Blair Dodson’s Post

Should be a good session!

By popular demand, I'm sharing the list of all tech events in Toronto for May here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eQc5yhjY Whether you're looking to learn from the best founders in the city, getting introduced to your next lead investor, hoping to land that next tech role, or just hang out with some of the coolest people changing the world, with over 130+ tech events on the list, there's bound to be something for you! My recommendations for events coming up? 1. Start with Toronto Tech Fest's exclusive Opening Gala experience (formal wear, food, drink, speakers, and secret passwords 🤫) 90% of all tickets sold, grab the last ones before they're gone! https://lu.ma/TTFGALA 2. Come see what people in the city are building at Demos Only! with Google. If you think you have the chops, sign up to demo what you're building yourself! https://lu.ma/qkmyfpyp 3. 6 of the top female founders will be battling it out at the Woman Founder Pitch Battle at the 6six. Signups are still live and pitching slots are open for women founders currently building their businesses. https://lu.ma/he8edd0d 4. Close out the week with a 1000+ person Founder Rooftop Mixer Party at Lavelle. This is shaping up to be the biggest startup gathering of the season, with an opportunity to meet, mingle, and learn with top founders, investors, operators, and business executives from across the tech space. https://lu.ma/b7jlqx2w If the list was helpful, please consider dropping me a like 👍 and helping to repost 🪃! Mell Truong Frank Chen Eric Lay Parry Chan Arda Erturk Victor Ou Oliver X. ✨ Interested in more events in May? Check out lu.ma/torontotechfest for a whole month of amazing May tech events in Toronto! 👉 Got questions on the hottest tech events? Chat with us and stay in the know: lnkd.in/gNiWyJXv 📣 Want a list of all the tech events happening this month in Toronto? Click below 👇

📢We just wrapped up a planning call for the upcoming NY Tech Week - with Dell Technologies, citizenM hotels, NVIDIA, Intel Corporation! #bettertogether - If you're in the area, you don't want to miss it. 👉Register here: https://lu.ma/njsf6pzr - and there may be a line, so try to come early! Here's the lineup of our panelists: Blair Dodson, VP Global Head of Partnerships CitizenM. Mark Castleman, Managing Director at Intel Ignite. Chris Brown, Program Manager, Nvidia Inception. and of course, myself, Program Manager, Dell for Startups. 🤝Community and Collaboration First! Why is collaboration such a big deal for us? In the corporate world supporting startups, we often operate with very lean teams with massive scopes of work. So for us to drive real innovation and results, especially in the startup ecosystem, we lean heavily on our external partners, peers, mentors, and startups. Our goal? Create more connected ecosystems, provide better solutions, discover new options, and innovate on how we can get things done! #NYTechWeek #Innovation #Startups #DellTechnologies #NVIDIA #Intel #iwork4dell

The one thing that comes up in almost every conversation I have with investors and founders is how the situation in Israel is impacting the ecosystem. Since it's on everyone's mind, we've decided to go and ask founders and gauge their sentiment on how the war has impacted them, their companies, and the ecosystem. The results showed us what many of us already felt. The war has changed plans for about 80% of companies, and almost half had commercial progress slow down due to the war. You can see the full results here: https://lnkd.in/d67vYBDk I'd like to thank our friends from Intel Ignite (Alon Leibovich and Roni Sendik Shoham) and Samsung Next (Eyal Miller, Avigail Levine, and Shira Hadas Nakar), as well as Yuval Passov, Yossi Melamed, Chen Kamin, Darya Wertheim and Roni Bonjack for helping us make sure we get a proper representation across the ecosystem.

