get them to fit incorrectly. i glued them to mash, and then they are taken, now usually installed by someone who is not to me, and they put cement on the wall, and they pick up the mash with the tiles attached to it, and they stick it to the wall, and then they groped it afterwards. [♪] >> we had never really seen artwork done on a stairway of the kinds that we were thinking of because our idea was very just barely pictorial, and to have a picture broken up like that, we were not sure if it would visually work. so we just took paper that size and drew what our idea was, and cut it into strips, and took it down there and taped it to the steps, and stepped back and looked around, and walked up and down and figured out how it would really work visually. [♪]

>> my theme was chinese heights because i find them very beautiful. and also because mosaic is such a heavy, dens, static medium, and i always like to try and incorporate movement into its, and i work with the theme of water a lot, with wind, with clouds, just because i like movements and lightness, so i liked the contrast of making kites out of very heavy, hard material. so one side is a dragon kite, and then there are several different kites in the sky with the clouds, and a little girl below flying it. [♪]

>> there are pieces that are particularly meaningful to me. during the time that we were working on it, my son was a disaffected, unhappy high school student. there was a day where i was on the way to take them to school, and he was looking glum, as usual, and so halfway to school, i turned around and said, how about if i tell the school you are sick and you come make tiles with us, so there is a tile that he made to. it is a little bird. the relationship with a work of art is something that develops over time, and if you have memories connected with a place from when you are a child, and you come back and you see it again with the eyes of an adult, it is a different thing, and is just part of what makes the city an exciting place. [♪]

>> good morning, everyone. what an exciting day in the city of san francisco right here on jefferson street. i want to thank you all for coming out like they say. it takes a village to really come up with a great project and this project is a great project that involved many people from many city departments, many years ago. it started with the fisherman's worth plan and there were many agencies that were involved. i see john brown from the planning department is here. harlan kelly from p.u.c., our friends from the port are here. the san francisco transportation authority is over there, and

many agencies, of course,, public works. they are part of this project. and when this project first started, it was a five block project and we could only find funding to do the first part in the first part was from hyde to jones. but we also had to do it in quick time, in under six months we were able to build the only -- the first part of jefferson street before the america's cup and i can tell you that project has been a fantastic project. so this phase two is also going to be done in record time, under a year, starting today after this groundbreaking. with that said, i would like to introduce someone that has been a champion for pedestrian safety , implementing vision zero , and really making our safety the beautiful city that it is, i'm making sure that we'll work together. let's welcome our mayor london

buried. [cheers and applause] -- london buried. >> thank you to all the community members who are here today to celebrate phase two of four phases of really changing the future and the landscape of fisherman's worth in this area, which is not only visited by people from all around the world , there's actually an incredible community of merchants, of people who live here and who walk these streets every single day. we want to make sure that it is safe, it is walkable, it is enjoyable and people have incredible experiences when they come to visit san francisco. today we ordered the sun to shine so that people can happen even better experience. this project is an example of how when city departments come together for a common goal, with community members and the fisherman's worth, community

business district in the san francisco chamber, thank you, rodney, for being here today, that we can make incredible things happen. i'm excited that public works and the port and the planning department and so many of our agencies have made this a priority. we know that money generated from tourism actually helps to support so many incredible things that we do in san francisco so we want the experiences to be that much better. and looking at how we are taking a street that used to be a one-way, turning into a two away , widening the sidewalks, making it more clean and more green, and at the same time, thank you to harlan kelly, the director of p.u.c. for digging into the ground, and we are taking around the fiber-optic cables that all the things that we need to do to make sure that the pipes and infrastructure is working so that we don't have to go back into the ground is absolutely how we should be working on public projects like

this. i'm excited. it took a lot of money, yes from a lot of different resources, and i want to say a special thank you to david chiu for his work in providing resources, working along with supervisor aaron peskin and supervising estate resources to make this project a reality. it does take a village. it does take a lot of money and here we are at the end of what is phase two to make something incredible happening for this particular neighborhood. thank you do all the folks involved and i'm excited that mohammed has promised to do this in record time and within budget we will be watching very closely because that is what i care about the most. i know that one of the most fiscally conservative persons on the board of supervisors cares about that as well. ladies and gentlemen, your supervisor, aaron peskin. [applause] >> thank you.

