Shinnenkai with Oakland A’s David Kaval

On 1/27 Keizai Silicon Valley held their annual Shinnenkai (New Year’s Reception), sponsored in part by US-ATMC.  This year’s award recipient was David Kaval, President of the Oakland Athletics baseball team.  Mr. Kaval has been building bridges in professional sports throughout his career.  After receiving his MBA from Stanford University, he founded the Global Baseball League which included teams from across the western U.S., Japan, Mexico and Canada. Mr. Kaval then spent six years as president of the San Jose Earthquakes, and in 2016 became the seventh president in the history of the Oakland Athletics.  Mr. Kaval delivered the keynote address and participated in a fireside chat with US-ATMC Director Dr. Richard Dasher on U.S.-Japan baseball talent flow.  

In addition to great networking among the Silicon Valley business community with interests in Japan, the program included dinner, the “kagami-wari” (ceremonial breaking open of a cask of sake), greetings from the Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, a door prize raffle, and presentation of the Keizai Silicon Valley Distinguished Achievement Award for contributions to U.S. – Japan business.