Professional Business Communications

"We have better and more communication amongst employees, less time spent trying to understand each other. And, we also have more effective meetings, in fact, a 10 minute gain of one hour per meeting."

Thierry Shang, Director, TIBCO, July 2001

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

SD Forum Book Talks (Date TBA)

THEY MADE IT!

Great leaders have been the stuff of many business books over the years. However, few books have focused uniquely on foreign-born entrepreneurs and executives, specifically ones living and working in Silicon Valley.

The book, They Made It!, is the result of conversations with these foreign-born Silicon Valley entrepreneurs such as Eric Benhamou, Jean-Louis Gassee, Raj Singh, Wu Fu Chen, Suhas Patil, Omid Kordestani, Qi Lu, Dan Maydan, who tell it as it is.

Each leader shares a unique, personal story of how s/he came to the US and ultimately made it. As we all know by now, there is no "secret sauce, no clear roadmap on how to succeed." But there are a number of "recipes for success" with specific ingredients that if applied, may smooth the path upward.

The recipes include addressing how to stand out from the crowd, how to achieve excellence, how to push yourself and be daring. If you are established in Silicon Valley, or if you are just curious to find out what makes these extraordinary individuals tick, come listen to how these foreign-born professionals think and gain personal insight into the fulfillment of their ambitions and dreams.

You will:

• gain insight into the way leaders from different countries and cultures act and think

• understand cultural differences and what influences these differences can have

• get to know leading entrepreneurs from a more personal, approachable side

• hear the individual voices speak about their own development - what did they have to face, what obstacles did they overcome?

KEIZAI FORUM - US JAPAN BUSINESS FORUM

“You Can Make IT! Success for Foreign-Born Entrepreneurs & Executives”

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 6:00 p.m. Reception 6:45 – 8:45 p.m.

Program Speaker: Angelika Blendstrup, Ph.D., Founder & Principal, Blendstrup & Associates

950 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA Bldg 950 (brick building) of the law firm of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati PC

Recent Speaking Engagements

Google: PSO TechTalk - Global Communication Skills - An Overview

An interactive workshop that focuses on leadership insights from foreign-born as well as American leaders in Silicon Valley. June 17, 2008

Building Business Success for the French

"American Leadership Model - Focus Silicon Valley"

This workshop will look at the concepts of US leadership with a special focus on Silicon Valley. They Made It!, features personal interviews with 36 foreign-born leaders of Silicon Valley [Eric Benhamou, Jean-Louis Gassee, Marc Onetto, Raj Singh, Andy Bechtolsheim etc] as well as 6 American leaders [John Hennessy, President Stanford University, Vinton Cerf, Evangelist Google & Internet investor, Steve Westly, former Controller, California etc]. Based on their insights, a leadership profile has been put together and will be presented for discussion.

In addition, we will look at some of the cultural differences – France/US - which are important to consider when doing business in the US in a leadership position

May 20, 2008: Communicating the American Way

Ever wonder why, despite your good language skills, you don't always get the results you want with your colleagues or your boss? Do you your meetings spin out of your control? Are your emails ignored or trashed? Are your presentations too formal? Do you have trouble getting to the point?

If you want to become a more effective communicator in the U.S. workplace and propel your career forward, come to this meeting. You will:

gain a better understanding of what it takes to be perceived as a leader in the American business world
understand the motivations of your US colleagues
improve your ability to stand out in job interviews, give a speech or presentation
add management communication skills to your technical skills

In this meeting we will discuss pointers from the book Communicating the American Way, a guide on U.S. business communication practices for international professionals.

Packed with fun anecdotes and real-life examples of what can go wrong due to cultural misunderstandings, this interactive meeting will help you understand how to crack the code of the American workplace.

Schedule

5:30-6:30 Signup and networking
6:30-7:30 Interactive talk by Angelika Blendstrup Ph.D. & Elisabetta Ghisini
7:30-8:30 Additional networking

Location

Apple
10500 N De Anza Blvd. Bldg 3, Rm #02 Theatre
Cupertino, CA 95014

Author Bios

Angelika Blendstrup, Ph.D., is the founder and principal of Blendstrup & Associates. She holds a Ph.D. in Bilingual, Bicultural Education from Stanford University and speaks five languages.

Angelika specializes in individualized, intercultural business communication training, accent reduction and presentation skill coaching. In addition to They Made It! &em; featuring interviews with major foreign-born leaders of the Silicon Valley, together with an Italian colleague, she co-wrote Communicating the American Way, a guide to US business communications.

