Title: CEO and president

Organization: Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Emmett D. Carson is an internationally recognized leader in philanthropy. An influential author and an inspiring and thought-provoking speaker, he has published more than 75 works on philanthropy and social justice. Carson serves as the first CEO and president of the new Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which resulted from the merger of Community Foundation Silicon Valley and Peninsula Community Foundation. With $1.9 billion in total assets, the community foundation is one of the largest in the nation and is dedicated to advancing civic engagement to address the most challenging problems in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Carson also serves on several nonprofit boards including the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Northern California Grantmakers, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network and Southern Education Foundation. He has received numerous nonprofit leadership awards, including recognition by The Nonprofit Times as one of the 50 most influential nonprofit leaders in the United States, and honorary doctorates from Indiana University and Morehouse College.