Leaving a Legacy

As an organization planning to sunset within the next three years, we look at our efforts as leaving a legacy. With some major initiatives getting ready to officially kick-off, we do feel as though we have made considerable progress over the last 3+ years. Here is our list of accomplishments to date:

  1. Changed the conversation about downtown San Jose from that of being in San Francisco’s shadow to being a laboratory for civic engagement and urban living as Silicon Valley’s City Center
  2. Activated a downtown San Jose arts district with a 20-year history of “plans on the shelf”
  3. Removed 30 years of barriers to pedestrian-friendly urban design
  4. Built momentum and energy around digital/Do It Yourself (DIY) culture and live music
  5. Elevated the aspirations, attitudes and priorities of key leadership organizations impacting place making and cultural vibrancy
  6. Established, inspired and nurtured a pipeline of civic, cultural and emerging leaders
  7. Developed the tested the vision and business case for the Creative Center for the Arts, with shared work spaces, staffing and services for an evolving arts ecosystem
  8. Created Silicon Valley’s first cultural engagement campaign
  9. Crafted a cultural literacy and engagement plan for Silicon Valley’s youth
  10. Leveraged Knight and Packard Foundation funding to secure over $5M in additional local investment