When she was young, Jolene Smith dreamt of being a teacher. Growing up in East San Jose in the 1950s she would often play school with the neighborhood kids and take the position at the front of any makeshift classroom. Today, Smith plays a critical role in helping children succeed as the chief executive officer...

Charles Davidson arrived in San Jose a broke 21-year-old in 1952 seeking a way out of poverty and he’s spent the last 67 years forging his own lucrative path in the world. But he’s also quietly become one of Silicon Valley’s most unsung philanthropists. Davidson sat down with San José Spotlight for a rare interview to...

Listening to Jay MacIntosh talk about Silicon Valley’s foster care system is like strapping in for a ride that is known for twists and bumps, but finding oneself plunging lower — and then rising higher — than anyone could have warned. The onetime tech worker and longtime foster child advocate wants people to know about...

When Wiggsy Sivertsen started working at San Jose State University, the Vietnam War was raging and the Bay Area was a hotbed of political activism — especially on college campuses. Back then she also worked as the head teacher of a school for autistic children. Until they fired her for being a lesbian in 1968....

Gay Crawford is Silicon Valley’s most renowned cancer advocate. As a cancer survivor herself, Crawford knows how isolating one can feel when diagnosed with cancer. Before she began her cancer advocacy, Crawford was a journalist. She learned the basics of the trade working for newspapers around the East Bay, but Crawford felt she hadn’t found...

At 27 years old, Councilmember Mason Fong is believed to be the youngest person elected to the Sunnyvale City Council. His captivation with politics started at a young age as his parents fostered the importance of civic engagement, taking him to rallies like the ones held against the Iraq War. The grandson of Chinese immigrants, Fong’s political voice...

He went from being a frightened teenage boy crossing the border to one of the Bay Area’s most influential politicians — an embodiment of the American Dream. As a Latino, a gay man and former undocumented immigrant, Santa Clara County Deputy Executive David Campos has stayed close to his roots, upholding the rights of the...

As one of California’s top tech lobbyists, Cynthia Guerrero has been a driving force for nearly two decades in bridging the gap between public policy and tech companies to make an impact in her community. She’s one of few Latina women to mount a successful career in tech lobbying, an industry often dominated by men and one...

Former Mayor Chuck Reed is leaving California, but he vows to continue to fight for statewide pension reform. Reed, 71, says he’ll continue working on reeling in the exploding costs of public pensions, the signature issue that won him national notoriety as San Jose’s 64th mayor. He’ll also take on cases for the Silicon Valley law firm where...

He went from a life of gangs and poverty to working at prominent companies like eBay and winning election to Silicon Valley’s most powerful education board. Santa Clara County Board of Education Member Peter Ortiz knows the struggles of many students in his district because he’s lived through them himself. Ortiz, 29, grew up off of...