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Photographer Robert Eliason shot plenty of photos of the Live Oak High School graduation ceremony June 8 at Reichert Field in east Morgan Hill.

At the inaugural Morgan Hill Disrupt Forum June 2, investors and consultants banked on which participating startup will be the next to disrupt their respective industries.They also offered their insight into the world of burgeoning technologies via a series of panels and guest speaker presentations, some of whom presented their own visions of how to turn existing economic models on their heads.Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, is a “perfect example” of someone who is “disrupting the business model,” explained Joint Venture Silicon Valley President Russell Hancock, who was one of the guest speakers at the Disrupt Forum, which took place at Specialized Bicycles headquarters and was sponsored by the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce.Netflix’s model of initially offering a mail-order DVD rental/subscription service, then expanding to streaming thousands of television and movie titles, has destroyed the old system of video rental stores and disc purchases, Hancock continued. The model has transformed not only for the consumers, but also for the producers.“Hollywood is disrupted,” Hancock said.The centerpiece of the all-day Disrupt Forum was the afternoon pitchfest, where entrepreneurs associated with seven startups—most of them from the Bay Area and surrounding region, but including one from Boston, Mass.—got a chance to convince investors they are the next industry disruptor. Or at least gain enough funding and services to continue to grow and promote their businesses.Prizes awarded at the end of the pitchfest included legal and consulting services, advertising credits, office spaces, training and mentoring. These prizes were awarded by a panel of judges—all experienced investors in their own right.All told, more than $120,000 worth of prizes were awarded to various participating startups, according to Danielle Davenport, an investor and one of the Disrupt Forum organizers.The “overall winner” among the startups was WrightGrid, a Boston-based company that offers public, unobtrusive mobile device charging and wi-fi stations. The company is focusing its efforts and expansion in Africa, where hundreds of millions of people own cell phones but where electricity is often scarce, explained WrightGrid founder and CEO Ryan Wright.WrightGrid’s prize from Disrupt Forum investors was a $10,000 “startup business banking package and valuation” from First Republic Bank, represented at the event by Sam Heshmati.Davenport said at the forum that this prize indicates WrightGrid is the “farthest along” and most ready for funding among the seven startups.Gary Jinks, an investor with Morgan Hill based South Valley Angels, awarded entry to a “closed pitch session” with his group to CruzFoam, a startup that makes surfboard foam out of shrimp shells. This product is touted as environmentally cleaner than existing kinds of synthetic surfboard foam, according to one of the company’s founders who pitched at the Disrupt Forum.The theme of the forum was “Innovation Goes Outside,” and many of the participating startups presented technology related to sports and environmental stewardship.Other prizes and winners at the Disrupt Forum include:• $5,000 worth of legal services to CruzFoam, from Wilson Sonsani Goodrich and Rosati.• $40,000 worth of mentorship and other prizes comprising a “startup package” from GWC Innovator Fund to three of the companies that pitched. Winning this prize were PhotoBloomAR, a photo/video processing application that allows users to apply augmented reality to their original media; SuperFanChase, an East Bay-based app that connects sports fans who can participate in a mobile scavenger hunt; and PearlApp, another mobile app that provides “dish level data” to diners looking for specific kinds of food—not just restaurants—when they go out at night.• $1,000 worth of coaching/mentorship from ABC Accelerator to SuperFanChase.• A day of business consulting, worth about $2,500, from Liam Downey, a Morgan Hill resident and president of The Redstone Group, to Archer Components. This startup has created a wireless electronic gear shifter for mountain bicycles.SuperFanChase came away from the Disrupt Forum with a variety of prizes. Company co-founder Bridgett Coates said she and partner Alesia Harris are excited to make use of the mentorship, advertising credits, a future presentation slot before a prominent regional tech meetup and other prizes.Coates said the biggest value of the Disrupt Forum is the experience and expertise offered by the various investors and expert panelists.“Alongside the (prizes), it’s given us an even more expanded opportunity to get closer to our goals,” Coates said. “Now we have a stream of professionals who are capable of helping us to reach our full potential. Every startup is in need of that expertise.”Downey, also one of the Disrupt Forum organizers, estimated about 100 people attended the June 2 event throughout the day. He and other organizers have already thought of improvements needed for the next Disrupt Forum (at a date to be determined), but he was pleased at how it went for their first time.“The people that pitched, they were better than I thought they would be,” said Downey. “I was quite impressed. It just shows the amount of creativity that’s out there. In a forum like this, you see all kinds of ideas.”The event organizers also hope to maintain a long-lasting effort to disrupt traditional industries, preferably to the benefit of Morgan Hill and the immediate surrounding area.“The whole idea of this, long-term, is to stimulate disruption, new ideas (and) incubation of new ideas in and around our locality,” Downey said. “I would have liked to have seen a little bit more local participation.”