Angelika teaches US business communications skills to international executives in the Silicon Valley as well as classes at Stanford University on topics such as cross-cultural communication, managing virtual teams and the art of interviewing successfully.

Elisabetta Ghisini is the founder of Verba International Communications. A communications and PR consultant with over 15 years of experience in the U.S. and in Europe, Elisabetta works with senior executives on keynote speeches, corporate presentations, and media interviews.

Elisabetta is an instructor at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, where she has taught media skills, interviewing skills, and public speaking workshops since 1999.

SD Forum Logo

May 2, 2008: SDForum
Agenda: “How to Market and Network Like a Local in Silicon Valley”
Venue: Mid-Peninsula

Panel Participants include:
Angelika Blendstrup, Ph.D. Author and Coach, Blendstrup & Associates
Kimberly Wiefling, Coach and International Consultant,
Kedric Van de Karr, Marketing Director, Vator.tv

Other panelists include marketing consultants and coaches to help learn how to network and pitch Silicon Valley style.

This is a closed session only for NASSCOM delegates.

April 30, 2008 EUROPEAN BUSINESS WORKSHOP
Jean-Bernard Guerrée Managing Director
EuroStart Capital Partners

In preparation for the California Tech Showcase and Transatlantic Green Platform in La Baule, France, you are invited to join us for the 2008 European Business Workshop (EBW 08), April 30, from 12pm to 6pm in Menlo Park.

This workshop will feature European experts on finance, legal issues, human resources, business development, public relations, and cultural issues. You will receive the tools and information you need to be successful in Europe and also meet the other selected companies who will be presenting in La Baule.

PROGRAM

12:00 - 12:45 | Welcome Buffet Lunch 12:45 - 1:00 | INTRODUCTION LOGISTICS
* Jean-Bernard Guerree, Managing Director, EuroStart Capital Partners

1:00 - 1:45 | CULTURE
Christian Forthomme, CEO, Real Change
Angelika Blendstrup, Ph.D. Blendstrup & Associates
Elisabetta Ghisini, Verba International

1:45 - 2:30 | FINANCE
* Scott Cutler, SVP, NYSE Euronext
* Emmanuel Dampoux, CEO, Avenir Finance
* Sanu Desai, Managing Partner, EuroStart Capital Partners

2:30 - 3:00 | LEGAL and ADMINISTRATIVE

* Stephen Wares, VP Business Development, Nair Co
* Jean-Luc Firmin, Managing Director, EuroGate Program

April 23, 2008: They Made It!, Menlo College, Menlo Park, CA

Bowman Library and Student Affairs present:

Angelika Blendstrup, Ph.D.
Discussing her new book, They Made It!

7 PM, Fireside Lounge
(Refreshments will be served)

The book, They Made It!, is the result of conversations with foreign-born Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, such as Eric Benhamou, Jean-Louis Gassee, Raj Singh, Wu Fu Chen, Suhas Patil, Omid Kordestani, Qi Lu, Dan Maydan and more, who tell it as it is. In addition, conversations with successful leaders working outside of the US, such as Khaled Olayan [Saudi Arabia] and Allen Wang [China], are also highlighted. The leaders share a unique, personal story of how they ultimately made it in the US and the global market as a whole. Join us for an interactive discussion with Angelika and learn the 12 recipes for success that came out of her interviews with Silicon Valley leaders.

Angelika Blendstrup, Ph.D., is the founder and principal of Blendstrup & Associates and a former adjunct professor at Menlo College. She holds a Ph.D. in Bilingual, Bicultural Education from Stanford University and speaks five languages.

March 11, 2008: They Made It!, I-House, UC Berkeley

Hear Dr. Blendstrup's insights regarding: the way leaders in the Silicon Valley from different countries and cultures act and think; how these cultural differences can and have influenced Silicon Valley and the greater US; and, revealing personal and professional anecdotes from leading entrepreneurs from around the world.

March 6, 2008: German American Business Association, Palo Alto, CA

Coaching: Keys to Improved Results

As the cost and challenge of recruitment increases, companies recognize the need to develop their existing employees and managers. Professionalism, skill and behavior development through either internal 'coaches' or outside experts in trained in coaching skills has proven very effective for many companies and people. To meet the growing need for coaches by and within companies but also from individual employees, consultants, business owners and entrepreneurs, the number and types of coaching has grown quickly.

