Supportive Business Groups Help Hacienda Companies Thrive

The driving forces behind companies big or small are the people who have a shared goal to ensure their business succeeds. Additional support from the communities they serve takes their efforts a step further to reach more clients and customers. Nonprofit business groups such as the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce and the Pleasanton Downtown Association are among the many local organizations bridging the gap between businesses and residents through help with networking, advocacy, business development and other initiatives. 

Pleasanton Chamber and Downtown Association

The Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) and Pleasanton Downtown Association (PDA) are the primary local organizations working to enhance the business environment and provide greater opportunities for Hacienda and other Pleasanton-based companies. 

The goal of the Chamber is to advance the economic vitality of the Pleasanton community.

Last year, the organization developed a roadmap to meeting its goals called “Pleasanton 2025: A Community Vision”. The report outlines the Chamber's platform on a number of important local and regional issues, including arts, culture, and recreation; education; health and human services; housing; leadership; the local economy; public safety; and infrastructure. The Chamber also offers numerous ways for its members to save time and money while providing unique promotional opportunities, such as its Business and Community Guide that features information about events and businesses throughout the area. 

The Chamber also stresses the importance of community involvement through volunteer opportunities. Chamber Ambassadors attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new businesses and staff monthly mixers, giving them plenty of opportunities to make contact with potential clients. Perhaps the best example of business improvement via self-improvement is Leadership Pleasanton, a program co-sponsored by the Chamber and the City of Pleasanton to develop community leaders. The goal of the Leadership Pleasanton program is to develop community leaders. Each class of Leadership Pleasanton contains individuals from all sectors of the community. Over 800 individuals have graduated from the program in its more than 30 years.

An important part of Pleasanton's identity can be found in its historic core. Downtown Pleasanton, which is home to more than 550 diverse businesses, is often called the heart of the city. The PDA provides a broad menu of events and other activities to make downtown a key focus for every business in the city, including those without a downtown address. In 1984, the City Council recognized this special business area by creating the PDA.

“The Pleasanton Downtown Association supports local businesses through promotion, advocacy, community events, and opportunities to connect and collaborate,” said Gabrielle Welk, PDA’s executive director. “While our focus is downtown, we partner with businesses and organizations throughout Pleasanton to bring people together, encourage shopping local, and strengthen our community. A thriving downtown benefits all of Pleasanton, and we’re proud to help create a place where small businesses succeed and people feel at home.”

The PDA operates an assessment district used to fund efforts that help develop and promote a vibrant downtown community. Operating as a nonprofit organization, PDA funding is provided by member assessments, matching City funds, sponsorships, and revenue-producing events. The PDA is a certified State and National Main Street Community. “As a Main Street Community, the PDA is organized under a four-point strategy that incorporates the elements of organization, economic restructuring, promotion, and design or physical appearance,” officials say. PDA staff members, business owners, property owners, sponsors, and community volunteers work together to implement this strategy successfully.

The nonprofit is perhaps best known for sponsoring, with its members, over 20 downtown events annually. These include such popular events as the upcoming Halloween Zom-Brew Crawl on October 24, First Weekends on Main, Concerts in the Park, and many more. Downtown Pleasanton also holds a year-round Farmers' Market each Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.

Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group

Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group (ITV) is a business-led collective of leaders and influencers committed to connecting the businesses, educational institutions, research labs, and government leaders in the region. ITV has built awareness of the Tri-Valley as a technology and innovation powerhouse that outpaces the Bay Area megaregion in both job creation and economic growth. 

“For 15 years, Innovation Tri-Valley has existed for one reason: to make sure the businesses that call this region home have a seat at the table where its future is decided,” emphasizes ITV CEO Katie Marcel. “We’re the only business-centered nonprofit focused solely on the Tri-Valley, and our partners — the region’s biggest employers, top investors, and community leaders — don’t just fund that work, they shape it. Pleasanton and Hacienda show what that looks like in practice: major brands, a deep talent pool, and a quality of place that helps companies recruit and keep great people. Our job is to connect those strengths across five cities and two counties, so the businesses that power this region also help lead it.”

Among its accomplishments, ITV led a groundbreaking 18-month community process with more than 1,000 stakeholders to deliver a bold vision for the region in the Innovation Tri-Valley 2040 Vision Plan. The plan was created with partner Bay Area Economic Institute to suggest a framework for ideas intended to maintain the Tri-Valley’s success and its dedication to quality of life. To attain those goals, the organizations believe the region’s stakeholders must plan for the future by creating the infrastructure needed for 2040 and beyond.

In addition to its visionary reports, ITV is known for signature events, including the annual GameChanger Awards. As officials explain, “every year, ITV throws an epic ode to the region’s innovation ecosystem by presenting a #GameChanger Award to a company changing the game in each of the Tri-Valley municipalities. The #GameChanger Awards ceremony serves as a nexus for founders, mentors, influencers, and stakeholders, fostering collaboration and celebrating the region’s brightest innovators. The slate of honorees has become a who’s who in the Tri-Valley ecosystem.” 

Past GameChanger honorees have included 10x Genomics, Air Protein, Lam Research, Tekion, Topcon, Unchained Labs, and Vagaro. ITV has a diverse membership that represents a wide variety of local industries. The organization  welcomes new partners who are interested in advancing the economic vitality and economic sustainability of the region.

