What is Peer Talk?

Description: For Part Three: Round Table Discussion with the Technology Panel and the Faculty at Willie Brown Middle School

The Technology Panel at the Willie Brown Middle School was a two hour event. 

Here is part three:  A round discussion with the panel and the faculty, led by Jonathan Jacobson the Computer Science Teacher.

Maynard Holliday 

was the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for research Engineering. He worked for President Obama during which time he launched the Defense Innovation Unit.

Taylore Givens 

Taylore works in engineering and consulting, helping to bring complex systems into real-world environments. Her work lives in the layer where technology intersects with physical infrastructure , regulation,and coordination across stakeholders. She represents the implementation bridge between abstract innovation and lived reality. Which includes:

Integrating systems into communities.

Navigating compliance and logistics

Balancing budgets and feasibility 

Coordinating between public private actors.

Taylore layer reminds us that technology is not just software -it becomes part of buildings, streets, institutions, daily life.

Adam Perry is in real estate and has a non profit.

He is the CEO of Blackbridge Development and Consulting, a real estate company that specializes in buying and renovating houses. They also help people get connected to contractors , landscapers and staging specialists. He is the executive director of Disciples Open Door Project, an education charity that specializes in empowering students of color and giving them resources that they need.

Richard Jones 

Richard Jones is a 25 year veteran of the internet .His experience at Intel Corporation and General Dynamics makes him a well seasoned Technology Professional.

His roles included Venture Capital Stock Options Trading, Strategic Marketing, Government Security and Clearances Emerging Country and Channel growth.

Jared Givens 

Is a Software Engineer skilled in C++ Rust, Typescript, Java Script, C# Go, SQL CMake Linear Algebra Agile SDLC He works for Tesla, He worked for Google and is the Co Founder and lead instructor  STEM Camp 

The Technology Panel at the Willie Brown Middle School was a two hour event where the

Middle School Students had the Opportunity to interview five STEM industry

Professionals. Here is part two of this truly wonderful event .

Adam Perry is in real estate and has a non profit.

He is the CEO of Blackbridge Development and Consulting, a real estate company that

specializes in buying and renovating houses. They also help people get connected to

contractors , landscapers and staging specialists. He is the executive director of Disciples Open

Door Project, an education charity that specializes in empowering students of color and giving

them resources that they need.

Richard Jones

Richard Jones is a 25 year veteran of the internet .His experience at Intel Corporation and

General Dynamics makes him a well seasoned Technology Professional.

His roles included Venture Capital Stock Options Trading, Strategic Marketing, Government

Security and Clearances Emerging Country and Channel growth.

Jared Givens

Is a Software Engineer skilled in C++ Rust, Typescript, Java Script, C# Go, SQL CMake Linear

Algebra Agile SDLC He works for Tesla, He worked for Google and is the Co Founder and lead

instructor STEM Camp

In Part ONE of our Technology Panel the students from Mr. Jacobson’s Computer Science Class and Mr Matthews Ethnic Studies Class interviewed Mr. Maynard Holiday and Taylore Givins

Maynard Holliday worked as Assistant to the Under Secretary for the department of defense under President Obama and President Biden. Taylore Givens works for Miscrosoft Edge and is a specialist in AI

Theo Ellington is a third generation San Franciscian who was raised in bay view hunters point

by his mother who was a a concessionaire at Candlestick Park for the San Francisco Giants

and 49ers games. Theo went to Charles Drew, and Gloria Davis Middle School at the age of 13

Theo lost his cousin to gun violence. Theo committed to creating a new normal for his

neighborhood . Theo made a documentary film about homelessness in San Francisco he made

two films that were shown at the San Francisco International Film Festival. And the World

Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland. Theo is the first of his family to graduate from collage.

Theo earned a masters from the University of San Francisco .Theo has been appointed by three

Mayors Mayor Gavin Newsom , Mayor Ed Lee, and Mayor London Breed .Theo served as the

infrastructure Commissioner he helped create over 1,000 new affordable homes including more

than 100 formerly homeless residents and low- income seniors while restoring over 50 million in

City investments for minority and women owned business. Theo was the Director of

Homelessness Initiatives and community development for the Salvation Army and He was the

Golden State Warriors first Director of Public Affairs, an important role bringing the team to the

Chase Center. Theo is now the Executive Director of the Ruth Williams Bay View Opera House

and is focusing on the next generation of local artist of color.

Theo is running for District 10 Supervisor , he is the a father of 3 young children and married to

his wife Seray a registered nurse. They are raising their children two blocks from where Theo grew up. Please Meet Theo!

The Honorable Willie L. Brown,Jr is easily one of the most recongnizable and influential politicians in California . He served as Speaker of the California State Assembly from 1980 to 1995 and as Mayor of San Francisco for two terms from 1996 to 2004. While many politicians keep a lower profile after they service, the 91 year old Mayor Brown still practices law and keeps up public appearances. In November of 2025 the students of Mr Matthews
seventh grade Ethnic Studies class at Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School interviewed their schools namesake about a number of topics- and their questions cut straight to the point ! Please enjoy this candid and heartwarming interview with former Mayor Willie L. Brown jr !

Since 1969, the Gap brand has been a fixture of American retail despite nearly sixty years of challenges, persevering along with sub-brands Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athletica. Robert J. “Bob” Fisher is the chairman of Gap Inc., and the son of original founders Don and Doris Fisher. Bob was chairman of Gap Inc.’s board of directors from 2004 to 2007, as well as interim CEO in 2019.

Outside of his work at Gap Inc., Bob is also the chair of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He is deeply involved with environmental and educational initiatives; he is a member of the Board of Trustees of the nonprofit organization Conservation International, and he and his wife Randi co-founded the Pisces Foundation, which focuses on environmental education and sustainable resource management.

For this episode of Peer Talk, our Willie Brown Middle School students chose to interview someone from Gap Inc., and we were lucky to have Bob Fisher himself join us. Our partner KALW (91.7 FM) graciously hosted us at their San Francisco community event space on May 27, 2025, and broadcast the interview live with the students' families in attendance! For those who missed it on the air, enjoy the students’ interview with Bob Fisher!

This week, the students of Peer Talk go space-bound with the dynamic husband-and-wife duo from NASA’s Ames Research Center, Kimberly and Joseph Minafra. As the Software Release Authority at NASA Ames, Kimberly oversees the release and licensing of NASA technologies. She drives tech transfer and commercialization, connecting with industry and public partners to bring space-developed software into real-world use.

Joseph leads Innovation and Technical Partnerships for NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) at Ames. His multidisciplinary background spans collaborative research systems, meteoritics, biology, project management, software and UI design, scientific illustration, and even professional cooking.