good things come to people who are patient. as down from the port to knows, this goes back to 2003 when the community gathered with the port and started a community plan. some years later, the planning department stepped in even before the days of john ram and graham and that led to phase i. let's be real, there was a little concern. rodney will remember, back in the days when he had the wax museum, widening of the sidewalks was going to inhibit vehicular transportation here even though we all knew it was going to actually make fisherman 's worth -- wharf keep up. years ago they brought the f. line in here and that was a boom to fisherman's wharf and it is

beloved around san francisco and around the world. after that, we expanded the sidewalks. fisherman's worth is the goose that lays the golden egg for san francisco. year in and year out. it is high time that san francisco city government reinvest so that fisherman's wharf will continue to be the envy of the world. $600 million in retail sales, $250 million related to hotels, millions and millions, 16 million people come here every year. thirty-nine is the number one tourist attraction in the city and county of san francisco. investing $16 million of city and state funds makes perfect sense for this fiscally prudent supervisor, including, and i am wearing now my hat as chair of the san francisco county transportation authority, not only $1.2 million of your half

cent sales tax, but each of the members of that body get $200,000 to invest. i put my $200,000 into this project. it is just a little bit, but it helped make it go. congratulations to all the departments and particularly the community that made this happen. thank you so much. [applause] next, from the port of san francisco, we are on port property until you get in the middle of that street, then you're on mohammed's property, but we are on the lands of the port of san francisco. it's executive director, elaine forbes. [applause]. >> thank you so much supervisor peskin. thank you to mayor breed for prioritizing safety and economic development and helping this neighborhood thrive. you have heard from the other speakers about this area being the goose that lays the golden egg, which is completely true. 85% of visitors to san francisco come here and they come back

again because it is such a wonderful experience that we have to continue to invest in, but i want to talk for a second about the community that is here we have 500 businesses. many small businesses can eat, many multigenerational businesses that make this place thrive. we have an amazing fisherman's wharf community. we have the fisherman and women who are the reason for this place you have been fishing and making their life off the bay for generations and fisherman's wharf is about the fishing community and about the small communities -- small businesses in the community. that is why it is a special place to come and visit. i want to acknowledge all the community did to get to this place today, to have our groundbreaking. it is a real celebration to all of you. thank you for making fisherman's wharf such an amazing experience for all the people local and visiting that come and again -- that come again and again. i want to acknowledge my commissioner who is here today. now i'd like to turn it over to randall scott. he is the c.e.o. of the

fisherman's wharf c.b.d. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much. thank you to all of you. i came here last december to fisherman's wharf and fell in love with it all over again. i want to encourage each and everyone of you to come down and visit and see what is going on. the pedestrian developments of jefferson street, wider sidewalks, easier to walk through, all around the world, people have been doing this to their cities and the foot traffic and the visitation that comes down with that and the boost of businesses is absolutely fantastic. i can't wait for this to finish. thank you very much for only promising for one year. as mentioned, we are the tourist heart of the city. people come down here, they have

fun, they go back to their homes , they bring back more people. i just want to say, you know, to the city, thank you for reinvesting and fisherman's wharf. we promised to take very good care of it and we look forward to those people walking down the street. to those of you in the bay area, i would highly encourage you to come down and visit. this place has something for everyone. we have a treasure hunt do you can go from bar to bar, attraction to attraction and enjoy an entire full day down here. again, thank you to the city and county of san francisco, thank you all for coming. [applause] >> all right. in fact,, this very spot that we are standing will become a brand-new plaza. as everyone knows, it is a parking lot now but we will redo it and it will have nice paving patterns. those architects at public works , they have had fun with it

everybody is okay with it. okay. let's go and break ground. we have some shovels. let's get busy here. >> all right, come on in. ready? squeeze in. squeeze, we don't have to touch. all right. are you guys ready? five, four, three, two, one. there we go. [cheering]. >> all right. >> all right. thank you. >> what are you going to use it for? [laughter]

>> it's great to see everyone kind of get together and prove, that you know, building our culture is something that can be reckoned with. >> i am desi, chair of economic development for soma filipinos. so that -- [ inaudible ] know that soma filipino exists, and it's also our economic

platform, so we can start to build filipino businesses so we can start to build the cultural district. >> i studied the bok chase choy her achbl heritage, and i discovered this awesome bok choy. working at i-market is amazing. you've got all these amazing people coming out here to share one culture. >> when i heard that there was a market with, like, a lot of filipino food, it was like oh, wow, that's the closest thing i've got to home, so, like, i'm going to try everything.

