Welcome back, I’m sure you have talk about eMERGE 2020 Chicago conference here. So what the heck is it you may be asking. This is a technology culture conference. Chicago has so many great components to make it a great technology hub,  but it has failed to really take off as a technology center. I think part of that is because of the cultural aspect.

Back during the dotcom boom, Chicago had a great technology culture, but after the crash, that kind of disappeared. In the valley, the roots of technology had taken hold, but here, they weren’t as deep and they got washed away in the crash.

But, the time is right again to regrow those roots and reconnect that community and to cross pollinate with the Valley. The goal of eMERGE 2020 is to help foster the culture of innovation and change. Chicago has all of the right pieces to nurture this, infrastructure, amazing universities, an international presence, great art, music and food, money and great talent. We have just never had the culture that brings this all together. In fact most big cities outside of the valley struggle with this.

The idea for eMERGE is a technology culture conference, where we bring some of the best VCs and most innovative companies from the Valley and elsewhere together with Chicago businesses and thought leaders. To find ways we can make each other better, discover new ideas and new ways of thinking.

My good friend Sandesh Patel [ridiculous shot of SP] and I Have been working on this for over a year, and I feel we have put together something really exciting. 

For those of you who are big fans of the HBO show Silicon Valley, We have Matt Ross, who plays Huli CEO Gavin Belson on the show, and for those of you who haven’t seen it, what’s wrong with you go watch it now. Matt is so much more than just the actor who plays Gavin Belson. He is an award winning writer and director, who wrote and directed Captain Fantastic, for which Viggo Mortensen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you really should see it as soon as possible.

The world of an independent filmmaker is the world of the startup, it requires innovation and determination as well as business sense and incredible tenacity to get your film produced and funded.

We have Bipul Sinha, who is a legendary VC with a golden touch. He was first money in at SnapChat, he was one of the founders of Nutanix, CEO of Rubrik, and Confluera. He is on several boards and in the middle of so much that is happening in technology today that it is just hard to list everything.

We have  Tom Fitzgerald Former CEO at AON and now President at QBE North America. Tom is a technology Savvy CEO and was instrumental in introducing technological change at AON and now QBE. He brings a business perspective to being a champion of change.

Last but not least, Doctor Rahul Sharma. We have all seen the pressures of this business, and all of the unhealthy behaviors that drives. Stress, loneliness, anxiety are all over the industry. Unhealthy lifestyles and the inability of so many people to find a proper work/life balance and the pressure that puts on family are pervasive throughout the industry. Rahul Sharma is gong to be there to bring some  perspective to everything.

And there is going to be entertainment. Chicago’s own Funkadesi will be performing their world beat magic of Indian, reggae, funk, and Afro-Caribbean grooves.

I also want to talk about gratitude. Gratitude to all of the Sponsors who are with us on this journey. This hand- picked group of companies leading the innovation charge are more than just a group of interesting companies, they are with us on this journey to elevate tech and to elevate ourselves. This is a group of companies that share our vision and are partners with us in bringing this event into existence. I will be doing some highlights on them in future videos.

But most of all, eMERGE is about making connections. Connections to other people in the community and to great companies and products. Everyone will get out of it what they put into it. This is a great opportunity to find new ways to do things, and it is a great opportunity for companies to get the kind of feedback on their products that will matter. Everybody wins.

This is going to be a one-of-a-kind tech culture conference and I can’t wait. Thanks for watching, and I hope to see you at eMERGE 2020 Chicago.