Monthly Luncheon

This month's guest speaker is Brendan Dawson, Executive Director of San Jose Jazz. He will discuss the history of the festival along with how, since 1990, it's grown to include nearly 1,000 musicians on multiple stages in the heart of San Jose. With the 2024 event concluding August 11th, Brendan will share stories and successes from San Jose Jazz festival.

ABOUT BRENDAN RAWSON
Brendan has worked in the fields of cultural and economic development for 20+ years. As E.D. of San Jose Jazz Brendan is responsible for the overall strategic and artistic direction of the organization. Prior roles have included: Director of Cultural Participation at 1stACT Silicon Valley; Director of Research, Collaborative Economics; Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, UC Santa Cruz Extension; Interim Executive Director, MACLA; and Director, Community and Neighborhood Programs, Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley. Brendan holds a Master of Public Policy degree from UC Berkeley and Bachelor of Political Science degree from Santa Clara University. Brendan recently served on the Greater Downtown Economic Recovery Task Force and has served on the Board of Directors of the School of Arts & Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Western Jazz Presenters Network, Teatro Vision, Bay Area Glass Institute, and Valley Verde. Brendan is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow and was aco-founder of the Naglee Park Garage and Blackbird Tavern restaurants.

Enjoy a delicious meal catered by Table & Terrace and be sure to network before and after with Chamber members and guests.

We are still lining up an awesome guest speaker, so stay tuned for more info!