>> fried rice, and wings, and three different cliefz sliders. i haven't tried the adobe yet, but just smelling it yet brings back home and a ton of memories. >> the binca is made out of different ingredients, including cheese. but here, we put a twist on it. why not have nutella, rocky road, we have blue berry. we're not just limiting it to just the classic with salted egg and cheese. >> we try to cook food that you don't normally find from

filipino food vendors, like the lichon, for example. it's something that it took years to come up with, to perfect, to get the skin just right, the flavor, and it's one of our most popular dishes, and people love it. this, it's kind of me trying to chase a dream that i had for a long time. when i got tired of the corporate world, i decided that i wanted to give it a try and see if people would actually like our food. i think it's a wonderful opportunity for the filipino culture to shine. everybody keeps saying filipino food is the next big thing. i think it's already big, and to have all of us here together, it's just -- it just blows my mind sometimes that there's so many of us bringing -- bringing filipino food to the city finally.

>> i'm alex, the owner of the lumpia company. the food that i create is basically the filipino-american experience. i wasn't a chef to start with, but i literally love lumpia, but my food is my favorite foods i like to eat, put into my favorite filipino foods, put together. it's not based off of recipes i learned from my mom. maybe i learned the rolling technique from my mom, but the different things that i put in are just the different things that i like, and i like to think that i have good taste. well, the very first lumpia that i came out with that really build the lumpia -- it wasn't the poerk and shrimp shanghai, but my favorite thing after partying is that bakon

cheese burger lumpia. there was a time in our generation where we didn't have our own place, our own feed to eat. before, i used to promote filipino gatherings to share the love. now, i'm taking the most exciting filipino appetizer and sharing it with other filipinos. >> it can happen in the san francisco mint, it can happen in a park, it can happen in a street park, it can happen in a tech campus. it's basically where we bring the hardware, the culture, the

operating system. >> so right now, i'm eating something that brings me back to every filipino party from my childhood. it's really cool to be part of the community and reconnect with the neighborhood. >> one of our largest challenges in creating this cultural district when we compare ourselves to chinatown, japantown or little saigon, there's little communities there that act as place makers. when you enter into little philippines, you're like where are the businesses, and that's one of the challenges we're trying to solve.

>> undercover love wouldn't be possible without the help of the mayor and all of our community partnerships out there. it costs approximately $60,000 for every event. undiscovered is a great tool for the cultural district to bring awareness by bringing the best parts of our culture which is food, music, the arts and being ativism all under one

roof, and by seeing it all in this way, what it allows san franciscans to see is the dynamics of the filipino-american culture. i think in san francisco, we've kind of lost track of one of our values that makes san francisco unique with just empathy, love, of being acceptable of different people, the out liers, the crazy ones. we've become so focused onic maing money that we forgot about those that make our city and community unique. when people come to discover, i want them to rediscover the magic of what diversity and empathy can create. when you're positive and committed to using that energy,

>> good morning, everyone. i am william rogers, i am the president and c.e.o. of goodwill san francisco san mateo. [cheers and applause] [laughter] i want to welcome all of you, our friends, our supporters, our partners. we are here today to celebrate together the grand opening of goodwill's state-of-the-art training and career center. [cheers and applause]

i wanted to take a moment to do a couple of things. let's show a little bit of love to the retail team. [cheers and applause] this store is opening tomorrow and it is going to be beautiful. they did a great job. i want to give special thanks to the honorable mayor breed. thank you so much for being here [cheers and applause] to the honorable willie brown. [cheers and applause] supervisor peskin, we moved from your district to your district. [laughter] i want to thank the p.u.c., because without the p.u.c., we would never have gotten into the building on time. thank you to the p.u.c. [applause] i also want to thank, i will call her shelley b.b. who is the

former president of the planning commission, and aaron peskin introduced me to her and she came up to me and she said, mr. rogers, so nice to meet you. i am 100% against your project but i have a open mind. [laughter] i said all right. and we spent three hours together. after that three hour period, she looked at me she says, i hate you and i said wise that? and she said because i am 100% for your project. [applause] i also want to thank tidewater who is here. they actually manage this project. thank you so much. are mw architects, and then some of our partners. the sitting county of san francisco has been amazing. mayor breed, your staff has been amazing. i also want to thank some of our funders who are here. microsoft, google, wells fargo salesforce, and linkedin.

