New organization to catalyze future-ready workforce, economic mobility, and innovation as a force to unlock human potential and expand opportunity.
San José, Calif. (August 28, 2026) – The Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) – the leading business association representing the innovation economy and its ecosystem – today announced the launch of the California Innovation Foundation (CIF), a new 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to accelerate workforce readiness, advance economic mobility, and harness innovation to unlock human potential across Silicon Valley and throughout California.
The Foundation’s core workstreams are focused on addressing the region’s most pressing economic, workforce and community challenges through innovation-forward grant programs, multidisciplinary research and thought leadership, and convenings that foster collaboration among industry leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders. CIF will serve as SVLG’s philanthropic and educational research arm, with day-to-day operations led by CEO Ahmad Thomas.
SVLG’s Executive Board of Directors will oversee governance for the new entity.
“The recent acceleration of AI and emerging technologies means we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance lasting growth and prosperity for all Californians,” said Ahmad Thomas, CEO of SVLG and the California Innovation Foundation. “The California Innovation Foundation will allow SVLG to scale our regional impact and work alongside our state partners to ensure California remains the best place in the world to grow a business, innovate, and build community.”
The Foundation’s first major initiative will be serving as the employer representative for the Bay Area K-16 Collaborative, an equity centered regional network committed to achievement across the educational continuum leading to high-demand, high-skill careers. The Bay Area K-16 Collaborative focuses on student retention and seamless transitions between educational institutions; inclusive front doors and effective onramps to college, including early college preparation for youth; institutional change efforts to reduce barriers to equitable degree completion and career entry; inclusive student supports coordinated across the network of partners including school districts, community colleges, universities, and employers; and deeper connections with industry, including the expansion of work-based learning for students.
“Preparing students for the Bay Area’s fastest-growing careers requires employers and educators to work hand in hand,” said Dr. Agustín Cervantes, Executive Director of the Bay Area K-16 Collaborative. “SVLG’s deep connectivity across the region’s innovation ecosystem helps us better align education and training with the skills employers need, expand access to meaningful work-based learning, and create stronger pathways to high-demand, high-skill, and family-sustaining jobs in the regional economy. That work is especially important for the many students we serve who are balancing school, work, family, and other responsibilities, and whose success will help fuel California’s continued economic growth and innovation while supporting greater upward mobility for their families and communities.”
SVLG member companies and Board Members have committed initial seed funding for the Foundation. Announcements related to additional new initiatives will be made in the coming weeks, underscoring CIF’s commitment to next-generation leadership and fostering broad collaboration across public, private, and philanthropic sectors.
About Silicon Valley Leadership Group
The Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) is the leading business association representing the innovation economy and its ecosystem. Founded by David Packard of Hewlett-Packard, SVLG has worked for nearly five decades to address issues that affect the region’s economic dynamism and quality of life. Today, SVLG is focused on accelerating the next era of Silicon Valley leadership, activated by our three new Centers of Expertise (COE). Technology & Innovation, Business Competitiveness and Civic Impact. SVLG members collectively provide nearly one of every three private sector jobs in Silicon Valley and contribute to the worldwide economy. For more information, visit svlg.org.
About the California Innovation Foundation
The California Innovation Foundation (CIF) is SVLG’s affiliated 501(c)(3) philanthropic entity. Core objectives of CIF include accelerating workforce readiness, advancing economic mobility, and harnessing innovation to unlock human potential across Silicon Valley and throughout California. CIF’s initiatives complement SVLG’s mission to strengthen the competitiveness of Silicon Valley’s world-renowned innovation ecosystem. CIF designs and implements employer-connected education and workforce programs, convenes cross-sector partnerships, develops industry-leading research, and pursues philanthropic and public funding to deepen community impact.
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