is the VP of Sales for PIXO VR, an Enterprise VR Training company based in Royal Oak, MI. Erica has held senior sales roles for several early and growth-stage technology companies, with a focus on SaaS applications. She has successfully designed and implemented sales strategies leading to millions of dollars in recurring revenue.
For Katies first entrepreneur effort, she led and owned Sterling Resumes as a freelance technical and professional writer. As an American Patriot, her passion was to help employ the unemployed.
Responsible for leading inGAGE™, Inforums strategy to position Michigan as the Midwest hub for high-growth women entrepreneurs. The approach delivers programs to increase the number of women angel investors in Michigan; provides women access to our network of investors and advisors, guides women through the process of commercializing technology and assists emerging second-stage companies in identifying and seizing new market opportunities, enabling them to scale.
Collectively, since 2012, 100 women have participated in the first eight inGAGE™ cohorts, those women have incorporated 41 new companies, created 384 new jobs, and have been granted 35 new patents. Furthermore, Inforum has provided support to assist women entrepreneurs raise more than $41.8M in new capital, and over $9.1M in government contracts.
Mcity Deputy Director Carrie Morton oversees day-to-day operations of Mcity, the University of Michigans public-private partnership devoted to advancing the development of connected and automated vehicles. She is actively involved in supporting strategy development and execution, and fosters collaboration among Mcitys industry, government and academic partners. Prior to joining Mcity, Morton served a dual role at the University of Michigan Energy Institute. As director of business development, she helped broaden industrial relationships with energy faculty. Morton also served as assistant director for collaboration and industry outreach for the US-China Clean Energy Research Center CleanVehicle Consortium. Morton joined the university in 2011 after more than a decade in the automotive industry, primarily with the Robert Bosch Corporation. In her last role at Bosch, she was manager of government projects and responsible for leading all publicly funded research projects, with a focus on engine combustion. Morton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Engineering degree in Automotive Engineering, both from the University of Michigan.
You will have opportunities to meet customers, and build professional relationships. IoT Tech Connect is a vital inclusion to your marketing campaign. Reach out now to determine what opportunities are available for you and your team to join other IoT leaders at Michigans largest IoT event of the year!
Plus: Enjoy Drone and Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Demonstrations!
Spectalite, a women owned Advanced Engineering and Materials manufacturer, has found a way to incorporate bamboo fibers into plastics or starch based resins, to create sustainable, eco-friendly, light weight, strong and durable, cost effective composite plastic material that can be used in packaging and other applications, to reduce or eliminate the use of plastics.
David is Managing Partner of mirari () a 3D Interactive content studio. Since 2000, he has assisted intelligent Agencies, Brands and Enterprise clients apply 3D, emerging and digital transformation technologies, products and services.He is also the Co-President of VRARA Detroit, () the global VR AR Association resource.
IoT Tech Connect will provide the perfect place to launch a new product or service, make your mark as a thought leader in IoT, build up your brand in the eyes of your target market, and most importantly, gain an advantage over your competitors.
Mahmoud Moody Mattan is a serial entrepreneur and CEO of BrandVR, a full-service AR/VR platform for businesses. Prior to BrandVR, Mr. Mattan founded PowisVR, where he built a multi-million dollar virtual reality headset and mobile accessories business. Before that, he led investments in Meta, Sidecar, and Genius (formerly Rap Genius) at Fenox Venture Capital. With a background in venture capital, business development, and marketing, Mr. Mattan specializes in finding profitable strategies for emerging technologies. A former Wayne State University football player, Mr. Mattan recently moved back to Detroit to strengthen the tech community and play a role in the citys resurgence.
Since 2012, he has applied his knowledge of VR and immersive technologies, along with mobile, to focus solely on augmented reality, most recently as PTCs Director of AR Content for Vuforia Studio.
IoT TechConnect will feature content tracks to provide attendees with greater familiarity about the opportunities and threats posed by IoT. More and more devices are connecting to the Internet, so making sure they do not become a gateway for hackers to crack home, office and even autonomous vehicle computer networks is critical.
Passionate about strengthening and diversifying the entrepreneurial eco-system in Southeast Michigan, Tember utilizes her skills, experience and sphere of influence to transform and connect the community around her.