thank you all for being here today. [applause] the building we are standing here with right now was built in 1914. it has been in san francisco for as long as san francisco goodwill has been in san francisco. who knew that, right? we have both been here for over 100 years. this building has been a parking garage, it has been an art gallery, and now it is home to a training and community center for this community to participate, share, and learn. i want to take a quick moment to introduce our board chair. he served on the board for almost three years. he has been an influential entrepreneur. he is a philanthropist, a volunteer, and a compassionate human being. i just want to introduce eric. [applause]

>> i usually don't get such nice introductions. thank you. we are proud to be moving here to the tenderloin. it is really, really exciting to be in this space. they're going to be some any great opportunities for us to part with great organizations here and i can't tell you how proud we are to be here. as an investor, i look for misunderstood organizations where there is a real difference between perception and reality. that are managed by strong management teams, driven by strong purpose, where my investment, whether it is time or money, can make a real difference. i want to unpack that for a second. really, what's misunderstood about goodwill is our mission. when i talked to most people out there, people really don't seem to understand what we stand for and why we're doing what we are doing. so i think that really the best way to understand is the old story about if you catch a man

of fish, he will eat for a day. if you teach them and how to fish, you will eat for life. that is what we are all about. we are all about providing second chances by providing jobs and training for those who have barriers to employment. whether it is formerly incarcerated, recovering addicts , people who struggle with english as a second language, veterans, and a whole bunch of other people that really need a second chance. i am really proud to be part of this organization to help that. of course, we have strong management, that is another thing we look for with william and his team. they are fabulous. i really feel like we are making a difference here. i feel like we are addressing housing and security, we are addressing food insecurity, we are addressing mental illness by providing job training and jobs. so i really appreciate all of you coming today and i hope we can do great things together.

thank you. [applause] >> thank you, eric. almost everybody know something about goodwill, right? you either might know through the donation sites or you drop off still -- stuff that you no longer want or need, you may know it as a store, to find a treasure or get a good deal, and yet there -- we are so much more than that. today, no matter what you know about goodwill, i will ask you to take a closer look. when you take a closer look, what you will find is that san francisco goodwill is, by its very nature, and with great intention, and innovator in our approach to workforce development, sustainability, and economic inclusion. we focus on those who face barriers to employment, that is who we partner with, and we are highly unique in our approach,

so we provide paid employment with benefits, industry training , customized career support, all under one roof, but in fact,, we have learned that is not enough. we have also created programs to help people develop the resilience and confidence to be successful in today's ever changing labor market because we know the world of work is rapidly of all thing and we all need to be ready. when you take a closer look at goodwill, you will see an organization that is highly committed to sustainability. you will learn that we divert over 31 million pounds every year from the landfills. you will learn that we were the first -- one of the first entities in the united states to convert half of our fleet to electric tracks, so no, we have 11 electric powered commercial trucks with note tail pack admissions.

and with these trucks, we eliminate 55,000 diesel emissions and replace them with clean, quiet zero emissions. [applause] over the next couple of years we will use warty what he thousand gallons less diesel fuel and that enables us to reduce carbon emissions by 400 tonnes. what you will also learn is through our computer technology recycling and refurbishing program, we divert over 3 million pounds of electronic waste from entering our landfills every year. and last year, we refurbished over 200,000 electronic units for reuse. this year, we begin working with recycling innovators who can take a shirt that is 50% cotton, 50% polyester, separate that polyester from the cotton, and actually use that as five or to make new clothing. so for the stuff we get that is

torn or ripped or stained, we will be able to recycle those things and make them into new clothing. [cheers and applause] when you take a closer look at goodwill in the state of california, you will see that goodwill drove 2.4% of the state 's job growth and that was by creating jobs for people who have been left behind and left out. i am the current chair of the california council of goodwill, i always hear the four% all-time low and employment rate in the state of california, but what we know about that is that that unemployment rate is significantly higher for the populations that we serve. so the fact that goodwill his in the state of california have driven that 2.4% of the job growth with the populations that we serve, is a significant accomplishment and we are just getting started.

