News
German Day in Golden Gate Park 2024
GABA was proud to participate in this year’s German Day in Golden Gate Park, celebrating German heritage and fostering cultural exchange in the heart of San Francisco. The event brought together members of the German-American community for a day filled with…
Zeiss Innovation Center Delivers Cutting Edge Technology
The ZEISS Innovation Center in the Bay Area, opened in 2021, has rapidly become a vital hub for cutting-edge research and development in optics and optoelectronics. Over the past month alone, the center introduced three groundbreaking products, further solidifying its…
A Look Inside The ZEISS Innovation Center California
Today, GABA members had the unique opportunity to tour the ZEISS Innovation Center California in Dublin. Opened in 2021, this state-of-the-art facility serves as ZEISS's U.S. headquarters for medical technology and a hub for R&D, production, and customer service. During…
NextGen Night Out in San Francisco
This young professionals event brought together a vibrant group, including a founder of an AI startup, an M&A manager, AR researcher from Meta, a Stanford graduate specializing in urbanization, and many more. Conversations ranged from the cultural and mindset shifts…
A Memorable Evening at the Fall European Networking Event
The Fall European Networking event at SAP Labs in San Francisco was an unforgettable celebration of the European business community in the Bay Area. Organized by the German American Business Association (GABA) in collaboration with the British American Business Council…
Nine Vital Signs of Startup Success
During the webinar "The Nine Vital Signs of Startup Success," Jeff Wallace and Kal Deutsch from Silicon Valley In Your Pocket (SVIYP) expertly outlined the nine key indicators that every startup should focus on to drive success: Product-Market Fit Ensure…
Germany’s Shift Toward Dual Citizenship: Implications for German Citizens in the U.S.
On June 27, 2024, Germany enacted a significant change in its citizenship laws, allowing dual citizenship for all its nationals, provided the other involved nations, such as the United States, permit it. This marked a departure from Germany's historically restrictive…
GABA Women Meet – A Night of Empowerment and Insight
Yesterday’s GABA Women Meet brought together an incredible group of women for an unforgettable evening! A huge thank you to Nicole Jacobi, the culinary entrepreneur behind Nico's Plant Based Kitchen and Ludwig's Biergarten, for sharing her inspiring entrepreneurial story, and to Patricia Roller,…
How I Did This – Katja Hanack, Founder and CEO of new/era/mabs GmbH
My professional journey began with studying Biology as a basic science, first in Rostock and later in Berlin. After completing my Diploma, I moved to Potsdam to pursue a Ph.D. in Biotechnology. I was particularly interested in developing tools to…
Finding Balance & Wholeness in Life & Business: A Transformative Evening
Last night, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu, a renowned psychologist from Stanford University, at the Japanese Innovation Campus in downtown Palo Alto. This session explored how mindfulness, compassion, and a sense of responsibility can profoundly impact…
GABA Sommerfest 2024
It was fantastic to see so many people – including several families – at our annual GABA Sommerfest! We thank you for joining and hope you spent a great afternoon mingling with other members of the German American community. Our…
New Advisory Board Member Prof. Dr. Eckart Würzner
We are absolutely delighted to welcome Prof. Dr. Eckart Würzner as a new member of our GABA Advisory Board. Prof. Dr. Eckart Würzner's tenure as Lord Mayor of Heidelberg has been transformative for the city in south-western Germany. His visionary…
New Advisory Board Member Prof. Dr. Ulrike Malmendier
We are thrilled to announced that GABA's Advisory Board has a distinguished new member: Prof. Dr. Ulrike Malmendier, Economics Professor at UC Berkeley and one of the five economic advisors to the German government (Wirtschaftsweise). Her profound contributions to economics…
How I Did This – Dirk O Evenson, Strategic Communication Consultant
What happens to trade fairs when the sector they serve is disrupted? Read GABA member Dirk O Evenson’s story about his work for the IAA, one of the world's largest mobility trade fairs in our new column How I did…
Summer European Networking 2024
The German American Business Association of California (GABA), British American Business Council Northern California (BABC), French American Chamber of Commerce San Francisco (FACC), and the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations (EuroCham), were delighted to host another…
What’s Next Is Now
We are thrilled to share the highlights from our recent event "What's Next is Now", a fireside chat with former Google Chief Innovation Evangelist, Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt in conversation with Tracey Grose. We had a packed house brimming with…
GABA Women Meet – A Summer Night with Erdbeerbowle
It was fantastic to see so many women at our GABA Women Meet! What a great evening to mingle with other members of the German American community while enjoying a glass (or two) of our homemade Erdbeerbowle. Our special thanks…
GABA Gala 2024: A Fabulous Celebration of the German-American Community
It was a great display of community and achievement at Dominic's Oyster Point in South San Francisco as we celebrated this year's award winners of the GABA Achievement Award, Petra Vorsteher and Ragnar Kruse. The amazing power couple was…
California Dreaming Happy Hour in Berlin
Niklas Hanisch, one of GABA's Ambassadors in Germany, organized the 'California Dreaming' event in Berlin on May 26. Participants, including former expats who lived in the Bay Area and those planning to relocate there, were primarily interested in connecting with…
Amazing AI Startup Pitch Event at Hana Haus on May 23!
