On April 20, 2023, the ALF Silicon Valley network celebrated 35 years of joining and strengthening diverse leaders to serve the common good.
In 1988, at the invitation of Joe Jowarski, Ann Debusk founded the Silicon Valley chapter of American Leadership Forum. She established a founding board led by Paul Freiman, then president and CEO of Syntex Corporation, with representatives from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. In 1989 she launched ALF’s first Silicon Valley class of Fellows.
Over the next decade, ALF Silicon Valley’s Fellows Program evolved, growing in quality and attracting many of Silicon Valley’s most influential leaders from all sectors. Mayors, CEOs, nonprofit executives, members of Congress and the state legislature, and other business and civic leaders have participated, strengthening their commitment to regional stewardship and collaborative problem-solving.
In this short video, we look back at the founding of ALF Silicon Valley and hear from a few of the key individuals involved in the organization’s evolution since its inception.