A forensic psychologist. A nurse. A firefighter. A botanist. An athletic trainer.

A light rain that drizzled out of the clouds and steadily picked up toward the end of Sobrato High School’s June 8 commencement ceremony didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, as the graduates, their friends and families continued to belt out a scattered cacophony of cheers and whistles as Assistant Principal Kevin Miller and Counselor Ted Thomas called each student to the podium to receive their diploma.Three hundred fourteen seniors graduated from Sobrato High School’s Class of 2017 at the campus athletic field on Burnett Avenue.Even before the graduating seniors began their procession to their seats in front of the stage to begin the ceremony, the atmosphere in the crowd was festive as the teens’ parents, siblings, grandparents, relatives and friends displayed poster-sized signs depicting their favorite grad and rang cowbells and air horns.“It makes me proud, and it makes me realize how time flies,” said Cindy Vaughan, mother of Sobrato Class of 2017 graduate Dylan Boyd. “It’s surreal, to get to this point where your little baby is grown up and going to be on his own.”Boyd plans to attend Gavilan College in the fall, added Vaughan, who was seated with Dylan’s brother, sister and stepfather.“We wish him the best of luck in his future,” Vaughan added.Scott Thomas had similar feelings about the rapid passage of time, as his daughter Megan Thomas was among Sobrato’s Class of 2017.“Eighteen years went by so fast,” Scott Thomas said of his first and only daughter.Megan plans to attend junior college in the fall, then transfer to a four-year college—hopefully University of Washington, he added. A full schedule of Advanced Placement classes kept Megan busy academically during her four years at Sobrato.“She’s a great student,” Scott Thomas said.Student speeches delivered by Valedictorian Grant Halliday, Salutatorian Benjamin Ankiel and Senior Class President Kiara Lyle combined a mix of vivid high school memories, thanks for their fellow classmates and family members, and a sharing of dreams for their collective futures.“In a few short moments, we will be done with high school forever,” Ankiel said. “We all enjoyed so many great memories together, so let’s take one last moment to remember them all.”He went on to list the variety of careers and occupations the graduates are likely to hold when they grow up: doctors, artists, athletes, scientists—“and perhaps, even astronauts.”Some of the memories over the last four years include a long list of homework, tests, extra-curricular activities, sports games, assemblies and events, noted Lyle.“Many naps had to be cancelled, but great success requires great sacrifice,” Lyle joked.Halliday began his valedictorian’s address with a recollection of American armed forces’ storming of Normandy and other French beaches to begin the country’s involvement in World War Two. He noted that the 73rd anniversary of that day, known as D-Day, was just a couple days before the June 8 graduation ceremony.“Today, we stand here on our own D-Day. We sit on the beachhead of our future, and form a new beginning, a new age. We must dedicate our lives to protecting those ideals that those men at Normandy fought so bravely for,” Halliday said.Reflecting on their last four years together, he later called his fellow graduates the “best friends and best classmates, and some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.”Halliday closed his speech with a humorous gag that fulfilled a promise from a previous year: on stage, he took a bite of a granola bar that had been in his backpack since he was a freshman at Sobrato. He proclaimed the four-year-old snack was still somewhat tasty.Morgan Hill Unified School District Superintendent Steve Betando called the ceremonious event a “day of achievement, a day of excitement and a day of celebration (but) also a day of determination for your future.”He advised the teens to reflect on and be aware of their “character footprint” as they venture into adulthood and make new professional and personal relationships.“There is nothing more meaningful than the impression you leave with others,” Betando said. He later added, “The value of your character footprint is what really defines you. Be an inspiration to others. Having the ability to inspire others is a gift that should not be lost.”As their commencement ceremony keynote speaker, the graduates chose Sobrato High social studies teacher Tracy Murphy. Before asking the class for their permission to receive an honorary diploma with them, Murphy described the graduates’ lives before them as a kind of choose-your-own-adventure, “do it yourself creation.”“There will be some assembly required,” Murphy said. “You will have to construct your future, but I’d also like you to take a look around and revel in this assembly of supporters who have your back.”Murphy further thanked the class for “allowing me to have one of the greatest careers in the universe.”

In these turbulent times, North Korea is breathing threats of nuclear war and ISIS continues to wreak havoc; people are divided over immigration policies and racial tension; our nation is experiencing a sharp increase of demonstrations by various groups in the community, airing their frustration with the government and its elected officials. The recent catastrophic floods that struck San Jose last February added to the challenges our community faced.

The June 2 kickoff of this season’s Friday Night Music Series drew the largest crowd the popular summertime event has ever seen to the Morgan Hill Downtown Amphitheater, and organizers promise the fun won’t let up as the series continues over the next 12 weeks.“We have a stellar lineup (of bands) all the way through” the summer, said Rich Firato, Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce board member and chair of the FNMS committee. “Not every community has these featured cover bands playing.”On June 2, cover band Entourage was the main act at the music series. Firato estimated more than 3,000 people attended the show.With the large crowd and accompanying cars looking for parking came some complaints. Some attendees noted that the event layout blocked off some parking spots designated for disabled people, but Firato said that issue will be resolved before the June 9 show.Organizers are constantly looking for ways to improve the event anyway, Firato said.“We’re just trying to improve all the logistics that go into the concert, because there’s so many people that enjoy it,” Firato said.The series continues 6 to 9 p.m. every Friday until Sept. 1, with a different main act entertaining the crowd. Before the main act and in between sets, local artists, students and children perform. Food, beer and wine are for sale at each event, and attendees are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and blankets to make a “perfect evening” out of their Friday night in downtown Morgan Hill, Firato said.The FNMS is organized by the Chamber. Attendance is free.This Friday, June 9, Night Fever, “a high energy dance band,” will headline the FNMS, Firato said.For a full lineup of FNMS performers and more information, visit morganhill.org.

The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce annual Friday Night Music Series starts this evening, June 2, with Entourage taking the stage as the main act.The festivities go from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center Downtown Amphitheater, 17000 Monterey Road. On June 2, Entourage will play R&B, soul and dance hits “with an infectious, groovy enthusiasm,” reads the event announcement on the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.The music series will continue at the same time and place, every Friday night through Aug. 25.Attendees are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and dancing shoes. Beer, wine and food will be available for sale at the family friendly event.For more information and a full schedule of performers throughout the FNMS, visit the Chamber’s website at morganhill.org.

Thousands of Morgan Hill residents and visitors from out of town enjoyed the 38th Mushroom Mardi Gras in the city's downtown May 27 and 28. The annual festival is a fundraiser for college scholarships for local high school students, as well as grants for nonprofits. 

At the June 2 Disrupt Forum, Morgan Hill’s inaugural “pitchfest” for tech startups seeking investments and industry expertise, attendees can learn about a variety of cutting-edge apps under development that could improve the outdoor sporting experience, make it easier to help the environment and connect people to those looking to advance these endeavors.For example, Archer Components will pitch an “aftermarket wireless shifting solution” for bicycle riders. Another startup, RoboRod, will present the latest coupling of sport angling with high technology—“the first fully integrated fishing rod with a drone that is guided on the surface of the water to the destination of your choice.”In yet another example of scheduled pitches that adhere to the event theme of “Innovation Goes Outside,” startup Cruz Foam “transforms shrimp shells into surfboards to shape the future of sustainable surfing.”These are just some of the pitches lined up to compete for the attention and wallets of investors at the Disrupt Forum, according to investor Danielle Davenport, one of the event organizers. The event will take place at Specialized Bicycle Components headquarters, 15130 Concord Circle, starting at 9 a.m. June 2.  Along with the introduction of new technologies to the South County tech world, another highlight of the Disrupt Forum is “an amazing lineup of speakers,” Davenport said. Keeping with the event theme, speakers will focus on the latest technology in sports, agriculture and renewable energy, and how these fields relate to the “Internet of things,” wearable apps and virtual reality.“If you care about the environment, and like sports and food, this is for you,” Davenport said.Twenty investors will be on hand, and organizers plan to make the Disrupt Forum “very engaging” for attendees, Davenport said.Another goal of the Disrupt Forum is to gauge the interest in expanding opportunities for technological innovation in Morgan Hill. To that end, the Chamber of Commerce has been helping to promote the June 2 pitchfest and Disrupt Forum.Economic development officials and experts in Morgan Hill have often touted the need for more businesses in town, to offset the cost of residential development. Davenport said by promoting innovation that “touches every part of our lives,” efforts like the Disrupt Forum could help build a “sustainable, recurring revenue model.”The Disrupt Forum will last from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a full day of presentations, speeches and plenty of networking. Tickets cost $30 per person, and can be purchased at igo.eventbrite.com. For more information, visit the Facebook page titled “Disrupt Forum-Innovation Goes Outside” which is hosted by the Morgan Hill Chamber.

It was quite the weekend for local families, friends and community members of loved ones surviving or remembered for their bouts with cancer as Relay For Life/Morgan Hill eclipsed six figures in funds raised for cancer research.