【New York Tech Week】A Synergy of Technology, Finance, and Art I've been attending a16z's Tech Week for several years, and it has been an enriching journey of professional growth. Transitioning from being an introvert to becoming a confident networker, and from struggling to gain entry to events to receiving invitations to exclusive dinners, has been an incredible experience. 🎉 Upon arrival on the first day, I headed straight to the first demo day, bringing the relaxed, innovative spirit of Bay Area demos. Following this, I attended an AWS event, which had a substantial queue, prompting me to attend a family office event instead. This event was particularly engaging, featuring an Asian investor who shared his inspiring journey from washing dishes in a restaurant to launching his own successful venture. The venue was crowded with investors and family offices, creating a dynamic atmosphere at the Galaxy Foundation’s public space. The evening featured a16z's opening party, where the vibrant energy of New York stood out compared to LA. 🥳 The second day was dedicated to the afternoon sessions, where I attended Techstars' demo day at NYU Auditorium. The high-quality projects showcased were impressive. I was particularly captivated by a presentation from a female entrepreneur behind the tech fashion brand, iambic. Her presentation was emotionally engaging, logically structured, and highly effective. 👏 On the third day, I visited Professor Kevin Chen at his office in New York. He was exceptionally accommodating and, interestingly, a social media influencer on Weibo. 😎 In the evening, I was invited to an omakase dinner organized by AWS x Afore Capital for entrepreneurs. I discovered that Afore is a fund focused on early-stage startups with a dedicated team of just five people. The event organizer, jack mcclelland displayed remarkable humility, personally connecting with every attendee. His approach was truly inspirational. 🤝 The convergence of financial leaders, tech innovators, and artistic talents created a hub of exceptional talent. The learning opportunities were immense, and the experience was thoroughly enjoyable. #TechWeek #NYCTech #a16z #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Networking #TechStars #AWS #AforeCapital #StartupLife

Sunday scaries, first cup of coffee edition. I spent the last week with startup founders and #aec innovation executives. Here are a few takeaways. 1. You can be great at storytelling, but you need to make sure that you actually have a compelling story to tell. 2. Build a Venn Diagram to understand what you true differentiator is.. start with yourself, then with your company. 3. Spend more time outside of industry events..I have been glowing this week from the NVIDIA Developer conference content. What was your key takeaways? 4. Miami is a fun city..not sure if I could live there. 5. Public Startup Pitches are tough. 6. “Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity. To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment. Would you capture it or just let it slip?” - who said this? 7. Focus, Forwardness and Follow Up from events. Focus on a few strong relationship, be forward with your "ask" and aggressively follow up from events. 8. How aggressive? When my kids played competitive soccer they got $50 for every yellow card and -$100 for every red card. Strive for yellow cards. 9. Shoutout to J. Jordan Wilson for being such a great resource to the #aec and startup community. 10. If you haven't watched the movie AIR, I highly recommend it. If you are a GenX person like me, the soundtrack is great an nostaligic. 11. What was the first concert that you went to? Mine was Rush.

I am delighted to announce that I will be the Facilitator of the brand new Founders Lounge this year Viva Technology 🤩 Along with Amazon Web Services (AWS), we are thrilled to present a dedicated Lounge for startups Founders and CEOs. This lounge will allow you to : - Meet with your peers 💃 - Grow your network 🕺 - Forge new collaborations 💡 - Participate in intimate sessions to pick the brains of other successful founders 🎙️ So if you want to know more, discover the program right now ! (Link in the comments👇)

🚀 Exciting Announcement for Tech Entrepreneurs in the Adriatics Region! 🚀 "The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine." - Nikola Tesla As Nikola Tesla said, embracing a forward-thinking startup mindset is key to carving our own future. Join us at the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Information Session, where we delve into the boundless possibilities that lie ahead for innovative minds in the Adriatics. I am thrilled to share that we are organizing a Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Information Session covering Serbia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo. Connecting with Venture Capital and Accelerator Programs in the region, sharing the offerings of Founders Hub, and exchanging insights with the brilliant minds of this beautiful geography is incredibly exciting. If you are a startup or part of a startup enabling organization in these countries, we warmly invite you to join our event. 📅 Event Details: Date: November 1st, Wednesday Time: 14:00 CET Platform: Microsoft Teams 📋 Agenda Snapshot: Overview of Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Program Unveiling the Benefits, Perks, and Features Q&A Session for Your Inquiries Networking Opportunities 🗓️ Save the Date! Mark your calendar for Wednesday, November 1, 2023, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM (GMT+01:00) as we explore the unparalleled advantages, expert guidance, and cutting-edge technology that Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub offers. Why Attend? This session is crafted to empower your startup with invaluable insights and resources for unparalleled growth. How to Register: Secure your attendance by clicking the registration link here: https://lnkd.in/dEw-PDt5. Seize this opportunity to elevate your startup journey! We eagerly anticipate your presence at the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Information Session in the Adriatics. Let's embark on this journey of growth and innovation together! 🚀 Ted Roduner Anat Gil Justin Alderson Stavrinos Kyriakou Katerina Kanteraki Milan Gospic Buket Nazlıcan Berkay Mimaroglu Onur Koc Cüneyt Batmaz #MicrosoftForStartups #AdriaticsEntrepreneurs #FoundersHub #Azure