In her community life, Ms. Norton-Schock served as vice president, marketing, for theMichigan Council of Women in Technology, and is still active in MCWT. She is also the co-founder ofDiva Tech Talk,producing podcasts to inspire more female participation in technology; and is a frequent guest on both theM2 TechCastand theInternet Advisor Showon WJR Radio.
may have been a pterodactyl. In this life he has spent the last 20+ years coding and solving problems. With that experience and his love of teaching, he has been able to help clients and peers create and amaze in a variety of mediums. When Adam isnt bringing immersive worlds to life, teaching others, or thinking about dinosaurs and sharks, he can be found spending time with his family and rapping. If you do one thing this entire conference you should find Adam and give him a high five.
Prior to leading the inGAGE™ program, Tember led Inforums statewide membership cultivation and engagement strategy for more than 2,000 members and 80 companies. Facilitated continued learning and strategic connections for members using a variety of methods including social media, affinity groups, large speaker events, leadership development courses and strategic introductions.
Kyyba Innovations is a global accelerator and collaboration eco-system that provides innovators and entrepreneurs the environment to enable their ideas to become reality. Mentoring and guidance from world-renowned experts Business Case Development Customer Strategy and Offer development Product Development Organization Development Investor Identification and Funding Intellectual Intellectual Property, legal and company information assistance Market Validation.
Ro Guptais the CEO and Co-founder of CARMERA, the street-level intelligence platform specializing in high-definition mapping for autonomous vehicles. Before CARMERA, he created data products and helped grow commenting network, Disqus, to 2 billion users. Prior to that, he held business development roles at Disney, and strategic advisory roles for Fortune 500s and NGOs in the US, South America and Africa. Ro studied Civil Engineering and Transportation at Princeton and received an MBA from Northwestern. He was born in India and lives in Brooklyn with his family.
Heading LivePicture, Couch formed alliances with supplier/partners such as NVIDIA, Intel, Samsung and LG. His company has partnered with dozens of companies to bring their stories to life in a trade show or conference setting, including: WEDOO, Automation Alley, RCO Engineering, Summit Environmental Services and 5-Hour Energy. LivePicture enjoys membership in the Southfield Chamber of Commerce, Women in Defense (WID) and VRARA-Detroit Chapter, a global association for members working with Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality, where Couch was recently elected Vice President.
Yousuf Taufiqhas more than a decade of engineering and management experience in the field of ITS and Connected/Automated Vehicles. He holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan Dearborn and an EMBA from Michigan State University. Taufiq leads the WSP ITS practice for Michigan, providing expertise to road agencies to help improve safety, operations and mobility of the transportation system in Southeast Michigan. Taufiq is the current President/Chair of the Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) of Michigan and is the Secretary for the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) Mentoring program in Michigan.
Kylee was a University Fellow at Eastern Michigan University, where she studied Management. She lives in Michigan with her amazing husband and enjoys learning foreign languages, traveling and margaritas.
Start-ups are in Kathleens DNA. She co-foundedContractors Central,which she expanded in 27 months, then sold. Earlier, she was on the start-up teams for bothExxon Office SystemsandDictaphone, the computer subsidiary of Pitney Bowes. She began her career at breakthrough technology think tankQuantum Science Corp. in New York City.
Lori is a 4 time Ironman Finisher, 50K Ultra Marathon finisher and an Ohio University Division 1 Volleyball Player. She has also combined her love of travel and by completing some of the worlds most challenging hikes from Everest Base Camp (Nepal), Routeburn Track (New Zealand), and the Inca Trail (Peru). Lori is an active member at the Detroit Athletic Club as a Board Member of the Fitness Club, Technology Committee member, Special Events Committee and Mentor for Future DAC Leaders.
moved to Grand Rapids to work for Spectrum Health four years ago. She started in information technology, where she was the lead business analyst on various innovative products to benefit Spectrum Healths patients. One of her products she led was MedNow. Since MedNow Apps release in September 2017, she has continued to work for MedNow as their project and communication specialist at Spectrum Health.
