Past Events

November 14, 2023: Data & AI Revolution: Navigating Disruption, Unleashing Potential 
When:  November 14, 2023, 5 pm - 6:45 pm
Where:  Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin, TX 78731
What:  Join us for an enlightening TEDx-style event that explores the intersection of Data and AI, where innovation meets opportunity. In this dynamic gathering of thought leaders and industry experts, we will delve deep into the transformative power of AI and data, uncovering the critical strategies and insights necessary to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Our speakers will provide insights on preparing data for AI, offer a roadmap for data platform modernization and unveil strategies for creating effective feedback loops with data and the skills needed to harness AI's potential for prosperity.  

October 17, 2023: Fortifying Tomorrow's Digital Landscape:  Cyber resilience and Data Security Best Practices
When:  October 17, 2023, 5 pm - 6:45 pm
Where:  Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin, TX 78731
What:  In an era defined by digital transformation, safeguarding sensitive data and fortifying against cyber threats are paramount.  This thought-provoking session will cover threat landscapes, data security frameworks, risk assessments, emerging technologies and incident responses.  It will equip you with the knowledge and strategies to navigate the complex landscape of cybersecurity with confidence. 

October 10, 2023: SIM Austin Annual Charity Golf Tournament
When:  October 10, 2023, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Where:  Avery Ranch Golf Club
What:  Join SIM Austin for the Annual golf tournament to benefit the University of Texas at Austin's Academy for All.  Academy for All is a one week summer camp for high schoolers aimed at promoting tech careers while breaking down diversity, equity and inclusion barriers.  

Golf Presentation below.  For more golf photos click here.  

September 2023:  In Person Happy Hour
When:  September 12, 2023
Where:  Easy Tiger | The Linc, 6406 N Interstate 35 Frontage Road #1100, Austin, TX  78752
What:  SIM Austin hopes you'll join us for an informal Happy Hour and help us to grow SIM Austin Membership!  SIM Members each receive one complimentary registration for a prospective member.  Invite a peer or a colleague and share the benefits of membership in SIM Austin.    New Members, we hope to see you at the Happy Hour also!   

August 8, 2023: The Next Generation of IT: "What will the next decade look like?"
When:  August 8, 2023, 5 pm - 6:45 pm
Where:  Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin, TX 78731
What:  Join us to engage actively in a workshop, exploring what the next decade looks like for IT: as an industry, an internal organization group, and as a profession. The discussion will focus on key areas of how we show up for our business. Opportunity never sleeps as technology continues to power digital transformation providing organizations new capabilities in the marketplace. IT sits at the epicenter of enabling critical changes and improvements to the bottom line. There is a myriad of challenges in the way and many threats that IT leaders must contend with while dealing with legacy technology, siloed organizational structures, and outdated mindsets. CIOs need to get their teams ready for what’s next.   

Speaker: Our speaker for this workshop is William D. Reed who is an advisor of technology for business use who has seen the possibilities, the challenges, the constraints, and the risks. He has seen firsthand the technical debt, silos, broken communication, despair of IT, and business frustrations. And, he has seen the possibilities, the hopes, and the opportunities while working in the trenches of IT. He advises on matters of technology use for organizational benefits, with over 24 years’ experience in the Information Technology field. He has worked for multiple technology solution providers, representing the major technologies in the industry. He has consulted across the major industries, including banking, health care, retail, oil & gas, education, government, finance, and legal verticals. He is the author of the book "System of Controls: I.T.'s Guide to Managing Cyber Risk". As someone that has analyzed, designed, built, and supported technology infrastructure for many businesses over the years, and followed the technology trends and cyber threats, he sees the opportunities for our organizations and for the professionals of IT as a fulfilling and thriving career.

July 2023:  In Person Happy Hour
When:  July 11, 2023
Where:  Austin Beerworks,  3001 Industrial Terrace, Austin, TX 78758
What:  Join us for an informal evening of networking with IT leaders.  We are also happy to welcome our new SIM Austin Members and remember U+2.  Bring yourself and 2 guests!   U+2 helps grow our community of IT leaders.   

 

June 13, 2023: Safe AI: Risk Management, Security, and Ethics
When:  June 13, 2023, 5 pm - 6:45 pm
Where:  Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin, TX 78731
What:  As you process the AI Hype and plan the path forward for your organization, the time is right to leave from the industry experts!  Bring your peers, your boss and your team to hear solid risk management, security and ethical considerations to build AI right.  
Panelists: 
- Kerrica Laake, Interim CIO, City of Austin - Panel Moderator
- Rebecca Gonzales, Sr. Consultant, Responsible AI, AWS
- Sherri Greenberg, Professor, LBJ School of Public Affairs, UT Austin
- Robert Neill, Chief Information Officer, Weaver

June 9, 2023:  CIO Roundtable
When:  June 9, 2023, 11 am - 1 pm
Where:  Barbara Jordan Building, Room 2.006
              1601 Congress Ave, Austin, TX  78701
What:  The CIO Roundtable is an exclusive group of CIOs, CTOs, and top technology folks that meet quarterly on Friday's for lunch.  Our vision is "Together we can work towards effective collaboration to identify opportunities to help us solve the challenges we face in IT."

