Czech Startups Descending on San Francisco · Slovakia and Hungary). The whole tech week in Silicon...
Transcript of Czech Startups Descending on San Francisco · Slovakia and Hungary). The whole tech week in Silicon...
Page 1
Czech Startups Descending
on San Francisco
INDEX
Introduction by the Consul General........................1, 2
Czech Startups...............................................................1
Consul General Meets Mayors of West Coast............2
EU Parliamentarians in Sillicon Valley.......................3
News of Czech School of California.............................4
Czech Musician Hit the Bay Area Again.....................5
Jana Ašenbrennerová in LA........................................6
Sokol Family Camp.......................................................7
Several talented Czech startups, such as SynergyKit,
Corinth, Oscar Tech, Mailytics, PPC Bee, will introduce
themselves to investors and entrepreneurs at the Tech
Crunch Disrupt in San Francisco during the fourth week
of September. Similarly to last year, these young Czech
companies will market themselves during this popular
three-day convention on innovation and modern
technology. Their stay in San Francisco is organized and
supported by Czech government agency CzechInvest and
by the Czech ICT Alliance.
In addition, Czech startup SRTV, one-stop mobile app
development shop working with top-tier startups from Y-
Combinator and has developed more than 100 mobile
apps, will participate in the first SEC2SV conference
(Startups from Europe Come to Silicon Valley).
European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger will address
the SEC2SV delegates during his stay in the Bay area.
Officials from the Czech Ministry of Industry and
Ministry of Finance will also accompany Czech startups
to Nothern California.
Four Czech startups will also present themselves to angel
investors and venture capitalists during the Demo Day in
coordination with other Visegrad countries (Poland,
Slovakia and Hungary). The whole tech week in Silicon
Valley will be kicked-off with informal reception
organized by the Czech Honorary Consul Richard
Pivnicka at his residence for which he and his wife
Barbara deserve a big thank you.
Dear Friends in California,
What a wonderful display of unity and love Los Angeles
experienced this summer when Special Olympics took
place in late July. I would like to congratulate Czech
athletes who overcame their mental disabilities and
travelled around half of the world to compete at these
World Games. Regardless of their success on the field,
everybody was a winner. I am glad I was able to say hello
to them during their visit at the Consulate and meet their
leaders, Vlastimil Harapes, famous Czech ballet dancer,
and Martina Středová, national director of the Czech
Special Olympic Committee.
I look forward to our fall cultural season. Several
extraordinary Czech musicians will visit Nothern
California in coming months. For the first time in Bay
area, the renowned Czech violinist Jaroslav Svěcený will
perform at the Lucie Stern Community Center in Palo
Alto on October 30, 2015. Famous Czech saxophonist
Karel Ružička will entertain guests during his jazz
concert in Oakland on October 16. I also would like to
congratulate the Czech School in California for bringing
the popular Czech music band Mňága a Žďorp to
Cultural Arts Hall at JCC Palo Alto, on November 7.
In June, we welcomed the Deputy Minister of Education,
Jaroslav Fidrmuc, and the Czech Ambassador to the
United States, Petr Gandalovič, to Los Angeles where
they attended the annual conference of all Czech schools
in North America. For three days, teachers and school
directors listened to various presentations on how to
finance and support their schools, and exchanged many
ideas how to improve their teaching methods.
Cont‘ on page 2
Consul General with Mayor of Anaheim, Mr. Tom Tait
Autumn, 2015
.
Page 2
Consul General meets with several
Mayors on the West Coast
Since May, Consul General of the Czech Republic in
Los Angeles Michal Sedláček held a series of
meetings with highly-ranked representatives on the
West Coast. The most recent one was a discussion
with the Mayor of Anaheim, Tom Tait, on July 28,
2015. It was a courtesy meeting focusing on business
relations. Anaheim is known for Disneyland,
however, the recent success of Anaheim Ducks and
participation of two Czech players (Jiří Sekáč,
Tomáš Fleischmann) in Stanley Cup run was also
covered.
Early in July, Consul General Sedláček briefly
visited the capital of Arizona - Phoenix, which has
been the sister city of Prague since 1991. During his
private discussion with the Mayor of Phoenix, Mr.
Greg Stanton, he expressed his keen interest in
continuing and enhancing the cooperation between
the two sister cities, in the cultural, economic, and
trade areas. Arizona is currently experiencing
economic success, and several Czech businessmen
have established their operations there. The Czech
Republic appointed its Honorary Consul, Slobodan
Popovic there in October 2014.
