Events

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.

Join us for a presentation by local law enforcement about our town's K9 unit. We might even get a visit from some 4-legged members of the team!

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!

Fire Chief Suwanna Kerdaew will talk on a topic of interest!

Carl Salas is a founding principal of Salas O'Brien, a position held since October 1976. Prior to this role, Carl Salas worked as an engineer in the Nuclear Energy Division at General Electric from June 1974 to September 1976. His talk covers a history of San Jose’s nuclear pioneers, how the Three Mile Island disaster froze the adoption of nuclear energy, and todays resurgence of the technology.

Ryan Rosenberg is a Los Gatos Rotarian and chair of the Los Gatos Community Center Campaign. Most towns in the Bay Area have a modern community center that serves all ages, but not Los Gatos. Ryan will discuss the background of community centers in Los Gatos, look at centers in other communities, and discuss the efforts (so far) to bring a new intergenerational community center to our town.

Bill Epling is a leader of the Prison Sports Ministry which brings outside basketball teams into San Quentin for games with inmates.  Bill will talk about the program and his experiences.

Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza serves as the 13th president of West Valley College. President Taylor-Mendoza is the first African American educator to lead the College and is a longtime leader in the Bay Area with twelve years of service in the San Mateo County Community College District.  She will talk about the challenges today’s students face - beyond just academics - and the many ways West Valley College is supporting them.

Town manager Chris Constantin will give an update on the town and important town issues.

Dan Orloff is the founder of San Jose Rocks.  San Jose Rocks seeks to weave together stories of the past and present about a place where creative people have converged to shape the soundtrack of not just California, but the United States and the world.  From The Grateful Dead to the Doobie Brothers, from Smash Mouth to Trapt, from Ampex cassette decks to Apple iTunes and GarageBand workstations, Silicon Valley and San Jose have enriched America’s most raucously unique musical invention: Rock and Roll.

Herb Rittter is the Governor for Rotary District 5170.

Long time sports columnist Mark Purdy will discuss 80 years of 49ers history: How they were born and how they became the bay area's most popular professional sports team.

The school district will be discussing their strategic plan and gathering input.

Kara Bowman is a well-know bay area grief counselor, and the author of the book, "Heartbreak To Hope".  She'll share thoughts about grief and how to navigate it.

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson serves as the 31st president of San José State University (SJSU), assuming the role in January ‘23.  As an internationally recognized Latina leader with extensive executive experience across multiple state university systems, President Teniente-Matson is a champion for student success, institutional innovation, and industry partnerships that drive economic mobility.  Her talk will touch on San Jose State History, recent successes, innovative programs, and a a few latest trends.