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

Dropbox: The Inside Story Of Tech’s Hottest Startup

Victoria Barret
Forbes Staff

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Eric Savitz
Forbes Staff

Y Combinator Start-Ups: Guess Which Will Be Worth A Billion

Nicole Perlroth
Forbes Staff

Real estate can tell you a lot about people and markets.

Hundreds of Web-savvy startups have sprung up in San Francisco’s oldest buildings in the South of Market district (called “SOMA” for shorthand). So behind that sleek new Apple iPhone whatever-it-does application are a bunch of software developers crowded into a brick building that 100 years ago housed a meat warehouse, a button factory, or maybe a flophouse. Best of all (for those who enjoy irony), that same startup labored, even spent a few grand, to make sure their former warehouse looks nothing like: an office.

Original bricks are a must, according to Hugh Scott and Travis James who help run the technology practice at real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle. “The funkier the better,” says Scott. This duo have spent the past decade landing homes for startups in the Bay area.

Exposed pipes are another top request. These used to be out of cheap necessity, in buildings where landlords were too stingy to shell out for even ceilings. But now tenants are willing to pay for what used to be done out of thrift. Scott and James have seen several tenants add $15 to $20 a square foot to their costs of moving in by asking that the ceilings be ripped out and the pipes cleaned to get that cheap chic look. For landlords, ceiling-free space is commanding a 10-20% premium.

One highly sought-after space was previously the storage closet for the nightclub below. What’s hipper than having your startup next to a night club? (Hint: the answer rhymes with “hip club”.)

Dogs are another a must-have accessory for today’s startups. This request tends to rule out any buildings owned by real estate investment trusts, which typically put “no pets” clauses in contracts.

Commercial rents in most cities are below 2007 levels. Meanwhile SOMA is commanding a hefty premium. Rents have jumped 35% just in the last two years, with some deals hovering around $50 per square foot — matching rates in Palo Alto’s most desired corridors, including the famous Sand Hill Road.

“Most spaces are seeing upwards of four offers,” says James, before smiling suddenly as a text message comes in and he adds: “We submitted an offer sheet for a place last Wednesday. Heard back yesterday, and now I’m hearing we’ve got just 24 hours to make a decision.” James sprints back and forth between downtown San Francisco and Palo Alto, alternatively finessing newly-picky landlords and networking with venture capitalists in the hopes meeting up and coming startups.

While rents here are soaring, they’re still not near the last bubble’s levels. That could mean this is less of a bubble, or simply reflect new buildings that have sprung up in SOMA. Scott and James aren’t sure. Another intriguing difference this time around: rents might be a leading indicator instead of lagging when it comes to the performance of tech’s all-encompassing NASDAQ stock index. Take a look (rent rates provided by Jones Lang LaSalle):

Some companies, notably Facebook, Dropbox, and Airbnb, have so far managed to avoid the headaches of going public while still raising IPO-size amounts, from venture capitalists. Social networking tool company Jive landed $120 million in its December IPO. Dropbox meanwhile scored twice that, $250 million, in its private funding round months earlier. If there is froth this time, it isn’t showing up in the NASDAQ.

Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriabarret/2012/01/17/what-san-francisco-real-estate-tells-us-about-this-technology-boom/

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Oct 12, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Dierk Herbermann, a licensed real estate broker, attorney, and
consistent top producer, joins the McGuire Real Estate team in Marin
as its Vice President, Sales Manager of the Mill Valley and Tiburon
offices.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to work alongside some of the
best agents in Marin,” said Dierk. “McGuire is not only a
forward-thinking brokerage within the Bay Area marketplace, but also
a highly-coveted luxury brand and I’m proud to be affiliated with
it.”

As a manager, Dierk is committed to growing McGuire’s presence north
of the Golden Gate, and brings with him the knowledge, power, and
experience to do so. He comes to McGuire as the former Assistant
Manager of the Coldwell Banker Greenbrae office, where he was also a
top producer. Dierk has successfully coached, advised, and recruited
Marin’s top agents over the years, and in 2010, was recognized as the
top agent within his office.

