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Vanessa Richardson

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Vanessa is a former business journalist who has covered personal investing, venture capital, startups and business management for publications like Entrepreneur, Money, the San Francisco Business Times and the Sacramento Business Journal. Her portfolio also includes marketing work for clients like Intuit and Wells Fargo. For a change of pace, she used her scuba diving certification to edit Undercurrent, a Consumer Reports-style newsletter covering all things scuba, marine life and the oceans. She's also focused on the business of events and new ways to get journalism in front of, and more connected to, the public. Vanessa led events for INFORUM, the division of The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco that serves people in their 20s and 30s. Then she came home to her native Sacramento to launch California Groundbreakers, which creates civic engagement through live local events. With beer, wine and cocktails.

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Events
Event: A Q&A with California mayors on the future of work
From the Bay Area to Southern California, communities are facing different prospects for recovery based on the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it’s making on workforce trends and government revenues, as well as the state’s prior economic development trajectory.  In our fourth “Future of Work” event, we are talking with mayors around the state about […]
By • November 9, 2020
Events
Rebuilding and Resiliency: How We Need to Handle Wildfires From Now On
California has been hit hard in recent years by wildfires, but the deadliest and most destructive one in its history was the Camp Fire. On the morning of November 8, 2018, a spark turned into a firestorm that barrelled through the town of Paradise, killing 85 people, causing several firefighter injuries and displacing 50,000 residents. […]
By • October 8, 2020
Events
Props to You Event: Wait, Didn’t We Vote On These Already?
Look what’s back again. Three topics that Californians saw on previous ballots are returning for another round of voting this fall.  First there’s Proposition 14, which has voters weighing whether to approve billions of taxpayer dollars to fund more stem cell research.  Proposition 23 focuses on whether or not to further regulate California’s burgeoning kidney […]
By • September 25, 2020
Events
Props to You Event: Tech Battles
New restrictions on Big Tech, as well as a carve out for “gig” companies, are among the key propositions voters will see on the ballot in November. Proposition 22 could give companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash the leeway to keep workers classified as contractors, and not employees. We discussed what this means for the […]
By • September 25, 2020
Events
Props to You Event: Race and Civil Rights
Californians could make some major changes to election law and civil rights statewide if they pass several key propositions on the ballot this fall.  Proposition 16 would legalize affirmative action in California–repealing the ban voters approved on it 24 years ago–for state hiring, contracts and university admissions. And an additional pair of propositions will expand […]
By • September 25, 2020
Events
Props to You Event: How Tough on Crime Should We Be?
Some answers to that question lie in your hands. On the November ballot, Proposition 20 would increase penalties for certain property crimes and make parole more difficult, while Proposition 25 would replace the existing cash bail law with a risk-based bail system. In the second of our five “Props to You” events, CalMatters talked to […]
By • September 25, 2020
Events
Props to You Event: Changing Prop 13
Major changes could be in store for California homeowners and businesses this fall, depending on the outcome of two property tax propositions on the ballot. Voters will be considering two controversial measures that will overturn parts of the state’s Proposition 13 law, including: Proposition 15, which would increase property taxes on businesses. Proposition 19, which […]
By • September 25, 2020
Events
“Props to You”: A Q&A event series on California’s ballot measures
With 12 contentious propositions on your California ballot, you’ve probably got questions. From kidney dialysis and affirmative action to rent control and gig workers, CalMatters has you covered. We’re held five “Props to You” events — a series of virtual Q&A sessions that let you ask questions about the California propositions to help you make […]
By • September 25, 2020
Events
Watch: Can California create a future-ready workforce?
Workforce development is more important than ever as California faces a hollowing out of middle class jobs, the rise of robots and automation in more professions, an evolving gig-economy, a growing discussion about social justice and racial discrimination in the workplace, and a deep recession. We co-hosted a virtual conversation with the Milken Institute about […]
By • September 18, 2020

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