#SAMCEDAonTheMove - June 2025

June was marked by meaningful connections, uniting people to share ideas and inspire growth and innovation.
- Fellowship Forum’s Luncheon Meeting
- San Mateo County Event Center’s San Mateo County Networking Reception
- San Mateo County Fair’s Pacific Islander Day
- Filoli’s TROLLS: Save the Humans
- KQED’s Check, Please! Taste and Sip 2025
- Meeting the Moment: Business, Tech, and Democracy
- SAMCEDA’s 72nd Annual Meeting featuring "THRED Talks" - Weaving Our Region Together
- Meta’s Community Accelerator
- The San Francisco Peninsula’s Visitor Magazine Launch
- Signature Aviation’s Lunch & Learn: Barrington Irving Technical Training School (BITTS)
Check out #SAMCEDAonTheMove to see past events and activities.
Fellowship Forum’s Luncheon Meeting
SAMCEDA’s President and CEO, Rosanne, served as a speaker for the Fellowship Forum at the Sheraton Palo Alto in Palo Alto.
She offered insights into the local economy, exploring its opportunities and challenges, and highlighting SAMCEDA’s influential role since 1953.
San Mateo County Event Center’s San Mateo County Networking Reception
The San Mateo County Networking Reception united community leaders and elected officials to connect and celebrate the vibrant spirit of our community during the San Mateo County Fair at the San Mateo County Event Center in San Mateo.
During the mixer, attendees had the opportunity to explore the fair and view the POPnology exhibit, an interactive, immersive experience highlighting the intersection of pop culture and technological innovation.
Guests were delighted in spotting iconic pop culture references from beloved movies, sparking nostalgia and excitement throughout the exhibit.

[ POPnology highlighted films such as E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,
Contact, Interstellar, and The Martian ]

[ Full-sized replica of the Back to the Future's
DMC DeLorean and the world’s first 3D-printed car ]

