NOVEMBER 2021
November 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.
SEPTEMBER 2021
AUGUST 2021
Program Topic: Pandemic-Driven Digital Transformation and Innovation
JULY 2021
Program Topic: 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
Program Topic: 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
Program Topic: Roundtable Discussion on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Driving Meaningful Change in teh Workplace in 2021
MARCH 2021
Program Topic: 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
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
Tuesday, September 15, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual meeting
Life-cycle of a Startup - Panel discussion
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
Tuesday, August 11, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual meeting
Security in COVID-19 times - Panel discussion
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
Tuesday, July 14, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual meeting
How to look like an on-camera pro in your video meetings ...
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
Tuesday, June 9, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual meeting
TACC: Computing for the Endless Frontier
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
Tuesday, May 12, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual meeting
Autonomous Vehicles
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
FEBRUARY 2020
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.