WOODSIDE – Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank Ferrer joined fellow members of the consular corps based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Santa Clara at the 11th Annual Silicon Valley Briefing last April 10 at the historic Filoli House and Garden. The event was hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints International Business and Civic Association.
Marguerite Gong Hancock, chair of the International Business and Civic Association of the Church, welcomed attendees and provided background on Filoli House, and the Church’s civic engagement efforts. In her remarks, Hancock also presented key findings from the February 2025 National Progress Report of the State of the Nation Project, highlighting key themes such as national extremes in success and failure, global competitiveness, and a disconnect between economic growth and societal well-being.
Russell Hancock, president and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley and adjunct professor at Stanford University, delivered the main briefing on Silicon Valley’s economic and social trends based on data gathered and analyzed. The region’s leadership on Artificial Intelligence, as well as social and economic challenges were also presented.
Microsoft’s Senior Director of The Garage Linda Thackeray shared updates on the company’s global innovation initiative. The Garage provides a platform for employees, customers, and partners to collaborate and experiment, notably through its Global Hackathon involving over 70,000 participants annually.
A panel discussion on “AI Investments, Issues, and Implications” featured Ethan Choi, partner at Khosla Ventures, and Jonathan McPhie, director of Product Management at Meta shared their insights on developments in AI, including the growing importance of reasoning models, data sovereignty, and balanced AI governance.
Deputy Consul General Maria Paz Cortes, Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil, and Trade Commissioner Anne Kristine Umali also joined the briefing, networking, and the tour of the Filoli House.
The Consulate General expresses its appreciation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for convening the event and facilitating continued engagement between the diplomatic community and key stakeholders in Silicon Valley.