In mid-July, Consul General Sedláček traveled to
Alaska. This was the first official visits by
representatives of the Czech Republic to Anchorage
since 2008, this making it particularly appreciated by
the hosts and the local community. The meeting with
the Mayor of Anchorage, Mr. Ethan Berkowitz,
focused on the possibilities for expanding a mutually
beneficial relationship between Alaska and the Czech
Republic. Also, thanks to the growing number of our
fellow Czechs who chose to settle down in Alaska,
there is an increasing awareness at the local level
about the Czech Republic. Consul General’s visit
concluded with a meeting of our compatriots who
were holding their annual gathering of the Czech
Society Alaska, called “Picnic and Potluck”. The
event was attended by more than 100 guests.
Cont‘ from page 1
Klára Moldová, the supervisor of all Czech schools in
America, and Lucie Slavíková-Boucher, the president of the
world-wide organization Czech School without Borders,
also participated in the conference. I also would like to
thank Míša Žučková from Czech School in Sillicon Valley
for her interesting presentation regarding fundraising.
I also would like congratulate Lida Sandera, the president of
the Czech nonprofit organization SVU – LA, on receiving
the prestigious Gratias Agit Award from the Czech Minister
of Foreign Affairs Lubomír Zaorálek in June in Prague.
After years of efforts, the modern Czech paintings will be
presented in Los Angeles. A unique exhibit will be launched
under the title “CzechInLA” on September 19th in Santa
Monica. The exhibit is organized by Aleš Knupp and his
Alex Art Gallery in Prague in cooperation with Marissa
Caichiolo from the Building Bridges Art Exchange. The
Czech Consulate cohosts an opening reception.
Another exhibit will open just a few days later at the Front
Gallery of the Consulate. A fantastic Czech photographer
Jana Ašenbrennerová, based in San Francisco and recipient
of several awards at the World Press Photo exhibitions in
recent years, will present her works focusing on Czech
themes. The Opening of the exhibit will be on Wednesday,
September 23rd
, at 6:30 pm and will be followed by a
screening of Forman’s film “The Firemen’s Ball”.
I am happy to report that the annual Czech That Film
Festival was a great success. Every screening in Los
Angeles was well attended and many of you came out to
meet director Andrea Sedláčková in person. I would also
like to thank Czech actors Eva Jeníčková and Jiří Mádl who
visited some of the 18 cities, where the festival took place.
The Czech That Film concluded in July in Seattle and I
would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the
financial supporters, volunteers and my staff here at the
Consulate who spent countless overtime hours preparing
this great event.
This is the last time you are reading these lines from me.
After four years of wonderful time here in California, I will
conclude my duties here by the end of October.
Consul General with Mayor of Phoenix (right) and
Honorary Consul Popovic (left)
I will be forever grateful for the privilege to serve here in
California and to meet so many wonderful people. I hope
we will remain friends even after I return back to my
homeland. My family already departed for the Czech Republic, and it is also time for me to say good-bye. Before
I leave, however, I hope to see you all at our cultural
events or at other occasions. To get more information, please, visit our website and like our Facebook page.
Michal Sedláček, Consul General
Trade, tech, and European Parliamentarians in Silicon Valley
Of the many high-profile meetings that a delegation from European Parliament had throughout Silicon Valley
and San Francisco over a few days in July, here is one that stands out: “Inspiring meeting w/
@CondoleezzaRice on TTIP. We agree it is about trade but also strengthening transatlantic ties.” That’s from
the Twitter feed of Dita Charanzová, who has served in the European Parliament since 2014. Formerly a
member of the Czech diplomatic corps, she is active on European and international trade issues. (TTIP stands
for Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, an agreement to be negotiated between the United States
and the European Union.)
The visit from the EU parliamentarians, who are all members of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
Committee, was hosted by the Honorary Consulate General of the Czech Republic in San Francisco and Silicon
Valley. The focus: tech and start-ups, and how to bring some of the mojo that helps them flourish in the United
States back across the Atlantic. Along with the Czech representative, the delegation included parliamentarians
from Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, as well as political advisers and administrative staff.
The itinerary included meetings at companies including Twitter, Facebook, Google, Cisco, and PayPal, and a
visit to Stanford University—which included a working lunch with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
During their meetings, delegates talked with Jeremy Stoppelman, CEO and cofounder of Yelp, as well as other
top company leaders, about consumer protection in the digital age. They spoke with Denis Brown, a senior
vice-president at SAP Imagineering, about cloud computing and IT security. They conferred with the Electronic
Frontier Foundation about regulatory cooperation in the field of consumer protection, and they met with
California state regulators for telecoms.
