California

Newcomer Mixer

If you are a new to the Bay Area, you are sure to have an abundance of questions. GABA is here to help you find the answers you need by pointing you to the many resources available. Please join our casual mixer and get valuable information about the area and its many businesses.
GABA members and experts who have information to share – join us in welcoming new arrivals to the Bay Area and get a chance to introduce them to your business!

Topics of high interest include:

– Visa/green card
– General legal questions
– How do I manage my (German and US) money in the USA?
– Housing (renting/buying)
– Do I really need a US credit card? How do I get one?
– Schools
– Medical insurance (major differences to the German system and what is the best plan for me and my family?)
– General insurance questions

Please send additional questions to office@gaba-network.org.

Don’t miss this unique networking experience and the opportunity to share and gain knowledge from local experts.

GABA members / service providers – please contact sponsorship@gaba-network.org for opportunities to provide info at the event, to book microphone time or to sponsor this event!

Date and Time:
Tuesday, Sep 18, 2018
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Pacific

Location:
GISSV
310 Easy St
Mountain View, CA 94043

Agenda:
6:00pm Registration
6:30pm Welcome
6:45pm Networking

Complimentary appetizers and soft drinks will be served.

Cost:
Members FREE, $15 Non-Members, $20 Day of Event

New Technologies in Government and the Agriculture Industry

GABA invites you to learn from some of the groundbreaking solution providers how Germany is leading the digital transformation in the wine industry and focusing on mobility services.

Welcome Keynote by Dr. Volker Wissing, Minister of Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viniculture

EMMA: The testing of an autonomous driving public mini bus in Mainz is of enormous importance. New forms of mobility and necessary technologies will also play a significant role for public transport in future, please also see a video here

We move it: We want to move people and goods with vehicle technology from Rhineland-Palatinate. Automotive suppliers and science are working together to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies.

Keynote: “New technologies and Blockchain in eGovernment” Dirk Kanngiesser, a technology startup entrepreneur and investor living in Silicon Valley, has more than 25 years of startup, operational and investing experience in Europe and the US. He is a co-founder and CEO of Cryptowerk Corp., a Silicon Valley start-up for enterprise blockchain applications. Dirk is an active angel investor and a board member of technology companies both in the U.S. and in Europe as well as Co-Founder and board member of the German Accelerator Tech Program.

Promoting autonomous driving into the public sector and encouraging mobility and digital transformation services will create new partnerships and collaborations between universities, corporations and the startup community in Germany and the United States.

Learn about one of the most innovative States in Germany testing autonomous driving in public buses their capital, the city of Mainz. Join the discussion on Digital Transformation, Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things and Big Data, all current challenges faced by companies and Governments worldwide. The process is in full swing, offering new opportunities not only to small and medium-sized enterprises. With digital technologies, individual customer requirements can be met in an affordable and flexible way, business and production processes can be made more efficient, and innovative offers that enable profitable growth can be developed.

Please meet a broad exchange of both global players like BASF, small and medium-sized enterprises as well as leading universities and research institutes from Rhineland-Palatinate. Learn what is bringing them to Silicon Valley and establish first business contacts during the networking sessions.

Date and Time:
Thursday, Sep 20, 2018
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Pacific

Location:
Goethe Institut
530 Bush Street #204
San Francisco, CA 94108

Agenda:
6:00 – 6:30 pm Registration / Networking Reception
6:30 – 8:30 pm Program
8:30 – 9:00 pm Networking

Complimentary appetizers, beer, wine and soft drinks will be served.

Cost:
Regular: Free for Members!!, $25 Non-Members
$50 Day of event

Electric Vehicles: At the Tipping Point or Tipping Over?

GABA invites you to explore the future of electric vehicles.

With Volkswagen announcing that it will be selling 50 Electric Vehicle (EV) models by 2025, GM signaling that it will deliver 20 EV models by 2023, and other OEMs following suit, it would seem that EV’s are closer than ever to reaching the “tipping point” of consumer adoption. This is the point where not just early adopters but the far more numerous “pragmatists” are considering purchases.

California has the highest rate of EV adoption in the United States (5%), and 40% of all EV’s sold in our state are driven here in Silicon Valley. Yet, on a worldwide basis, market share of EV’s in 2017 was still less than 1% of the ~90 million cars shipped. Is Silicon Valley’s EV experience a preview of the global future or are our local adoption rates distorted by an unsustainable amount of government incentives?

