sf.citi is committed to providing you ongoing updates about the latest community news and resources from the San Francisco tech industry and beyond
We would like to start this newsletter by acknowledging and demanding an end to the hate crimes targeting our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. As many of you know, anti-Asian violence has increased significantly since the start of the pandemic, with 3,800 attacks against Asian Americans reported from March 2020 to February 2021. Heartbreakingly, many of these attacks have happened within the Bay Area and culminated last week in the murders of eight people in the Atlanta metro area. sf.citi staunchly condemns these acts of racially-motivated violence and encourages you to support organizations working to put an end to them, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) and the AAPI Community Fund.
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This Wednesday, March 24, join Jennifer Stojkovic of sf.citi and Maria Derchi Russo of Refresh Miami as they compare the tech policy landscapes of San Francisco and Miami. They’ll discuss factors contributing to Miami’s recent tech boom and what challenges Miami must overcome to compete with longstanding tech titan San Francisco. Register below!
Register for Mapping the Tech Exodus
COVID-19 Vaccine Latest Report*
- 12.1 percent of Californians who are vaccinated with at least one dose
- 11.8 percent of Californians who are fully vaccinated
- 36 percent of San Franciscans who are vaccinated with at least one dose
*As of 9:00am PT on 3/22
COVID-19 Updates from the SF Tech Community
UPDATES FROM THE TECH COMMUNITY
We are sharing the latest COVID-19 resources from the San Francisco tech industry, as well other community-minded initiatives pioneered by sf.citi members.
- Many sf.citi members, including Alaska Airlines, AT&T, Comcast, Facebook, Intuit, Lyft, Okta, Pinterest, Salesforce, Twitter, and Uber, condemned the recent attacks against our Asian American Pacific Islander community.
- Committed to helping local communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Google announced that it will be investing $7 billion in offices and data centers across 19 states in the U.S., including $1 billion in Google’s home state of California.
- Lyft partnered with a number of nonprofits to support the transportation needs of Asian American Pacific Islander communities to access essential goods and services via its LyftUp program.
- More than 15,000 Instacart shoppers have taken advantage of Instacart’s COVID-19 Vaccine Support Stipend, launched earlier this year. Since the start of the pandemic, Instacart has also shipped out more than 730,000 health and safety kits, which include reusable face masks and hand sanitizer.
UPDATES FROM THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
- On March 19, Mayor Breed appointed Kate Sofis as the Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD). Since 2010, Sofis served as the co-founder and CEO of SFMade, a public-private initiative that has helped catalyze a resurgence in local manufacturing and diverse employment in San Francisco. More recently, Sofis was also a member of San Francisco’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force. In her new role as Director of OEWD, Sofis will support the economic vitality of San Francisco by promoting programs that attract and retain business, expanding workforce development programs, and revitalizing the City’s commercial corridors.
- On March 18, Mayor Breed announced the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing Leadership Transition plan as the City moves towards long-term recovery. This includes finding a permanent director for the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, as well as implementing the Mayor’s Homelessness Recovery Plan, which aims to dramatically increase housing options and expand the shelter system.
- On March 17, Mayor Breed and Supervisor Matt Haney announced an agreement on spending for the $125 million surplus in the current budget year. The spending plan focuses on immediate relief and recovery for those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This plan calls for the revitalization of small businesses, preserving arts and culture organizations, supporting youth and families, providing more housing security, and preventing drug overdoses.
To stay up to date with all City of San Francisco updates, follow the Mayor’s updates here.
UPDATES FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
- On March 19, Governor Newsom signed legislation to ensure access to supplemental paid sick leave among workers impacted by the pandemic. Senate Bill 95 ensures access to up to 80 hours of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave for eligible employees, including those advised to quarantine or isolate and those caring for COVID-impacted family members.
- On March 18, Governor Newsom and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond announced the deployment of up to 3 million free rapid COVID-19 antigen tests to help high-needs schools safely reopen classrooms. In partnership with the California COVID-19 Testing Task Force and the California Department of Education, tests will be delivered to school districts in regions hit hardest by the pandemic and serve greater numbers of high-risk students and families.
- On March 17, Governor Newsom distributed $50 million in grants to local communities to mitigate public safety power shutoffs. Building on previous efforts to protect local communities and vulnerable Californians from the impacts of utility-initiated power shutoffs, Governor Newsom announced the distribution of this additional funding through Community Power Resiliency grants through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
To stay up to date with all State of California updates, follow the California Department of Health’s updates here.
SUPPORT OUR SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY
Every week, sf.citi will feature a different San Francisco nonprofit and share ways you can support its mission and work.
- Kollaboration San Francisco aims to promote Asian Pacific Islander presence in entertainment and media by addressing stereotypes and elevating voices in the Asian American Pacific Islander community. The organization regularly organizes initiatives to promote the craft, stories, and visions of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) creatives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kollaboration San Francisco is currently seeking creative content to showcase during May, or APIDA Heritage Month. If you want to help change the Asian American cultural narrative in entertainment and media, donate to Kollaboration San Francisco.
Would you like to be featured in a future sf.citi community update? Tell us about your work in San Francisco by emailing jacqueline@sfciti.org.
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