If you are considering hiring a coach for yourself or your employees or if you are interested in developing your own coaching skills, this program will provide you with insight into the types of coaching available, key coaching techniques and results that can be expected from coaching.

March 1, 2008: APEC International Career Fair, San Francsico, CA

Recipes for Success from Foreign-born Leaders Who Made it in Silicon Valley

Authenticity, passion, vision, an understanding of collaboration, respect for others' opinions — these are some of the attributes Silicon Valley's foreign-born entrepreneurs have in common that transcend country and cultural boundaries.

Their roles as leaders and their ultimately fulfilling careers (to which their stories attest) happened because of the way they approached their career paths and lives. If you understand their choices, you can gain key insights (recipes for success) into these executives' behaviors.

In an interactive workshop, we will discuss the ones that fit to you and how you can use them to direct your own path to success (whatever that is for you).

February 29, 2008: APEC International Career Fair, San Francsico, CA

Ten Tips for Foreign-born Professionals working in a US Business Culture

Do you say something in a meeting or to colleagues and get an unexpected reaction? Do your presentations fail to get the response you were expecting? Do you wait for colleagues to respond to your emails?

This workshop will address some typical challenges foreign-born professionals face when communicating in a US business setting. We will cover the most important tips for you to remember to make working in a US environment a positive and successful experience.

April 28, 2007: International Career Fair

Participating Companies: Accenture, Altran, Airbus, Areva, Astra Zeneca, Aventis-Sanofi, Biomerieux, Danone, EADS, EDF GDF, Exxon-Mobil, France Telecom, Freescale, L'Oreal, Masterfoods, McKinsey, Motorola, Proctor&Gamble, PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Renault-Nissan, Rhodia, Safran, Saint-Gobain, Siemens, Thales, Total, Veolia Water.

The International Career Fair is organized by APEC, a French agency specialized in employment for engineers, managers and executives. APEC has been involved in international recruitment fairs since 2002, when it co-organized the very successful "Forum USA" in the San Francisco and Boston areas.

A major actor in the human resources management market in France for 40 years, APEC is the partner of companies for the recruitment of their engineers, managers and executives. It also advises engineers, managers, and executives in all the stages of their professional life (entry-level positions, mobility, professional development). Today, 28,000 companies and 500,000 individuals use the services of APEC.

February 13, 2005: SV Speak Up

Communication Success in a Multicultural Environment

Do you want to know how to build a network of business contacts in mainstream American society, so that it can be helpful for you to achieve your entrepreneurial dream in the U.S.? Are you curious about western culture, and want to have more friends that are American? Do you want to know how to get a promotion faster in an American company? We will have the honor of having Angelika Blendstrup, Ph.D, who is a long-term business communication coach. She will conduct a two-hour workshop that will disclose tips on effective communication in a multicultural environment.

In the past, we invited Angelika for a workshop named "Understand and Excel in American Business Culture" that received an overwhelming positive response. She will conduct this workshop in a question and answer (Q&A) format, so please send me your questions along with your registration request. I will be consolidating all the questions for Angelika before the meeting. This will help Angelika tailor the workshop to cover topics that everyone is interested in discussing.

Please do not miss this great face-to-face opportunity to have your questions answered by one of the most acclaimed consultants in multicultural communication in the Silicon Valley.

August 22, 2004: SV Speak Up

Understand and Excel in American Business Culture

The workshop covers how to understand some different cultural nuances while doing business in the US. The focus will be on two cultural values which play a significant role in US culture. Come and analyze cross cultural business situations and see how you would interpret them and how you would have reacted. Also, willing participants are needed for some light hearted demonstrations in accent reduction techniques.

June 16, 2004: Silicom Synergy Meeting

Guest Speaker: Angelika Blendstrup, Ph.D.

Topic: "How to say Shalom in English" — cultural differences between Americans and Israelis and the unique culture of the Silicon Valley.

Member Speaker: Doron Ohel, member of Silicom Synergy and a local attorney, will speak about "The Legal Aspects in Choosing the Right Business Entity for Your Start-Up Company".

Silicom Synergy's mission is to provide a vibrant networking environment for young (25-38 yo) Jewish and Israeli professionals from different industries. The idea for the group was modeled after the very successful Silicom Ventures group, one of the largest and most active investor groups in the Silicon Valley (www.silicomventures.com). The goal of Silicom Synergy is to provide an environment where professionals can meet to extend their networks, learn more about the intricacies of business success stories and gain access to mentoring from successful entrepreneurs, investors and executives.

A thank you letter...