TiEcon 2013 Overview – Focus on Big Data, Mobile, SDN & Entrepreneurship

TiEcon 2013, the biggest conference of its kind, with a mission to nurture entrepreneurship, has an impressive lineup of excellent speakers and panels, in the hottest industry segments of Big Data, Mobile, Software Defined Infrastructure, and in Entrepreneurship.

Big Data track will feature speakers that include, Dr. D J Patil http://bit.ly/YYyOxd, data scientist at Greylock Partners, and Rayid Ghani, http://bit.ly/16Ys2iI , Mr. Obama’s Chief Scientist who converted vast amount of data collected through large commercial databases, boutique lists, voter files, and social media sites, into a source of valuable data that galvanized the election campaign and the rest is history.

Mobile track will hold panels on “mobile ecosystems” to “where they are VCs investing”, in this fast growing market.  The track will feature top notch speakers like Anand Chandrasekhar http://bit.ly/10zEJks, Senior VP and CMO at Qualcomm.

With data centers of the future defined by Software Defined Infrastructure, efficiency is bound to get a boost, as resources get divided.  This track will feature speakers like Dr. Guru Parulkar http://bit.ly/10MyHYw, Executive Director at ONRC and Consulting Professor at Stanford University, with discussions around how OpenFlow might enable networks to evolve by giving power to the remote controller, to modify the behavior of network devices.

Entrepreneurship track has some of the biggest names of inspiring self made entrepreneurs, including famous Ronnie Screwvala http://bit.ly/160LYQB, Syntel’s Bharat Desai http://bit.ly/13HmSrQ, Chris Anderson, CEO of 3D Robotics http://bit.ly/ZxDn3f, and Manoj Bhargava  http://bit.ly/17KV6dc, CEO of 5-Hour Energy, possibly the wealthiest Indian entrepreneur, in USA.

Vinod Khosla (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Entrepreneurship is not just a buzzword at TiEcon.  Here future successful entrepreneurs will be showcasing their companies, will get access to mentors like Vinod Khosla and Kanwal Rekhi, and get countless opportunities to network.  The participants will likely include professionals from some of TiE’s 500+ startups and 150+ angel investors.  Come and get energized, in an environment where failures are merely stepping stones to success.

Last few days to register for tiecon, before it is fully sold out – http://www.tiecon.org.

Internationally Famous Ronnie Screwvala, to give Keynote Address at TiEcon 2013 – Preview

UTV was a humble cable distribution venture in 1981, in India.  It would have been hard to imagine UTV to be a multi-media conglomerate it is today.  Last year, Walt Disney acquired a controlling stake in UTV for reported $454 million.  Walt Disney India’s Managing Director Ronnie Screwvala, founder of UTV and a serial entrepreneur, will be giving a keynote address at www.tiecon.org , May 15, 16, 2013.

I am looking forward to Screwvala share a few details about the secret sauce that has led to UTV’s tremendous national and international success.  Undoubtedly, being affiliated with Disney must provide a huge international reach and marketing expertise.  But content is the ultimate king and what is UTV’s strategic thinking behind content, to now reach its international audience?  The 2012 Oscar entry Barfi and current hit Kai Po Che (movie review – http://bit.ly/YVGeEO ) are examples of themes and content that equally resonate with domestic and international audience alike.

Screwvala’s reach is enormous.  He was named 100 most influential people in the world, on Time 100, in 2009 and was listed amongst 25 Asia’s Most Powerful, by Fortune Magazine.  He was named Entrepreneur of the year by Ernst and Young.   Screwvala’s new holding company Unilazer Ventures, with Rs. 1,000 crores, has been in discussions about growth investments in online fashion brands Zovi and SherSingh, among others.

Besides for profit deals and ventures, besides influencing fashion and form, Screwvala has also recently established a social work initiative called Swades, with an aim to transform and scale the influence of NGOs.  The goal is that after the NGO does the development work for 3-5 years in a village, the village can be left empowered as a self-sufficient community that can prosper without any more help from outside.  Screwvala is putting in $100 million and plans to raise another $100 million, with a total of Rs. 1 billion for the initiative.

UTV is active in four verticals, consumer products, new media & gaming, TV (nine channels include the Disney network) and film.  It seems, Screwvala will continue to enthrall and influence, dazzle and educate many, both in India and internationally.  Don’t miss a chance to hear Screwvala speak at TiEcon, 2013.  Perhaps he may share a secret or two on how to succeed at entrepreneurship beyond your imagination. Register for the conference at www.tiecon.org .

See my earlier preview articles on other TiEcon 2013 keynotes on Data Wizard D. J. Patil at http://bit.ly/YYyOxd and Bharat Desai, Chairman Syntel, at http://bit.ly/13HmSrQ .