[ Community leaders at the San Mateo County Networking Reception ]
San Mateo County Event Center’s Pacific Island Day
Pacific Islander Day at the San Mateo County Fair brought vibrant cultural performances, lively music, and family-friendly fun celebrating the rich traditions of the Pacific Islander community at the San Mateo County Event Center in San Mateo.
[ The festive day started with a prayer ceremony from the youth ]
[ From left to right: San Mateo County Event Center Board of Directors -
Chamber San Mateo County's Amy Buckmaster, Leonard Iniguez, Steven Wong, SAMCEDA's Rosanne Foust, Jim Tucker,
and San Mateo County Event Center's Dana Stoehr ]
Filoli’s TROLLS: Save the Humans Opening Day
TROLLS: Save the Humans, an enchanting outdoor exhibition of Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s collection of towering, folklore-inspired sculptures, made its debut at Filoli in Woodside.
Guests wandered the historic estate grounds, marveling at the playful, larger-than-life installations, all crafted from reclaimed and repurposed materials. Blending art, storytelling, and environmental consciousness, the exhibition invites visitors of all ages to explore, reflect, and reconnect with nature.
The magical world of the TROLLS exhibition will be open to the public through Monday, November 10, 2025.
[ One of the trolls featured was Rosa Sunfinger, the Botanical Troll ]
[ Rosa Sunfinger’s personality is captured in a description placed beside her artwork ]
KQED’s Check, Please! Taste and Sip 2025
Check, Please! Bay Area, KQED’s award-winning restaurant review series, proudly celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Food and beverage enthusiasts gathered to celebrate Check, Please! Taste & Sip, a lively and flavorful event honoring the show’s legacy at the San Francisco Design Center in San Francisco.
Guests enjoyed tastings from a curated selection of wineries and restaurants featured on the beloved show, creating a showcase of the Bay Area’s rich culinary
[ The event spanned all four levels of the San Francisco Design Center,
highlighting local food and wine ]
[ Each restaurant and winery was provided its own table space,
showcasing its signature dishes and beverages
(among them was Daughter: Thai Kitchen as shown above) ]
[ Guests enjoyed delicious bite-sized samples of the featured dishes,
such as Daughter: Thai Kitchen's mango sticky rice dessert ]
Meeting the Moment: Business, Tech, and Democracy
Community, business, and civic leaders attended Meeting the Moment: Business, Tech, and Democracy to hear from speakers driving action and impact in support of free markets and democratic values.
Held at CANOPY in Menlo Park, the program highlighted key areas of focus including clean energy, the rule of law, technology, and the start-up ecosystem.
[ From left to right: KQED’s Marisa Lagos, Stanford University’s Larry Diamond and Protect Democracy’s Ben Raderstorf ]
SAMCEDA’s 72nd Annual Meeting featuring "THRED Talks" - Weaving Our Region Together
SAMCEDA held its 72nd Annual Meeting featuring "THRED Talks" - Weaving Our Region Together event at The Farallon Room at Skyline College in San Bruno in June 2025.
This year’s “THRED Talks” highlighted the importance of: community, compassion, and connection.
- Rommel Angeles - Associate Vice President - Network Engineering for Northern California and Nevada, Verizon
- Olivia Asuncion - Architect and Accessibility Advocate
- Evan Engstrom - Senior Manager, Creator Public Policy, YouTube
- Luz Urrutia - Chief Executive Officer, Accion Opportunity Fund
- James Wagstaffe - Partner, Adamski Moroski Madden Cumberland & Green
“THRED Talks," launched in 2016, is a showcase highlighting San Mateo County and its contributions to this dynamic Bay Area - Silicon Valley region. Through "THRED Talks," we weave stories, focusing on the County, its businesses, its innovators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
[ From left to right: Adamski Moroski Madden Cumberland & Green’s James Wagstaff, Accion Opportunity Fund’s Luz Urrutia, YouTube’s Evan Engstrom, Olivia Asuncion, SAMCEDA’s Rosanne Foust, Verizon’s Rommel Angeles ]
[ After the program concluded, attendees enjoyed a networking reception ]
Meta’s Community Accelerator
Meta hosted a Community Accelerator at its Menlo Park headquarters, offering local small business owners the opportunity to learn how artificial intelligence can revolutionize their operations and drive growth through Meta AI.
[ Meta’s Mona Rogers kicked off the event with a warm welcome to all attendees ]
[ Helpful handouts with AI prompt ideas and tips
for small business success were shared ]
[ Participants took home a “Support Small Business” tote bag ]
The San Francisco Peninsula’s Visitor Magazine Launch
The San Francisco Peninsula Magazine made its much-anticipated debut, bringing the heart of the community to its pages.
The magazine highlights local stories and features an exciting array of must-try experiences, charming getaways, and delectable dining options across the region.
To celebrate the launch of its inaugural edition, The San Francisco Peninsula hosted a magazine release event at Amara in Belmont.
[ The San Francisco Peninsula Magazine is also available online ]
[ From left to right: Cañada College’s Alicia Aguirre, Chamber San Mateo County’s Amy Buckmaster, San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce’s Erica Wood, South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce’s Mary Prem, SAMCEDA’s Rosanne Foust,
Coastside Chamber of Commerce’s Krystlyn Giedt ]
Signature Aviation’s Lunch & Learn: Barrington Irving Technical Training School (BITTS)
Signature Aviation hosted an exclusive Lunch & Learn event featuring Captain Barrington Irving, who shared his inspiring journey of skillfully piecing together a custom-built plane (from an assortment of parts) before setting two Guinness World Records as the youngest and first Black pilot to fly solo around the world.
Since then, he has established Experience Aviation (a non-profit which introduces young people to career opportunities in aviation and STEM-related fields), Flying Classroom (bringing STEM+ curriculum into classrooms across the country), and the Barrington Irving Technical Training School (which provides technical career training and guidance).
[ Captain Barrington Irving shared his career journey, including a photo of him and Captain Gary Robinson, the pilot who inspired his interest in aviation ]
Check out #SAMCEDAonTheMove to see past events and activities.