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GERMAN AMERICAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Share Knowledge.
Gain Insight.
Expand Connections.

GERMAN AMERICAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Meet Your Business Partners

GABA accelerates your business connections and helps you build lasting professional relationships. Benefit from 20+ years of experience in strengthening transatlantic business, making deep local connections, organizing impactful events and providing access to thought leaders.

Leverage Our Expertise

Powerful Networking
Powerful Networking

Targeted opportunities to develop and deepen a relevant and effective professional network

Impactful Events
Impactful Events

Access to a wide range of relevant events on current topics supported by experts and thought leaders

Vibrant Community
Vibrant Community

Engaged business leaders collaborate and share expertise with German-American community

Be Part of a Large Professional Network

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Events per year
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Attendees per year
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Paying members
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Partner organizations

You Are

a member of a corporation, small business, service organization, start-up, VC, or a non-profit organization with a business interest or roots in Germany or California,

convinced that a strong network, collaboration and the opportunity to connect with thought leaders will benefit your career and your business.

Our Mission

GABA is an alliance of corporations, organizations and professionals with the purpose of strengthening transatlantic business.

We have built on German-Californian networking and knowledge sharing since 2001, and we operate at the forefront of international business, trends and technology.

GABA Near You

Select your local German-American business community for local events and networking opportunities

Focus Areas of GABA Programs

New Technologies and Innovations

New Technologies and Innovation

Data and Security
Quantum Computing
Cloud/SaaS
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Machine Learning (ML)

New Technologies and Innovations
Media & Entertainment
Media & Entertainment

Media and Entertainment

Film Industry
Digital/Social Media
Gaming and Music
Virtual Reality (VR)
Augmented Reality (AR)

Leadership, Human Capital, Future of Work

Top Talent Attraction
Workplace California
Leadership and Career Development
Living a Double-Life

Life Science and Digital Health
Life Science and Digital Health

Life Sciences and Digital Health

Telemedicine
Biotech
Lab Food
Pandemic Research

Infrastructure and Mobility

Infrastructure and Mobility

Transportation and Logistics
Autonomous Driving
Smart Cities
Renewable Energy and Storage

Infrastructure and Mobility

“As the Bay Area based Innovation Hub for Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, we are always excited to connect with teams and companies that share our drive for innovation in the fields like Cultured Meat, Bioelectronics, and Neuromorphic systems. GABA allows us to discuss with like-minded companies in an organic way.”

Arie van Gent, Merck KGaA

“GABA had a big influence on how my life developed in Silicon Valley. The day I arrived at SFO I went to the GABA Young Professionals meeting. I connected with many people but one connection was special… my wife found her job with eBay through this connection. – Since then, I have attended many more GABA events, and all of them were interesting and useful for my business and me personally.”

Florian Schöbinger, Kärcher New Ventures

“Thanks to GABA I found employment at a global corporation. I attended the annual GABA economic and financial outlook event and met a senior executive, who shortly after hired me as the West Coast Regional Manager. I have since attended many GABA events and am always impressed by the quality of the events and seniority of the attendees.”

Alexander Schulz, Advisory Board Member at UC Irvine

“Newly arrived in Silicon Valley, we participated at a GABA-Newcomers event. Driven by the enthusiasm of the GABA team, we participated in many other events from GABA and its partners, which are offered in every industrial sector. These great networking opportunities largely contributed to our exponential growth in the number of contacts in the USA and in Europe. GABA has been great for developing both friendships and our business.”

Michael Schmid, Partner, ProiPatent

“GABA succeeds very well in strengthening the German-American community and friendship. Through their hosting of excellent events, members can share top-notch industry specific knowledge and experience across the Atlantic and connect as professionals and personally. I am thankful to GABA for wonderful memories of events, business opportunities, and even friendships that I could experience and access through the incredible network which they cultivate.”

Alexander Roth, Partner at Taylor Wessing US

“Ich möchte GABA herzlich danken für die bereichernden Gespräche, die einzigartigen Veranstaltungen und die interessanten Menschen, die ich durch die GABA kennenlernen durfte.”

Heiko Erhard, VP, Neato Robotics

“In 2020, GABA organized a nationwide hydrogen technology and business presentation, the first webinar of its kind. Engineers from Berlin, Germany, and managers from the East and West coasts gave us a glimpse into the future of energy. Now in 2023, it’s becoming a reality in California with leaders from Germany and the US. As a consequence of this well-attended hydrogen event, we now have two hydrogen energy storage projects in operation in California.”

Clark Crawford, GKN Hydrogen

“GABA has been instrumental in supporting NRW.Invest mission to market Germany’s No. 1 investment location, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). We are thrilled to work with them on upcoming projects”

Kai Buehler, NRW.Invest

“GABA has helped me in my personal life and in my role at SAP to develop meaningful connections in the ecosystem. The diversity of their network spans from early talents to thought leaders in the Silicon Valley who represent corporates, academia and the venture community. On many occasions the team was able to relate our business goals with those of other members and identify collaboration opportunities.”

Daniel Zimmer, Sr. Director, SAP Bay Area Labs Management

Join Our Networks and Events

Thought Leadership

Thought Leadership

Annual Financial Outlook
Industry-driven Events
Transatlantic Sync Conference
Preparing for the ‘New Normal’

Interest Groups

Interest Groups

  Executive Circle
Innovation Breakfast
GABA Film Initiative
Women in Business

Community Focus

Community Focus

Annual GABA Gala
Business Mixers
European Networking
Young Professional Mixer

Join Our Networks and Events

Thought Leadership

Thought Leadership

Annual Financial Outlook
Industry-driven Events
Transatlantic Sync Conference
Preparing for the ‘New Normal’

Interest Groups

Interest Groups

  Executive Circle
Innovation Breakfast
GABA Film Initiative
Women in Business

Community Focus

Community Focus

Annual GABA Gala
Business Mixers
European Networking
Young Professional Mixer

We Thank Our Main Supporters

SAP
WilmerHale
Siemens
Kilpatrick Townsend
Taxstudio
Volkswagen
Cerity Partners
GASA
Zeiss Innovation Center California
Seven Seals Innovation AG
iConn
FTI Consulting Deutschland GmbH
Join Digital, Inc.
BMW Group
BMO Wealth Management
Osborne Clarke
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

Meet Our GABA Board of Directors

Kai Westerwelle

Kai Westerwelle

Chairman
Partner at Bird & Bird
Tracey Grose

Tracey Grose

Vice-Chair
Senior Executive Advisor at Global PMI Partners
Founding Principal at Next Curve Strategy
Siegmar Pohl

Siegmar Pohl

Secretary
Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend
Thomas Vogel

Thomas Vogel

Chief Financial Officer
Thomas Vogel Venture Advisory
Jock Breitwieser

Jock Breitwieser

Chief Marketing Officer
VP of Global MarCom and Brand at Arcserve
Michael Metzger

Michael Metzger

SoCal Chapter Chair
Partner at Drake Star Partners
Cornelia Bohle-Neubrand

Cornelia Bohle-Neubrand

Director
Daniela Busse

Daniela Busse

Director
Head of Incubator Research at Facebook CPG, Meta
Wolfram Doelker

Wolfram Doelker

Director, Co-Founder GABA Southern California Chapter
CEO, WDE International Inc
Co-founder of GABA’s SoCal Chapter
Bernard Gold

Bernhard Gold

Director
Venture Partner, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Relay Ventures
Gunther Hofmann

Gunther Hofmann

Director
Managing Director at Corporate Finance Associates
Yaad Oren

Yaad Oren

Director
Head of SAP Innovation Center Network
Caroline Raynaud

Caroline Raynaud

Director
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