April 14, 2023:  CIO Roundtable
When:  April 14, 2023, 11 am - 1 pm
Where:  UT Austin, Rowling Hall, RRH 1.350
              300 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78712
              (Parking in the back, underneath the building.  Room is on the 1st floor near the main elevators.)
What:  The CIO Roundtable is an exclusive group of CIOs, CTOs, and top technology folks that meet quarterly on Friday's for lunch.  Our vision is "Together we can work towards effective collaboration to identify opportunities to help us solve the challenges we face in IT."

April 11, 2023: Data Science IRL (in real life)
When:  April 11, 2023, 5 pm - 6:30 pm
Where:  Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin, TX 78731
What:  Data is critical to your business and using it wisely can be a game changer.  Join us to hear how data experts are leveraging data science in real lie to run their business and/or disrupt their industry.  Please invite and bring your Data Leaders and Data Scientists and join this informative panel discussion. 
Panelists: 
- Amy Horowitz, VP of Data Governance, Informatica - Panel Moderator
- Neil Cooke, Chief Data Officer, State of Texas, DIR
- Darrell Woelk, CTO, Green Room Technologies
- Mandy Plante, Senior Director, Global Analytics at eBay

March 25, 2023: STEM Youth Explorers:  Technical Sales as a Career
When:  March 25, 2023, 9 am - 11 am
Where:  ACC Highland Learning Campus, Make It Center, Building 2000 Rm 2.2429, 6101 Highland Campus Drive, Austin, TX 78752
What:  STEM Youth Explorers give youth (Jr. High - College) a unique and exciting view into careers as showcased directly from industry professionals.  Join free, once-monthly live, in-person and virtual career learning workshops to help youth discover their futures! 
Topic:  Technical Sales as a Career - Come learn what Technical Sales are all about!
Panelists: 
- Steve Elkins - Microsoft, Dir. Government Sales (TX & surrounding states)
- Dominica Council - Proofpoint, Regional Director
- Rodolfo Schaefer- Past HP Sales VP for Latin America/ Manufacturing, Retail & Distribution sectors, Accenture/Financial Service, Avaya CEO 
- Marcos Montemayor - AT&T Strategic Account Lead

March 2023:  New Human Age - Attracting and Retaining Top Tech Talent
When:  March 21, 2023, 5 pm - 6:30 pm
Where:  Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin, TX 78731
Speaker:  Chandelle Fastiggi is currently the Head of Experis Financial Services, a division of Manpower Group.  She has been in the Staffing Industry for over 25 years, 15 years specifically within Technology and Financial Services.  Chandelle has held positions in Sales, Market Leadership, and Strategic Accounts, where she has supported many Fortune 100 organizations in developing their overall Talent Strategy.  She is also passionate about the fight to End Human Trafficking, including mentoring women through Wellspring Living and partnering with Fortune 20 organizations to provide career readiness and job placement through HireHope.
Topic:  Are your people your most critical asset?  If so, you will want to hear the latest research on attracting and retaining technical talent and what workforce trends will shape 2023 and beyond.  Learn ways to have the right talent working for you.  Bring your IT management team, HR Director, and lead recruiter to gain the most from this event.

March 2023:  In Person Happy Hour
When:  March 8, 2023
Where:  Hopsquad Brewing 2307 Kramer Lane, Austin, TX 78758
What:  As a SIM sponsor, Mejeticks is excited to bring in NICE InContact to host our SIM happy hour.  Join us for an informal evening of networking with IT leaders.

February 2023:  Gartner's Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2023
When:  February 23, 2023, 5 pm - 6:30 pm
Where:  Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin, TX 78731
Speaker:  Cameron Haight is a Vice President within Gartner's Infrastructure & Operations (I&O) for IT Leaders Organization.  His primary coverage is focused on optimizing IT operations automation strategy and design with an emphasis on human factors.  Cameron has held a variety of senior management roles at companies such as VMWare and BMC Software, and prior to his return to Gartner, was an independent management and technology consultant.  Cameron has helped to pioneer Gartner research in areas such as cloud management platforms and Application Performance Monitoring (APM) as well as DevOps and Web-scale IT.  
Topic:  Join the SIM Austin Chapter as Cameron Haight, VP Analyst for Gartner, discusses Gartner's Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2023.  Cameron will lead us through a look ahead at Gartner's predictions for this year.  

January 2023:  CIO Roundtable
When:  January 20, 2023, 11 am - 1 pm
Where:  UT Austin, Rowling Hall, RRH 1.350
              300 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78712
              (Parking in the back, underneath the building.  Room is on the 1st floor near the main elevators.)
Topic:  Metaverse - Continuing Discussion from the 1/17/23 Event
What:  The CIO Roundtable is an exclusive group of CIOs, CTOs, and top technology folks that meet quarterly on Friday's for lunch.  Our vision is "Together we can work towards effective collaboration to identify opportunities to help us solve the challenges we face in IT."

