On Thursday in San Francisco, U.S. President Barack Obama plans to hold meetings with some of the tech industry's top names.  

According to the White House Press secretary [press release], "In the evening, the President will meet with a number of business leaders in technology and innovation at a private residence. The meeting is a part of our ongoing dialogue with the business community on how we can work together to win the future, strengthen our economy, support entrepreneurship, and get the American people back to work. The President and the business leaders will discuss our shared goal of promoting American innovation and discuss his commitment to new investments in research and development, education and clean energy."

Among those leaders he will be speaking with is Eric Schmidt.  Though Mr. Schmidt will be stepping down as Google's CEO later this year, he has orchestrated a brilliant smartphone campaign, propelling Google to the top spot in sales worldwide on an OS basis.

Mr. Schmidt has never been afraid to voice his mind.  Recently he expressed strong support of Google executive Wael Ghonim, who used the company's influence and technology to help Egyptian protestors to successfully organize and oust president/dictator Hosni Mubarak.

Another key tech figure meeting with the president will be Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.  Despite public outcry over privacy problems and a less than favorable depiction in the recent blockbuster The Social Network, Mr. Zuckerberg remains perhaps the tech industry's most influential under-30 player.

And Mr. Obama is also expected to meet with Apple founder Steve Jobs.  If you've heard the National Enquirer's predictions of his impending demise, it appears they may be a bit off the mark.

Mr. Jobs, currently on medical leave, should be plenty healthy to talk to the president.  He should be returning to familiar territory for the meeting.  San Francisco is his typical stomping ground for product announcements.

The meeting will be the second between the President and Mr. Jobs on the economy in the past several months.

Last, but not least, the president is expected to meet with his chairman of the new White House Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt.