MISSION

The SVIEC Foundation promotes educational activities that foster entrepreneurship and professional development in the Italian and Italian-American community. It develops programs and organizes events that focus on knowledge sharing, mentoring and networking, leading to economic development and better opportunities for the target community.

COMMUNITY

There are tens of thousands of people that have strong ties to Italy and the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. It may be for personal reasons: people that have spent large parts of their lives in both places, or with close relatives from both geographies. Or it may be for professional reasons: they may work for a company that operates in both countries, or they may have started one that does.

Regardless, they share a unique cultural DNA that brings together the richness of both cultures.

The SVIEC Foundation wants to leverage that rich cultural heritage for the betterment of this unique community and of society at large.

Although many of the Foundation's friends and supporters are located in the Silicon Valley - and more generally in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area - the Foundation's activities and their impact go well beyond that region.

BRIEF HISTORY

SVIEC started in 2004 as the Silicon Valley Italian Executive Council. An initiative created and developed by the late Jeff Capaccio, SVIEC was originally defined as "a special group of Italian and Italian-American technology executives who meet on an informal basis to network, socialize and stay current on technology, the law and public policy."

For many years, Jeff kept organizing engaging events that brought together a diverse group of talented people with ties to Italy and the Silicon Valley. Jeff passed away unexpectedly at age 62 in March of 2021.

After Jeff's premature passing, a group of SVIEC members took the baton to not only keep the initiative alive, but also increase its size and its reach in order to broaden its impact. As part of this effort, SVIEC became the SVIEC Foundation in the summer of 2021, a California 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization.