Our History
In 2013, residents saw opportunity in an empty piece of land on the San Jose-Santa Clara border. They hired architects and organized a group of neighbors to create a community concept for the land. They envisioned a bold idea: a housing development with open space and an urban farm where seniors and residents of varying income levels and ages could grow their own food. They called it the Agrihood.
Developers took note. One incorporated this community-supported concept into their proposal to the Santa Clara City Council. When the time came for the City Council to select a preferred proposal, dozens of neighbors showed up to advocate for the community-supported concept. On the night of the vote, the City Council selected the developer proposing the community-backed Agrihood.
From this series of events, it was clear that:
1. A positive, community-driven vision of a project can be a catalyst for community members and decision-makers.
2. Silicon Valley needs to happen again and again.
So our founders started speaking to dozens of Silicon Valley nonprofit and civic leaders who shared many of the same values of how Silicon Valley should develop. From these information-gathering sessions, they saw an opportunity in the local nonprofit ecosystem for a new organization to do this level and type of community engagement and advocacy.
In December 2016, 5 community leaders met in a living room to conceive of a new organization. They began meeting once a month. Within a few months, there were 10 people attending. So they wrote a mission statement. A few months later, there were 20 people. So they chose a name for the emerging group: Catalyze SV.
In January 2018, over 200 people gathered in Midtown San Jose for the public launch of Catalyze SV (CSV).
