We offer a variety of events throughout the year, from lectures to happy hours and everything in-between.
Join fellow alumni for a mid-peninsula brunch on February 15th, 2026. Each alumn can bring a guest; brunch limited to 10 people total, first-RSVPs first-serve! We will have a wait list, so if you initially RSVP for this event then can’t make it, please let the host know so we can accommodate those on the wait list!
Look for the Brown Club of Silicon Valley banner!
Host: Veronica A. Bettencourt ‘98
Join fellow alums and friends for a coffee break during the busy holiday season, after or before a visit to the Mountain View Farmers’ Market. Grab your favorite drinks, pastries, and produce at the Farmers’ Market or along the short stroll to our meeting place. Good spots to buy coffee to go include:
Red Rock
Paris Baguette
Look for the Brown Club of Silicon Valley banner!
Just stop by to mingle and perhaps play the outdoor games on the mall.
Host: Carol Rhoads ‘70
RSVP HERE (space is limited to 10 people, but please email Yaruksa if the event is full!)
Come join your fellow Brown alumni neighbors for an evening of giving back! We’ll be volunteering at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley on Wednesday, November 12th from 6-8 pm at the Cypress Center located at 4001 N First St, San Jose, CA 95134.
Space is limited, so be sure to sign up ASAP!
Sign up to join our group HERE
https://shfb.tfaforms.net/202?GID=a0WQo00000KvLDtMAN
You may need the BCSV group reservation ID when signing up: GR-35678
BCSV will be helping SHFB at their main warehouse as a “food sort volunteer” with essential food distribution activities such as verifying, sorting, labeling, repacking, and preparing food items for delivery to feed thousands of people in the community.
A few additional details:
1. BCSV will meet at 5:45 pm in front of the building.
2. Volunteer Orientation begins promptly at 6:00 pm.
3. Wear closed-toed shoes. Long pants and long-sleeve shirts are highly recommended but not required. Sleeveless shirts and sandals are not permitted.
4. Jewelry is discouraged. Lockers are available for your valuables.
5. Masks are optional.
6. Parking is located in the lot in front of the building. There is additional overflow parking BEHIND the Momentus building. Follow the parking signs. Click to view a parking map.
Volunteers are critical to SHFB operations! If you can’t attend the event after registering, please cancel your registration directly with SHFB and notify the BCSV host. This will allow someone else to fill your spot. Registration will close EOB on November 5th.
Hosted by: Yaruska Ordinola ‘23
RSVP HERE (space is limited to 10 people, but please email Yaruksa if the event is full!)
America is infamous for its complex and expensive health care system that fails to satisfy most consumers, control costs, and improve health outcomes. The health insurance industry plays a central yet poorly understood role as the financial intermediary between payors and providers of health care.
Join us for an enlightening lecture with alumni speaker, Jacob Asher, M.D. '78, as he demystifies this opaque industry. Drawing from his unique career as both a provider and a physician executive, Dr. Asher will offer an insider's perspective on the business model of health plans.
This is your chance to gain a clearer understanding of a system that impacts us all. We encourage you to submit questions in advance so Dr. Asher can address topics that matter most to you.
Host: Carol Rhoads '70
Join your fellow Brown alumni for a 4.8 mi, 905 ft elevation hike at Crystal Springs and Dean Trail. We will meet at theZwierlein Parking Lot at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 19. Please bring plenty of water and hiking boots for this trail with elevation change!
Host: Veronica A. Bettencourt '98
Please note this event is contingent on weather conditions, including air quality, wildfire risk and heavy rain. Any necessary cancellation will be communicated ahead of time to those who RSVP for the event. Assume the hike is proceeding as scheduled unless you hear from the host otherwise.
Please join us for a fireside chat with Lindsay Nickel, class of ’13 and extraordinary endurance athlete.
In what promises to be an entertaining and interactive conversation, Lindsay looks forward to sharing her life path and ethos, and how endurance sports have shaped the way she approaches business and growth.
Lindsay has medaled in triathlons, including “Ironman” competitions. She has trekked the Everest high passes and was the runner-up in a weeklong rickshaw race across India. Before recently returning to the Bay Area, Lindsay spent 8 years working and living in Asia including in Bangkok, where she participated in Brown alumni events.
While at Brown Lindsay captained the women’s basketball team. She is a recipient of the Joslin Award and the Harriet Sheridan Leadership Award. Lindsay was also a Royce fellow in South Africa, where she investigated sport as a means for delivering HIV prevention and health education to youths in local townships.
Host: Jonathan Gentin '86
Please join your fellow alums for a volunteer event in the horticultural department at Filoli Gardens. Children welcome. We will meet at the Visitors Center.
Filoli is nestled on a slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains and surrounded by more than 23,000 acres of the protected Peninsula watershed. Today, Filoli’s mission is to connect our rich history with a vibrant future through beauty, nature, and shared stories.
For any questions please contact: meganstreicher@alumni.brown.edu
86 Cañada Road
Woodside, CA 94062
Host: Megan Streicher '05
Come indulge in an authentic Bangladeshi tasting menu with an intimate gathering hosted at a Cornell NorCal Board Member’s home with our Brown and Princeton friends!
We'll be serving up 6-course menu dishes bursting with fall flavors and made with love. Expect mouthwatering rice dishes, tenderly spiced meats, flavorful vegetarian amuse-bouches, and an assortment of tantalizing sides and desserts. Don't miss this opportunity to experience a unique fine-dining experience prepared in a home kitchen with your new Cornell, Brown, and Princeton friends,featuring authentic recipes passed down through generations with a twist.
Menu attached here. Hand-crafted cocktails will also be served.
Only 5 tickets are available for Brown alumni (you can bring a +1), and registration closes on Friday, September 12 (or when sold out), so register now! Once you register, please fill out this form no later than September 12 to indicate any dietary restrictions.
What’s included:
6-course menu including desserts (attached here)
2 hand-crafted cocktails
Special accommodations can be requested via form
Get ready to experience the unique blend of sweet, savory, and spicy that defines Bangladeshi cuisine!
Cost: Normally, this costs $80 per person, but BCSV is subsidizing $20, so you will pay only $60
Turkey at the Crossroads: Geopolitics, History, and the Reshaping of Two Continents
Thursday, September 11 | 6:30 PM
A Special Evening Lecture with UC Berkeley Professor Naeem Zafar '81
Why does Turkey hold the key to understanding our changing world?
Straddling Europe and Asia, Turkey sits at the epicenter of some of today's most consequential geopolitical shifts. From the war in Ukraine to Middle Eastern realignments, from NATO expansion to energy security—Turkey's strategic choices are reshaping the global order.
Join us for an illuminating evening exploring:
The Historical Foundation - How centuries of Ottoman legacy, Byzantine heritage, and modern transformation created today's unique Turkish position
Geopolitical Chess Game - Turkey's evolving relationships with Russia, the EU, NATO, and emerging Middle Eastern powers
Future Scenarios - What the next decade holds for Turkey's role in regional conflicts, economic partnerships, and diplomatic influence
America's Strategic Dilemma - How U.S. policy must adapt to Turkey's increasingly independent foreign policy
Regional Ripple Effects - Understanding how Turkish decisions impact Ukraine, Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Central Asia
Plus: A Visual Journey Through Turkey Experience Turkey's stunning landscapes, ancient sites, and vibrant culture through captivating photography—perfect for anyone considering travel to this fascinating crossroads of civilizations.
About the Speaker: Professor Naeem Zafar '81 brings a unique perspective combining academic rigor with real-world entrepreneurial experience. As a UC Berkeley lecturer in entrepreneurship and technology, serial entrepreneur, and sought-after speaker on geopolitics, Professor Zafar has delivered insights at Stanford, Santa Clara University, and international forums. His global travels to over 80 countries provide firsthand understanding of the regions he analyzes.
