited but friendly competition. Join us at our March 18^th meeting when the winning team from the 2025 ELC presents their pitch to our club!

Join us for an inside look at minor league baseball with San Jose Giants President, Ben Taylor, who will be interviewed by Los Gatos Rotarian, Mike Norcia.

Matt Braker has served as a prosecutor with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office for over 25 years, bringing justice and compassion to some of the county's most challenging cases. As the head of the Homicide Unit, he oversees all homicide prosecutions, the Cold Case Unit, and Officer-Involved Shootings.

A two-time recipient of the prestigious Napolean J. Menard Trial Advocacy Award, Matt was most recently honored in 2017 for successfully prosecuting three jail guards in the high-profile murder case of mentally ill inmate Michael Tyree.

Matt earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1992. He and his wife, Cyd, reside in San Jose and are proud parents of two grown sons, Bill and Max.

Beyond the courtroom, Matt has been an engaged and passionate member of the Rotary Club of San Jose since 2015 and will proudly assume the role of Club President this July.

Join us for a captivating presentation by Matt Braker as he takes us inside the world of cold case investigations. He'll highlight the story of a 1974 Palo Alto murder and the groundbreaking forensic techniques that finally brought justice decades later.

Matt will also discuss the formation of the Cold Case Unit within the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, sharing insights on the unit's successes and how modern technology is transforming the way old cases are solved. Don't miss this compelling and thought-provoking talk!

Ewell Sterner is founder and Executive Director of Hunger at home In San Jose which got its start in 2008 in San Diego and moved to Silicon Valley in 2015. Ewell, a single dad of 4 kids, was with his 8 year old volunteering at a food bank when Casidy turned to his dad and said “Why are so many people hungry and homeless? We must do more” And they did!. Ewell started Hunger at Home which distributes food to hungry and homeless through an amazing network and at last count had donated close to 13 million meals locally. Where does that food come from and how does it get to the people in need? Wait until you hear!

Dr. Herbert Lin is a Fellow in Cyber Policy and Security at the Stanford University Hoover Institution and senior research scholar for cyber policy and security at the Center for International Security and Cooperation also at Stanford. He has previously served on Obama’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity and on the House Armed Services Committee during the Reagan Administration. He will discuss the landscape of digital security in a way that is accessible to all.

We will embark on a delectable journey led by Brennan Bowen, owner of the Golden Gate Cookie Company, through the history of the cookie, learning the mouthwatering mysteries behind the iconic chocolate chip cookie from its humble origins to its irresistible rise to global cookie domination! We'll also activate our senses in a chocolate-tasting experience where we'll learn to describe and compare a diverse array of chocolates, gaining an appreciation for chocolate’s sweet symphony of flavors.

Brennan is a third-generation baker whose passion for dessert was ignited by his family's baking legacy. During his time living in Mexico and China, he had the privilege of sharing his sweets with friends from diverse backgrounds, infusing his creations with international flavors and inspiration.

Musician, Pasquale Esposito, was born and raised in Naples, Italy. After he immigrated to the United States in 1998, he pursued his passion for music by studying at and receiving his bachelors degree from San Jose State University. He is now an internaional recording artist acclaimed for his pop-opera performances through the lens of his Italian heritage. He will speak to us about what coming to America has meant to him and about some of the famous people he has met along the way.

The mission of the Humane Society of Silicon Valley is to save lives, keep families and their pets together, and create a better future for pets and their people. Join us in making pet blankets for the sweet animals in their care.

Art Bernstein, a resident of Los Altos and COO of a local law firm, is an appointee of the Secretary of the Treasury serving on the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Despite the introduction of digital money, physical coinage is still widely in use. Many American have collected coins including an increase in collectors during the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters Program in the early 2000s. Currently, the U.S. Mint is issuing new quarters honoring notable American women. This presentation will discuss who is being honored, how the designs were selected, what designs were rejected, and why George Washington is facing the other way in the new design. All attendees will receive a newly minted quarter to add to their collection or to perhaps start one! 

Drs. Tom Caruso and Ellen Wang are Clinical Professors of Pediatric Anesthesiology at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. They co-direct the Stanford Chariot Program, which pioneered the use of immersive, virtual reality (VR) to minimize pain and anxiety that children experience during medical procedures. Join us for this fascinating journey into the world of VR for use in pediatric anesthesia.

Mike Ricci plain and simple is a hockey guy! Born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario. He did what all Canadian boys did-play hockey, starting with a minor hockey team at the age of 13 and then quickly moving on to the Ontario Hockey Leagues Peterborough Petes. He played soccer too. His dad was a professional soccer player in Italy.

Mike went on to be drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers, later moved to the Colorado Avalanche, won a Stanley Cup and, in 1997, joined the Sharks where San Jose fell in love with him. We lost him in 2005 to the Phoenix Coyote. He retired in 2007 and then came back to the Sharks front office and is now a scout and development coach with the organization. Does he have stories to share! Find out how many teeth he lost playing hockey! And much more!