Annie Tsai

March is kicking off with the proverbial most epic of fireworks shows. 

Bitcoin (BTC), the first cryptocurrency to go mainstream, has been readily available to invest in via ETFs since January 2024, one of the main reasons for its almost 50% increase in the past week and half to (at the time of sending this column to print) $63,808, nearing it’s all time high of $68,999.99. 

It’s been a roller coaster ride I’ve been following for over a decade, going from underground to available through exchanges to now available as easy to invest in ETFs. And with the fourth scheduled Bitcoin halving coming up on April 19, 2024, analysts are anticipating the further scarcity to catapult BTC’s value to new heights. 

Of course invest at your own risk, but decentralized networks continue to present as really interesting solutions to old problems including contracts, peer-to-peer and cross-border payments where reliable banking infrastructure is hard to come by, storage networks, and anything that can use an NFT (non-fungible token) like certifications of ownership – but we are still very early in terms of mass adoption. I know AI is this season’s Silicon Valley Homecoming darling, but blockchain never left the party. 

Speaking of parties, Women’s History Month events have filled the first days of March with celebrations honoring women, their work in our communities, and their stories. With roots in the United States going back to 1981, every March the impact that women have had on advancing research, humanitarian rights, social justice, technology, exploration, the arts, and supporting thriving communities and more are brought to the forefront. 

This year, District 21 Assemblymember Diane Papan hosted the inaugural Women’s Power Breakfast on Friday, March 1st at Skyline College where 80 women across the district came together to share a meal, kick off Women’s History Month, network, and celebrate each other’s accomplishments. Assemblymember Papan facilitated a powerhouse panel including Executive Director of the Port of Redwood City Kristine A Zortman, Silicon Valley Leadership Group Senior Vice President of Inclusion & Belonging Lisa Gauthier, and County Supervisor Catherine Stefani. The event also served as an opportunity for Papan to announce District 21’s Woman of the Year award in recognition of making “Herstory” to Nicole Fernandez, San Mateo resident, longtime community activist, and current District Director for California State Senator Josh Becker. 

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of participating in the second annual Asian Women Are Strong community event at the San Francisco Ferry Building. The event was put on by non-profit AsiansAreStrong.org and this year’s theme was “conquering our challenges together”. I had the opportunity to speak on a panel discussing Modern Asian Motherhood along with Elenor Mak, who founded JillyBing.com to bring the first doll with authentic Asian likeness to the consumer market, Joanna Ho, New York Times Bestseller and author of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, Angela Wu, award-winning architect and constant supporter of daughter teen fashion designer and activist Ashlyn So, and Karen Chu, founder of award-winning trivia podcast Good Job Brain!. 

While yes I do have a day job, for the past six years a passion project has been to help grow the online community Moms in Tech where today almost 19,000 operators and executive professionals in tech who identify as mothers call their safe space and even sometimes their lifeline. On the panel, we shared the challenges that we grew up with and how we navigated through a pre and post-internet culture as first generation immigrants, told wild stories about modern day parenting, shared a lot of laughs, and commisurated that indeed there was more work to be done. 

My biggest takeaway from the day was that there are so many people who care about making sure that the world we leave for our children is better than the world we grew up in and are living through. And yes, even though it is Women’s History Month, it’s not just women who are doing this work. 

So this is where I put my plug in to all of you out there who have not yet cast your ballot to vote for the March 5, 2024 elections. Yes, that’s today. If you lost your mail-in ballot or maybe just remembered because you happened to read this column, there are some wonderful staffers at voting centers and drop boxes all across the county (https://smcacre.gov/elections/vote-center-and-ballot-drop-box-lookup) ready to make sure your vote gets counted. 

Please vote. It matters. You matter.