January 2023: Demystifying the Metaverse

When:  January 17, 2023, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Where:  Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin, TX 78731
Speaker:  Michael Kennedy is a Metaverse + Modern Work Advisor at Microsoft. With over 20 years of helping customers define and execute employee and customer interaction strategies, Michael helps organizations across industries with actionable insights on how to optimize for today and plan for what's next. 
What:  In this session, we will answer the following questions and more. What is the Metaverse? Are you sure it's not just hype? Why now? Is this just for gamers, or is this for the enterprise? What are examples of how it is / will be used? What should my organization be doing to prepare?
Presentation:  MetaverseOverview-Jan2023.pdf

January 2023: STEM Youth Explorers:  Exploring Career Connections

When:  January 14, 9 am - 11 am
Where:  ACC Highland Learning Campus, ACCelerator RM 1101, 6101 Highland Campus Drive, Austin, TX 78752
What:  Exploring Career Connections give youth (Jr. High - College) a unique and exciting view into careers as showcased directly from industry professionals.  Join free, once-monthly live, in-person and virtual career learning workshops to help youth discover their futures! 
Topic:  CIO Panel - The Insights of a CIO:  Chief Information Officer / The "CEO" of IT for an Organization
Panelists:  Lou Senko - CIO, Q2
                 Harsha Bellur - CIO, James Avery Jewelry
                 Anh Selissen - CIO, TXDOT

December 2022:  Holiday Happy Hour Celebration

When:  December 13, 2022, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Where: Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin, TX 78731
What: Celebrate the end of 2022 with a holiday happy hour full of networking and good cheer!

November 2022:  Workforce Planning

When:  November 10, 2022, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Where:  Remote via Zoom
Speaker:  Sallie Wright, Executive Counselor, Info-Tech Research Group (former CIO, Fulton County Government and Interim Associate Vice President and CIO at Georgia State University)
Topic:  COVID changed the world of work and the momentum is continuing to move forward.  How do we tailor the way we lead and the way we manage to optimize the talent resources for our organizations?

November 2022: STEM Youth Explorers:  Exploring Career Connections

When:  November 5, 2022, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Where:  ACC Highland Learning Campus, ACCelerator RM 1101, 6101 Highland Campus Drive, Austin, TX 78752
What:  Discover steps to make you a better leader with Dennis Rose
Speaker:  Dennis Rose is an adjunct professor at Austin Community College within the Management Department teaching Business Principles, Leadership and Business Continuity Management class. Dennis is responsible for Business Continuity programs at CHR Solutions, Inc. assisting utility companies with Risk Assessment, Business Impact Analysis, Business Continuity Strategies, Emergency Operations Plans, Crisis Communications, Awareness and Training, Testing and Exercises.
This interactive seminar is geared to older youth (14+) in or interested in becoming a part of the Capital Area Council, BSA programs including Scout BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts, and Exploring.

October 2022:  CIO Roundtable

When:  October 21, 2022, 11 am - 1 pm
Where:  UT Austin, Robert B. Rowling Hall, Classroom 25
              300 W Martin Luther King Blvd, Austin, TX 78705
              (garage entrance in the back of the building next to the AT&T Center)
What:  The CIO Roundtable is an exclusive group of CIOs, CTOs, and top technology folks that meet quarterly on Friday's for lunch.  Our vision is "Together we can work towards effective collaboration to identify opportunities to help us solve the challenges we face in IT."

October 2022:  Cybersecurity Awareness Month

When:  October 18, 2022, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Where:  Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr, Austin, TX 78731
Speaker:  Lior Satori Yotam, C|CISO, Senior Information Security Consultant and Project Manager, HolistiCyber
Lior has over 20 years of experience in information security, acquired at a variety of large organizations which span a number of key areas:  Information security management (CISO), information security auditing, senior management table tops and training, project management, cyber and information security training, social engineering, access control, and PKI.                       
Topic:  It only takes ONE!  It is becoming more important than ever to focus on improving the security awareness of all employees.  Remember, it only takes one employee as an unaware agent of a threat actor to succeed once and expose your organization.  Lior will present actual case studies that will highlight some of the tactics used to succeed in attacking both countries and companies and provide practical recommendations on what you can be doing within your company.  He will also share some of the methods he uses himself while carrying out social engineering drills to simulate how these operations look from the attacker's perspective.

September 2022: Annual SIM Golf Tournament

When:  Thursday, September 29, 2022, 1 pm shot gun start
Where:  Avery Ranch Golf Club, 10500 Avery Club Drive, Austin, TX 78717
What:  Join us for the annual SIM golf tournament to benefit the UT Austin Academy for All (formerly Code Longhorn).  The Academy for All is focused on tackling diversity, equity, and inclusion barriers in STEM for students from historically underrepresented populations.  The program is a one-week summer academy UT Computer Science offers for rising high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors designed to intrigue students with the potential of computing and the excitement of problem solving through unique hands-on experiences in learning computer science.