To wrap up the visit, they participated in a roundtable at the Neumann Center in Redwood City. They listened,
learned, and made concrete plans for ideas gleaned from the visit. Here are three takeaways from that
conversation: From Richard Pivnicka, attorney and Honorary Consul General of the Czech Republic—the value
of the 80 or so accelerators in the Bay Area that have worked with European companies; from Roman Horáček,
co-founder of Czech ICT Incubator in Silicon Valley—the value European companies have realized from
establishing a presence in the United States, even if the company’s ultimate decision is to stay local; and from
Barbara Pivnicka, Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic—the epiphany that comes with the “Valley Pivot,”
when startups arrive here and realize how incredibly different the U.S. market is from anything they have
experienced in the EU, so they decide to change their business plans and find a successful business model.
Richard Pivnicka
Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic
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Delegation from the European
Parliament with Honorary Consul
General of the Czech Republic Richard
Pivnicka (right) and Honorary Consul
of Slovak Republic Barbara Pivnicka
Dear Students, Families, Friends and Supporters of the Czech School of California,
We welcome you all back from your summer breaks! Whether you were at home, traveling within the U.S. or
abroad, we hope you all had an enjoyable and, most of all, relaxing past couple of months!
For us, the end of the summer means busy fall planning! And as September approaches, we are already
putting the finishing touches on organizing our third annual Open House and first day of classes, which this
year will take place on September 13th, at the JCC in Palo Alto. The Open House is a wonderful opportunity
for new parents to meet the teachers, our School's speech therapist, administrators, as well as for returning
students to reconnect with the entire staff and friends from previous semesters. The event promises to be both
informative and fun for all (especially for the kids, for whom we have some special games planned to kick off
this school year!).
Also in the works - this October, the School is once again proud to highlight our country's extensive musical
history, by helping to organize two incredible concerts for the community.
The first, a Czech jazz concert - the first of a series under the umbrella "Czech Jazz SF" - which is taking
place on October 16th
at 8pm in Oakland, featuring world-renowned saxophonist Karel Růžička, Jr.
and Ondřej Pivec on the organ, who will be joined by Ray Obiedo on guitar and Billy Johnson on drums. For
more information and tickets, please visit: www.czechjazzsf.org.
The second, a classical music concert, taking place on October 30th
at 7pm in Palo Alto, showcasing violin
virtuoso Jaroslav Svěcený and the extraordinary pianist Václav Mácha, who will be playing pieces by beloved
composers including Beethoven and Czech favorites, including Dvořák, Smetana, Suk and Svěcený
himself. For more information about this concert, please visit our School's website.
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Autumn News of Czech School of California
And last, but certainly not least, the School wants
you all to please "Save the Date" for our "2015
Czech Gala of Northern California," a benefit
event for the Czech School, which is taking place
on Saturday, November 7th
at the JCC in Palo
Alto. We're excited to announce that this year's Gala
attendees will be treated to the popular Czech
musical group "Mňága a Žďorp," and will get to
savor traditional Czech svíčková, Staropramen on
tap, as well as a variety of Czech baked goods - all
while supporting our School and helping us raise
much needed funds to expand upon the good work
we do. But that's not all! For our children, we've
planned a simultaneous "Movie Night," right on the
JCC campus, where the children will have their own
food and entertainment that evening. We like to
think of it as our "mini Gala". It's an evening
nobody will want to miss!
As always, we invite you to visit our website for
more information about all of our programs, events
and ways to get involved, and we look forward to
seeing you in the classroom or at one of our events
soon.
On behalf of the entire Czech School team,
Linda Janourova-Tang Co-Chair of the Board of Directors
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After sunny summer break and with a step into the autumn
period, the Bay Area will welcome again several well-
known Czech musicians.
The month of October will be opened by a spectacular jazz
concert of famous Czech saxophonist Karel Růžička and
his co-player Ondřej Pivec on October 16, 2015,
at 8:00 pm in Piedmont Piano Company (1728 San Pablo
Ave., Oakland, CA). This event is presented by the Czech
Jazz in SF organization. In partnership with the Czech
School of California, the Czech Jazz in SF has one simple
purpose: to introduce music-loving audiences in the San
Francisco Bay Area to the Czech Republic's finest jazz
artists.