This isn't just another lecture—it's your chance to understand the forces reshaping our world.
Whether you're interested in international relations, considering travel to Turkey, or simply want to understand the headlines, this evening promises insights you won't find elsewhere
Blue Oak Brewing
815 Cherry Ln,
San Carlos, CA 94070
On Wednesday September 3rd, Brown University joins as co-host for Peninsula Alumni Trivia at Blue Oak Brewing in San Carlos. Brown alums please join your host, Julian Baring to challenge Stanford and their hosts (Kenny, Jonny, Rajjy) as well as others for the title of Trivia Royalty on the Peninsula.
Arrive at 6:14 p.m. sharp (precision is part of the fun) for table scouting and chit-chat. Teams of 8 or fewer, built for knowledge diversity — music lovers, pop culture mavens, movie buffs, celebrity whisperers, geography savants — all welcome. After 6:30 p.m., we’ll try to slot you in, but no guarantees.
Food on-site (pop-up grill or food truck). Parking fills fast; expect a brisk 3–4 minute stroll. Trivia happens in the street-side room — yes, far from the bar, but close to glory. Wearing Brown, or White is highly encouraged or any Brown University attire and of course no cell phones, Google or AI - it’s cheating!
Trivia is free, but…please plan to buy a drink (beer, cider, or juice) — it’s part of the deal.
Check Blue Oak’s site the night before https://www.blueoakbrewing.com/events for any last-minute updates, or confirm with your host Julian Baring - baringjulian@gmail.com
Please RSVP below so that we have an idea of numbers.
Host: Julian Baring '97
Date: Saturday, Aug 30, 2025
Time: 11:45am-2:30pm
Location: Lick Observatory, 7281 Mount Hamilton Rd., Mount Hamilton, CA 95140
Host: Yudi Fu ‘13 & Megan Streicher '09
Join your fellow Brown alumni for a family-friendly picnic and daytime tour of Lick Observatory atop scenic Mount Hamilton!
We'll gather in the courtyard behind the Visitor Center for a picnic lunch. After we've fueled up, we'll explore this historic observatory with a combination of activities:
A Glimpse into History: Begin at the gift shop for an informal talk about James Lick and the observatory's rich past, followed by a close-up look at the Great Lick Refractor inside the 36-inch telescope dome.
Walk to the Shane Dome: Take a short, 0.5-mile walk to the Shane Dome to view the impressive 120-inch reflector from the visitors' gallery.
Valley Views from the Top: Take in the amazing panoramic views of the Santa Clara Valley from the parking lot at 4,209 feet!
Explore at Your Own Pace: Take advantage of the self-guided walking tour to discover the various buildings, outdoor points of interest, and exhibits located throughout the mountaintop.
You're welcome to stay as long as you like to continue exploring after our group activities.
Important Notes:
Getting There & Parking: The scenic Mt. Hamilton Road is long and winding but well-maintained. Please allow about an hour of driving time from downtown San Jose. Parking at the observatory is limited, carpooling is highly recommended. Cell phone reception is very poor on the mountain, so consider loading directions and any important information ahead of time. Free public WiFi is available at the Visitor Center.
Lunch & Refreshments: Please bring your own lunch. The Brown Club of Silicon Valley will provide some sweet treats for dessert. While vending machines are available for snacks and beverages on the mountain, selections and service may be limited.
Meeting Coordinates: The courtyard we’ll be meeting at for lunch is at 37°20'29.0"N 121°38'33.9"W. Look for the Brown banner!
Accessibility: The main building has wheelchair access from the back. Other parts of the visit involve walking on uneven terrain and stairs. If you have any accessibility concerns, please contact us or the observatory in advance.
Learn More: For additional details, please check the Lick Observatory website.
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