August 2022: Mental Health Matters

When: August 24, 2022, 5 pm - 6:30 pm
Where: Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr., Austin, TX 78731
Speaker/Topic: Mental Health Matters with the Samaritan Center.  Cindy Long, CDO, Leslie Catlett, LMSW, Therapist and Emily Fonseca, Director of Development will be presenting how the current mental health crisis impacts ALL of us and how to reduce stigma, promote wellness and remove barriers.

August 2022: STEM Youth Explorers:  Exploring Career Connections

When:  August 10, 2022, 9:30 am - 12 pm
Where:  Q2 Soccer Stadium (meet 9:15 at Stadium Ticket HQ)
             10414 McKalla Pl
              Austin, TX 78758
What:  Exploring Career Connections give youth (Jr. High - College) a unique and exciting view into careers as showcased directly from industry professionals.  Join free, once-monthly live, in-person and virtual career learning workshops to help youth discover their futures! 
Topic:  This month we will be leading a tour of the Q2 stadium followed by a presentation about the Q2 Software Company at what makes them so great!

 

July 2022:  STEM Youth Explorers:  Exploring Career Connections

When:  Friday, July 22, 2022, 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Where:  ACC Northridge Campus
             11928 Stonehollow Dr.
             Austin, TX 78759
What:  Exploring Career Connections give youth (Jr. High - College) a unique and exciting view into careers as showcased directly from industry professionals.  Join free, once-monthly live, in-person and virtual career learning workshops to help youth discover their futures! 
Topic:  This month's topic is financial education.  Time value of money, stock investments & risks, and other investments & risks, including business owners sharing their experiences. 

July 2022:  RLF Happy Hour

When:  Thursday, July 21, 2022, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where:  Fieldhouse at the Crossover
             1717 Scottsdale, Ste 160
             Cedar Park, TX 78641
What:  SIM Regional Leadership Form (RLF) is in Austin this month, so join us for an evening of networking with SIM and the program attendees! 

July 2022:  CIO Roundtable

When:  July 15, 2022
Where:  UT Austin, Robert B. Rowling Hall
              300 W Martin Luther King Blvd, Austin, TX 78705
              (garage entrance in the back of the building next to the AT&T Center)
What:  The CIO Roundtable is an exclusive group of CIOs, CTOs, and top technology folks that meet quarterly on Friday's for lunch.  Our vision is "Together we can work towards effective collaboration to identify opportunities to help us solve the challenges we face in IT."

June 2022:  In Person Happy Hour

When:  June 14, 2022
Where:  Easy Tiger, 3508 S. Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
What:  We know you're as ready as we are to get back together and do some in-person networking!  Join us for a happy hour, including food & drinks, with no agenda other than to get together in-person and catch up.  Sponsored by our annual Austin SIM sponsor Mejeticks.

May 2022: Effective Thinking Related to Innovation and Creativity

When: May 10, 2022
Where: Chez Zee, 5406 Balcones Dr., Austin, TX 78731
Speaker: Dr. Edward Burger, CEO, St. David’s Foundation (former President, Southwestern University in Georgetown Texas and Former Math Professor at several Institutions of Higher Learning)

Topic: Dr. Burger’s book, 5 Elements of Effective Thinking affords the reader the chance to step back from the hustle and bustle of day to day life and think about things differently utilizing some basic principles that he has outlined. With the challenges facing many organizations through the Pandemic where what used to work doesn’t really work any more or isn’t even applicable, new ways of thinking are critical to keep things running much less innovate and creatively lead organizations into the future.

Special thanks to our annual Austin SIM sponsors: Service Express, Mejeticks, Rubrik and RealCom Solutions.

May 2022: STEM Explorers:  Exploring Career Connections

When: May 14, 2022, 10 am - 2:00 pm CDT
Where: Texas A&M College Station Medical School
What:  We will be joined by Fernando Vasquez, the Assistant Dean of MD Admissions and the Director of the Early Assurance Pathway Programs, together with a full staff of other Medical and Nursing Professors and Staff.  We will tour their facility and provide us with information about the many programs that make up their Medical School and Nursing School.  For example, they have an MD+PhD program, an MD+MBA program, and many others.  Because of the length of the program, lunch and other goodies will be provided and will require a $15 fee per person.   

April 2022: CIO Roundtable

When: April 22, 2022, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm CDT
Where: Texas Association of School Boards, 12007 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78701
What: The topic will be on the biggest challenges as we move past the height of the pandemic and developing the new norm.

April 27, 2022: InnoTech Austin

When: April 27, 2022
Where: LIVE - The Austin Convention Center
What: Join us for tremendous day of networking and informative sessions at InnoTech Austin, some of which are delivered by our very own SIM members as speakers, panel moderators and panelists. Special thanks to our annual Austin SIM sponsors: Service Express, Mejeticks, Rubrik and RealCom Solutions.

SIM members use discount code SML9CIO for VIP complimentary registration to the entire conference, CIO Gala Luncheon, and more!

April 2022: STEM Explorers:  Exploring Career Connections

When: April 30, 2022, 9:45 am - 12:00 pm CDT
Where: Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, 509 W. 11th St, 5th Floor, Austin, TX 78701
What:  Meet with Judge Carlos Barrera who will provide an overview of the different types of judges a the local and regional level, what they do, what they oversee and the many aspects of the judicial system.  Judge Barrera will also take attendees on a tour of the courtroom and court areas.

MARCH 2022: STEM Explorers:  Exploring Career Connections

When: March 26, 2022, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm CDT
Where: Austin Community College Medical Programs at Eastview Campus
            3401 Webberville Rd., Austin, Tx 78702, Auditorium Room
What:  Exploring Career Connections give youth (Jr. High - College) a unique and exciting view into careers as showcased directly from industry professionals.  Join free, once-monthly live, in-person and virtual career learning workshops to help youth discover their futures!

This month, STEM Explorers will have another great event focused on healthcare careers.  The event will provide attendees with a healthcare programs overview at Austin Community College's Eastview campus.  The hosts will review different health science programs, tour the students, and provide some actual hands-on simulation and training activities.  This event is recommended to all the students even if they are not quite sure about healthcare as a career.

The Dean of Health Sciences Dr. Nina Almasy and CE Healthcare Director Nancy Laudenslager together with others will host students.  This will be another great event for youth, as well as parents.

MARCH 2022:  An Evening with the FBI

When: March 8, 2022, 5 - 6:30 pm CST
Where: Virtual Meeting

What: Join us to hear from Jordan Loyd, Supervisory Special Agent from the FBI as he speaks on the total cybersecurity landscape - different types of threats, amounts/trends, history, countermeasures, etc. - and how the FBI is fighting back against the challenges that have arisen.

Jordan Loyd, FBI Supervisory Special Agent, is based in Austin, Texas where he supervises a team of investigators, computer forensic examiners, and others who conduct investigations into computer intrusions with a criminal and national security focus.  He has been with the FBI since 2009 and was a network administrator for six years prior to joining the FBI.  SSA Loyd is a graduate of Oklahoma State University.

Special thanks to our annual Austin SIM sponsors: Service Express, Mejeticks, Rubrik and RealCom Solutions.

DECEMBER 2022: Technology Trends with Gartner

When: February 17, 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Where: Virtual Meeting

Facing CEO demands to grow and digitalize efficiently, IT leaders must find force multipliers to drive growth, adopt technology to scale digitalization, and create scalable IT foundations for cost efficiency. Gartner’s strategic technology trends show the key technologies to scale, adapt and grow.

Carie Zoellner has over 24 years of IT executive management experience, transforming global IT ecosystems and teams to align with business objectives.  She provides IT vision, expertise and leadership for key focus areas: Digital Optimization and Transformation, Organizational Change Management, Cyber Security, Diversity & Inclusion, IT Strategic Planning, BCDR, IT Maturity, IT Cost Optimization, Business Value of IT, Infrastructure & Operations and Cloud Strategies, Application Development, Product Development and Management, Information Management/Business Analytics, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Mergers and Acquisitions.

Special thanks to our annual Austin SIM sponsors: Service Express, Mejeticks, Rubrik and RealCom Solutions.

DECEMBER 2021: IT Executive of the Year Awards Presentation and Holiday Celebration

When: December 13, 2021, 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Where: The JW Marriott Downtown

What: Presentation of the annual IT Executive of the Year Awards by Austin SIM and Innotech. This year's event is supported by our Reception Sponsor HTC Global Services and our annual Austin SIM sponsors: Service Express, Proofpoint, genesis10, Rubrik and RealCom Solutions.


NOVEMBER 2021: Virtual Event:  Beyond the Hype!

When: November 9, 2021 from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Where: Virtual Event
Topic:

Beyond the Hype: The Innovation Curve

Companies and organizations are struggling to adapt. The question is why - when so many claim to be innovators?

In this session, we discuss and identify the friction that is causing your organization to fall behind. Organizations that can test, implement, and scale their ideas are positioned to win. Beyond the hype of emerging technologies and unicorn VC-funded tech companies vying for your attention and budgets, which ones are solving real problems? Which ones are just product fade, sponsored by paid media? We will review the different categories of technologies and use cases in order to provide a deeper understanding of where they are in market adoption and use cases.

Speaker:

Chieng Moua is a VP of Innovation & Emerging Technologies at SS&C Technologies and formerly Global VP of Innovation at Blue Prism Software and has over 20+ years of experience as an Executive Information Automation Strategist and Emerging Tech Advisor.  Currently, leading a cross functional team of Disruptive Product Market Strategists and Technical Innovation Engineers help Global 10,000 organizations understand how to leverage emerging technologies (AI, Automation, Machine Learning, Blockchain - Distributed Ledge Technologies, DeFi Apps, Decentralization Computing) and creating Go to Market Solutions & growing new revenue opportunities.

OCTOBER 2021: In-Person Happy Hour!


When:
Tuesday, October 19 from 5–7 p.m.
 
Where: 
Austin Beerworks
3001 Industrial Terrace
Austin, TX 78758

What a great time seeing everyone in person. About 25 of us gathered at Austin Beerworks to enjoy some frosty beverages and catch up in 3D. Special thanks to our friends at Realcom Solutions and Randstad who generously supported the event.


