Ritu Jha-
The IndUS Entrepreneurs Conference (TiEcon), among the world’s largest entrepreneurial conferences hosted by TiE’s Silicon Valley chapter, whose members are predominantly Indian American tech entrepreneurs and executives, starts May 5 through 7 with the organizers hopeful of beating last year’s record of 31,000 registrations.
The nonprofit organization, which aims to foster entrepreneurship and is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, has decided for the third time to go all virtual, partly to avoid any risks from the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, but also because it is easier to connect globally this way.
The theme for TiEcon 2022 is ‘Imagination Unleashed’, TiESV’s tenth president, AGK Karunakaran, who took up the position in 2021, said.
Explaining why people from across the globe should join the conference, Karunakaran told indica, “TiEcon is a place where a budding entrepreneur or technologist can learn about entrepreneurship and continually improve themselves. [We have] 13 tracks with core topics that are trending and [you can] get connected through programs like VC Connect, Mentor Connect, Startup Boot Camp and TiE50. This year all our content is delivered virtually and we have an in-person gala at the end of the conference.
“It is my privilege and honor to invite you all to this year’s TiEcon,” Karunakaran said. “I have attended almost all the TiEcons since 1995, where I got clarification and guidance to embark on my own entrepreneurial journey.”
Readers of indica who are not members of TiE can register at www.tiecon.org with the registration code ‘INDICA’ in the TiEcon nonmember category.
Karunakaran said there was much debate among the TiEcon leadership on the format of this year’s event. Eventually, it was decided in December to continue with the virtual format this year because “we want TiEcon content to be delivered globally”.
“At that time,” he continued, “we were all concerned about the Omicron variant of Covid. With the success we had with the virtual TiEcon 2021, we wanted to continually improve the registration and content delivery process. A hybrid way of delivering content is the way of the future for large conferences.”
On what attendees can expect from TiEcon 2022, Karunakaran said there will be eight grand keynotes, close to 25 track keynotes, and impressive panels. There are 13 tracks this time: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Security and Fraud, Cloud and SAAS, Health Care, Supply Chain, Impact investing, Capital Markets, Cryptocurrency, Global Connect, Sustainability, TiE Youth, Media and Entertainment, and Entrepreneurship.
“We also offer VC Connect and Mentor Connect, where entrepreneurs will be able to connect with and learn from venture capitalists and mentors associated with TiESV,” he said.
“We have over $1 million in sponsorship between TiEcon and annual sponsorships,” he revealed. “TiEcon is led by our conveners. And this year’s conveners are Kamal Anand and Dipty Desai who are also TiESV board members. They are supported by a leadership which comprises board members and charter members, and employees of TiE Silicon Valley.”
About TiE50, another signature event that brings in startups from across the globe to pitch, Karunakaran said the program reviews a lot of companies and recognizes 50 of them with the TiE50 Awards. Those companies get additional opportunities to participate and compete in the Meet the Draper Show and the Dell Startups Competition.
“We also recognize Entrepreneur of the Year, Under-40 Entrepreneur of the Year, Community Leadership and Investor of the Year,” he said. “Those candidates will be announced and invited to the awards at a later in-person event organized by TiE Silicon Valley.”
