The California and Silicon Valley Economies and Real Estate Markets

Join us to hear Larry Stone’s annual take on our state and local economies and real estate markets. Larry’s talks always provide a snapshot of our economic situation that is comprehensive, well-researched, and informed by his long career as an investor, real estate developer and our County Tax Assessor.

San Jose Magazine named Larry Stone one of Silicon Valley’s 100 most powerful leaders.  Pulitzer Prize winning author and Washington Post reporter, Haynes Johnson, described him in his bestselling book, Sleepwalking Through History, as “bright, articulate, an American rarity, a proven political success in a time of political failure.”
Larry has been a financial manager on Wall Street, served two terms as Mayor of Sunnyvale, co-founded a successful real estate investment and development firm, and a leading member on the Santa Clara County Arts Council.
Larry was elected Santa Clara County Assessor in 1994 and was re-elected by large majorities eight times until his retirement last year.  He has been an active and effective civic leader in many fields ranging from the arts, to education, to the environment.
Larry also served as President of the Rotary Club of San Jose in 2010-2011.
A native of Seattle, Larry has an MBA from the University of Washington and has studied at the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.  He and his wife, Carmen, have lived in Sunnyvale since 1970, where they raised three sons.
Larry and Carmen spent a night in the White House with the Clintons and got to know Fidel Castro on a U.S. Conference of Mayor’s trip to Cuba in 1977.
We look forward to welcoming Larry Stone, Silicon Valley’s Renaissance man with an impressive personal art collection, and hearing his remarks to our club.
 

Earth Day Tabling & Electric Vehicle Showcase — April 22!

Next Wednesday, the Environmental Sustainability Committee invites you to join us as we kick off three months of educational tabling about Transportation in honor of Rod Diridon Sr, who founded our committee in 2019.

We'll also be showcasing electric vehicles on the 7th floor of the garage — and we'd love to fill it up! If you drive an EV and want to show it off, park it on the 7th floor! Interested in an EV? Check out the showcase!

As Rod often reminded us: the time to act is now.

Brought to you by the Environmental Sustainability Committee 
Rotary Club of San José
 

President Matt rang in meeting #5518 of the Rotary Club of San Jose. He thanked the Book Club for managing the greeting line.

 

Sponsored by Megan Fluke and Matt Roben

Jeremy B. Shapiro is a seasoned serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience. Since 1996, his businesses have consistently served fellow entrepreneurs. He is dedicated to helping established business owners break through plateaus, scale their businesses, and achieve true entrepreneurial freedom.Jeremy’s expertise comes from a rich background of launching and growing his own ventures—including those that provided the freedom to live abroad with passive income—as well as extensive work with individual entrepreneurs through one-on-one coaching, consulting, small group Masterminds, workshops, and speaking engagements. He is known for his ability to simplify complex ideas and provide practical, actionable insights. His mission is to help business owners transition from being a “solopreneur” to a true “business owner,” working on their business rather than just in it.Jeremy is a frequent media commentator, having been interviewed and featured on prominent outlets such as NPR Morning Edition, the Boston Business Journal, Fox News, ABC, NBC, PBS, the Boston Globe, New England Cable News, The Australian, California Biz Journal, Market Watch, and Toyo Keizai (the Business Week of Japan).Jeremy is also frequently invited to speak on top Podcasts from around the globe and was featured on over 75 podcasts in 2024 alone.
When not immersed in the world of entrepreneurship, Jeremy enjoys traveling with his family, cooking, and cycling unreasonably long distances for craft coffee and vegan pastries.
 

Sponsored by Karyn Sinunu-Towery

I live in Naglee Park, downtown San Jose, and have been there since the earthquake in 1989.  I came to San Jose for law school at Santa Clara University in 1978.  After graduating I worked as a research attorney for the Superior Court and then for three years at the local law of Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel.  At that point the scales fell from mine eyes and I became a deputy district attorney for Santa Clara County for the next 38 years.  I tried over 150 jury trials, including homicides, gang attacks, sexual assaults, drugs, fraud, et cetera, et cetera.  My life was a cheap detective novel.  I retired in 2023 and returned to a love of reading and travel, with a bit of bike riding, gardening and walking my dog Lola.  In the last year I cruised the Rhine river, hiked around Banff in the Canadian Rockies, toured Costa Rica (bedbugs!) and visited NYC.
 

Sponsored by Ron Zraick

I’m a proud parent to two wonderful kids, Theodore, who is five, and Penelope, who is three, who keep life busy, meaningful, and fun. I grew up in Laughlin, Nevada, right along the Colorado River, where community, service, and enjoying life went hand in hand.
I’ve been involved in service organizations in one way or another since 2007, and while this is my first experience with Rotary, its values feel very familiar to me. I try to approach life holistically: work shouldn’t prevent us from serving our communities, service shouldn’t stop us from having fun, and nothing should ever get in the way of spending meaningful time with family. I’m excited to be part of Rotary and to serve alongside people who believe in creating balance while making a positive impact.