On October 30, 2015, at 7:00 pm, Lucie Stern
Community Center (1305 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto) will
host another Czech violin virtuoso, Jaroslav Svěcený. Mr.
Svěcený recorded more than forty-one compact discs with a
wide range of world violin repertoires. He will present
various works of world-known composers such as
Beethoven, Dvořák, Suk, Smetana as well as his own piece
called “Prague Phantasy for Violin Solo”. He will be
accompanied by pianist Václav Mácha. They will also
perform in Los Angeles on November 1st, in San Diego
November 3rd
, and in Las Vegas on November 5th
.
Mňága a Žďorp will be last but definitely not the least of
the “must-see” cultural events during this fall period of the
musical performances. You might have heard of this popular
Czech band with roots from Valašsko region thanks to their
number one song “Hodinový Hotel” or the debut album
“Made in Valmez”. If not, you should not hesitate any longer
to experience this alternative rock music collection and
attend on November 7 at 6:30 pm in the Cultural Arts
Hall (San Antonio Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303). More
importantly, the whole event will be enriched by a taste of
the real Czech cuisine heritage. Do not miss the opportunity
to taste a traditional Czech beer or compare the quality of
the genuine Moravian wine samples with the famous
California products. Moreover, the legendary Svíčková will
be offered as well.
We hope that this unique insight into our autumn music
performances has enticed you and we look forward to
seeing you in the audience!
Czech Musicians Hit the Bay Area Again
Violinist Jaroslav Svěcený
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World Press Photo Winner Jana
Ašenbrennerová Exhibits at the Czech
Consulate’s Front Gallery
What great fun Sokol members had when they
teamed up with the Czech School of California,
on June 6th
for its first combined picnic at Lake
Chabot in Castro Valley. Jana and Bohousek
Botcha greeted Sokol members at 11 am with a
fire pit that was hot and ready to go for grilling
delicious steaks, sausages and chicken. Around
2 pm the Czech School of California joined us
for their Children’s Day to help them celebrate
the end of the Spring Semester with games,
contests and prizes for the children. Sokol
members assisted in running ten different
activity stations where students participated by
“fishing” for points, racing in potato sacks and
reaching into a bag and had to naming the item
they pulled out in Czech.
Sokol members celebrated their heritage by
singing Czech folk songs while Bohousek
Botcha played the ukulele (now that is an
international twist). The approximately 55
adults and children all agreed it was a huge
success and that we should do it again next year.
Helenka Livingston
Specializing in social documentary and praised by
many experts and critics, a Czech photojournalist, Jana
Ašenbrennerová, will be opening an exhibition of her
work on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at 6:30
PM at the Front Gallery of the Consulate General
of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles (10990
Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90024).
In 2003, after studying directing at the Film Academy
of Miroslav Ondříček in Písek, she relocated to the
United States to continue her education at San
Francisco State University. In collaboration with
nonprofit organizations, Jana documents humanitarian
efforts in Africa and Asia, and most recently in
Democratic Republic of Congo. She dedicates most of
her time to her own independent projects and
freelances for Reuters. At the Consulate Jana will
present photos related to the Czech Republic.
Jana Ašenbrennerová will be in person at the opening
of the exhibition, which will be followed by a
screening of Czech cult film of Miloš Forman
“Firemen’s Ball”.
Don’t miss this exceptional cultural evening and the
opportunity to talk in person to the award winning
photographer Jana Ašenbrennerová, the winner of 2014
World Press Photo and series of Czech Press Photos
(2010, 2012, 2013).
Fun in the Sun
at Lake Chabot
Lake
Chabot
Picnic
and
Games
Czech
Journalist
Photograp
her Jana
Ašenbre-
nnerová
Our annual Sokol Family Camp, sponsored by the Pacific
District, took place this year during the week of July 19-26
at its usual location – Camp Fresno Jr. at Dinkey Creek
(elevation 5,987 ft), located 13 miles east from Shaver
Lake.
Pacific District has been sponsoring this camp since 1969
and it remains our most popular and enduring event, this
year in its 47th year. We had a total of 49 campers – 34
adults and 15 children – which is about average attendance,
although not all campers stayed the full week. The camp is
open to all – members and non-members – but Sokol
members have priority. About half of our campers are
Czech speaking, a few are French, and of course everyone
speaks English.
