Previous Meetings

Year 2009

At Tesla Motors, Chris Boone, on the left, the CEO of Visuvi (see www.visuvi.com), mesmerizes CzechTech members with a demonstration of his award-winning search engine for images, which uses images to find identical/similar images, for use in the medical image, eCommerce, and social networking fields.

Also Frantisek Hrabal, CEO of Coda Development from Prague presented his simple solution to keep all tires fully inflated all the time (see www.selfinflatingtire.com). Coda is the winner of the 2008 AIE Tech Award in Detroit, the 2009 Tire Technology of the Year Award at the Tire Technology Expo in Hamburg, and a 2009 finalist in the Business Plan Pitch Competition at the Global Tech Symposium at Stanford University.

After a presentation by representatives from Tesla Motors, most of the members went for a spin in the Tesla Roadster, the state-of-the-art all electric roadster, while others admired the new Model S sedan prototype while sipping the finest beer in the world.

Photo, compliments of Jiri Barta,
Owner, Pacific Digital Image. Richard and Barbara Pivnicka's Tesla Roadster, the only Roadster with diplomatic license plates.

Year 2008

Peter Palecek, Jan Muehlfeit, Chairman of Microsoft Europe, Karel Sykora, Richard Pivnicka, Cathie and Pitch Johnson of Asset Management, the venture capital firm and George Orbelian.

Jan Muehlfeit, Chairman of Microsoft Europe

The Editorial Director in the December 2008 issue of Gentry magazine described those present as from "..... a guest list that would make many a journalist at The Economist swoon. The guest of honor was the Chairman of Microsoft Europe Jan Muehlfeit, a 47-year-old ex professional tennis player, who speaks to his audience with all the energy and enthusiasm of being on the court awaiting that next winning shot. He palpably bubbles with positive intensity --bouncing about the room as he discusses staying competitive in the 21st century. ....he said, ' I love Silicon Valley. It's like an intellectual playground.'....and concluded his address at the Pivnickas by discussing a subject which he has studied at length---happiness.... the countries with the highest levels of happiness will be the ones which will succeed over the next few decades."

Year 2007

The Founder/CEO of NewsTin, Frank Vrabel, with 30 software engineers from Prague, opened up a new office in Silicon Valley office, and presented an on-line demonstration of NewsTin. NewsTin is a search engine which searches the entire web for news SEMANTICALLY and delivers the news to the user instantly translated in the user's native language in either summary or full article form. See www.NewsTin.com

Richard Pivnicka, and members and guests, Christina Ku, TriplePoint Capital, Magdalena Yesil, US Venture Partners and Norio Sugano, serial entrepreneur, Real Read, CEO

These members attended “sold out” back-to-back meetings to hear, among others, the CEO of CzechInvest, the Czech governmental investment agency, speak about the availability of six billion Euros that CzechInvest has to award as incentives over the next six years in technology, to everything from start-ups to mid-sized companies, which will help to grow a solid technology-based economy in the Czech Republic. Others speakers included, Dr. Tina Seelig, Executive Director, Stanford Technology Venture Program and recipient of Stanford University’s Excellence in Teaching Award who spoke about entrepreneurship education around the world; and Dr. Moira Gunn, host of Tech Nation and Biotech Nation on NPR, with a speech titled “Welcome to BioTech Nation ... My Unexpected Odyssey into the Land of Small Molecules, Lean Genes and Big Ideas.” These CzechTech members also welcomed several Czech representatives to the US from Czech Trade, CzechInvest, Czech Tourism, and the commercial consuls from the LA Consulate and Embassy in Washington DC.

Richard Pivnicka, the Founder/Chairman of CzechTech gratefully accepted the "Czernin Palace Bronze Medal" awarded to CzechTech for the organization's significant contributions in promoting relations between the Czech Republic and the US.

FAST FORWARDING

Year 2004

A special reception was organized for the First Lady of the Czech Republic, Livia Klausová. The former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, Shirley Temple Black, also attended.

Year 2003

At the Pivnicka reception for the President of the United Nations, Jan Kavan, donning his new Czechtech vest after a warm welcome.

Year 2002

Czechtech founders Richard and Barbara Pivnicka are pictured here with Roman Kasan, the CEO of Tiny Software Inc. (a company with offices in both Silicon Valley and the Czech Republic) and Gilman Louie, the President and CEO of the Central Intelligence Agency's venture capital arm known as In-Q-Tel.org. The New York Times recently called Mr. Louie "one of the most successful computer-game developers of all time."

At the Czechtech reception held on May 3, 2002, Mr. Louie gave a fascinating account of the investment criteria his company uses to evaluate new technology that may help serve U.S. national security interests. He also discussed some of the current projects in which his company has invested on behalf of the U.S. government.

Roman Kasan is a Czech serial entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, and founder of Tiny Software.

Year 2001

Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman, in his newly awarded Czechtech vest, shows off his musical talents for his CzechTech audience during a November 2001 visit.

The spring 2001 Czechtech meeting/reception, held at the residence of Richard Pivnicka, welcomed twenty visiting Czech and Slovak CEOs and senior mangers to Silicon Valley during their nine day trip. The Czechtech agenda included presentations by Mr. Ivan Pilny, Chairman of the Board of Cesky Telecom, and Mr. Miroslav Boublik, CEO of Amient, a financial software company from Silicon Valley.

Seen here with the Consul General's wife, Barbara Pivnicka, Hon. Consul of the Slovak Republic, are Steve Gerber, CEO of Zebu of Silicon Valley and Prague; and Peter Ulrich, the CEO of Qbizm, a software company which recently opened an office in Silicon Valley.