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San Jose Kitchen Rental, San Jose

San Jose Kitchen Rental, LLC (SJKR) is a commercial kitchen facility located in San Jose’s enterprise zone that opened in March 2010.  Owner, Annette Galetti, has over 20 years of professional baking experience and knew first-hand that a large, untapped market existed for a premium commercial kitchen.  It is the first in Silicon Valley to offer three individual kitchens plus almost 1000 square feet of preparation area as well.  The kitchens and prep areas are available 24/7 and provide a unique, low-cost alternative for start-up caterers and bakers as SJKR is the only commercial kitchen in the region that does not require a monthly minimum payment.

ELEM3NTS, Silicon Valley

ELEM3NTS is a design and energy consulting firm launched in February 2010 that specializes in providing expert guidance in green and sustainable design, energy consulting, energy audits and green energy upgrades for new and existing residential projects in the Bay Area. 

Rok Bistro, Sunnyvale

Rok Bistro, based in downtown Sunnyvale, is a stone-age fondue and steakhouse that provides middle to upper-middle class individuals, couples, and families with a unique and fun environment to celebrate special occasions, entertain guests or simply enjoy a delicious meal. Steve Wright and his partner, Doug Quist, opened the restaurant in September 2008, with the goal of making stone-age cooking one of the most well-known and popular dining-out concepts in the entire Bay Area -- known for its unique, natural, fresh, healthy and entertaining ways of preparing incredibly delicious meals.

42TEK, Silicon Valley

42TEK provides consulting for entrepreneurs, investors, and growing companies in electronic payments, data security, health care systems and clean technology.  Principal David Snyder uses his engineering and business management skills and experience to assist organizations to develop and introduce products and services and expand globally.

Eden Care Home, San Jose

Eden Care Home is a licensed residential care facility for the elderly and provides healthy, assisted senior living in a safe and respectful environment. The facility has been opened since April 2009 after a year-long process of locating a residential home and applying for a license with the California Department of Social Service.

Communication Academy, Cupertino

Company Profile:
Communication Academy offers a series of hands-on, fun-filled public speaking, debate, reading, writing and listening classes to elementary, middle school and high school students in the Silicon Valley. The Chows have crafted an innovative program for students by incorporating the best practices from college communication classes and professional presentation training, and carefully adapted them for younger students. Their process takes the fear out of public speaking and promotes critical thinking skills.

The Tile Warehouse, San Jose

Company Profile: Guillermo Espinoza Mendoza has been in the tile distribution and retail industry for more than 15 years. His Mexican company, Copa de la Piedad, is a very successful distribution company and has many retail storefronts in Mexico. Wanting to expand the U.S. distribution of glazed and unglazed floor tile and ceramic mosaics, and unglazed quarry tile, Mendoza set up shop in San Jose. The Tile Warehouse offers a comprehensive line of tile products in a range of colors, textures and finishes from manufacturers in Mexico, Brazil, Spain, and Asia.

Silicon Valley Massage Therapy Advocates, Los Gatos

Ms. Ranger is a former technical writer for Sun Microsystems. After the 2001 tech bubble collapse she wanted to develop a business that was low stress, meaningful and helped people. She was referred to the SBDC by a satisfied SBDC client, Hans Schmitt of Dance Sport in San Jose. With her training and expertise in massage therapy she eventually set up her business in Los Gatos and shared office space with a chiropractor.

Marbella Properties, Silicon Valley

Marbella Properties, formerly called “It’s a Hummer”, specializes in high-end residential property management.

Although she had many years of experience leasing and managing high-end properties, owning and managing her own business was a new experience for Carla Bunch. She’d purchased an existing company, It’s a Hummer, in March of 2008. By May, she realized she needed help and came to the Silicon Valley SBDC to get it.

Ku Day Ta Tea Lounge, Milpitas

Ku Day Ta is a new company that promotes tea drinking through a range of tea lounges where you can enjoy various tea drinks in a relaxed, stylish and contemporary atmosphere. In addition to tea drinks and unique confectionaries, they also offer a selection of packaged tea for sale. Ku Day Ta is an ideal location for corporate events, bridal showers, charity events and local club meetings. The company’s first tea lounge opened in September 2008 after a long two year process of business development that included traveling to several Asian countries - including China, South Korea, India, Thailand and Indonesia – to learn how each culture grows, brews and uses tea.