News
Board of director nominations open for 2021
Tech Titans is governed by a board of directors. The board approves the budget and all policy positions of the organization. Board members are expected to:attend quarterly meetings; recruit new members and assist with retention; understand, embrace and promote the Tech Titans vision and mission statements to both the membership and business community at-large; attend at least one Tech Titans committee meeting or event/luncheon per month; provide financial support by maintaining their company’s membership
Award finalists being announced this week
Prepping for our celebration of the Twenties 2.0, where changing times necessitate innovative solutions, the names of the finalists are being stagger released on the Tech Titans website and the Awards Gala Facebook page. Here are the finalists we've announced thus far:Technology Adopter Award Recognizes a company whose core business is not technology products/services for outstanding adoption and application of innovative technologies to successfully change and impact its business results.Anderson
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STEM video contest for students open
Tech Titans’ support of STEM continues to gain momentum. The 2020 STEM Video Contest, sponsored by State Farm, invites students to create a fun video around why they should be an engineer (middle schoolers) and the future of artificial intelligence (AI) for high schoolers. Reaching younger kids about how inspiring STEM paths will pay off for them and our community in the long run. This contest seeks to help fill the Tech Titans resource vault and provide professionals compelling content to use while
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New members in August
Thank you to the Tech Titans members who either joined or renewed their memberships in August. Our members are the lifeline of our organization and serve to make us stronger and more successful. We hope you will join us in welcoming these new members, doing business with them and referring other members to the Tech Titans organization. New members Champion's Circle InfoVision http://www.InfoVision.com Caldwell PartnersIrvinghttp://www.caldwellpartners.com FTI Belman,
Spotlight on Diodes
Diodes Incorporated (Nasdaq: DIOD), a Standard and Poor’s SmallCap 600 and Russell 3000 Index company, delivers high-quality semiconductor products to the world’s leading companies in the consumer electronics, computing, communications, industrial and automotive markets. The company has an expanded product portfolio of discrete, analog and mixed-signal products and leading-edge packaging technology. This broad range of application-specific solutions coupled with our solutions-focused sales and customer
Board member from GIACT makes EY finalist/ 95% YoY growth
Tech Titans board member, Melissa Townsley Solis, is a finalist for EY’s 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Southwest region. Melissa, along with GIACT co-founder Merlin Bise, chief technology officer, are among 40 finalists on the list from the professional services network EY. The Entrepreneur of the Year award programs recognize businesses in more than 145 cities and 60 countries. The winner of the Southwest region’s award, which will be announced virtually on Oct. 1, will be eligible for
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Cisco’s Webex bridging the gap to reach diverse students in STEM effort
Melinda Guravich, Staff Writer Empowering students from diverse backgrounds is a passion for Lymari Ames, a project delivery lead at Cisco Systems, Inc., who herself came from a Hispanic background. When she talks to students about STEM careers, Lymari tells them that her job is to break things and then fix them. Kids relate to her personal story which included entering college as an undeclared major, graduating with a degree in electrical engineering and working on the cutting-edge technology that we
UT Dallas knows STEM-love starts before the university level
by Melinda Guravich, staff writer “I cannot tell you how energized I am every time high school students come to the UTDesign Makerspace studio for a Tech Titans workshop, and every time I talk to kids about STEM careers,” said Rod Wetterskog, assistant dean of corporate relations for UT Dallas. Tech Titans’ STEM partnership with the Tier One university is essential to the success of the STEM initiative. Rod, an “engineering physics guy” by training and six-year member of the Talent Team, has hosted
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New members in May/June/July
Thank you to the Tech Titans members who either joined or renewed their memberships in May, June and July. Our members are the lifeline of our organization and serve to make us stronger and more successful. We hope you will join us in welcoming these new members, doing business with them and referring other members to the Tech Titans organization. New members Appian http://www.appian.com Cypress Growth CapitalDallashttp://www.cypressgrowthcapital.com Diodes
Podcast: Qorvo CEO James Klein
James Klein is president of infrastructure and defense products at Qorvo. Interviewed by Tech Titans’ President/CEO Bill Sproull, James talks about his background, Qorvo’s history, how Qorvo managed to keep their plants healthy even in China and the need to support STEM and diversity efforts.. Part of the discussion focuses on the importance of culture, leadership and the trust of the team. Access the podcast directly or through the Tech Titans podcast page. Transcript Bill Sproull 0:00 This is Bill
Volunteering at every career and life stage, even during a pandemic
by Melinda Guravich, STEM writer Lynn Mortensen is passionate about getting kids engaged with STEM. “If we don’t show them what they can be, especially girls and minority children, they often don’t have a clue.” While vice president of engineering at Raytheon, Lynn served as the company’s Tech Titans corporate representative. At retirement, she joined the newly formed STEM committee, committing her time and energy to inspiring a new generation of engineers from diverse backgrounds. She was recognized as
Collaborative workspace for changing needs: Venture X
Venture X Dallas Campbell Centre offers state-of-the-art flexible office space. The local franchise of Venture X is owned by Jason and Casi Bowers. “We enjoy engaging, collaborating and putting companies, teams and people together to create more opportunities for success,” said Jason. From community space to a dedicated desk to a private office for daily use, Venture X has multiple membership plans. There are even options for a team of employees or meeting rooms. Event space include customizable
Mark Cuban to judge 5G Grand Challenge; entrepreneurs connect with enterprise innovators
Entrepreneurs designing 5G-enabled solutions now can get feedback, recognition and up to $20K from Tech Titans and enterprises companies on the cutting edge. In a new Grand Challenge, entrepreneurs submit an application which will be judged by representatives of technology companies, such as AT&T, Argent Associates, Axxess, Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia and 2thedge. Celebrity judge Mark Cuban will be among the judges. Finalists will be showcased for a live/virtual pitch in front of a larger audience of companies
Podcast: world innovator cleans air of coronavirus
Yobie Benjamin is a world class innovator who is an active member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network and received their 2015 Technology Pioneer award. Benjamin was winner of a 2014 CNN Top 10 Technology Products award in augmented reality. He was the Global Chief Technology Officer for Citibank where he was was responsible for global money flows of $3 trillion to $9 trillion per day. He is also co-founder, advisor to several startups in the technology and synthetic biology space. Yobie talks about
Member profile: Appian
Welcome to Tech Titans’ newest member of the Champion’s Circle: Appian. The company was founded 20 years ago on the belief that talented and passionate people, given the power to be heard and the autonomy to excel, will deliver amazing results. Appian provides a low-code automation platform that accelerates the creation of high-impact business applications. Appian simplifies what it takes to turn great ideas into powerful business applications that deliver significant value. Area Vice President Jen
The Talent Team strikes back: STEM inspirations go digital
by Melinda Guravich, Tech Titans contributor Dave Galley, director of the STEM workforce initiatives for Tech Titans, was looking forward to the Talent Team’s biggest year yet in 2020: more events scheduled, in more schools for more kids and the launch of new events, all powered by a growing volunteer base and committed corporate sponsors. By the first week of March, volunteers had already logged a thousand-plus STEM inspirations for the year, for a total of nearly 15,000 since the initiative began.
Podcast: Bottle Rocket CEO Calvin Carter
Bottle Rocket is known for being innovative, thanks to the collaborative leadership of Founder & CEO Calvin Carter. The organization has been recognized locally for their leadership by Tech Titans in 2018 with its Emerging Company Innovation award and in 2019 with the Emerging Company CEO award for Calvin himself. During this podcast, Calvin talks about allowing employees to work from wherever, on top of their self-managed vacation plan. Calvin talks about connecting employees to a purpose, how an
Our peers of color make us better
No matter the shape or color,all pieces connect to create something great.At Tech Titans, we know that innovation doesn't follow a formula. Great ideas are sparked by diversity, the unexpected, and an inquisitive perspective. We value each person in our community.We are horrified by the death of George Floyd and send our condolences to his family.We support peaceful protesters and absolutely believe #BlackLivesMatter The persistence of racism, prejudice and privilege in our country is a
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New members in March/April
Thank you to the Tech Titans members who either joined or renewed their memberships in March and April. Our members are the lifeline of our organization and serve to make us stronger and more successful. We hope you will join us in welcoming these new members, doing business with them and referring other members to the Tech Titans organization. New members Children's Health Medical CenterDallas Alexey Koptsevich - Planohttp://hhware.com Solomon Israel CMIT Solutions of Dallas - White Rock
Introducing the Tech Titans STEM Challenge: Where students learn and earn
Students have gone virtual. So has the Tech Titans STEM initiative and our ongoing commitment to inspire students to choose STEM careers. Trying to learn from home represents so many challenges. For many North Texas students, increased food insecurity is exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. The Tech Titans STEM Challenge motivates middle and high school students to learn about STEM and earn $50 gift cards their families can use during this trying time, by researching and responding to the weekly questions.
Jeff Sandene: A finance guy talks about how tech forums benefit his business
A finance guy talks about how tech forums benefit his businessJeff Sandene, president of Sandene Strategies, LLCby Melinda Guravich Even if you’re not a full-time engineer at a tech company, Tech Titans can provide knowledge about where the profitable technologies will be tomorrow. Jeff Sandene is a certified financial planner (CFP) and technology enthusiast. He began attending monthly Tech Industry luncheons to stay on top of trends and developments. “I have several technology clients and wanted to be
Bill Ballard is your top connection for member services
Bill Ballard joins the Tech Titans team this year bringing more than 25 years of experience. He is taking over the VP of member services position from Drew Snow. “It’s been a whirlwind so far,” he said. “I am excited to be a part of this amazing team at Tech Titans as we work with North Texas technology companies during this challenging business climate.” He has more than 22 years of experience as a Dallas-based small-business owner and has spent the last three years building a successful start-up tech
Podcast: Tech Titans Chair Amy Wheelus with AT&T
Amy Wheelus acts as the CIO of AT&T’s broadband and video business. During the podcast, Amy talks about how AT&T plans for disasters, what she thinks the new normal will be after coronavirus and what innovation looks like. Amy also discusses her background and how that influences her ability to lead in a diverse but results-oriented environment. 30 minute podcast. Click to go to the page
Cisco solutions help customers quickly connect virtually
Virtual meeting has always been important, but never more so than today. Cisco's team of DFW employees has jumped in, helping customers with board meetings, virtual learning and remote work, including K-12, cities/counties, higher ed and healthcare. Tech Titans board member, Hakim Mehmood, vice president with Cisco Systems, shared how his company is helping. As the global workforce adjusts to working remotely, Cisco technology is securing more than 2.2 million people online, including those on the
A message from Tech Titans president about the coronavirus
Tech Titans is a professional connections organization in many respects through our events and networking. However, the health and safety of our members, staff and community is always a top priority. The coronavirus crisis presents a challenge to us all. Our hearts go out to those nearby and around the world who are affected by the virus. Like you, we are closely monitoring developments. Some of our scheduled events have been cancelled to accommodate our speakers and venue hosts. We hope to maintain
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UT Dallas' new engineering/CS dean talks industry's influence at Tech Industry Lunch
By Kim Horner, UTD Universities need greater involvement from industry to teach future engineers the skills they will need to tackle challenges such as climate change, cybersecurity, and providing food and clean water to a growing global population. That was the sentiment expressed by Dr. Stephanie G. Adams, dean of The University of Texas at Dallas’ Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, to an audience of North Texas technology leaders at a recent luncheon. “There are no clearly
Get to know the 2020 Tech Titans Executive Committee
Tech Titans’ executive committee is staffed by eight outstanding but diverse professionals in their field. Some are returning to the executive committee, while some are new. Besides Chair Amy Wheelus (AT&T), welcome Lisa Frey (State Farm), Vance McCollough (Moss Adams), Tad McIntosh (HumCap), Andrew Olowu (Axxess), Deborah Sawyer (ZRG Partners), Marianne Strobel (Nokia) and Barbara Baffer (Ericsson). Read a short bio on each.Chairman -- Amy Wheelus, VP – Cloud & D2 Platform & Integration, AT&TAmy Wheelus
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Chair Amy Wheelus values connections
An old slogan of AT&T was “reach out and touch someone.” A lot has changed since the ‘80s, but Amy Wheelus still embodies that metaphor. The Tech Titans board chair places high value on connections, both professionally and personally. Amy joined AT&T in 1990 after graduating from Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in industrial engineering. She currently is vice president of the Broadband and Video Systems group. “My badge has always said AT&T,” she said proudly, significant in an age of
Awards given in Tech Titans STEM video contest for high/middle schoolers
A reception to honor the winners of a high school middle school STEM video contest was held at sponsor State Farm’s CityLine on Feb. 13. The goal of the contest is to inspire both students who create the videos and other, often younger students, who will view the videos. At the same time, the videos provide professionals and educators compelling content to share with students about the benefits of choosing a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) track as they are educating themselves for a future
Championing the STEM cause: Lisa Frey, State Farm
By Melinda Guravich Corporate champions play a critical role in the success of Tech Titans’ STEM initiative by making the effort visible to others, creating connections to volunteers and getting executives to buy-in within their organizations. The Tech Titans corporate champion at State Farm is Agile Coach Lisa Frey. The company has been an active partner since 2014, when Lisa led the relocation of the IT team to Richardson from corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois.“The dark horse of
Robotics tourney coming to N. Texas, volunteers needed
Volunteers needed to support middle- and high-school competitions Teen-agers around the world are proving how cool robotics can be in the VEX Robotics Competition. In North Texas, volunteers are needed to judge and support regional and state competitions this spring. The VEX Robotics Competition, presented by Tech Titans member Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation, presents an engineering challenge in the form of a game. Classroom STEM concepts are put to the test and, in addition
Mitel employees serve up STEM inspiration
Written by Melinda Guravich Mitel employees around the world recently celebrated the company’s 46th anniversary by giving back on Mitel Serves Day. Employees from the company’s Plano headquarters spent the day providing STEM career inspiration–and pizza–during a Tech Titans panel presentation for 132 middle and high school students attending a STEM Coding camp at UT Dallas. Led by president and CEO Rich McBee, Mitel was the first corporate investor in the Tech Titans STEM workforce initiative. “We owe our
Panelists inspire kids toward STEM fields
Stand back, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé! