Evan Low and Josh Becker are talking but SARI

About Evan Low

Evan Low is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. He is a Democrat representing the 28th Assembly District, which encompasses parts of the South Bay and Silicon Valley.

Evan Low was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2014 to represent District 28. At the age of 31, Assemblymember Low became the youngest Asian American legislator to have been elected to the Assembly in state history. The district is located in Silicon Valley and includes Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, and the areas of West San Jose, Willow Glen, Cambrian, and Almaden Valley in San Jose.  Assemblymember Low chairs the Business and Professions Committee. In 2015, together with Assemblymember Ian Calderon (D-Whittier), he launched the first in the state California Legislative Technology & Innovation Caucus. The Caucus comprises of a bi-partisan group of Senators and Assemblymembers who view this as a statewide effort to ensure that California remains the global leader in technology and innovation.

Assemblymember Low is a lifelong resident of Silicon Valley and has been a regional community leader. His work within the community and deep knowledge of issues local residents faced led him to run for Campbell City Council in 2006. He made history as the first Asian American elected to Campbell’s City Council.

In 2010, Assemblymember Low also made history by becoming the youngest openly LGBT mayor in the country at the age of 26. While serving on Campbell’s City Council, he helped balance the city budget without eliminating vital services and increase government transparency by streaming City Council meetings online. Assemblymember Low promoted small business and job growth by cutting red tape and streamlining the licensing process for business owners.

Assemblymember Low has been named “Legislator of the Year” by the Internet Association, TechNet, The Computing Technology Industry Association, California Faculty Association, Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, California District Attorneys Association and Faculty Association of California Community Colleges.

He also served as a community college instructor teaching American Government and Political Science at De Anza Community College.

A Bay Area native, Low attended local public schools and earned degrees from De Anza Community College and San Jose State University. He went on to graduate from the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University.

About Josh Becker 

Josh Becker is a public policy innovator working at the nexus of community activism, technology, and social justice. Josh is a 20-year resident of Menlo Park, where he lives with his wife Jonna and their two children, Sophie and Aaron.

In 2000, Josh created the Full Circle Fund (FCF). FCF is a community leadership and policy innovation organization that funds non-profits creating positive change in the Bay Area and building civic leaders for the future. Josh has been the driving force for FCF, which has supported policy innovations and community organizations in economic opportunity, education, environmental sustainability, and health.

Josh has served for five years on the California State Workforce Development Board (appointed by Governor Jerry Brown) and serves on the Child Care Partnership Council in San Mateo County. He is a Founding Trustee at the University of California Merced.

Josh is a champion of affordable healthcare. He believes we can get California’s average life expectancy to 90 in the next two decades (California is at 80). After his Father died of brain cancer, Josh set about to fight this deadly disease. He helped start a biotech company researching cancer cures. Josh is a champion in pushing businesses to create social good. Uniting entrepreneurial expertise with a passion for social change, Josh co-founded New Cycle Capital, a pioneer in building socially responsible businesses. In 2011, Josh joined Lex Machina, which has a mission of bringing openness and transparency to the law. As CEO, he grew the company from a Stanford University public interest project into a nationally recognized platform. Most recently he founded a legal tech accelerator to support entrepreneurs who want to innovate in our legal and public policy system.

Josh earned a joint MBA and Law Degree from Stanford University in 1999. While a student, Josh co-founded the Stanford Board Fellows program, which trains students to serve on the boards of local non-profits, engaging them in social progress at the beginning of their careers, rather than the end. So far, almost 1,000 MBAs have been trained by the Board Fellows program and it has been used as a model by hundreds of other schools across the country serving more than 1,000 non-profit organizations a year.

Here’s a quick look at Josh’s dedication to helping the people of California and beyond:

• Created the Full Circle Fund, which funds non-profits creating positive change and building civic leaders for the future.
• Founding Trustee at the University of California, Merced.
• Serves as a County Commissioner on the Child Care Partnership Council in San Mateo County.
• Appointed by Governor Brown to serve on the California State Workforce Development Board.
• Founded Clean Tech for Barack Obama.
• Founded a legal tech accelerator to support entrepreneurs who want to innovate in law and public policy.
• Co-founded and managed the Stanford Board Fellows program, which trains students to serve on the boards of local non-profits.
• Co-founded New Cycle Capital, a pioneer in building socially responsible businesses.