AUGUST 2021: Pandemic-Driven Digital Transformation and Innovation

JULY 2021: Talent Attraction and Retention: The New Competitive Landscape—2021 and Beyond

Join us as we explore the challenges and changes in talent acquisition and retention in the Austin technology market.

With the ever-evolving list of companies relocating to Austin and home grown companies rapidly expanding, are we reaching a turning point in Austin’s ability to continue to grow?

We’ll have a conversation on Austin’s changes over the last 10 years, the battle between startups and established technology companies and best strategies to attract and retain. We'll focus on employee experiences and the impact of virtual work during the pandemic.

Are we rapidly heading toward peak Austin?

SPEAKERS:

Max Solodky, VP Head of Technology, iFLY Indoor Skydiving

Ann Funai, Sr. VP Engineering, MyFitnessPal

Ashley Reed, Sr. Director Human Resources, LogicMonitor

Kit Edwards, Sr Director Data and Analytics, Keller Williams

JUNE 2021: Austin's Changing Technology Landscape

 

MAY 2021: Program Topic: Aligning IT and Business to Drive Strategic Outcomes

 

Speakers: Blake Holman, CIO at St. David's Foundation and Vince Pierce, CXO at Level1

Most today’s business leaders agree that Information Technology (IT) is an indispensable part of the products and services they provide – that IT and business strategies must be aligned, if not tightly integrated, to drive strategic outcomes. And yet, despite that sentiment, leaders in both functions often struggle (or find little value) with this essential task.

In this "fireside chat," Blake and Vince will offer their perspectives on what they have found to be a straightforward, repeatable, and effective approach to aligning IT and business strategies in a way that delivers the mail.

 

Their talk will cover perspectives on:

• Benefiting from a two-speed operating model – “run” versus “change”
• Framing the role of strategic planning/plans – questions, choices, and clarity Focusing on planning fundamentals – outcomes, roadmaps, and resources Setting teams up for success – bridging the strategy and execution gap
• Q&A

APRIL 2021: Roundtable Discussion on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Driving Meaningful Change in the Workplace in 2021

MARCH 2021: Establishing the Edge as the Next Computing Paradigm

Edge computing is a distributed computing paradigm, which brings critical information analysis and data storage closer to the location where it is needed. With the growing number of Internet-of-Things (IoT), connected automotive and industrial applications; latency, privacy, and bandwidth to Cloud computing resources become critical limiting factors to successful products and services. Edge computing addresses these concerns by establishing shareable compute platforms at the network edge. This month's meeting features a presentation by Sam Fuller of NXP Semiconductors, which will address the various hardware, software, security, and economic requirements that must be met to successfully establish edge computing as the next computing paradigm.

Speaker: Sam Fuller, Director of Solutions Marketing for the Digital Networking Group at NXP Semiconductors.

Mr. Fuller has over 20 years of executive leadership experience in computer architecture, networking technology, embedded software and edge, and IoT processing architectures. Mr. Fuller holds BSEE and MSEE degrees from Brigham Young University and an MBA degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

JANUARY 2021: Panel Discussion: Digital Transformations in the COVID Era

Join us on Zoom for this engaging discussion with our panelists Jay Williams, Chief Technology Officer at Quantum Materials and Jay Boisseau of Dell Technologies and Austin Forum. Conversation will include the following topics:

• Continuing and accelerating digital transformations as a result of the new ways to work post-COVID.
• Continued cloudification for both private and public businesses ,COVID’s accelerated growth and expansion to new platforms and technologies, services coming to market to address new market opportunities.
• Companies leveraging cloud to transition more pieces of business to "As-A-Service" model.
• Leveraging digital transformation’s increased amount of data created to build AI models around workflows and optimization, developing Robotic Process Automation trends.
• Edge computing – moving to autonomous decision making off human experiences and trends. Decision tree adjustments across all parts of a business.
• Security and SecureOps - everything is online, how do we keep all of it secure?
• Social media: Importance of companies building personas, leveraging platforms, section 230 concerns, history of social media and where it’s going – more specialized social media.

SPEAKERS

Jay Williams, Quantum Materials, Williams Technology Group

Jay Williams has been a Chief Technology Officer and consultant to many Fortune 500 companies. As a consultant, he has developed a highly refined process for managing a company’s technology infrastructure, including applications, security, and network assets.

Mr. Williams is a highly sought-after enterprise systems architect and problem solver. He has advised a number of high profile technology companies on their products and is known for a rare combination of deep technology expertise, expert problem solving ability and business acumen.

Jay Boisseau, Dell Technologies, Austin Forum, Austin Smart City Alliance, Vizias

Jay Boisseau is an experienced, recognized leader and strategist in advanced computing technologies, with over 20 years in the field. Jay has built and led many computing-focused programs, departments, and organizations. Jay is CEO and co-founder (2014) of Vizias. Vizias is a small team of talented, passionate technology professionals who are determined to change the world by using their advanced computing expertise and experience, especially in high performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), and smart cities.

