Visit to the United States of America - Day 3

Upon his arrival at the Google Headquarters, the Governor General had the opportunity to see the self-driving car. He also met with company executives to explore trends in how educational institutions are providing the proper training and producing the right type of employees in the fields of information technology and communication.

In San Francisco, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, visited RocketSpace, an accelerator for start-ups that focuses on providing space and support for early-stage innovators, particularly those in Internet-related subsectors.

In honour of the Governor General’s visit, Mr. Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California, presented the key to the city of San Francisco to His Excellency.

He also tried on the Google glasses before participating in a round-table discussion with Canadian employees to learn more about their experience, their work environment and the company’s innovative culture.

During the visit, His Excellency tried Google Earth, a virtual globe, map and geographical information program.

The Governor General then attended an innovation luncheon, where he addressed members of the C100—a non-profit, member-driven organization dedicated to supporting Canadian technology entrepreneurship and investment—, local business leaders and other eminent members of the community: "The presence of so much Canadian talent in the U.S. represents not a “brain drain,” but rather a valuable brain trust that strengthens both our countries. We see this, not least, in the growing number of American technology firms setting up shop in Canada in order to tap into our country’s remarkable talent pool. I refer to this as the diplomacy of knowledge, which reinforces the health of both nations through collaboration and the exchange of talent."

Photo of His Excellency with members of Stanford PACS and other American organizations.

Stanford PACS is a research centre for students, scholars and practitioners to develop and share knowledge to improve philanthropy, strengthen civil society and effect social change. Its primary participants are Stanford faculty; visiting scholars; post-doctoral scholars; graduate and undergraduate students; and non-profit and foundation practitioners.

The meeting was an opportunity to exchange views on the impact of social innovation on philanthropy, and to share information on Canadian efforts to actively engage more participation in philanthropy and volunteerism.

The Governor General, joined by Cassie Doyle, Consul General of Canada (centre), and Ian Bird, President of Community Foundations of Canada (left), discussed efforts to increase philanthropic funding in the United States and how it might serve as a model for increasing philanthropy in Canada with representatives from the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (Stanford PACS) and other American organizations.

Duncan Logan, founder and CEO of RocketSpace, explains to the Governor General the company’s vision and its role with corporate partners.

Inside Rocketspace, he stopped by the Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) to witness project demonstrations from early-stage Canadian companies who are participating in the program. In April 2011, the Consulate General of Canada in San Francisco/Silicon Valley chose RocketSpace as the site for the CTA. The program is designed to enable innovative Canadian technology companies to grow and succeed internationally.

The Governor General then delivered remarks before an audience of elected officials from the federal, state and municipal levels; business and community leaders; academics; and Canadians living in California.