[applause] today i'm also inviting you to take a closer look at our facility. we are excited to have you toured our training center little bit later today after the program where you will see the goodwill microsoft maker space, which is the first of its kind in this neighborhood. you will learn about our career pathways and career services which include training for sick -- technology certifications. you also get to experience our computer refurbishing team in action. our work at goodwill is centred on the belief that everyone deserves access to a career pathway that can lead to economic security. and that the right combination of work experience, skill developments, and confidence can accelerate a person's economic mobility. we are very proud of what we do

and yet we are also very clear we do it alone. our work is strengthened by our partners and our collaborators and many of you are here today, and i thank you for that. people can change their lives. in fact, people do change their lives. together, we have an opportunity to transform lives, support families, and strengthen communities through training, and the dignity of work. the collective power in this room is tremendous. we have the opportunity to make a real difference and to foster a legacy of keeping san francisco the special place that it is. and so today, let's celebrate our new home. tomorrow, was roll up our sleeves and work together to create a new legacy where san francisco works for everyone and where everyone in san francisco

can work. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. i now have the great and distinct pleasure of introducing a true trailblazer, the mayor of san francisco, mayor london breed, a native of san francisco you have been a fierce advocate for more equitable and just san francisco. i know she needs no introduction , but i'm so proud and happy that you are here. i'm pleased for everyone to welcome mayor london breed. [applause] >> thank you. i have to say, this place is phenomenal. it is absolutely amazing and i have a long history with the goodwill, especially during the

time where i served as executive director from the african-american art and culture complex. i grew up in the western addition community and i've had people who were coming home from prison who were struggling with trying to find job opportunities and the only folks that were willing to work with me and work with people in the community was goodwill industries and i'm really grateful for that because as you are still hearing today, so many people talk about the difficulties of finding employment opportunities after they have, unfortunately, you know, they have served their time and they're coming back into society, and they want a new start, a fresh start and i'm proud of san francisco for the work that we did when we worked on this board of supervisors in making sure that people who have a criminal record, it is not used to a barrier of employment even in san francisco because we have to start changing the stigma that is attached to people who sadly have gone

through the criminal justice system, they have done their time, they want a second chance, and goodwill has done this and made this an important part of their program before anyone else started to do it, so we really appreciate the fact that goodwill is so many things, including a trailblazer. thank you so much for the work you continue to do for the city. in addition to the young adult court, which is really an important part of the work that we do to make sure that first-time offenders have an opportunity to get a job, to work, to develop a career because we have seen how being part of this community of goodwill has really changed people's lives for the better. so it does mean a lot for me to be here and to see a lot of this stuff come full circle and see how much more innovative and exciting goodwill has become over the years and i'm excited about doing even more.

in san francisco we know that there is more to be done and part of some of the work that we have been able to do with people -- i kind of got this ideal from you when we went to your location on clement street, and we talked about the drivers for goodwill and the challenges with their suspended license and how they couldn't drive the trucks, but they could work for the companies and then you had to drive. one of the things we did, aaron peskin, thank you for your support on making sure that we were getting rid of some of the past fees and other things in giving people a clean start so that they could get their license, and they can get employment opportunities like things like what are offered through goodwill. it really is a partnership. we can't change the city for the better alone. we need organizations who care deeply and who are invested in the people of san francisco, and goodwill, for the past 103 years

, in san francisco, in particular, has been demonstrating time and time again it really is about providing an opportunity for people to take care of themselves and making sure that they have a thriving, a comfortable community to do so because it is challenging. when you sadly were out on the streets and using drugs, and the stigma attached to that when you're trying to get clean and stay sober, and work, and turn your life around, the goodwill welcomes you with open arms. when you have a criminal past, and you want a second chance, and you don't want people to keep judging you because you made a mistake in the past, the goodwill welcomes you with open arms time and time again. so i just wanted to be here to express my true appreciation for the work that you have done and what you will continue to do and that's why we have to be a good

community partner with you. the city has to be willing to make things easier for you to do the incredible work that you do to change and save lives. we know the challenges that exist around homelessness in the city and people struggling with mental illness and addiction and we are working on a number of innovative solutions to try and address what is a real crisis on our streets. but the good news is, the good news is when we are able to help somebody, we know that we can rely on the goodwill to be there for us and say yes each and every time. when i decided it was time to open a job training center and the o.m.i. community of san francisco, because we saw that the unemployment numbers were higher there than most parts of this city, goodwill, again, was right there. we will be hosting a job fair in