Ryan Latourette has been flying UAS since 2013. His work has been featured on Good Morning America and ABC Nightly News, and hangs in the State Capitol Building as well as the Governors Executive Offices. Combining his passion for technology, photography, and law, Ryan has been an advocate for drones and expanding their uses while driving for public acceptance and incorporation of the technology in a multitude of industries. He is a member of the Drone Pilots Association, DUGN, USUAV, and NODE. Ryan lives in Grand Ledge, Michigan with his wife, two daughters, and more than a dozen drones.
Panelist: Carrie Morton,Deputy Director Mcity, University of MichiganBIO
She has delivered fully-integrated marketing campaigns toInfor, Solidworksand agencies (Arzika,andOnset Marketing LLC). In the non-profit arena, she was Director of Membership Marketing forand is the co-founder ofardentCause L3C, Michigans first L3C, delivering non-profit software.
Christine loves to focus on her health and wellness by participating in work out programs, running and partaking in race events.
High-Tech Entrepreneur and Executive
Panelist: Daniel Morris,Canvas, Professor Michigan State University.
With an incredible passion for augmented and virtual reality,has been involved in the technologys production and development for over 20 years. Focused on emerging technologies, he started his career at the EDS Virtual Reality Center with some of the largest manufacturers in the world, including GM, Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi. While living in San Diego, Mr. Pitser became a key innovator in the development of mobile games for brands such as Lucas Arts, Pixar, Nickelodeon and more. As a veteran of the mobile industry, Mr. Pitser was involved in the initial launch of apps on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. His development experience spans the world, with products developed and sold in North and South America, Japan, Korea, China, Australia and all of Europe.
, the flagship magazine of SAE International. He also produces SAEs Eye on Engineering podcast, aired weekly on Detroits WJR 760-AM.
She graduated from Army flight school, Army Aviation Safety School, the Defense Language Institute, holds a Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics from Embry Ridge Aeronautical University, and an Associate of Arts in Foreign Language.
David Palmer is the Senior Director for Strategies & Partnerships at the Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN) for Southeast Michigan. His work is focused on supporting WINs occupational cluster strategy in southeast Michigan for the areas of Advanced Manufacturing, Connected & Autonomous Vehicles, Information Technology and other sectors important to the Detroit labor shed. He supports numerous WIN initiatives including Opportunity Detroit Tech, Apprenti, MAGMA, ExperienceIT Detroit, and MI Bright Future. He also acts as the lead staff for Advance Michigan, which has helped bring over $40 million in federal investments to partner organizations in the region since June, 2014.
Build Institute, is an inclusive innovation hub, idea activator and small business accelerator focused on access and equity for all Detroiters. As a network of grassroots programs we assist people in turning in their project or business ideas into a reality by providing the necessary tools, resources education, and support network to get started and thrive. We believe local independently owned small businesses are the backbone of our city by creating jobs, keeping wealth and ownership in our community, redeveloping commercial corridors and neighborhoods, and preserving our culture.
John Muhs focuses his practice on corporate transactional and securities matters. He advises privately-held and publicly-traded companies on matters of business formation, corporate governance, joint ventures, capital raising, and commercial contracting. In mergers and acquisitions, John has experience on the buy- and sell-side of financial and strategic transactions involving middle-market companies.
Connect with some of Southeast Michigans IoT industry leaders over hors doeuvres and drinks. Co-sponsored by Warner Norcross + Judd and Comcast Business.
As a primary underwriter of medical malpractice insurance for 30 years I have always been involved in evaluating emerging healthcare technology and its impact on patient care and the associated risk factors. Along the way healthcare technology interests overtook my underwriting focus and led me to develop a healthcare technology consulting practice. Ive immersed myself and been exposed to world class technology and its integration. I love helping providers and hospitals practice medicine in the safest and most progressive way possible. I owe a great deal to organizations like MTAM, MSHRM, ASHRM, HIMSS, and AAHCM for the priceless education Ive received through the years as a member, speaker, and contributor.
She has been marketing director forCA Technologies; president ofTelecorp Products Inc; and global product line director of a $150 million-plus integrated worldwide product line atUnisys(the first woman to serve at that level at Unisys)
Kelly Hollingsworth is dually focused in the general business and information technology industries. Her wide-spread knowledge spans from entity formation and mergers and acquisitions to commercial contracting and technology procurement and licensing. Kelly is proficient in cloud-based hosting solutions and data privacy issues, giving her practice a specialty focus.
Before moving to Michigan in 1996, Tember spent twenty years as a regional operations director for various womens retail, clothing, swimwear and salon chains. She has lived and worked across the country, including Washington, D.C., Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City, before making Michigan and metro Detroit her permanent home.
IoT Tech Connect has been developed as an unbiased gathering where companies, institutions, associations, and professionals can network, show off their products and services, and become educated on Internet of Things, M2M, and Autonomous Vehicles. There are 60 sponsors and exhibitors expected. A thousand plus attendees will be coming to hear from industry thought leaders during our keynotes and breakout sessions. Media outlets of all kinds will be tightly focused on the event.
April was a founding team member of D:hive, where she was Director of Small Business Initiatives and helped launch the Build program. She is also the co-creator of a number of grass-roots ventures including the award-winning family Hootenanny kids concert series and CD, the critically acclaimed Indonesian pop-up restaurant Komodo Kitchen and the all mom rock band The Mydols- featured on the Cable television series Gene Simmons Family Jewels. She sits on the board of Kiva Detroit international micro lending program, the advisory board for Ponyride, Detroits premiere maker and small scale manufacturing space and The Flag Star Bank Pontiacs Big Idea Grant Program advisory council.
Panelist:Ro Gupta,CEO and Co-founder of CARMERABIO
David is a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Detroit Economic Club. He is currently a member of the SEMCOG Transportation Coordinating Council and serves on the Wayne State University Computer Science Advisory Board.
Tember Shea, Inforum Michigan, Director inGAGE™
Outsourced Sales Management Services
Mr. Steudle is a graduate of Lawrence Technological Univers
She is also co-owner and investor in Gold Cash Gold, the building and restaurant, in Corktown. April is married to Model D Co-founder Brian Boyle and is the mother of three amazing boys Carter, Gram Henry and Rowen.
is the CEO of Spectalite, an entrepreneur and self-proclaimed green little hippie since birth. Shes passionate about finding environmentally friendlier solutions to everyday issues involving sustainability.
Teresas been involved with technology companies for almost 25 years. During her 15 years at Cisco, she managed boutique and large national channel partners as well as a global team for one of the automotive OEMs. In addition to being an award winning contributor during her Cisco tenure, she also provided sales leadership value to smaller companies and teams.
is a publisher, photographer, editor and one of the worlds most widely published automotive journalists whose work appears in a wide range of print, broadcast and electronic outlets, including The Economist, NBC News, NPR, Cigar Aficionado, The Detroit News and many others. He was declared a Pioneer of the Internet, by J.D. Power and Associates, among the first to publish an automotive website and today runs , an auto news site. Hes a North American Car and Truck of the Year juror, an advisor to the Automotive Hall of Fame, and a board member and past president of the Automotive Press Association.
Stephen Couchman (Couch), is President/CEO of LivePicture an experiential marketing company, as well as STEAMBOX Educational Services, a state-of-the-art employee training and apprenticeship system.
She recently started Outsourced Sales Management Services which provides part time sales management support for small business that are struggling to grow an integrated marketing and sales operation. Always looking for ways to give back, Teresa is active with Inforum and is a MTAM Mobile Monday Organizer.
Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) since 2006, oversees MDOTs over four billion dollar budget, and is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and operation of nearly 10,000 miles of state highways and more than 4,000 state highway bridges at a department with 2,500 employees. He also oversees administration of a variety of multi-modal transportation programs and projects.
Katies family motto is Never Give Up. She and her husband, Mark, raise their own army of seven children in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Carrie Morton, Deputy Director Mcity, University of Michigan
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the Mediterranean Room
Founder and Executive Director, Build Institute
Lori has spoken at the Womens Convention, Social Media Week & Detroit Start-up Week on topics ranging from the social impact and trends in the fashion industry to creating a social movement by following the passions and taking risks. Whim has been featured in the Crains Small Business blog and is part of a local movement to expand Detroits fashion, tech and sustainability innovation.