East Bay Leadership Council

Officials of the East Bay Leadership Council (EBLC) are on a mission to increase the economic vitality and quality of life in the East Bay through public policy advocacy. They say EBLC has established a reputation for effective advocacy, built a network of influential leaders, and delivered valuable marketing opportunities to its members. EBLC is employer-led and represents leaders in business, industry, education, government, and the nonprofit community. 

The EBLC's policy platform is driven by task forces, which are open to all members. The task forces meet monthly and focus on important issues, such as state legislation, innovative water technology and policy, local ballot measures, consequential land use decisions, environmental regulations, and apprenticeship programs. 

The group provides many opportunities for members to connect with the most influential leaders in the region. EBLC’s Capitol Series brings elected officials from Washington D.C. and Sacramento face-to-face with East Bay Leadership Council members, while the State of the East Bay “is an annual event with a tradition of bringing together the President of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and the Chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors for a discussion on issues spanning the region,” officials note. 

At the beginning of each year, the organization also hosts a three-part series featuring thought-leaders “who discuss broad societal issues and their significance within the East Bay. Topics range from national and global politics, civil rights, and the economy to housing, transportation, health, energy, innovations in tech, and much more.” 

East Bay Economic Development Alliance 

Founded in 1990, the East Bay Economic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA) was born out of the recognition by top leaders of the need to work together and tackle shared regional challenges. Today, East Bay EDA is a cross-sector regional economic development organization that convenes diverse networks of business, government, and community leaders who embrace the extraordinary value of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties as an unrivaled region in which to live, work, and do business.

East Bay EDA seeks out diverse members who recognize the extraordinary value of the region's assets and who can help the East Bay unlock its full potential as a global leader and an unrivaled place to live and work. They develop and publish original studies and economic reports about the region and connect local community entities and businesses to regional, state, and national resources. The organization also promotes local and regional economic development efforts through regular peer engagement, assists with data analysis, conducts legislative advocacy, aligns business and education leaders, coordinates professional development, directs assistance to Chambers of Commerce and small business, and markets the East Bay's abundant regional assets.

The group’s membership includes key corporate and private sector CEOs and executive management, including representation from Fortune 500 companies and local businesses; elected leadership and key management of Alameda and Contra Costa counties and cities; the Port of Oakland; the University of California, Berkeley; all three national research laboratories (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories); California State University, East Bay; the region's community colleges; labor organizations; environmental stewards; regional nonprofit organizations; community development corporations; and philanthropic entities.

Visit Tri-Valley

Visit Tri-Valley (VTV) is the region's destination marketing organization, and is responsible for attracting visitors to the area. Funded by an assessment paid by hotel guests, VTV repays that investment by marketing the cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, and the town of Danville to overnight visitors. It also works to promote the overall Tri-Valley region as an appealing travel destination. The nonprofit’s mission statement is “to increase sustainable economic impact to the Tri-Valley by being recognized as a desired destination for overnight visitors.”

With more than 50% of its annual budget allotted to marketing, the nonprofit  has made large strides in reaching its target audiences. Indicators show that VTV's efforts are working, and that the Tri-Valley has become an attractive addition to the Bay Area's visitor experience. In addition to its innovative marketing campaigns, the company also focuses its sales efforts on attracting sports tournaments to the area and reaching independent travelers both domestic and international.

VTV has been awarded with the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program seal by Destinations International in recognition of the organization's commitment to industry excellence and meeting the industry standard for performance and accountability of destination organizations around the world. As officials note, “Outside of generating millions of dollars for the state of California and our local communities, tourism also contributes to our economy by creating jobs, generating revenue for our hospitality industry, and partially funding local services like public schools, city staffing/security, road fixtures, and fire departments.”

Bay Area Council

The Bay Area Council was founded in 1945 as a way for the regional business community to concentrate and coordinate their efforts as public policy advocates. The group focuses on three interlocking goals: a strong economy, a vital business environment, and a better quality of life for all the area's residents. Today, hundreds of the largest employers in the Bay Area support the council.

"We are business leaders committed to working with public and civic leaders to make the Bay Area the most innovative, globally competitive, and sustainable region in the world," reads the group's mission statement. The council informs and mobilizes business, civic, and political leaders on critical issues and opportunities facing the region; develops solutions for an ambitious vision for the region's future with participation of business, government, labor, science and education; and achieves results through advocacy and committed leadership to realize this vision. 

Meeting the group’s mission requires significant research and communication among the group's members to identify critical challenges and opportunities confronting the region. Once these positions have been conceived, the council works to promote understanding and collaboration among stakeholders in an ongoing effort to drive implementation of strategic policy solutions through political, business, and civic leadership. 

As can readily be seen by the diverse array of organizations throughout the region, there are a host of resources available to Tri-Valley companies, from small startups to established corporations. The region is home to a variety of industry leaders as well as two national labs with a track record of innovation. 

In short, for a company or organization that needs support, there are multiple places where that can be found with a broad range of institutions that allow businesses to network with one another and engage in a dynamic and robust business community.

For more information about the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, please visit  https://www.pleasanton.org.

For more information on the Pleasanton Downtown Association, please visit https://www.pleasantondowntown.net.

For more information on Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group, please visit https://innovationtrivalley.org.

For more information about the East Bay Leadership Council, please visit https://eastbayleadershipcouncil.com.

For more information about East Bay Economic Development Alliance, please visit https://eastbayeda.org.

For more information on Visit Tri-Valley, please visit https://visittrivalley.com.

For more information about the Bay Area Council, please visit https://www.bayareacouncil.org.