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Silicon Valley Nation: Investing in innovation
Brian Fuller
10/11/2012 1:45 PM EDT
SAN JOSE, Calif.--It is a constant source of irritation and
embarrassment to some that the region consistently ranked among the top
25 wealthiest in the country has a fattening slice of its populace
that is struggling.
One of every 10 Santa Clara and San Mateo County residents relies on the Second Harvest Food Bank for meals today. This is a region home to Intel, Google, Apple, Oracle and Facebook, among countless other great technology companies.
In addition, "There are gaps in education and there are gaps in health," says Kevin Lyman, senior vice president of human resources at Altera Corp., headquartered here.
[Get a 10% discount on ARM TechCon 2012 conference passes by using promo code EDIT. Click here to learn about the show and register.]
Unfortunately, these gaps aren't new, and it's prompting calls for the wealthiest (the way less than 1 percent) to pony up, and many are, including Intel co-founder and big-time philanthropist Gordon Moore.
Companies too, while not in the business of philanthropy, seem to feel a quiet alarm that the next generation of employees isn't going to be prepared.
Wednesday (Oct. 11), Altera's year-old Altera Foundation will give out its first grant as part of a larger--and, Lyman says more strategic--effort to nurture the next generation of innovation. The foundation is granting $500,000 to the nearby Hughes Elementary School to seed a facility that will have whiteboard-type devices in the classrooms and tablets in the hands of the 500 students in the next three years. The grant also will help in teacher training with the new media, and the Altera Foundation has a seat on the advisory board.
Lyman, who sits on the foundation's board, notes that the partnership envisions a "force multiplier" that will see such technology propagated throughout the Santa Clara County School District, which has 15,000 students and nearly 675 teachers.
Not all companies are great community partners.
"Many companies are highly committed to their communities and others do less than they might," Lyman said.
Next: Educate, then innovate
One of every 10 Santa Clara and San Mateo County residents relies on the Second Harvest Food Bank for meals today. This is a region home to Intel, Google, Apple, Oracle and Facebook, among countless other great technology companies.
In addition, "There are gaps in education and there are gaps in health," says Kevin Lyman, senior vice president of human resources at Altera Corp., headquartered here.
[Get a 10% discount on ARM TechCon 2012 conference passes by using promo code EDIT. Click here to learn about the show and register.]
Unfortunately, these gaps aren't new, and it's prompting calls for the wealthiest (the way less than 1 percent) to pony up, and many are, including Intel co-founder and big-time philanthropist Gordon Moore.
Companies too, while not in the business of philanthropy, seem to feel a quiet alarm that the next generation of employees isn't going to be prepared.
Wednesday (Oct. 11), Altera's year-old Altera Foundation will give out its first grant as part of a larger--and, Lyman says more strategic--effort to nurture the next generation of innovation. The foundation is granting $500,000 to the nearby Hughes Elementary School to seed a facility that will have whiteboard-type devices in the classrooms and tablets in the hands of the 500 students in the next three years. The grant also will help in teacher training with the new media, and the Altera Foundation has a seat on the advisory board.
Lyman, who sits on the foundation's board, notes that the partnership envisions a "force multiplier" that will see such technology propagated throughout the Santa Clara County School District, which has 15,000 students and nearly 675 teachers.
Not all companies are great community partners.
"Many companies are highly committed to their communities and others do less than they might," Lyman said.
Next: Educate, then innovate
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