The camp is a wonderful place for families and singles
alike. Children love having playmates. There is always a
group to join, a conversation to take part in. While all of the
camp buildings are very rustic, all comforts of home are
there. It's the best of both worlds.
Camp Director Otto Notzl, who is also the Pacific District
Men's Physical Director and Activities Director, does a
wonderful job planning activities and organizing camp life.
He always has something interesting planned for the
children – the treasure hunt being a particular favorite.
Every year we go on our traditional group hike to Dinkey
Dome. This is a difficult hike because there is no trail, but
it's so worth it! Our destination is always the base of
Dinkey Dome, where there is a large waterhole with a
waterfall. The water is ice cold, but there are always a few
brave ones that jump in anyway. Further up is a beautiful
rock bed polished smooth by the creek, full of rock
formations, shaped by the waterflow over hundreds of
years.
Fishing and mushroom hunting are other popular activities,
and sometimes we have workshops in Czech cooking. This
year Jara Dušátko, president of Sokol San Francisco, taught
us how to make "bramboráky" – Czech potato pancakes.
Na shledanou! Until we meet again next year!
Yvonne Masopust President, Pacific District
2015 Sokol Family Camp
at Dinkey Creek
Page 7
Hiking
activities
at Sokol
Family
Camp at
Dinkey
Creek
CALIFORNIA CZECH AND
SLOVAK CLUB IN 2015
*California Czech and Slovak Club has been very busy
this year. Our traditional Spring Feast – Jarni Slavnost
had this time a very special guest – a magician . The
main hall of Elks Lodge in Walnut Creek welcomed Mr.
Vaclav Havlik, world known magician from Los
Angeles. First the guests joined to sing Czech, Slovak
and American anthems. Czech singer Lianka Brown was
performing some great evergreens and many well-known
Slovak folk songs. As usually, people enjoyed true
Czech specialties – the pork roast with sauerkraut and
dumplings, known as “vepřo-knedlo“, real Hungarian
goulash and vegetarian ratatouille. The highlight of the
afternoon was, of course, a great Magic Show. Guests
circled the stage to have a better view but still nobody
could guess how were the tricks done and how in the
world the white doves appeared.
We are in full preparations for our next big event, 2015
Christmas Luncheon, which will take place on
November 7th
from 11am to 4pm in Elks Lodge
Walnut Creek. The main attraction will be the
performance by folklore group Karicka who will visit us
from San Diego. There will be more musical guests and
Pavel Soltys will have an interesting presentation called
„Prague, Oklahoma ... and other places“ about american
towns with Czechoslovakian names and history. We also
heard from the grapevines that Saint Nicholas, or Svaty
Mikulas, and his companions, will make their appearance
as well. Everybody is welcomed.
Please visit www.californiaczechslovak.com or
www.bayczech.com for details how to purchase tickets
and enjoy the show.
Barbora Soltys President
September 2015 October 2015
September 23, 2015 at 6:30 pm - Opening Exhibition of Jana
Ašenbrennerová with screening of “The Firemen’s Ball”
(10990 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90024)
RSVP at [email protected]
October 16, 2015 at 8:00 pm – Jazz Concert of Karel Růžička
and Ondřej Pivec in Oakland
(Piedmont Piano Company; 1728 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, CA)
$20 in advance / $25 at the door
To purchase tickets, visit www.czechjazzsf.org
September 26, 2015 – Sokol Walk of Health
(Redwood Reg.Park, Oakland Hills)
For more information contact www.sokolsf.org
October 17 – 18, 2015 - Trip of Sokol SF to Lawn Program in
Czech and Slovak House
(Balboa Park, San Diego)
For more information contact www.sokolsf.org
October 30, 2015 at 7:00 pm – Violin Concert of Jaroslav
Svěcený at Lucie Stern Community Center
(1305 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto)
To purchase tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com ($15/person)
November 2015
November 7, 2015 at 11:00 am – Christmas Luncheon of Czech
and Slovak Club in Elks Lodge
(1475 Creekside Dr, Walnut Creek, CA 94596)
For more information visit www.californiaczechslovak.com or
www.bayczech.com
November 7, 2015 at 6:30 pm – Czech Gala of Nothern
California with Mňága a Žďorp Concert
(Cultural Arts Hall, San Antonio Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303)
Tickets: $70 at www.eventbrite.com
For more information: www.czechinstitutesf.com
CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC
10990 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA, 90024-4879
Phone: (310) 473-0889 Fax: (310) 473-9813
www.mzv.cz/losangeles