2023 AGENDA
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THE HASHTAG FOR THE 2023 EVENT IS #ACK2023. REQUEST AN INVITE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING US FOR THE 2023 CONFERENCE that will be held at the White Elephant Inn and Hotel. Location and Lodging.
Thursday, September 28th
7:45 AM - 11:45 AM | White Elephant Conference Center
Registration and Information Desk Open
7:45 AM - 9:00 AM | White Elephant Conference Center
Continental Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM | White Elephant Conference Center: Ballroom A
Conference Kick-Off & Meet More People
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM | White Elephant Conference Center: Ballroom A
Mainstage Session: The Age of AI-enabled Autonomous Robots — at Home and at Work
Speakers:
Steve Cousins, CTO, Relay Robotics
Michael Hayes, COO, Labrador Systems
Mikell Taylor, Principal Technical Program Manager, Amazon Robotics
Moderator:
Scott Miller, Managing Director, Dragon Ventures
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM | White Elephant Conference Center
Networking Break
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | White Elephant Conference Center: Ballroom A
Mainstage Session: The LP Perspective on What's Happening in Venture
Speaker:
Yasmine Lacaillade, Founder & Managing Partner, Sinefine
Graham Pingree, Partner, Cendana Capital
Jon Terbell, Co-Founder, FourBridge Partners
Moderator:
Steve Ranere, Partner, Latham & Watkins
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM | White Elephant Harborside, Sun Deck
Registration and Information Desk Open
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM | White Elephant Harborside: Terrace
GENERAL LUNCH
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM | White Elephant Harborside
LUNCH DISCUSSIONS
Leveraging Up Your Presence - on Zoom and in Person
Location: Ivory Room
Discussion Leader:
Rachel Cossar, CEO/Co-founder, Virtual Sapiens
Working with the Media
Location: Sunroom
Discussion Leader:
Anissa Gardizy, Reporter, The Information
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM | White Elephant Harborside
BREAKOUTS: ROUND 1
A. Capturing the Value of AI
Location: Sunroom
Speakers:
Jason Fiorillo, Chief Legal Officer, Boston Dynamics
Nick Loui, Founder/CEO, PeakMetrics
Richard Rabbat, Co-founder, Lightly AI
Moderator:
Larissa Bifano, Partner, DLA Piper
B. Insights on Early Stage Investing
Location: Ivory Room
Speakers:
Samara Gordon, Partner, Hyperplane Ventures
Jen Neundorfer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, January Ventures
Anna Palmer, General Partner, Flybridge
Moderator:
Lily Lyman, General Partner, Underscore Ventures
C. What Works Now for Brand, Marketing + Awareness
Location: Sun Deck
Speakers:
Sid Baptista, Founder & CEO, PYNRS Performance Streetwear
Jess Meher, CEO & Co-founder, Wonderment
Moderator:
Tom Wentworth, Chief Marketing Officer, Recorded Future
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM | White Elephant Harborside
Networking Break
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | White Elephant Harborside
BREAKOUTS: ROUND 2
D. Let's Advance Our Thinking on Supporting Diverse Founders and Building More Diverse Ecosystems
Location: Sunroom
Speakers:
Kristen Craft, Vice President, Business Partner Manager, Fidelity Investments
Renata Merino, Venture Capitalist; Founder Blazin Babes
Alicia Tulsee, CEO, Moxie Srubs
Moderator:
Cait Brumme, CEO, MassChallenge
E. Launching Successful Hardware Companies
Location: Ivory Room
Speaker:
Matt Blodgett, Founder and General Partner, Praxis Ventures
Sampriti Bhattacharyya, PhD, Co-founder & CEO, Navier
Davide Martini, CEO, Inkbit Corporation
Moderator:
Marina Hatsopoulos, Board Chair, Levitronix Technologies
F. What Metrics Should Founders and Funders Be Focused on Right Now?
Location: Sun Deck
Discussion Leaders:
Alfred Griffin, CEO and Co-founder, LightForce
Scott Savitz, Managing Partner, Data Point Capital
Allison Swope, Partner, HNVR
Moderator:
Rob Biederman, Managing Partner, Asymmetric
4:15 PM - 5:30 PM | Meet at White Elephant Hotel bike racks
Bike with Friends
4:15 PM - 5:30 PM | Meet at White Elephant Hotel porch
Downtown Walking Tour with Discover Nantucket Tours
4:15 PM - 5:30 PM | Meet at White Elephant Hotel Sunroom
Chocolate Tasting with Nantucket Faraway Chocolates
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM | White Elephant Harborside: Deck and Lawn
Reception
Friday, September 29th
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM | White Elephant Conference Center
Registration and Information Desk Open
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | White Elephant Conference Center
Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM | White Elephant Conference Center: Ballroom A
Mainstage Session: What's Next: Mapping Out the AI Revolution
Speaker:
Paul Liberman, Co-Founder, DraftKings
Rob May, Founder and CEO, Nova AI
Rudina Seseri, Founder and Managing Partner, Glasswing Ventures
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM | White Elephant Conference Center
Networking Break
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM | White Elephant Conference Center: Ballroom A
Mainstage Session: Founders on Culture, Team + Funding
Speakers:
Stefania Mallett, Co-Founder, ezCater
Bruce Smith, Founder and CEO, Hydrow
Moderator:
Travis Drouin, Partner, Baker Tilly
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM | White Elephant Conference Center
Networking Break
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | White Elephant Conference Center: Ballroom A
Mainstage Session: What Keeps Massachusetts Competitive
Speakers:
Yvonne Hao, Secretary of Economic Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Elias Torres, Founder & CTO, Drift
Moderator:
Rebecca Liebman, Co-founder and CEO, LearnLux
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM | White Elephant Harborside: Terrace
LUNCH
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM | White Elephant Harborside
LUNCH DISCUSSIONS
Going Public + Being Public
Location: Ivory Room
Speakers:
Paul Liberman, Co-Founder, DraftKings
John Traynor, President, Cambridge Trust Wealth Management of Connecticut
View from Beacon Hill: Policy Issues & the Innovation Economy
Location: Sunroom
Speaker:
Barry Finegold, State Senator, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Moderator:
Sara Fraim, CEO, Mass Leadership Technology Council
1:15 PM - 1:30 PM
Walk over to White Elephant Conference Center
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM | White Elephant Conference Center
BREAKOUTS: ROUND 3
G. New Wrinkles in Growth Stage Investing
Location: Ballroom B
Speakers:
Kelly Ford, Growth Equity Investor, Edison Partners
Mark Crane, Partner, General Catalyst
Moderator:
Andy Gilbert, Partner, DLA Piper
H. Shaping Great Products
Location: Boardroom
Speakers:
Meghan Joyce, CEO, Duckbill
Caroline Sherman, Vice President, Product Management, Salesforce
Moderator:
Caitlin Hodge, Founder and CEO, FeMMA
I. From Intention to Impact: A Discussion About What You Can Do Next on DEI
Location: White Elephant Conference Center Lawn
Speaker:
Malia Lazu, CEO. The Lazu Group
Moderator:
Dave Richard, CEO, Big Fish PR
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM | White Elephant Conference Center
Networking Break
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM | White Elephant Conference Center
BREAKOUTS: ROUND 4
J. What's Next: Startups, Investing, Black Swan Events, and Global Dynamics
Location: Ballroom B
Speakers:
Semyon Dukach, Managing Partner, One Way Ventures
Barry Finegold, State Senator, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Sara Fraim, CEO, Mass Technology Leadership Council
Moderator:
Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe Columnist
K. Closing Deals: Insights on Sales and BizDev
Location: Boardroom
Speakers:
Andres Rico, Founder & CEO, ttt Networking
Natasha Holmes, PsyD, Founder and CEO, And Still We Rise
Moderator:
Derrick Duplessy, Founder, Duplessy Foundation
4:15 PM - 5:00 PM | White Elephant Harborside: Brant Point Grill Bar
Meet-Up for Post Conference Conversations
*Agenda subject to change
**White Elephant Resorts conference locations are within a 5-10 minute of one another:
White Elephant Harborside: 50 Easton Street
White Elephant Conference Center: 19 North Water Street