Join a panel of experts featuring automotive OEMs, suppliers, and infrastructure providers to gain a deeper glimpse into the future of Electric Vehicles. We will cover the following topics:

What are the differences between HEVs, BEVs, PHEVs, and FCEVs and is there an ultimate winner? Which technology is the “greenest”?
Will EV’s survive the expiration of government incentives? How real are the fossil fuel vehicle bans announced in China, UK, France, and India?
What have we learned about charging infrastructure requirements here in Silicon Valley? Can we solve consumer “range anxiety” without building ever larger batteries? Are Hydrogen Fuel Cells part of the answer?
Can the supply chain deliver the staggering amount of batteries needed to convert even a small percentage of worldwide combustion engine sales to fully electric? What about the availability of the raw materials, including rare earth minerals?
Is any OEM actually making money on a per unit basis selling EVs? When is this expected to occur?
43% of all EV’s were built in China in 2016. To what extent is China driving the development, production and adoption of Electric Vehicles?
With continued challenges in meeting its operational goals, can Tesla continue to survive as a stand-alone company? Are there new entrants poised to take its place, or will the existing OEMs maintain control of the automotive market?
How do the other major disruptive elements in the automotive industry (autonomous, connected, shared) affect the rate of EV adoption? Will the necessity to keep up with a combination of these trends favor the established OEMs or new startup entrants?

Location:
Exponent
149 Commonwealth Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Date and Time:
Tuesday, Oct 09, 2018
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Pacific

Agenda:
6:00 – 6:30 pm Registration / Networking Reception
6:30 – 8:00 pm Program
8:00 – 9:00 pm Networking

Complimentary appetizers, beer, wine and soft drinks will be served.

Cost:
Early Bird until October 2nd: $15 Members, $30 Non-Members
Regular: $20 Members, $35 Non-Members
$50 Day of event

From Mobile-First to Video-First: Keeping Up With Consumer Trends

GABA would like to invite you to to discuss the impact and how to maximize mobile campaigns.

Just as the digital world has become mobile-first, the mobile world is steadily becoming video-first. Mobile video viewership has hit a record high, with mobile video viewer penetration surpassing 80% in many mobile-first markets such as the US, Italy, China, Australia and Indonesia. To maximize the impact of their mobile campaigns, marketers must stay on top of the rapid pace of change in the evolving digital video space.

At our event, you will gain an overview of the current mobile video space and the trending topics that are gaining importance this year. We will also include an audience Q&A, so others can share their experiences regarding successful campaigns on mobile.

Join us at Smaato’s office in Union Square to learn from industry thought leaders and explore practical solutions and best practices over cocktails and sushi at what is sure to be a memorable and insightful evening.

Location:
Smaato
240 Stockton Street
10th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108

Date and Time:
Thursday, Oct 11, 2018
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Pacific

Agenda:
6:00 – 6:30 pm Registration / Networking Reception
6:30 – 8:00 pm Program
8:00 – 9:00 pm Networking

Complimentary appetizers, beer, wine and soft drinks will be served.

Cost:
Early Bird until October 4th: $15 Members, $30 Non-Members
Regular: $20 Members, $35 Non-Members
$50 Day of event

GACC Oktoberfest 2018

Get ready for the Bay Area’s most authentic Oktoberfest!

For the sixth time the GACC West will bring Germany’s most famous fest to the Bay Area.

Enjoy a night of delicious German food and Oktoberfest beer, provided by Ludwig’s German Table. Blow Musik! will set the right tone with their traditional Bavarian polkas and our headliner Bayern Maiden will rock the house once more!

All attendees must be 21+!

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦♦ ♦♦♦ Schmankerl Ticket ♦♦♦ ♦♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Food Plate (bratwurst, sauerkraut, potato salad, pretzel with mustard)
1 Liter Beer and Beer Mug to Keep
Admission

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦♦ ♦♦♦ Bier Ticket ♦♦♦ ♦♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
1 Liter Beer and Beer Mug to Keep
Admission

 

♦♦♦ SPONSORS ♦♦♦

 

 

 

www.gaccoktoberfest.com

Grand Opening – Representative of German Business

Together with Dr. Martin Wansleben, CEO of the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Thomas Bareiß, the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany, BMWi, we will officially open the new San Francisco location of the German American Chambers of Commerce with its new name:

Representative of German Business
for the Western United States (GACC West)

Come join us for a networking reception with high ranking representatives of the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Silicon Valley German-American businesses community.

Thu, September 13, 2018 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM PDT
Galvanize (SoMa) | San Francisco, CA
REGISTER HERE

German TechMatch

The GACC West and NRW.International, in cooperation with US Market Access Center, cordially invite you to:

German TechMatch

German TechMatch promotes hand-picked German tech startups showcasing their offerings to corporate investors and tech channel partners in the Silicon Valley.

The event will focus on company pitches, followed by a networking reception, where all companies can present their solutions at demo tables. Meeting with startups in early stages of development will give attendees exposure to fresh and innovative ideas and a quality core team. Attendees will be given plentiful opportunities to network and directly exchange with startups from Germany’s flourishing tech scene – a producer of formidable and original emerging companies.

Thursday, September 13, 2018 | 10:30 am – 2:00 pm
REGISTER HERE

Who should attend
  • Innovators/Entrepreneurs
  • Business Angels and VCs
  • Industry luminaries of innovation, R&D and networking growth
  • Tech channel partners
  • Corporate Investors
Agenda

10:30 am | Check-in & registration
11:00 am | Opening address, , including opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Pinkwart, Minister of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
11:15 am | Pitches from German companies
12:15 pm | 1:1 Breakout Sessions at demo tables
1:00 pm | Networking accompanied by lunch and beverages

To learn more about the pitching companies, please click here.

Summer European Networking

Don’t miss this chance to mingle with business professionals from diverse European countries! Get your ticket soon since this event may sell out!

The German American Business Association (GABA), British-American Business Council (BABC) and French American Chamber of Commerce (FACC) in cooperation with the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, Danish-American Chamber of Commerce, the Business Association Italy America (BAIA), the California-Spain Chamber of Commerce, the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC), the Irish Network Bay Area, the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce (SACC), the US-Polish Trade Council, the Hungarian American Chamber of Commerce and the American-European Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations, invite you to join us for another wonderful European Networking Event.

Come and mingle with entrepreneurs, VC’s and a range of professionals involved in cross-border business in a very relaxed and European atmosphere.

Complimentary appetizers and beverages will be served.

Location:
Werqwise
149 New Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Date and Time:
Wednesday, Aug 29, 2018
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Cost:
Members: $25
At-the-door: $50

GABA Rising Stars Award 2018

GABA Rising Stars
August 23rd, 2018, 5:30-9pm

Due to the overwhelming success and growing popularity of the Startup Award we decided to dedicate a new signature event to honor successful and innovative German-American startups.

Our mission is to bring together the German-American startup community, top entrepreneurs, decision makers, investors and startup founders under one roof.

Without further ado, GABA California invites you to GABA Rising Stars at the Fogarty Winery in Woodside on Thursday, August 23rd, 2018, 5:30-9pm.

Tickets

Members: $99.00
Non-Members: $120.00

VIP workshop: $50

Valet parking at venue: $30

Wealth Management in Amazing Times

Is the Gender Investing Gap Surpassing the Gender Pay Gap?

The economy has recovered significantly since our last Financial Planning and Investment Management forum in 2012. Has your financial situation improved at the same pace? Have you taken action to empower yourself financially? Is your financial house in order for the present, and more importantly, your future?

Come and learn how the gender investing gap is more challenging than the gender pay gap, and what you can do to reduce it, or eliminate it entirely. Learn more about financial planning, locally and globally, and how your emotions play an important part in your financial stability.

Join this discussion with fellow female professionals who will get the conversation started with their stories, share your own story, and be inspired by an interesting topic and an amazing group of women.

Our goal for the GABA Women in Business group is to provide a forum for women to build relationships, get inspired, share our experiences, and be empowered.

Speakers:
Liza Hanks, Certified Specialist, Probate, Estate Planing and Trust Law
Catherine DePuy, Wealth Management International Client Advisor 1 – Northwest
Kenneth H. Horowitz, Estate Planning and Administration, Gift Planning, Real Estate Transactional Work

Moderator:
Marina Perry, Financial Advisor, Portfolio Manager, Certified Financial Planner, Branch Manager, Morgan Stanley

Location:
Morgan Stanley
411 Borel Ave Ste. 220
San Mateo, CA 94402

Agenda:
6:00 – 6:30 pm Registration / Networking Reception
6:30 – 8:00 pm Program
8:00 – 9:00 pm Networking

Complimentary appetizers, beer, wine and soft drinks will be served.

Cost:
Early Bird until June 21: $15 Members, $30 Non-Members
Regular: $20 Members, $35 Non-Members
$50 Day of event