that location with you tomorrow. so time and time again we know that when we bring forth the kinds of ideas that really help people and open the doors, we know that good things can happen so i am just grateful for your work and your service and i wanted to do something really special. clearly there's a lot of enthusiastic and excited people that are here today because this place is absolutely beautiful, and more importantly, the people who work here, the people who work for goodwill are absolutely beautiful because they love this organization and they love the work they have been able to do to really help so many people. so today, william and eric, i will ask you both to come up. do you want to join us, supervisor, since you are here and i know you have your certificate? but mine first. [laughter] on behalf of the city and county of san francisco, i would like

to declare today goodwill in san francisco day in that city and county of san francisco. [cheers and applause] thank you. [applause] >> thank you. >> thank you so much actually, mayor breed, we have something for you. so we have, as you know, our microsoft maker space. >> do you have a coupon for me? [laughter] >> right? we have our microsoft maker his space and the joke was supposed

to be that you can never be duplicated, but then we were able to duplicate you in our microsoft space. but then we decided not to. [laughter] we want to give you two things. the importance of the space is not only -- so we have all sorts of things in the space that folks can create things. they're learning about software and they are also able to do 3d printing. what we wanted to give you today is actually on the escher, we were able to at a photo of the mayor. [applause] we want to give you that and that is something. [laughter] do you know the first idea was?

somebody suggested we make in many all of you and we said, let's not do that. [laughter] than the other thing we want to give you, and this is actually something that was 3d printed, and this is a key to goodwill because we want you to know this is always your home. thank you so much. [cheers and applause] thank you so much. thank you. now i would like to taken opportunity to introduce a supervisor for the district who has been a fierce advocate for goodwill. i'm so happy -- we really admire

your willingness to tackle the tough issues and we really look forward to working with you. thank you so much. >> roger stole all my material. i was going to tell that story. but it speaks volumes, not only about goodwill goodwill, but about will rogers and the way it will has gone about this truly is goodwill. and i say that because he doesn't just walk the walk, he actually talks the talk. when i say that, i say he talks

to the community. so when i freaked out, when you were leaving bay street, i thought, oh, no,, i will have to drive further. remember, i used to be able to go by city hall, and of course, the city and county has been linked with goodwill for many years because of that. i found that that they were coming to the southern end of my district. so appropriately so, and then he asked how who do i reach out to? how do i become a part of the community and she said i don't want them in my neighborhood and i thought, well, that's exactly what the people bay street said when they moved there that has been the case here. i want to thank you for really walking the walk and reaching out to the community. we have more exciting things that are happening. you will see soon, the mayor announced -- the mayor will announce a new partnership between the city and county of san francisco and goodwill just down the street that involves

tidewater. [applause]. >> i would like to introduce another trailblazer. this is incredibly meaningful to me because this is someone who i've known for a long time over the last six years. he deserves -- he got a much-deserved second chance here at goodwill and he has gone on to create incredibly meaningful job opportunities for himself after getting -- after coming here, he had some justice involvement, he came to goodwill and worked in retail, and everyone his things everyone

doesn't want a real chip -- retail job, but we really try to think about what people want to do. we found that this young man had an aptitude for technology and so we put him into an internship program and technology. he did very well. we hired him into our program. he did exceptionally well and then at some point, he said, we said you have to go from a hobbyist to a professional. and what that means is you have to get your industry certifications. and he said, i can't do it. i did not do well in school, i have struggled on tests, et cetera et cetera, and that prompted us to create a training in growth mindset to help everybody who comes through because we know that a lot of folks who come through goodwill have been beaten down and we need to create opportunities, we need to make sure that folks have a level of confidence in their ability and in their

innate abilities. so he is someone -- where is mr? there you are right there. dumping nervous, chris. it is all good. [laughter] what we are doing is i typically do not like to celebrate people for the worst thing they have ever done in their lives, i like to celebrate people for their accomplishments. and today we are celebrating chris for his accomplishments. he actually came to us about six months ago. he worked for goodwill. i'm sorry, -- he no longer works for goodwill and that's because about six month ago, he came to us and said, you know, i got another job. they will pay me x amount per year and blah blah blah. and i have to go. i two daughters and i said i got you. you have become way too valuable to us and with all your certifications, i remember when you got your certifications. you ♪ to me after you got your certifications. [laughter]

and he wound up -- we wanted saying you were too valuable, we will beat the offer and we did. and then about three months later he came to us and he says, will, they are offering me another $25,000 a year and we said, chris, that is a great opportunity. [laughter] which is really the points. it is really helping people. our values are learning, belonging, and safety. and chris was able to develop the skills, get some certifications, there's a point in which she would never have been hired anywhere else because people would have labelled him in a particular way, but he did this. so we are here to celebrate you. we have a little something for you. but before, i would like to introduce you so you can address everyone. [cheers and applause]

>> good morning, everyone. my name is chris blaser. it feels good to be here home at goodwill. one month before i was supposed to graduate from high school i was arrested and i had squandered my opportunity to get my diploma, which set a negative trend that my life would follow for the next few years. all the way up until i was about 23, i was in and out of jail. at the time, my oldest daughter was three years old and i didn't have a legitimate means of supporting her. a friend suggested i go for the goodwill to look for a job and goodwill hired me and gave me my first real introduction into the workforce.

soon after i was hired, as will stated, they saw i had the aptitude for technology so they moved me into a paid intership with their i.t. department. they recognize something in me that i hadn't even recognized in myself at that point, quite honestly. they put me in a position to have a career, but they did tell me i had to go from hobbyist to professional, which meant i had to go out and get my certifications, which i am now a plus security+ and network plus certified. [cheers and applause] i was nervous, but google reassured me they were fully invested in my growth professionally. soon i had work experience and tech certifications including the goodwill google i.t.

certification which i got right before i left. [laughter] goodwill of the only place where i didn't have to choose between working and gaining tech skills. i was able to do both. their constant reassurance that they would help me do my with through my barriers to appoint -- to employment made me feel safe here. the diversity of the workforce gave me a sense of belonging. i never felt judged when i passed. and because of their willingness to invest in my growth, i learned here, which are the three core values of goodwill. safety first, belonging, and learning. eventually came the day when a different employer was willing to offer me more money.

they were definitely happy for me, but they definitely said, we do value you a lot so we want to beach that offer, which they did so i stayed. [laughter] but as they say, all good things must come to an end. [laughter] and eventually i was offered a second position and like you said, that sounds like an excellent opportunity. you might want to go pursue that so now i work as an engineer as a tech consulting firm. [cheers and applause] thank you. thank you. now i have two daughters and they have watched me grow pathetic -- professionally and our lives have gotten so much better because of my economic stability. seven years ago i couldn't imagine anyone offering me the type of position that i'm being

offered now, but today i expect to continue to get those offers. i want to thank goodwill for putting me in a position to chase this career and just like goodwill, i ask you to take a closer look at me and my true value. i am giving back to my community by remaining a leader and an inspiration, especially to those who also may need a second chance. thank you. [cheers and applause] [laughter] >> chris has one request to get a photo with you. [laughter]

>> thank you, thank you, thank you. >> do you want me in this? okay. >> i'm really proud of you. >> thank you. >> congratulations. [laughter] >> so we just want to honor chris today with -- really don't know why i'm a little. lumped right now. >> my nervousness has transferred. >> you know how i feel about you and i'm incredibly proud of you. >> thank you. >> so you are getting the achievement of goodwill's workforce warrior. [cheers and applause] and this is in honor of your demonstration of a successful

and inspirational professional pathway within goodwill and beyond. best wishes for your continued growth. we know there's so much more you will continue to accomplish. we also have gift for you, which i hope you and your family enjoy but you have done a tremendous job both for yourself, for the community, for your family. i'm really proud of you. i know your daughter's are really proud of you. they saw you go from not working , to working, and now you are in the field, my friend. >> trying to thrive. >> congratulations. congratulations. >> thank you. [applause] [laughter] all right. i now have the honor of introducing two people in the same breath that you might not always thinking think of in

talking about in the same breath these are two of the top competing global tech industries just saying. [laughter] google and microsoft, who are coming together. let's be clear, you compete, we were coming together to support people with barriers to employment. i will start by introducing katy brown. katy? there you are. come on up. katy is the vice president of enterprise sales of the west region at microsoft who is a lead sponsor of our good will microsoft space and with the grant that allows for learning possibilities beyond what residents have had in their past welcome. >> thank you. [applause] so thank you so much. i have to tell you it is absolutely in honor to be here and be part of this project. i am deeply touched by what i