It’s all happening.
Introduced by Technical.ly, a Philly Tech Week presented by Comcast pillar event since 2018, has evolved to include a timely online counterpart: Introduced|Virtual. Set for this Thursday, May 7, Introduced|Virtual is a reflection of the new world order we face as a result of COVID-19.
Introduced is a daylong conference that introduces you to the ideas, people and opportunities that build better companies. Our virtual component dives deeper to explore how this is achieved even in the midst of adversity.
The day features eight 45-minute sessions, so attendees are welcome to join us for the full day or attend individual sessions that work best with their schedule.
The sessions
8:30 a.m. — Introduction and COVID-19’s Impact on Mid-Atlantic Innovation Economies: A conversation in the Technical.ly Newsroom
We’ll kick off the morning with an introduction from Chris Wink, CEO of Technically Media, and a warm welcome to the first-ever PTW Virtual event — and the official start of the reimagined 10th annual Philly Tech Week. Then, listen in to a conversation he leads with Technical.ly reporters from D.C. (Michelai Graham), Baltimore (Stephen Babcock), Delaware (Holly Quinn) and Philadelphia (Paige Gross) discussing how entrepreneurship, technology and innovation have changed due to the pandemic.
9 a.m. — An Economic Outlook for Growth Companies
When the world changes and the economy stops, how much should growth companies change? How different does the world look now, and what are lessons for always?
Speakers:
- Michael Vaughan, former COO of Venmo
- Rick Nucci, cofounder and CEO of Guru
- Rakia Reynolds, founder and CEO of Skai Blue Media
- Moderated by Technical.ly Managing Editor Julie Zeglen
10 a.m. — How to be Responsive to Your Workforce During a Crisis
Goals, strategy and tactics have likely never been so universally disrupted for so many companies as today. We’ll discuss strategies on communicating and maintaining flexibility without compromising key tenets and standards.
Speakers:
- Lloyd Adams, managing director for the East Region at SAP
- Jacob Hsu, CEO of Catalyte
- Melanie Penna, SVP of people and integration at Comcast
- Lindsy Noble, director of people at Clutch
- Moderated by Technical.ly Philly Lead Reporter Paige Gross
11 a.m. — How Hiring Changes During a Recession
Whether a growth company that is still adding headcount or larger employers that will always have roles to fill, the dynamics of the process are changing. Some lessons are universal during downturns, others will be unique to this moment in time. We’ll discuss both.
Speakers:
- Mawulom Nenonene, head of talent at LTSE
- Christina Molzen, VP of people at FiscalNote
- Jenna Frey, VP of operations at Whitebox; formerly of Amazon
- Rachel Kargas, director of talent acquisition at Pie Insurance
- Joe Gomez, talent acquisition manager at Guru
- Moderated by Technically Media CEO Chris Wink
12 p.m. — RealLIST Startups: How Has COVID Changed Early-stage Entrepreneurship?
Each year Technical.ly names a list of the newest firms we’re tracking most closely. Never has a cohort been more disrupted than now. We’ll discuss how the region’s most-watched tech startups are adapting.
Speakers:
- Matt Gillis, CEO of Clean.io
- Dipanwita Das, founder and CEO at Sorcero
- Yossi Levi, cofounder and CEO at gettacar
- Ajit Mathew George, founder of Second Chances Farm
- Sandeep Konam, cofounder and CTO at Abridge AI
- Moderated by Technical.ly DC Market Editor Michelai Graham
1 p.m. — What Now For Corporate Innovation?
With a pandemic and an economic shock, we address new approaches and adaptations.
Speakers:
- Danielle Cohn, VP of startup engagement and head of LIFT Labs at Comcast
- Navin Kunde, head of open innovation at Clorox
- Moderated by Technically Media CEO Chris Wink
2 p.m. — Tell Your Employer Brand Story Now
During an economic shock that will result in company disruption, some brands will retreat. But times of crisis are exactly when we learn the most about brands and employers. We’ll discuss how to talk about your company values and work when it gets tough.
Speakers:
- John Lynch, COO of Cloudtamer.io
- Mandy Poling, chief of staff at Crossbeam
- Anna Greenwald, founder and CEO of On The Goga
- Luke Skurman, CEO of Niche.com, Inc.
- Kursten Jackson, chief of IT human capital of City of Baltimore
- Moderated by Technical.ly Assistant Editor Stephen Babcock
3 p.m. — Off the Sidelines
As part of a pilot with Project Entrepreneur and supported by UBS, the first season of Technical.ly’s investing podcast gathering stories about how new wealth and impact is coming from previously underrepresented investors.
Speakers:
- David Hall, partner at Revolution
- Tracy Chadwell, founder of 1843 Capital
- Angela Lee, founder of 37 Angels
- Astrid Scholz, CEO of Sphaera
- Moderated by “Off the Sidelines” co-host Abby Lee Mosconi
4 p.m. — Tell Your Hometown’s Innovation Story Now
When an economic shock takes place, cities and regions have an opportunity to reset narratives. With a recession looming brought on by a pandemic, how can cities talk about what is working in their economies? How can cities outside of Silicon Valley thrive in the wake of COVID-19?
Speakers to date:
- Archna Sahay, president of Sahay Consulting
- Lakshmi Shenoy, CEO at Embarc Collective
- Deon Gordon, president at TechBirmingham
- Sean Luther, executive director at InnovatePGH
- Moderated by Technical.ly Managing Editor Julie Zeglen
4:45 p.m. — Keynote with Arlan Hamilton
We’ll close out the day in collaboration with CreateXChange. The Introduced|Virtual keynote features a conversation with Hamilton, the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital. (Register separately for this part of the conference.)
Register for Introduced|Virtual
There is no fee to attend the Introduced|Virtual event:
Ways you can support
Join the Technical.ly Journalism Fund
You can access the whole day of programming for free — though we’re asking for those who can to contribute to the Technical.ly Journalism Fund, of any amount, including the organizational level of $1,000:
Share about the event
Share about this event with colleagues, friends and fellow stay-at-home pals! Use the hashtags #PTW20 and #Intro20 on your social channels. Follow us, like us, share us:
- Instagram — @phillytechweek
- Twitter — @PhillyTechWeek
- Facebook — @PhillyTechWeek
- LinkedIn — Technical.ly and Technically Media
Thank you to our sponsors
Your support is essential to helping make this all possible. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to Philly Tech Week.
Our Introduced sponsors include:
- American Family Insurance
- Ben Franklin Technology Partners
- Chiletec
- Comcast NBCUniversal
- Flexential
- Harmelin Media
- Independence Blue Cross
- Neat
- Pittsburgh Innovation District
- Relay Network, LLC
- SAP
- Striven ERP Software
- Think Company, Inc.
- University of Pennsylvania
There are still ways to align your brand with Philly Tech Week. Learn about sponsorship options.
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