Full House at the German AI Roadshow at Hana Haus with 10 German AI startups pitching. In case you missed it, check out the promising startups. Congratulations to the winner of the pitch contest: Energy Robotics! Pitching Startups 36ZERO Vision enables…
Your Health is Personal. Personalized Medicine for Diagnostic and Therapy.
A truly inspiring discussion on personalized medicine at our event “Your Health is Personal” last week. The panel featured J. Dianne Keen-Kim, Ph.D., FACMG, HCLD(ABB), Sudha Krishnan, Ph.D, Dr. Thomas Koehnke, Prof. Dr. Katja Hanack and Dr. Christian Apfel. The speakers…
Spring European Networking 2024
What an incredible evening at the Spring European Networking event! Held in the picturesque outside courtyard at Cooley's Palo Alto office, the event drew a large crowd eager to make new connections, catch up with familiar faces, and bask in…
Democracy and Disinformation: How can Information Systems and the Media Landscape work for Business, Consumers and Democracy?
Breakfast Briefing. International Dispute Resolution Made in Germany.
The Breakfast Briefing, co-hosted by GABA Northern California, the German Consulate General San Francisco, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Deutsch-Amerikanische Juristen-Vereinigung (DAJV e.V.), brought together a high-level delegation from North Rhine-Westphalia, led by Governor Hendrik Wüst, and the Bay…
Inventorship Guidance for AI-Assisted Inventions
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, regulatory agencies are working to keep pace with evolving issues. Learn about the latest decision from the US Patent and Trademark Office on the inventorship of AI- assisted inventions in this…
Leaving the U.S. – Financial Planning Tips & Traps
Andrew Fisher and Libby Dawson from Cerity Partners, a long time GABA corporate member, held a webinar on “Leaving the U.S. – Financial Planning Tips and Traps” on March 20, 2024, with a focus on the financial consequences of emigrating…
GABA Award Winners 2024: Petra Vorsteher and Ragnar Kruse
In a world where predicting the future seems daunting, there are those who focus on actively shaping it instead. GABA News talked with Petra Vorsteher and Ragnar Kruse, recipients of this year's GABA Award of Excellence, whose journey epitomizes this…
The Future of Mobility – More than Meets the AI
More Than Meets the AI - GABA’s latest event on the future of mobility, in collaboration with the US Japan Business Forum Keizai, drew a large crowd on March 12 at the offices of Procopio in Palo Alto. Participants were…
Welcome Dr. Jeannet Kiessling as GABA’s New Executive Director
We're thrilled to introduce Dr. Jeannet Kiessling as the new Executive Director of GABA, as of March 1, 2024. With a rich background in strategic planning and marketing, and a proven track record in fostering transatlantic relations, Jeannet is poised…
GABA Team – Goodbye and Welcome!
GABA Innovation Breakfast at BMW Group Technology Office USA – Highlighting the CES Trends
Amidst the bustling landscape of Silicon Valley, GABA recently hosted another of its highly anticipated Innovation Breakfasts. This time, the vibrant discussions and networking took place within the confines of the BMW Group Technology Office USA in Mountain View, commemorating…
Fireside Chat with Astrid Langer
During GABA's recent Fireside Chat event, attendees had the privilege of spending an inspiring evening with Marie-Astrid Langer...
Download Our New App to Stay Connected!
The GABA (MemberPlus) App keeps all of us connected! Download from Google Play / App Store and use your GABA Hub login! If you don't have a GABA Hub account, create one! If you have questions or need help…
European New Year’s Celebration
It was great to see so many people at our Tuesday evening event – celebrating the start of a new year, meeting old friends, and making new ones ! Members and friends from all EuroCham organizations came together – it…
Uwe Wagner – Changing Roles at GABA
After more than two decades of dedicated service to GABA, Uwe Wagner is stepping down from the Board of Directors to make room for new talent. Uwe's journey with GABA has been marked by noteworthy contributions, particularly in areas such…
Global Business Outlook 2024
We are thrilled to share the success of our Global Business Outlook 2024 and would love to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made it a remarkable experience! A massive thank you to our incredible speakers and moderator Oliver…
GABA Welcomes Thomas Vogel as its New Chief Financial Officer
We are very pleased to announce that Thomas Vogel has been elected to join the GABA Board of Directors. With his strong financial background, Thomas has also been assuming the responsibilities of GABA CFO. Outside of GABA, Thomas Vogel is…
GABA Membership Referral Program
GABA Members, welcome to the GABA Membership Referral Program, a cornerstone initiative designed to enrich our transatlantic network through your valuable contributions. Refer & Benefit: Introduce a new member to GABA's unique community. Once they sign up, we'll credit your…
GABA Women Meet: Bridging Borders – Navigating Silicon Valley for Expats
Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting an incredible event that brought together passion, knowledge, and great energy! A heartfelt thank you to our amazing serial expats, Isabelle Finger and Tracey Grose, for gracing us with their insights during…
Automotive Innovation: What’s Next?
It was great to see so many people at our event on Wednesday! We thank you for joining and hope the information presented was valuable for you. We would like to extend our thanks to Stanford Research Park for hosting…
Strengthening Innovation Through Trans-Nation Co-Creation
Cerity Partners – Cross-Border Planning Group
Managing Wealth Across Borders – Coming to America Globalization is increasing and the world is becoming ever more connected. Today’s companies are importing specialized talent from every region of the world. Large U.S. companies are expanding globally, while technology companies…
GABA Women Meet – October 2023
Fantastic "GABA Women Meet" evening at our host Bosch USA in Sunnyvale! Patricia Roller, former CEO and owner of frog design, and current CEO of Vidlet Inc., shared her interesting professional journey from the Black Forest to Silicon Valley in…
Young GABA Happy Hour
Last Tuesday's GABA Happy Hour brought together an incredible blend of Young Professionals from Germany, California and all over the world! Attendees reveled in an evening of lively networking and vibrant conversations, complemented by an array of delightful drinks. It…
GABA Welcomes Jock Breitwieser as Its New Chief Marketing Officer
The German American Business Association (GABA) warmly welcomes Jock Breitwieser as its new Chief Marketing Officer. With over two decades of international communications expertise, Jock will be a significant asset to our organization, further elevating GABA's visibility and market position.…
Fall European Networking 2023
What a great evening last night: once again, our sold-out European Networking Mixer, organized in cooperation with the British American Business Council Northern California, French American Chamber of Commerce San Francisco, and the other EU Chambers of Commerce, was a…
Innovation Breakfast
GABA Women Meet – A Summer Night with Erdbeerbowle
It was so great to see another delightful GABA Women Meet event happening this Wednesday. The picturesque backyard of Intero Real Estate Services in Menlo Park provided an ideal environment for great conversations and valuable connections. This event offered a…
GABA Sommerfest 2023
Amazing turnout at our annual GABA Sommerfest! It was fantastic to see so many people and families who are part of the German American community come together for an afternoon of fun & food! Our GABA Sommerfest wouldn't have been the…
European Summer Mixer 2023
We had an incredible evening for the Young Professionals version of the annual European Networking series. Over 80 guests joined us on the sunny roof deck Werqwise in San Mateo. We’d like to thank all of the European Chambers of…
NRW Global Business – European AI Summit 2023: Connecting American & European AI Experts
Responsible AI
We had a great panel discussion last week at the event "Responsible AI". The regulations of AI, or better the lack thereof, was the main topic of this very insightful exchange. Special thanks to our expert panelists Yaad Oren from…
GABA Gala 2023 with Award Winner Ulrike Malmendier
GABA Gala 2023 – what a resounding success! Our sold-out GABA Gala was a wonderful show and display of what makes the German American community in the Bay Area so unique. Among the highlights of the Gala was the fascinating…
GISSV Wins 1st Prize at IHK Competition
GISSV's "Interdisciplinary Problem Solving with Deeper Learning" Wins 1st Prize at Schüler bauen weltweit Brücken Competition The German International School of Silicon Valley (GISSV) is excited to announce that the school has won first prize in the Schüler bauen weltweit…
Congrats to the 2023 Transatlantic AI Hackathon Winners!
Our Transatlantic AI Hackathon was a great success! Topic was "Smart Industry. Transforming Manufacturing with Edge Computing and Cloud Data Integration." and our teams came up with fantastic solutions that hopefully can be implemented in the real world! 1st Place:…
Spring European Networking 2023
We had an incredible time last week at the annual Spring European Networking Evening, hosted by our friends at Cooley LLP in Palo Alto. In partnership with the French-American Chamber of Commerce San Francisco and British American Business Council, we…
ZEISS Wins #GameChangers Award
ZEISS, the global leader in optics and optoelectronics, has been awarded the prestigious #GameChangers Award from the Innovation Tri-Valley (ITV) Leadership Group. The award ceremony was held in Pleasanton, CA, on March 29, 2023, and recognized ZEISS for its outstanding…
ZEISS Onsite Visit
Seven Seals Innovation – Award-winning Single Malt from Switzerland
Seven Seals Whisky is now available in the US! The Swiss are known for many things, but Single Malt whisky might not come to mind immediately. Traditional whisk(e)y regions such as Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the US have been producing…
Watts & Wine – EU and US Perspectives on the European Energy Crisis
We had a great panel discussion at last week's event "Watts & Wine – EU and US Perspectives on the European Energy Crisis". The energy topics we discussed were the current situation in Europe, hydrogen, government regulations, startups, innovation, and…
Transatlantic AI Hackathon Challenge Information Session
The Future of Food: Are Alternative Proteins Holding up to Their Promise?
Consumer and Investor Trends at GABA Innovation Breakfast
Last week, GABA held its quarterly Innovation Breakfast, sponsored by WilmerHale in Palo Alto. The theme for the meeting was consumer tech, and to set the stage, Daniel Zimmermann, partner at WilmerHale, provided a briefing on investor trends, including just-released…
Receive Push Notifications
Want to ensure you don't miss reminders and other important communications from GABA? By activating push notifications for the MemberPlus App* on your smartphone, you will always be in the know. It's as fast and simple as 1-2-3! Download the…
Event Registration on the Go
Want to quickly register for a GABA event that you do not want to miss? Use the MemberPlus App* on your smartphone to register here & now, wherever you might be. It's as fast and simple as 1-2-3! Click on…
Investment Considerations for International Professionals
Great turnout for our webinar "Investment Considerations for International Professionals"! We would like to extend our thanks to Andrew Fisher, Partner at Cerity Partners, and Libby Dawson, Principal with Cerity Partners, who provided a very professional overview of the current…
GABA Women Meet
It was great to see so many women at our in-person event "GABA Women Meet" at Intero in Menlo Park! Thank you everyone for joining! We would like to extend our thanks to Intero in Menlo Park for hosting the…
GABA Volunteer Opportunites
We are looking for motivated self-starters for the following areas: Newsletters and mailings (English native speakers preferred); Marketing and Graphic Design; Help at events and miscellaneous other tasks. The positions are on a volunteer basis and allow for flexible schedules.…
Show Your Professional Side
Want to stand out in the GABA Member Directory? Create your unique directory listing as easily as 1-2-3! Log into your GABA Hub account. If you don't have an account, create one. Select the tab: Choose your preferred profile picture.…
Special Offer for GABA Members
Great opportunity for our GABA Members! We are preparing an exciting event for Newcomers to the Bay Area and beyond. If you have any expertise in real estate, banking, insurances, etc. then this is your chance to share your expertise!…
GABA Interest Group Experts
Global Business Outlook 2023
Great event at the beautifully decorated premises of the German Consulate General in San Francisco! Last week's Global Business Outlook 2023 was GABA's way to conclude a busy and challenging year – with a full house and very engaged members…
Make New Connections
Networking is about follow-up. Don't miss the opportunity to connect with GABA members after events. Get set up as easily as 1-2-3! Create your GABA Hub account & log in. Download and open the MemberPlus App on your smartphone. Use…
VC Event Series: Meet a VC – Ben Steven
On Tuesday, with support from the Berlin Business Office, USA, GABA hosted another great workshop of their "VC Event Series" with VC Ben Steven, Head of the Digital Industry Fund III for Momenta. Alongside Gunther Hofmann, Managing Director at Corporate…
Are We Prepared? With COVID Through the Winter
Yesterday, GABA, alongside the German American Business Council Boston, Inc. (GABC) and the support of the German Consulates Boston and San Francisco, hosted the virtual discussion panel "Are We Prepared? With COVID Through the Winter." Many distinguished panelists such as…
Halloween Happy Hour
Members of the Keizai Silicon Valley and GABA Northern California community had a great time networking last week at our joint Halloween Happy Hour at EVGR Pub and Beer Garden in Stanford! Thanks again to our very generous supporter Procopio…
Innovation Breakfast
Last week, GABA NorCal hosted a breakfast of corporate innovation executives to get a pulse check on our innovation hub, including attendees from SAP, ZEISS Group, Zollner Elektronik AG, BISSELL, Brose Careers, and State Farm. Wilmerhale hosted the event as…
German Day in San Francisco
German Day 2022 in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco was a roaring success for GABA and everyone else who participated in this exciting gathering this Sunday! GABA and many other German organizations presented their expertise to attendees of the…
GABA Women Meet
It was great to see so many people at our in-person event "GABA Women Meet" on the beautiful Robert Bosch campus! Thank you everyone for joining! We would like to extend our thanks to Robert Bosch LLC for hosting the…
Introducing the GABA Members Hub and MemberPlus App for GABA
Did you know that as a valued GABA member, you can now connect with other members by searching the directory listings while being on the go; register for events; check-in at events; view outstanding and paid invoices; access your and…
The Air We Breathe
GABA members and guests attended an enjoyable as well as educational event at the wonderful SAP Labs in Palo Alto on Thursday. To kick off the event, German Consul General Oliver Schramm gave a warm but pensive introduction, setting the…
Fall European Networking
“Meet a VC” Workshop with Mani Honigstein from Honeystone Ventures
In today’s "Meet a VC" interactive workshop, GABA hosted Venture Capital partner Mani Honigstein from Honeystone Ventures, a Palo Alto based micro venture capital fund focused on investing in software startups. With an audience made up primarily of startups founders…
GABA Sommerfest 2022
The GABA Sommerfest 2022 was celebrated by members and friends of the German American Business Association on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the Cuesta Park in Mountain View. Great barbecue offerings were combined with German beer, as well as yummy…
Young Professionals Summer Mixer
It was fantastic to see so many people at yesterday's "Young Professionals Summer Mixer" event! We thank everyone for joining and hope they were able to expand their networking opportunities. We would like to extend our gratitude to our sponsors…
AgeTech Event Series 2022/2023
Digital Technology has the power to make our lives easier, bring communities together, and create new models for collaboration. Given that adults over age 65 will soon outnumber any other age group, how can technology help bridge intergenerational gaps and…
GABA Volunteer Opportunites
We are looking for motivated self-starters for three positons: Execution of our weekly newsletters and mailings. (English native speakers preferred) Data entry. Help at events. The positions are on a volunteer basis and allow for flexible schedules and remote work. This…
GABA is Very Pleased to Announce that Dr. Bernhard Gold Has Been Elected to Join the Board of Directors as CFO
Bernhard is a venture capital investor, advisor and business angel with a long track record of working in technology on both sides of the Atlantic. His background includes entrepreneurship, strategic management, innovation management and mobile internet. Bernhard has extensive experience…
German American Business Association Panel Takes on This Year’s VC Funding
Venture Capitalists won’t stop investing, even in an apparent economic slowdown. At least that’s according to the four investors who took part in a panel discussion put on by the German American Business Association (GABA). The message could be taken…
ZEISS Innovation Center California Wins Local StopWaste Award
ZEISS, the leading global optics and optoelectronics technology company, received the StopWaste Award for its ZEISS Innovation Center in Dublin, California. The StopWaste Award recognizes Alameda County organizations for their efforts in upstream waste prevention through reuse, recycling, and composting.…
How Blockchain will Transform the Future of Business
Yesterday GABA Northern California hosted the in-person event "How Blockchain will Transform the Future of Business". Yaad Oren, GABA Director and Head of SAP Innovation Center Network, was the moderator of a very insightful panel discussion. The panel discussion was…
GABA Gala 2022 with Consul General Oliver Schramm and Award Winner Cyriac Roeding
Last Friday, the German American business community came together, in person, to celebrate Cyriac Roeding, Co-founder and CEO of the early cancer detection and treatment firm Earli Inc. At this first Gala since the pandemic, GABA bestowed the GABA Award…
GABA is Thrilled to Announce that Kai Westerwelle Has Been Elected as Chairman of the Board.
A long-time advisor to GABA, Kai joined GABA’s Board of Directors in 2021. Kai has been a GABA member since 2015 and has produced highly engaging events as an Interest Group Chair on hot topics related to data privacy, smart…
Congrats to the 2022 Transatlantic AI Hackathon Winners!
Our Transatlantic AI Hackathon was a great success! Topic was "Sustainable Supply Chain" and our teams came up with fantastic solutions that hopefully can be implemented in the real world! 1st Place - Ant Trail An AI-powered platform to help…
Announcement: The Launch of the GABA Members Hub and App!
We welcome everyone to our new connection and resource center: the GABA Members Hub! As a valued GABA member, you can now connect with other members by searching the directory listings! You can register for events from right…
Please Join Us in Welcoming Cornelia Bohle-Neubrand as the New Executive Director at GABA!
Dear GABA Community, We are delighted to announce that Cornelia Bohle-Neubrand is now the new Executive Director at GABA. Cornelia’s professional and personal experience reflects much of what GABA is about: technology and innovation, the transatlantic life, and the German-American…
Transatlantic AI Hackathon – Sustainable Supply Chain Deep Hack
GABA is delighted to announce our second Transatlantic AI Hackathon, generously sponsored by Intel and Luxonis on Earth Day Weekend. Please share widely in your networks. Note: Required to have one resident from Germany and one from the US. Key…
ZEISS Innovation Center California
ZEISS, the leading global optics and optoelectronics technology company, has completed construction of its new R&D, production, sales and customer service site in the San Francisco Bay Area in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in Summer 2021. Bringing together…
Taylor Wessing – 10 Pitfalls when Using an EOR in Germany
Taylor Wessing wrote an article about the 10 pitfalls when using an Employer of Record ("EOR") in Germany. A commonly used structure for international expansion, but you should know a couple of things before choosing this model in Germany. International…
Sustainability: Study on the New Food Revolution
Announcing a new trend study on cultured meat and its impact on society, the food industry and the future of meat consumption by GABA member Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. With the demand for meat and seafood rising globally, today’s unsustainable…
How to Tap into the Silicon Valley Ecosystem – Lessons From Experts and Entrepreneurs Who Have Successfully Done It
Silicon Valley’s ecosystem and network are world famous. But how can “outsiders” like founders, investors, academics and managers tap into it? What are the ground rules? How and where to make beneficial connections? How is the culture different? Does it…
COVID-19: Putting Public Health To The Test
The Continued Role for COVID Testing As air and land borders have opened again and families are planning to get together in person this holiday season, we are going to discuss COVID-testing as a public health tool, and one that…
Green Hydrogen – Hype or Hope?
Examining the role of green hydrogen on the path to net-zero climate goals Which role will green hydrogen play in accelerating decarbonization? Why is sector-coupling important on our path toward net-zero? How can hydrogen support an integrated energy system based…
Global Business Outlook 2022
As 2021 is coming to a close, we’re headed into a new year that will be shaped by several key topics with wide-ranging international impact. During this event, we highlighted and discussed these topics with a panel of expert speakers.…
Five New Members of GABA’s Board of Directors
Please welcome our five impressive new members of GABA’s Board of Directors. Since early 2021 the extended GABA staff has worked tirelessly to adapt our member centric organization to continuously provide high-quality content that is relevant to GABA members. In…
New GABA Member Experience Is Coming Soon
GABA is excited to announce the introduction of a new member management and event registration software. In addition to an improved experience in registration, invoices, and profiles, we will also offer brand-new functionality. The most notable new benefit will be…
Winners of 1st Transatlantic AI Hackathon – Health and Safety Monitoring DeepHack
Wow, what a ride this was! 48 hours of intense work and mentoring led to amazing results, with just a few small breaks for sleep, food, and the occasional Yoga sequence. 14 teams conceived solutions for very important challenges such…
German Partner Felix Hilgert (Re-)Joins Osborne Clarke’s West Coast Team
International legal practice Osborne Clarke is growing its legal team in the Bay Area, with the addition in October of a German-qualified lawyer. Felix Hilgert is currently a Partner in Osborne Clarke’s Cologne office. He is a technology lawyer with…
Venture Capital Funding for AI Startups: Challenges & Opportunities in Germany and the US
Funding is one of the most crucial factors in enabling AI-driven startups to realize their business ideas. In contrast with the U.S. and China, however, the German venture capital market is still developing, making it more difficult for German AI…
Transatlantic AI Hackathon: Register by September 8 and Win a Cash Prize!
Are you ready to win a share of the $10,000 cash prize and receive the OAK-D-IOT spatial depth and AI camera? Check out the requirements for the Health and Safety Monitoring DeepHack on Sep 24-26 and submit your project by…
Are Hybrid Work Models Here to Stay?
"It's the start of a journey and a real culture shift." In this recent panel discussion, our speakers discussed hybrid work models and what this means for leadership, community building, equity, onboarding, loyalty and so much more. Hybrid Work is just at…
First Transatlantic AI Hackathon Challenge and Prizes Announced
Create A Post-Pandemic Cultural Life – Applications Open until July 20
The Global Innovation Collaborative (GIC) announced the launch of its Creative Cities Challenge to speed economic recovery in the cultural and creative sectors after the pandemic. The GIC is a partnership between the Cities of Berlin, London, New York City and Paris, along…
Cryptocurrency Regulatory Developments
Accredited Online Master’s Program: New Registrations Accepted
GABA-member Tomorrow’s Education has opened registration for its Professional Master’s Program in Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Technology (SET) starting in August. The program is accredited both in Europe and the US and the content has a large overlap with GABA's core…
Covid Testing in a Vaccinated Population: Needed or Obsolete?
Due to an increasingly efficient vaccination rollout and natural immunity, COVID-19 cases are declining in many countries. Nevertheless, the world has changed and so have testing, vaccination, hygiene, and travel standards. To exchange ideas about these changes, GABA hosted a…
AI: The Next Digital Revolution – Is Germany Prepared?
Yesterday, GABA hosted a discussion with AI thought-leaders on how Germany can contribute to and benefit from the enormous opportunities stemming from AI. Thomas Neubert, Senior Director at Intel and GABA Chair of the Board, moderated and started the discussion…
AI Campus Berlin Has Opened its Doors
Providing a place for AI to grow - that is the mission statement of the not-for-profit AI Campus Berlin, a 5’200sqm office and community hub in the heart of Berlin. Initiated by the AI Venture Studio Merantix, the AI Campus…
Eurocham: Meeting of the Minds – What’s Next for the Bay Area?
Yesterday, the Association of American European Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations (AAECCBA – “Eurocham”) held its first Meeting of the Minds with a dozen of executives in the Bay Area. The roundtable discussion looked at facts and myths of…
Volunteer Positions at GABA
GABA Survey 2021 – Create a Video and Win a Membership
New this year is a fun video survey which we administer with the support of our member Vidlet. GABA members and followers have the opportunity to tell us their opinion directly via a video recording. There are several benefits of…
Transatlantic AI Hackathon – New GABA Initiative
GABA is delighted to announce the Transatlantic AI Hackathon project, with EIT Digital as a co-organizer and partner. Three Transatlantic AI Hackathons will bring together creative minds and thought leaders from the US and Germany. This project will engage in…
German-U.S. Partnership: Harnessing the Future of AI and Innovation
This week on Monday, April 19th, GABA had the honor to host a high-profile Fireside Chat to promote U.S.-European cooperation in artificial intelligence. This event was the joint launch of theTransatlantic AI eXchange and the Transatlantic Innovation Week. The Transatlantic…
The University in Your Pocket
Berlin-based EdTech Startup and new GABA member Tomorrow’s Education is building a University in your Pocket. The mobile-first platform that allows you to learn whenever and wherever you are, was developed by serial entrepreneurs Thomas Funke and Christian Rebernik whose…
Pandemic Management and Preparedness in Germany and in the U.S. – A Panel Discussion
We were very privileged to co-host four highly distinguished panelists discussing the state and the outlook of pandemic management and preparedness in both countries and beyond. The panel consisted of well-known public health leaders Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert…
Podcast: GABA Chair Thomas Neubert Is Interviewed by Christian Byza
Christian Byza's interview series tells stories from Germans who have successfully settled in Silicon Valley. GABA's Chair of the Board, Thomas Neubert, has been interviewed most recently and through his personal story, you get a glimpse of how Silicon Valley…
Silicon Valley Pitch Secrets: The 3 Keys to Connecting with Investors
It was as informative as it was fun to listen to Angelika Blendstrup and Bill Reichert discuss the main takeaways from their recent book “Getting to Wow! Silicon Valley Pitch Secrets for Entrepreneurs” – if you can boil down 250+…
GABA: Join the Team! Have an Impact and Make New Connections
Talented and inspired volunteers drive GABA’s mission to build bridges between the German and Californian business community. Our team of volunteers powers our marketing and social media engines and enables our in-person events to run seamlessly. With increasing experience, volunteers…
Preparing for the Digital Working World
How will Covid-19 impact the workplace transformation in Germany, the United States, the Netherlands and France? The international legal practice Osborne Clarke Germany will be organizing an international panel discussion on March 22, 2021 at 8:30am (PST) to answer this…
New Executive Director for GABA: Michaela Ballek
We are happy to announce Michaela Ballek as GABA's new Executive Director. Michaela has been with GABA for almost two years and helped drive GABA's strategic renewal, managed the creation of the new website and already worked with many company…
A Guide to U.S. Life and Finances: Arrive and Thrive
GABA welcomes Bank of the West as a new Premium Corporate member! With its international team, Bank of the West delivers personalized, local service for new and established residents in the US. Recently, they published a comprehensive guide for newcomers,…
IoT+Network – New Network for IoT Launches in Berlin!
IoT+ Network is Berlin's new B2B platform for game changers and innovators in the business of the Internet of Things, officially launched with a kick-off event on November 11, 2020. The aim is to fulfill projects and bundle competencies for IoT execution from the…
The Importance of ESG: The View from Europe
The issues surrounding environmental, social and governance (ESG) have been part of mainstream business in Germany and elsewhere in Europe for quite some time now, so it is an area in which Osborne Clarke has a lot of knowledge and…
Brose North America Recognized for Two National Workplace Awards
Brose North America, family-owned automotive supplier and industry-leader in mechatronics, announced workplace excellence accolades awarded by two industry-leading organizations, Best and Brightest Companies to Work For and the Top Workplaces USA. For the Best and Brightest award, three Brose locations…
Expanded Mission of NRW.Global Business (North America) LLC
NRW.Global Business (North America) LLC is kicking off 2021 with a breath of fresh air. The trade and investment agency of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany’s economic powerhouse region, started this year with an expanded mission and brand-new corporate identity. After…
2021 VC Event Series Kick-Off: Automotive CVC Panel
The panel discussion "Strategic vs. Financially Driven Corporate Venture Capital - What's the "Right" Approach?" kicked-off our VC series with eight more events to follow in 2021. In a very open discussion, our panelists revealed how they balance the strategic…
21 Questions and Answers for HR Managers in 2021
COVID-19 tests are available in pharmacies. Can I test my employees, and if they refuse to take a test, deny them access to the workplace? If so, what about their remuneration if they cannot work remotely?” Answers to this question…
New 2021 GABA Event Series: Venture Capital
In 2021, GABA will offer a new event series to support entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial exchange in the US and Germany. Through this series, we will support and build a community of entrepreneurs, investors, and startups across Germany and the US.…
New GABA Vice-Chair: Tracey Grose
We are happy to announce Tracey Grose as the newest member and Vice-Chair of the GABA Board. For over a decade, she has served as an IG Chair in Cleantech. Inspired by the recent strategic developments at GABA Tracey looks…
New GABA Chairman: Thomas Neubert
We are happy to announce Thomas Neubert as the Chairman of the Board. Thomas is the Senior Director for Innovation & Strategic Business Development at Intel's Incubation group around Datacenters and Artifical Intelligence. Enthusiastic and motivated to define the next…
New GABA Member: Berlin Business Office, USA
Berlin Business Office, USA, fosters business relationships between the United States and Berlin. Even in challenging times of the ongoing global health crisis, the New York office is working at full capacity and sets important pillars for building future bridges.…
Thank You to GABA’s Community
As we approach the end of 2020, I want to thank each of our supporters for your dedication and hard work during a difficult year. The GABA community thrives because of the commitment of our members, sponsors, IG Chairs, executive…
“Next Normal Legal” ‒ The Legal Situation in Germany after Covid-19
Taylor Wessing announces a comprehensive new White Paper - quoting the foreword of the in-depth analysis: The expressions “after the fall of the Berlin Wall . . .”, “post-9/11 . . .”, “before the financial crisis . . .” are…
Merger of Cerity Partners and Worldview Wealth Advisors
GABA member Worldview Wealth Advisors is now officially combined with Cerity Partners, a leading national independent advisory firm. Going forward, the entire Worldview team will now serve as the San Francisco office of Cerity Partners, and all former Worldview clients…
Global Business Outlook 2021 – Enormous Challenges Before a Global Recovery
Despite the virtual format, GABA's annual Global Business Outlook drew a large audience. At the end of this unprecedented year, four experts presented their views on the economical development, immigration, the particular role of California, Germany, Europe and China, and…
Sign-up for Covid-19 Exposure Notifications in CA
As of today, California's exposure notification system (CA Notify) is available on most phones. It's working principle and privacy features are already familiar to everyone who has attended GABA's contact tracing panel discussion in June. In this time of alarming…
New GABA Website Benefits All Members
From today on, the German American business community will experience a new face of GABA - our all-new website. The most important information about events and memberships is just one click away, and our new Company Directory has ample space to…
December Company Membership Special: New Benefits – Old Price
On the new GABA website, you see a host of new and improved benefits for GABA company members, such as: Access to a large network of leaders, professionals, potential partners and customers Brand exposure with a new company directory, member…
New: Luther.Risk Check
The E-Commerce Boom Amidst a Pandemic: Legal Impacts and Trends
This very informative event covered many valuable aspects of the expansion process, including the differences in consumer attitude between the US and Germany, and how to use it to your advantage. Speakers from Osborne Clarke, Venable and T3 Micro gave…
Aging with Technology
Together with InnoHealth USA, an initiative of “Research in Germany” led by the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, GABA presented an expert discussion about aging and its implications, with an emphasis on technology-based solutions. Kris Rebillot, Director of Communications at Buck Institute for…
Climate Urgency: The Stakes Are Rising and Viable Solutions Are Growing
GABA had the honor to host top experts from California and Germany, two leading regions in addressing climate change. The panel agreed: there is no time to lose. We have to act and we have to act fast. The Panel…
Ask the Expert: Wealth Planning for Global Families in the U.S.
Experts Andrew Fisher and Libby Dawson from Worldview Wealth Advisors (a new Premium Corporate GABA member) filled the hour with a huge amount of highly valuable information. They covered the most important aspects of financial planning for international families in…
SAP Virtual Speaker Series: Good Design Needs a Crisis
In a joint event with GABA, our own Director of the Board and Head of Hanahaus and Ecosystem at SAP Bay Area, Daniel Zimmer, interviewed two of GABA’s Advisory Board members, Hartmut Esslinger, Founder of Frog Design, and Patricia Roller,…
A Message from Our Executive Director
The last 10 weeks have been difficult and stressful for many members of our community, fighting racial injustice and a global pandemic at the same time. As an organization with a mission to make connections between global communities, GABA shares…
Contact Tracing: Technology, Implementation, and Balance Between Low Infection Rates and Personal Rights
In a highly engaged discussion, our experts touched on many important aspects of contact tracing, both covering the public and private sector, as well as the many obvious and more subtle differences in Germany and the US. Among many other…
The New Funding Reality
GABA presented an expert panel with venture capitalists and angel investors discussing the rapid changes the pandemic has brought to the investment landscape. Thank you to our panelists Marco Marinucci, Partner at Hella Ventures, Andrew Ogawa, Managing Partner at Quest…
Fireside Chat on the Future of Mobility
Mario Herger and Sven Beiker presented insightful perspectives on the speed in which electric, shared, autonomous, and flying cars will arrive and how they will change our lives. They had differing views in some timeline details, but they agreed that…
GABA Gala 2020 with Florian Leibert and Vince Ebert
Last Friday, the German American business community celebrated Florian Leibert, Co-Founder and Chief Cloud Officer of Mesosphere, with the Excellence Award and enjoyed a performance of the witty science comedian Vince Ebert. With a beautiful view right at the Golden…
Transatlantic Sync Conference: Shaping a Digital Future
Three days filled with inspirational discussions and presentations came to a close yesterday. 400 attendees from all over the world listened, contributed and mingled in ample networking breaks and evening events. GABA’s Young Professionals group, headed by Stanford Ph.D. candidates…
Rising Stars Award Event
GABA, together with the Representative of German Business (GACC West), presented the 5th annual Rising Stars Award event. Congratulations to Franka Emika, this year’s Startup of the Year! Their business idea left a great impression and they also received the…