Economic Development Committee

The Economic Development Committee consists of nine (9) members appointed by the City Council to overlapping four-year terms, comprised of five industry sector representatives, one City Council member, one Sustainability Commission representative, one Technology, Information, and Communications Commission representative, and one Planning Commission representative (see Municipal Code 2.96.010). The Committee works to market the City in a positive light to attract and retain businesses, foster public and private partnerships through new and existing business and community relationships, collaborate with local businesses to identify and eliminate any barriers to retention or growth, and advise City Council on economic development goals that maintain the quality of life in Cupertino.

Regular meetings are held on a quarterly basis and as necessary (time and location to be determined).

Committee Members

Councilmember R "Ray" Wang (Primary)

R Ray Wang  

Term ending 1/30/2026

Email: rwang@cupertino.gov

Bio: R “Ray” Wang (pronounced WAHNG) grew up in the rust belt of Allentown PA and arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996. In 2003, he moved to Cupertino to start a family with his wife. Together, they have a son and a daughter who have grown up in Cupertino.  Ray has been an active resident focused community leader.

As a resident-focused councilmember, he seeks to improve fiscal accountability, public safety, economic development, and quality of life programs. Ray served on the Cupertino Planning Commission, leading as chair twice. During his service, he worked hard to ensure that residents’ rights were restored in planning decisions, and new projects such as Westport were approved without infringing upon resident rights. Ray championed efforts to protect the suburban quality of life that Cupertino residents expect, from Dark Skies programs to a housing element plan that did not destroy Cupertino’s suburban character. Ray also advocated for residents on issues such as 5G towers and their architectural standards. Ray prioritizes the upskilling of city staff over the hiring of external consultants. He is focused on reducing fraud, waste, and abuse in local government.

Ray believes in the importance of listening to all sides of the community and collaboratively working to find solutions that will benefit the city not just for the short term, but also for decades to come. Ray Wang understands the power of partnering with residents, businesses, and city staff to enable Cupertino to achieve its full potential.

In his professional career, Wang is the founder and CEO of Silicon Valley based Constellation Research Inc., He co-hosts DisrupTV, a weekly enterprise tech and leadership webcast and authors a business strategy and technology blog that has received millions of page views per month.  Ray coined the term "Metaverse Economy" in 2020 and is a leading authority on AI an AI policy. Wang also serves as an advisor to the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue and is on the board of various exponential startups.

Since 2003, Ray has delivered thousands of live and virtual keynotes around the world that are inspiring and legendary. Wang has spoken at almost every major tech conference. His ground-breaking best-selling book on digital transformation, Disrupting Digital Business, was published by Harvard Business Review Press in 2015.  Ray's 2021 best-selling book about Digital Giants and the future of business titled, Everybody Wants to Rule The World was published by Harper Collins Leadership.

Wang is well quoted and frequently interviewed in media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Fox Business News, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, BBC, Bloomberg, CGTV, Tech Crunch, ZDNet, Forbes, and Fortune.  He is one of the top technology analysts in the world.

Mayor Liang-Fang "Liang" Chao (Alternate)

Mayor Liang Chao  

Term ending 1/30/2026

Email: lchao@cupertino.gov

2025 Council Committee Assignments

Economic Development Committee (Cupertino) (Alternate)

Historical Society Advisory Council (Primary)

Santa Clara County Cities Association - Board of Directors (Alternate)

Santa Clara County Cities Association - City Selection Committee (Alternate)

Santa Clara County Cities Association - Legislative Committee (Alternate)

League of California Cities - Annual Conference - Voting Delegate (Primary)

Santa Clara Valley Water Commission (Primary)

School Partnership and School Liaison (Primary 1)

West Valley Mayors and City Managers (Primary)

Mayor's Initiatives

Mayor Liang Chao’s initiatives focus on building community, celebrating Cupertino’s diversity, and encouraging open dialogue between residents and local leadership through events, conversations, and storytelling.

View the Mayor's upcoming projects and events: Mayor's Initiatives

Monthly Chat with Mayor Chao

Mayor Liang Chao is hosting a Monthly Chat Series in Cupertino throughout 2025. Residents and businesses are invited to these meetings to talk about any topic they wish with one of the City’s decision-makers.

Monthly Chats will be held on the second Monday of each month at 5 to 6 p.m. with the location to be announced ahead of each meeting.

View the date and location for the next upcoming meeting: Mayor Coffee and Chat

Sign up to receive notifications about upcoming meetings: eNotification Sign-Up

Jack Carter (Sustainability Commission)

Jack Carter Commissioner  

Term ending 1/30/2026

Email: JCarter@cupertino.gov

Bio: Jack is a retired software engineer who has lived in Cupertino for most of his life. When he is not beekeeping, he volunteers with Grassroots Ecology at McClellan Ranch, monitors and maintains birdboxes in Fremont Older Open Space, and leads composting workshops for the University of California Community Education (UCCE) Master Composter program. He has also completed the California Naturalist program.

Jack recognizes how resource scarcity and climate change impact our society, so he actively chooses sustainable options such as installing solar panels, driving an electric car, and replacing his gas water heater with an electric heat pump. In addition, Jack teaches composting workshops to encourage folks to convert their green waste into water conserving compost. He is excited to do his part in helping the City move towards a greener future while promoting livability and commercial viability.

Balaram Donthi (Technology, Information, and Communications Commission)

Balaram Donthi

Term ending 1/30/2026

Email: BDonthi@cupertino.gov

Bio: Balaram Donthi has been a resident of Cupertino since 2000. He holds a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from Montana State University. He has served in Product Management Leadership positions in Telecommunication and Cybersecurity product companies. He brings this experience to bear in his role on the Telecommunication, Information and Communication Commission.

He is also actively involved in the outdoor activities like pickle ball and golf.

Tracy Kosolcharoen (Planning Commission)

Tracy Kosolcharoen

Term ending 1/30/2026

Email: Tkosolcharoen@cupertino.gov

Bio: Tracy Kosolcharoen is deeply committed to our local community. She is an alumni of Cupertino’s public schools, including Faria, Kennedy, and Monta Vista. Currently, Tracy serves on the Valley Transit Authority Citizens Advisory Committee, the Board of the Cupertino Little League, and is excited to bring the perspectives of both our community and its local agencies to the Cupertino Planning Commission. She also loves bringing residents together by organizing block parties for her neighborhood each year.

Tracy holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Her career spans finance and marketing at global companies including American Express, Bank of America, OpenTable, Wunderman Thompson (advertising), and Eventbrite. After years in Philadelphia, NYC, and SF, she was delighted to finally settle down in Cupertino to raise her family.

Claudio Bono (Hospitality/Tourism)

Claudio Bono.jpg  

Initial term ending 1/30/2027

Email: CBono@cupertino.gov

Bio: Claudio Bono is a proud and active member of the Cupertino community, who has served on multiple non-profit governing boards, including the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and the Cupertino Historical Society and Museum. In 2016, he was honored with the City's CREST Award. In his day job as a career hotelier presently managing the Cupertino Hotel, Claudio is well-versed in entertainment, international accommodation, and event planning and execution. He employs that experience to the benefit of the Cupertino community at major public events, such as the Diwali Festival and Star Awards, among many others. He brings this experience to bear in his role on the Parks and Recreation Commission, where he focuses on the success of the City's cultural and neighborhood events. Claudio, together with his rescued Terrier Mix pet, Bella, has lived near Franco Park since 2014. He holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Brussels, Belgium, and speaks five languages including English, Italian, French, Dutch, and Spanish.

Selina Kaing (Technology)

Selina Kaing - Headshot for Website.jpg  

Initial term ending 1/30/2027

Email: SKaing@cupertino.gov

Bio: Selina Kaing is a seasoned strategy and operations executive with over two decades of experience driving impact across Fortune 500 companies, including Google, L Brands, Nestlé, Disney, and Marvell. She brings deep expertise in global supply chain, enterprise operations, and AI-enabled digital transformation.

Selina serves in governance and advisory roles across several nonprofit and national boards focused on sport and community leadership. She was the first woman elected Chair of the U.S. Fencing Foundation Board of Trustees and the first Asian American woman appointed Governance Chair of Maccabi USA. She is a former Vice President and Board Advisor to USA Fencing, a national governing body under the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

Previously, she advised growth stage startups through programs affiliated with Google for Startups and CapitalG, and is a recognized speaker on strategy, leadership, and inclusive innovation. Her advocacy for equity and diversity was recognized by Oxford University on International Women’s Day 2024, where her portrait now hangs in Green Templeton College’s Stables Gallery. Selina holds a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from Oxford University, and was named a 2024 Silicon Valley Woman of Influence.

Jane Lin (Commercial Real Estate)

Jane Lin.jpg  

Initial term ending 1/30/2029

Email: JLin@cupertino.gov

Bio: Jane Lin is the Chief Investment Officer of AlphaX, with nearly a decade of experience in real estate investment, development, and capital strategy. She designs investment products, scales acquisitions, and drives innovative housing solutions. At AlphaX, she helped position the firm as the first in California to execute AB1033, pioneering fee-simple ownership for accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Jane has managed and deployed more than $400 million across portfolios of missing-middle housing, single-family homes, townhomes, ADU communities, and commercial properties. Earlier in her career, she oversaw commercial asset management and portfolio strategy at a Silicon Valley real estate firm, working on office, retail, and mixed-use developments.

In addition, Jane is Vice President of the Small Builders Association. She is also a housing thought leader with a real estate social platform exceeding 3 million views. Jane holds a Master’s in Real Estate Development and Planning from UC Berkeley.

Manjari Asawa (Education)

Manjari Asawa

Initial term ending 1/30/2029

Email: MAsawa@cupertino.gov

Bio:  Manjari has been a Cupertino resident for 25 years. She holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and has served as a Director of Customer Success and Product Management in leading technology companies. Passionate about education, she also founded and ran a tutoring academy in Cupertino. Over the years, Manjari has volunteered in Cupertino schools and with the Girl Scouts, building strong ties within the community. She cares deeply about protecting the environment, supporting sustainability, and nurturing a diverse, welcoming community where all residents can thrive.

Hiuwai (Jennifer) Yip (Retail/Small Business)

Jennifer Yip.jpg  

Initial term ending 1/30/2029

Email: JYip@cupertino.gov

Bio: Jennifer Yip is an entrepreneur who has grown her career and businesses in Cupertino. At age 17, her very first stop in the United States was Cupertino, and it was also here that she chose to begin her first venture without hesitation.

She is the founder of two successful beauty and wellness brands: Paint Nail Beauty Spa (PNBS) and The Sense Head Spa. What started as a single local spa in Cupertino has now expanded into a network of more than 16 locations across North America, with both brands proudly keeping their flagship stores in Cupertino.

Through her businesses, Jennifer has created jobs, trained young professionals, and introduced innovative wellness concepts to the community. She has witnessed firsthand Cupertino’s transformation and believes its diversity, family values, and culture of innovation are its greatest strengths.

Jennifer is honored to join the Economic Development Committee (EDC) and looks forward to contributing her entrepreneurial experience and vision to help Cupertino continue to thrive.