“We’re very fortunate and pleased that Dierk, with his depth of
experience and knowledge as both an attorney and real estate
professional has come to lead our team in Marin,” said Charles E.
Moore, President/CEO of McGuire Real Estate. “His integrity,
background, and passion for the business coincides with our
commitment to provide superior service to each McGuire agent and
client.”

Dierk began his career as the sales, licensing, and real estate
counsel for Autodesk, Inc. in San Rafael. He worked as general
counsel and business development director for two software start-ups
prior to starting his own practice focused on emerging companies.
Dierk’s strength in contracts, sales and negotiation complements his
knowledge of the real estate market. He also personally invests in
real estate and has remodeled several properties. The knowledge of
how to maximize a home’s value in any market has proven to be a great
asset in advising clients and agents.

Dierk graduated magna cum laude from Boston College with a B.A. in
History. He then earned his J.D. from Golden Gate University School
of Law. He is a member of the California State Bar and several real
estate networking groups. Dierk is a long-time volunteer and former
President of the Glenwood Elementary School Foundation. He also
volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together San
Francisco. He stays in shape training for triathlons, playing soccer,
skiing and trying to keep up with his three daughters.

ABOUT MCGUIRE REAL ESTATE
McGuire Real Estate has been an integral
part of the San Francisco Bay Area real estate scene for more than 90
years. A mid-sized, regional boutique, McGuire specializes in luxury
real estate but upholds the highest standards of service to
properties in every price range, area, and to every client. Its
customer first philosophy and local focus continues to be the proven
winning formula as a Bay Area real estate leader. McGuire’s
affiliation with Luxury Portfolio — an exclusive network of luxury
properties worldwide, and its parent organization Leading Real Estate
Companies of the World, the largest global real estate network in the
industry — successfully connects its clients and agents to a
worldwide marketplace. McGuire operates three offices in San
Francisco, one in Burlingame serving the Peninsula, two in the East
Bay, and one in Marin County.

To learn more about McGuire Real Estate, contact us at
clientcare@mcguire.com, 1-800-4-RESULT, or visit
www.mcguire.com .
“Like” our Facebook Page and follow @mcguire_re for all things Bay
Area real estate related.

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SOURCE: McGuire Real Estate

Copyright 2011 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mcguire-real-estate-proudly-welcomes-dierk-herbermann-as-the-vp-sales-manager-of-its-marin-offices-2011-10-12

In late June, more than a dozen executives, including Ali Row-ghani and David Wehner — chief financial officers of Twitter and Zynga, respectively — hosted a $100-a-plate fund-raiser for Mr. Chiu. The event, “Innovate SF,” brought in about $6,000, according to Mr. Chiu’s campaign.

Meanwhile, Ron Conway, a major investor in Twitter, aims to raise as much as $1 million for a political action committee that is expected to run television ads in support of Mr. Lee during the run-up to the Nov. 8 election, according to several San Francisco fund-raisers.

Under federal election laws, Mr. Conway can independently solicit unrestricted amounts of money on Mr. Lee’s behalf. He has raised thousands of dollars over the past few weeks, city records show, including a $1,000 donation from Marc Benioff, the founder of Salesforce, and a $500 donation from Mortimer B. Zuckerman, the media and real estate mogul based in New York.

“Ron has seen how effective Ed Lee has been in just a few months as mayor,” said Brian Brokaw, a political consultant working for Mr. Conway. “He recognizes that Ed Lee is a public servant, not a career politician, and hasn’t spent years accumulating a campaign war chest, so he’s committed to raising and contributing his own resources to support Ed Lee.”

Silicon Valley has exerted a powerful pull over national and state politics for more than a decade, but the mayoral campaigns for Mr. Lee and Mr. Chiu show how a new wave of booming start-ups in San Francisco has emerged as a major force on the local level as well.

The industry is realizing its political might in a variety of ways.

In March, Twitter negotiated a payroll tax exemption worth more than $30 million by agreeing to move into the blighted Central Market neighborhood, which officials hope to develop. Two months later, Zynga pressured the city into granting a separate tax break for companies that go public within the next two years.

Mr. Conway spent $35,000 to support the controversial sit-lie initiative, which passed last November. Michael Moritz, a partner at Sequoia Capital and one of the world’s pre-eminent venture capitalists, jolted San Francisco politics last year when he spent more than $250,000 to support a pension reform initiative that was bitterly opposed by unions and most of the political establishment. That measure failed, but Mr. Moritz now supports another pension reform effort, as well as the mayoral campaign of Jeff Adachi, the public defender.

“By far and away the biggest issue confronted by people from the tech industry — and it completely dwarfs the sit-lie/payroll/stock options stuff is pension reform,” Mr. Moritz said in an e-mail. “Whichever pension measure passes this fall, San Franciscans can thank Silicon Valley. Without pressure from the tech industry, San Francisco would just be closer to the abyss.”

Other tech veterans are experiencing firsthand success in San Francisco elections, an insular arena traditionally dominated by Democratic Party bosses, union leaders and entrenched political families. Mark Farrell, a venture capitalist, was elected to the Board of Supervisors in November. Another, Joanna Rees, is now one of a dozen leading candidates for mayor.

Mr. Chiu and Mr. Lee acknowledge that the growing industry represents a vast pool of young, wealthy voters. But their support, they say, is rooted in the fact that employment in San Francisco’s tech industry has shot up 60 percent since 2005, to more than 30,000 jobs.

gshih@baycitizen.org

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/02/us/02bctech.html

I’ve recently learned that real estate brokers in San Francisco have reached a consensus on a topic that entrepreneurs and investors can’t seem to agree on: that we are in the midst of a technology bubble.

Technologists have been debating the existence of such a bubble for over a year now, but they just can’t seem to agree. Some argue that companies like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, are overvalued with multi-billion dollar valuations. Others say that technology companies are actually undervalued.

Real estate brokers in San Francisco have seen the evidence of a new dot-com style bubble: Rents are shooting up as the demand for apartments grows. As a newcomer to San Francisco, I can attest to how frantic the search for apartments has become in the area, and to the often audacious pricing of rental properties.

An article published on Thursday in The San Francisco Examiner notes that Bay Area renters are now seeing rent hikes that are eerily similar to those during the dot-com bubble that occurred a little more than a decade ago. RealFacts, a real estate analysis firm, told the Examiner that a new wave of San Francisco residents who work for technology giants and start-ups seemed to be responsible for the rise in apartment rental costs.

“I think a lot of new dot-com employees, specifically those who work for companies like Apple, Google and Twitter, are now moving into the city and can afford to pay much higher rents,” said Sally Kuchar, editor of the real estate blog Curbed San Francisco, told me in a phone interview. ”As a result, San Francisco rental rates have risen by 6 percent between 2010 and 2011.”

As a very recent transplant to San Francisco, I’ve visited dozens of open houses over the past week and already see a frightful pattern. When I show up to see a property there is always a long line of young people, mostly wearing t-shirts adorned with Twitter, Facebook or Google logos, who are standing at the ready with an application, credit report and deposit check in hand. They often bid up the price of an apartment by several hundred dollars too.

Real estate brokers I’ve spoken with note that although the San Francisco market has always been challenging for renters, the current state of affairs is extraordinary.

Ms. Kuchar of Curbed said rents were also rising because more landlords were choosing to turn their properties into short-term rentals using services like AirBnB, a company that lets people rent out their spare bedrooms or homes to travelers.

“A lot of residential property owners are now converting their long-term rentals into vacation rentals; that has also depleted the market,” Ms. Kuchar said. She also said that though high real estate prices make it clear there is a new bubble in Silicon Valley, no one can really predict how long it will take before it pops.

Article source: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/05/tech-and-the-san-francisco-rental-bubble/