Entrepreneurial Diversity To Be Showcased At TiEcon 2015

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- TiEcon 2015, the world's largest gathering of entrepreneurs, will be a showcase for the growing diversity among technology innovators and business leaders in Silicon Valley and worldwide. The two-day show, taking place on May 15-16 at Silicon Valley's Santa Clara Convention Center, will highlight women and minority leaders that are at the forefront of "disruptive entrepreneurship."

This year's show will feature the largest-ever gathering of women and minority innovators, engineers and panelists.  Featured speakers will include industry leaders like Blanca Trevino, President and CEO of Softtek, which has grown under her leadership to become the leading IT services company in Latin America. Trevino has been cited as a Rising Star on Fortune's list of the 50 Most Powerful Women and was the first woman to be inducted into the prestigious International Association of Outsourcing Providers Hall of Fame.

Recent research demonstrates the growing role of women and minorities in driving new innovations and business starts worldwide. According to the World Bank, women-owned business start-ups are growing rapidly, with women now running some 10 million start-ups globally. In addition, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation finds that women-owned businesses have grown at 150 percent the rate of other small enterprises over the past 15 years.

AGK Karunakaran, co-convener of TiEcon 2015, said: "Diversity has emerged as one of the major pillars of disruptive technology innovation. We are seeing remarkable achievements and innovative products from women founded companies in the technology sphere, but too few enjoy the kind of investments they need to scale up.  TiEcon creates the perfect environment for start-ups to take off by providing world-class networking opportunities and access to capital to further their goals."

Other speakers that highlight the TiEcon 2015's focus on diversity include:

• Sandy Carter – IBM Worldwide General Manager of Ecosystems Development & Social Business – Carter was named among the "Ten most powerful women in tech" by CNN magazine, is a bestselling author and is considered one of the world's most influential women in Web 2.0 technology. She is also the founder of the IBM's diversity mentorship network, the Supr Women's Group.
• Suja Chandrasekaran – Chief Technology Officer at Walmart - Having previously harnessed big data and new technologies to drive market share for PepsiCo, Timberland and Nestle, Chandrasekaran  now leads tech strategies for the world's largest retailer, Walmart. The Fulbright scholar is also a hands-on champion of women leaders in technology, and was recently named as an "ICONIC" female thought leader globally.
• Esther Wojcicki - Founder of the Palo Alto High School Media Arts Program – Wojcicki is a global pioneer in the nexus of education and technology and was a co-designer of the Google Teacher Outreach program and the Google Teacher Academy.
• Meera Kaul – Managing Partner of Geranium Ventures and chairperson of the Meera Kaul Foundation – Dedicated to empowering women as leaders and entrepreneurs in emerging markets – is a serial entrepreneur with a track record of 4 multi-million dollar exits, Kaul has twice been named Channel Entrepreneur of the Year, and was voted among the Top 50 women in the telecom space.
• Ramona Pierson – CEO of Declara - Following a horrific car accident and 18 month coma as a 22-year-old, Pierson had to relearn basic human functions, including how to breathe and smile. Now, the neuroscientist is a global expert in how customers interact with data, and her problem-solving platforms have become iconic tools for governments, universities and top companies.
• Shalini Govil-Pai - Global Head for Product Solutions at YouTube - In her former role as technical director for Pixar, Govil-Pai led the technical innovations behind blockbuster movies like Toy Story and A Bugs Life. She was also the prime mover behind Google TV. Now, she leads the entertainment, gaming and music domain for YouTube. 
• Nichole Mustard – Chief Revenue Officer at Credit Karma - A champion of using new technologies to find cost savings for consumers, Mustard is also involved with new strategies at Credit Karma, which provides tools that empower people to use good credit scores to reduce a myriad of lifestyle fees – including the costs of credit scoring itself.

TiEcon is where the world's wealth connects with technology stealth to create an energizing environment for start-ups to take off. Worth Magazine recently honored TiEcon as a Top 10 Worldwide Conference for Ideas and Entrepreneurship, alongside events such as Demo, TED, and the World Economic Forum. The conference attracts thousands of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, technology buyers and journalists from around the world. Last year's conference brought together over 4,000 technology and entrepreneurial professionals from over 22 countries.

About TiEcon
Now in its 22nd year, TiEcon is one of the world's largest gatherings of entrepreneurs and innovators. It brings together innovators, venture finance professionals, and technology buyers from around the world to help advance the cause of disruptive innovation and entrepreneurship and provide a stage for new technology start-ups seeking funding and recognition. TiEcon has been identified by Worth Magazine as a Top 10 Worldwide Conference for Ideas and Entrepreneurship, alongside events such as Demo, TED, and the World Economic Forum.  TiEcon 2015 will be held on May 15-16 at Silicon Valley's Santa Clara Convention Center. www.tiecon.org

About TiE
TiE is a global not-for-profit organization fostering entrepreneurship through mentoring, education, and networking. We consider entrepreneurship to be the single most powerful instrument to advance global prosperity. Our greatest strength is our network of over 60 chapters in 17 countries with a worldwide membership exceeding 14,000 that includes successful entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, corporate executives, and aspiring entrepreneurs. For more information on TiE, visit www.tie.org

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