Jay’s current primary activity is working as the AI & HPC Technology Strategist for Dell Technologies (since 2014) to further develop its high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) strategies and new solutions for a broader use of HPC and AI by more companies, government organizations, and universities.

Through Vizias, Jay founded the Austin Smart City Alliance(2015) and currently serves as the Executive Director, with a vision of creating an integrated smart city fabric throughout Austin—leveraging mobile devices and IoT data collectors, as well as supercomputers and AI for predictive analytics and scenario simulation—in the years ahead to address city issues, empower city planning, and improve city life in general. Jay is also the executive director and founder of The Austin Forum on Technology & Society, which he started in 2006 and is now the leading monthly technology series in Austin.

DECEMBER 2020: Holiday Cocktail party with Mixologist

NOVEMBER 2020: Virtual Happy Hour

OCTOBER 2020: Cybersecurity

Tuesday, October 13, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Location: Virtual meeting

Sponsored By: Proofpoint

October is Cybersecurity Month! Two Topics in One Evening! Cyber Threat Landscape and Analysis AND Cybersecurity Skills and Resource Requirements

While email remains the dominant vector for malware and phishing attacks, network- and web-based threats also pose a range of challenges in the heterogeneous, distributed environments managed by enterprise organizations, schools, municipalities and states. During this interactive presentation, our speaker will discuss the particular risks faced by businesses, educational institutions and state/local agencies as they navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape.

The SIM Academic Council has launched a project to understand cybersecurity skills and resource requirements and availability. We will be discussing Austin's cybersecurity needs and how Austin compares with other cities participating in their research. Austin SIM will be sending out surveys to SIM members the week of October 5. Please complete it no later than October 12, then join us on October 13 for a discussion of the results. A summary document will be shared with all those who participate!  

SEPTEMBER 2020: Life-cycle of a Startup - Panel discussion 

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Location: Virtual meeting

Our moderator, Blake Holman (CIO and Infrastructure, St. David's Foundation) will be talking with start up experts including Ada Ryland (early stage), Mark Stavrou (CEO of Trustgrid, mid-stage) and Arlo Gilbert (who has done several startups and exits) about the life-cycle of a startup company. 

AUGUST 2020: Security in COVID-19 times - Panel discussion

Tuesday, August 11, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Location: Virtual meeting

• What has been done to mitigate the risk?
• What should we continue to do to keep our people and organizations secure?

Join our panelists for this wide-ranging discussion about keeping our organizations secure during these COVID-19 times. Our moderator, Keri Pearlson (Executive Director, Cybersecurity at MIT) will be talking with Anh Selissen (CIO, TXDOT), Shirley Erp (CISO, City of Austin) and Roger Grimes (Security Evangelist, KnowBe4) about threat landscapes, recent security incidents and trending attacks.

About our guests:

Keri Pearlson is the Executive Director - Cybersecurity at MIT Sloan (formerly (IC)3) which focuses on strategic, organizational, and managerial issues in cybersecurity.

Anh Selissen is the CIO of Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT). TXDOT is one of the largest of the Texas state agencies. Anh leads the agency's information technologies strategic direction and is responsible for information security, infrastructure, and a diverse IT project portfolio. 

Shirley Erp is the CISO for the City of Austin. Prior to this position, Shirley served as the CISO for the Health and Human Services Commission of Texas for 5 years.

Roger Grimes is a data-driven defense evangelist from KnowBe4 with over 30 years of cybersecurity experience. He's written articles for CSO magazine and was a Principal Security Architect at Microsoft for over 11 years. 

JULY 2020: How to look like an on-camera pro in your video meetings

Tuesday, July 14, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Location: Virtual meeting

Virtual meetings are NOT going away. Deals are being made, people are being hired and programs are being rolled out, via webcam. So let's reveal how to be your most Charismatic self in yyour online video meetings (Zoom, Teams, and even Facebook Live). Because it matters!

About our presenter:

Sandra Dee Robinson is a communication and leadership coach, international speaker, author and equine-assisted coach as well.  With decades of success in the television industry as a daytime actress, she launched Charisma ON Camera Performance coaching in 2010, and her Horsepowered programs in 2018.   She will share some Hollywood insider tips and tricks  to empower you to look and feel your best with this seemingly impersonal venue of webcam conferencing and FB LIVES.

JUNE 2020: TACC Computing for the Endless Frontier

Tuesday, June 9, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Location: Virtual meeting

The Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) deployed a new system, Frontera, in 2019, with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation, as the first phase of the new NSF "Towards a Leadership Class Computing Facility" program. At #5 in the world, Frontera is the fastest system at any university in the world.  This talk will provide a brief overview of the current landscape of advanced computing systems at TACC, how they are used, and how usage is changing, with a quick review of the new system and the broader project that surrounds it. We will also discuss current COVID-19 research projects, as well as the other services and programs that TACC provides, and recent research results supporting scientists across the USA.

About the presenter:

Melyssa Fratkin is the Industrial Programs Director at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin. In this role, she oversees TACC's corporate partnerships and government relations activities. Melyssa focuses on developing and managing strong relationships between industry and academia with the Science & Technology Affiliates for Research (STAR) program.

Melyssa is the founding co-chair of Texas Women in HPC, an organization aimed at supporting women and minorities in high performance computing in industry, academia and government across the state of Texas, by engaging in initiatives to raise awareness and broaden diversity in HPC. She is also  Communications Chair for SC20, The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis, to be held in Atlanta, GA in November.

MAY 2020: Autonomous Vehicles 

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Location: Virtual meeting

We'll be exploring autonomous vehicles with GM. How will they shape Smart Cities of today and tomorrow?

About the speaker:

Raghu George is the senior software engineering manager for big data at GM's Vehicle Data Factory. Prior to GM, he was a director of eCommerce Engineering and Digital Transformation at Hewlett Packard. Other previous experiences included Actian (formerly Pervasive) and Dell. His expertise in global ecommerce solutions and dealing with big data gives him a perspective about big data and some of its uses. 

APRIL 2020: Virtual Happy Hour

FEBRUARY 2020: Finding and managing IT talent

Tuesday, February 11, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Location: 

Sponsored By: Genesis10
Finding and managing IT talent - how do you do it? How do you stay competitive? Tara Wyborny from Genesis10 will present insights and commentary based on their accelerated training program.


JANUARY 2020:  Gartner

SIM Austin June 2018 Happy Hour - Sponsored by Cigniti

Tuesday, June 12, 2018 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Join us for a summer happy hour at beautiful Abel’s on the Lake. Enjoy food, drinks, and Lake Austin views while networking with your peers. Invite a friend or colleague to introduce them to the Austin SIM chapter. Thanks to Cigniti for sponsoring our June event.

SIM Austin May 2018 Meeting - Data Privacy & GDPR

Tuesday, May 15, 2018 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.

Data privacy is already a top concern for all companies, but the challenges are about to increase. On May 25th, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will take effect. The GDPR applies to all companies worldwide that process personal data of European Union (EU) citizens. This means that any company that works with information relating to EU citizens, regardless of their physical location, will have to comply with the requirements of the GDPR. This effectively makes GDPR the first global data protection law. Join us to discuss the impact of GDPR on your organization and what you can do to prepare. 

SIM Austin April 2018 Happy Hour - Sponsored by Experis

Tuesday, April 17, 2018 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Join your SIM colleagues for a casual happy hour at Austin Beerworks, an Austin original with craft brews, food trucks, and a keep-it-weird attitude. We’ve reserved the original brewery and will enjoy a private bar with tastings of their current beers, guided brewery tours, and beer garden seating to enjoy the perfect weather.

SIM Austin March 2018 Meeting - Agile Transformation: Lessons from the Front

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Join us for an engaging discussion on agile and digital transformation and what it means for your company. Led by Dallas SIM Member Matt McBride (LinkedIn), we will explore lessons learned from Fortune 500 technology transformations, including what to do, what to avoid, and how to empower and prepare your teams for success.

SIM Austin February 2018 Happy Hour

Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Join your SIM colleagues for a casual happy hour at Red’s Porch, a South Austin institution with comfort food and second-story bar with beautiful views. We’ll have a large meeting space, so please invite prospective members for an introduction to the Austin SIM Chapter.

SIM Austin January 2018 Meeting - Gartner Annual IT Trends Report

Tuesday, January 9, 2018 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Join us for an exclusive presentation of Gartner’s Strategic Technology Trends report, presented by Gartner Managing Partner George Love (LinkedIn). This analysis explores global technology trends which Gartner has derived through hundreds of industry assessments, including predictions at national and state levels. George is back by popular demand after his insightful and engaging 2016 and 2017 presentations. 

SIM Austin December 2017 Meeting - Sponsored by Genuent

Tuesday, December 12, 2017 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Each our of organizations struggles to find and retain top STEM talent. Conversely, much of the emerging workforce has difficulty finding the right career opportunity. Join us to discuss how to attract, retain, and grow the next generation of STEM leaders. Hear insights and innovative practices leveraged by Austin Community College, Gemalto, Indeed, ClearData, and more, and explore the growing role of workforce analytics in your talent management strategies. 

InnoTech - Austin's Premiere Technology Innovation Conference & Expo

Thursday, November 16, 2017 from 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Join us for one of Austin’s premier technology events, InnoTech Austin, being held on November 16, 2017 at the Austin Convention Center.

SIM Austin October 2017 Happy Hour - Sponsored by BTB Security

Tuesday, October 10, 2017 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Come kick off the fall with craft brews, delicious food, and excellent company. We’ve reserved their covered outdoor Pavilion, and will have plenty of room to introduce a friend to the Austin SIM chapter.

SIM Austin September 2017 Meeting - Sponsored by Luna Data Solutions

Tuesday, Sepember 12, 2017 form 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Data privacy is already a top concern for all companies, but the challenges are about to increase. In May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will take effect. The GDPR applies to all companies worldwide that process personal data of European Union (EU) citizens. This means that any company that works with information relating to EU citizens will have to comply with the requirements of the GDPR, making it the first global data protection law. Join us to discuss the impact of GDPR on your organization, and what you can do to prepare.