Bryan Power

By Jeff Zingler, Investigator for the E-Crime Team

Last week our newest employee resource group had its official kickoff event with several branches of the National Guard and Reserves and the Department of Defense employer support group know as the “ESGR.” The Veterans ERG was created to provide opportunities and activities for Yahoo veterans and supporters, and to attract, identify and retain veteran employees for their unique skills and life experiences.

The group aims to build community and raise awareness of issues that soldiers face as they transition out of the military and into civilian life. I personally had a very difficult time transitioning from the military to civilian life. In 2012 I had just finished my master’s degree and was having difficulty finding employment. I was at a conference with no resume in hand and met a few Yahoo employees, including a veteran, who decided to take a chance on me and bring me in to interview because they saw something in me that no one else did. This commitment to hiring based on the merits of a person, and not of a resume, showed me that Yahoo is a leader in hiring the right people, regardless of background.  

The “Statement of Support” that was signed by Andy Wiktorowicz, California State Chair of the ESGR, and John DeVine, executive sponsor of the Veterans ERG and Senior Vice President of Global Operations for Yahoo, and veteran of the U.S. Navy submarine force.  The Statement of Support commemorates Yahoo’s commitment to the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve and to all who have served in the United States Military and foreign militaries. This plaque will hang proudly at the Sunnyvale Campus.

By Jarah Euston, VP of Product

At Yahoo we want to empower app creators to enhance, distribute and monetize their work. We’re thrilled to announce that our very own Simon Khalaf, SVP of Publisher Products and David Karp, CEO of Tumblr will join us at the Yahoo Mobile Developer Conference in New York City to share what we’ve been working on.

At our first-ever conference in NYC, we’ll share new product updates from the Yahoo Developer Suite and hear David sit down for a fireside chat with special guest Wilson Kriegel, CBO & GM of PicsArt, Inc. David and Wilson will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing content creators in a world of blue links, 140 characters and thumbnail summaries. They’ll talk about how Tumblr is helping creators find an audience for their work. Simon Khalaf, SVP of Publisher Products, will keynote with his “State of the AppNation” presentation based on the latest Flurry insights and data from 700,000 apps on 1.8 billion devices.

In another first, we’ll host a mobile app Hackathon on August 25. The Hackathon is an opportunity for mobile developers to come together and hack around Yahoo App Publishing, Search-in-Apps and the Tumblr API. During the hackathon, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the latest in mobile technology, build mobile apps and get feedback from industry leaders.

Visit our updated agenda and request your invitation today on the official event Tumblr: ymdcnyc.tumblr.com. Be sure to check our Tumblr for additional announcements coming soon.

If you’re a member of the press and would like to attend, please email [email protected].

By Kathy Savitt, CMO and Head of Media

As part of our 20th anniversary, I’m excited to share that Yahoo has reclaimed the iconic billboard along San Francisco’s stretch of Interstate 80. The Yahoo billboard is back to surprise and delight Bay Area commuters with fun messages from the company and its employees. To celebrate Yahoo’s return to the space, for the first weekend the billboard’s inaugural message will read, “It’s good to be back.“ After that, the billboard will continue to reach commuters with different topical messages tied to Yahoo products, properties and local events that touch their lives. Now that construction is complete, we hope everyone finds a little extra brightness from Yahoo while on their journey each day.

Have a look at some photos of the construction! 

By Ron Bell, General Counsel

Summer of Service is Yahoo’s largest annual volunteer campaign organized by employees around the world. It’s an opportunity for Yahoos to lend their skills and talents to help the communities in which we live and work by partnering with nonprofits and community organizations.

On Wednesday, June 17 the Sunnyvale Legal & Policy team hosted high school interns from The Diversity Pipeline Program, a six-week paid internship at Farella Braun & Martel LLP that provides students from diverse and/or disadvantaged backgrounds with a unique opportunity to learn about the legal profession, prepare for higher education and develop practical life skills. Part of the firm’s efforts to increase the “pipeline” of diverse law students and lawyers, each summer interns in the program take field trips to visit clients and meet with their legal departments.