Steudle is a national leader in the development of Connected and Automated Vehicle Technologies, and was the 2014-2015 Chair for the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) Board of Directors. He also is a member of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Program Advisory Committee to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Steudle is a Past President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and Chairs the Standing Committee on Highways. He was a 2014 member of the National Research Council for the National Academy of Science and the 2014 Chair of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee. He also chaired the second Strategic Highway Research Program Oversight Committee (SHRP 2) for TRB. As well as a member of numerous NCHRP panels and committees on asset and performance management.
Nancy previously founded and/or led products for 10 successful startups with 8 exits using a unique, integrated approach to company and market development, including raising 12 rounds of venture funding. Nancy led Asurion Mobile Applications as VP of Engineering, serving 100+ million users of her teams mobile data cloud services. By the time she left, she lead the team that supported Asurion mobile apps on every US carrier, every phone.
She currently serves on the Community Board of Bamboo Detroit and the Forbes Nonprofit Council. She interviews women entrepreneurs monthly on the M2 TechCast with hosts Mike Brannan and Matt Roush, and is active within the entrepreneurial eco-system in Michigan.
Brooke has written extensively about vehicle technology, development and manufacturing for 35 years. His work has also appeared inThe New York Times,Car and Driver, Popular Scienceand other periodicals and he has authored five books covering automotive and motorcycle topics. He is a member of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year jury.
Mrs. Bigelow served her country as a soldier for more than 10 years. As an Army Aviator, she piloted and commanded missions in Korea and Iraq as well as the United States. Katie spent the bulk of her aviation career as a medical evacuation pilot. It was an honor and privilege to carry injured American heroes from the battlefield to safety.
is the Founder of Whim, a technology consultancy that designs and implements leading edge digital platforms and operating models mobile apps supporting the future of how organizations will engage customers. Before launching Whim, Lori was a Director with one of the largest global professional services firms responsible for implementing enterprise and cloud-based solutions for Fortune 500 companies in the automotive, technology, consumer products and industrial products sectors.
TROY, Mich. Michigan Science Center President and CEO Dr.will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies for IoT TechConnect on April 4 at the Troy Marriott. This one-day event will focus on Internet of Things (IoT) companies, experts and training in Michigan. PlanetM, an initiative of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., is the title sponsor.
Nancy brings over 25+ years of startup experience to the role of co-founder of Phinance.co Prior, Nancy was the first Ehrenberg Director of Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan, School of Information. She designed the program to inspire and support all students to pursue at least one passion-led, self-directed innovation project during their academic tenure (PLSDIP please-dip). Besides entrepreneurial classes and treks, Nancy created the UX Design and Software Prototyping Clinics, staffed by students, to support community innovators. Nancy also served as co-director of the newly launched Lenovo Innovation Co+Lab.
Brian litigates disputes and counsels clients in a wide range of commercial and intellectual property matters. He has developed a particular focus in matters of creative expression, commercial identity and privacy, which spans the legal doctrines of copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity rights, advertising, journalism and related fields.
Co-Founder , Technical Consultant, Invest Michigan
has 30-plus years in global & national P&L management and marketing leadership, from Fortune 1000 to entrepreneurial ventures. Her current focus, through her marketing consultancy (is working with women leaders in large corporations, who need marketing supplementation; and directly with young companies, who have the need for marketing services. She is particularly interested in strengthening organizational diversity and fostering innovation.
is the founder of Mettle Ops. With the vision of Warfighters Serving Warfighters, this defense contracting company focuses on three primary competencies including program management, engineering, and business development. Katie launched her business in 2013 and now holds over $13M in contracts that focus on materials and solutions for soldier survivability. Her nontraditional approach continues to redefine the government defense space.
Nancys product development methodology has generated three case studies at the Harvard Business School. Her leadership in product strategy and development contributed to Firefly, the first online web community site, a spin out of the MIT Media Laboratory, purchased by Microsoft; Wildfire, first voice-based personal, mobile, voice-based assistant, purchased by Orange; Component Software, as co-founder, was folded into Sun to become what is Java today; and On Technology, developers of the first group scheduling application, Meeting Maker as well as a successful public company, later purchased by Symantec. Nancy holds an M.S.E. and a B.S.E. Magna Cum Laude in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan.