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Dot-Coms Are So ’90s; In Silicon Valley, Doing Good Is the New Thing

They say the soul of Silicon Valley is reflected in the billboards scattered along the 45-mile stretch of Highway 101 that cuts through the region. During the dot-com era, the messages were mostly from start-ups like Excite.com, Homestead.com and eGain.com. The goal was to sell you something, anything.

Today the signs have changed. "End World Hunger," urges one billboard. Another promotes a campaign to aid the mentally disabled. A third features a smiling portrait of the men and women of the California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing, who "keep America safe, secure and free."

Ten years after the Aug. 9, 1995, initial public offering of Netscape Communications Corp. set off the Internet boom and five years after the bust, venture capitalists are leading a push to remake Silicon Valley as a center for a new form of social entrepreneurship and venture philanthropy, a place where you can make good money by doing good.

By Ariana Eunjung Cha
Washington Post Staff Writer

Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/08/AR2005080801486.html?nav=rss_technology

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