Mitch Kapor and his wife, Freada Kapor Klein, are bringing their mission and technology-driven investing and philanthropy operations to Oakland.

Blanca Torres
Reporter- San Francisco Business Times

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One might describe Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor Klein as a power couple. He made a fortune from his software firm, Lotus Development Corp., during the early days of the personal technology boom in the 1980s. She has channeled her activist roots into launching philanthropic programs that integrate technology, education and empowerment.

The pair recently decided to move the operations of their for profit and non-profit organizations from San Francisco to Oakland — a city they see at the frontlines of fostering a new wave of technological and social justice and innovation. For more on that, check out the full story in the Oct. 12 edition of the San Francisco Business Times.

Kapor and Kapor Klein sat down for an interview with me and ended up discussing more than just their move to Oakland. We also talked about their views on the evolution of South of Market in San Francisco, start ups, how to address America’s shortage of tech talent, growing up Jewish in the Mid-West, H1-B Visas, and why technology often concentrates in hubs.

Here are some excerpts from our interview:

San Francisco Business Times: You’re often associated with Silicon Valley. How did Oakland get on your radar?

Freada Kapor Klein: Oakland’s been on our radar for more than a decade since we started Level Playing Field Institute and the Ideal Scholars Program which was based at Berkeley and a lot of the students in the scholars program came from Oakland high schools, so that was our first introduction. … We’ve always had ties to Oakland through our philanthropy.

Mitch Kapor: You said Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley has come to mean the Bay Area, not just down the Peninsula. When we moved to the Bay Area in 1999. We wound up locating the office in South of Market because we correctly anticipated that it was going to be the center of a big boom in tech, which it had not been until that point. Until that point, if you were doing a startup you would be down somewhere between Palo Alto and San Jose. But, the conditions were ripe for South of Market. There was a lot of inexpensive space.

Blanca Torres covers East Bay real estate for the San Francisco Business Times.

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Article source: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/real-estate/2012/10/mitch-kapor-freada-kapor-klein-talk-tech.html

High achieving students of African-American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic descent who reside in or attend a college in Northern California may apply for one of three $5,000 college scholarships. Applicants must meet certain academic criteria and must express an interest in pursuing a career in the insurance and financial services industry. Students of all majors will be considered. Scholarship winners will have the opportunity to network with professionals in the industry and may be eligible for internships.

Nationally, MassMutual is making $135,000 in scholarships available in nine metropolitan areas as part of the program.

“We’ve always been committed to attracting talented professionals to the field of financial services, and in particular to supporting people of diverse backgrounds, both as agents and as clients,” said Robert Fakhimi, General Agent, San Francisco Bay Area Insurance Agency. “These scholarships will, ultimately, help us better serve Northern California’s increasingly diverse community.”

This marks the third consecutive year that the SF Bay Area Insurance Agency has participated in the scholarship program with MassMutual. 

“Our scholarship program is a very important part of our commitment to diversity and education, and because of it and our other efforts, we’re already making a big difference in the lives of the communities we serve,” said Nick Fyntrilakis, assistant vice president of Community Responsibility for MassMutual.

The scholarship program’s application deadline is May 2^nd, 2011, and winners will be notified in late summer.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be of African American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic decent.
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident with a permanent resident card or passport stamped I-551 (not expired).
• Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Have plans to attend FULL-TIME, a degree-seeking program at a U.S. accredited institution in the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands or Guam during the 2011-2012 academic year.
• Be entering their sophomore, junior, senior or 5th year senior year at a four-year university or be a community college student.
• Reside or plan to attend an institution in one of the following metropolitan areas: Atlanta, GA; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Central New Jersey; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; or San Antonio, TX.
• Students of all majors will be considered.
• Preference will be given to students whose essays express their interest in pursuing a career in the insurance and financial services industry as well as demonstrate leadership and participation in extracurricular activities.
• Must apply for federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For more information on how to apply or to obtain an application, visit www.hsf.net/massmutual.aspx.

About MassMutual

Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders every year since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company’s strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

Article source: http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=635025&Itemid=28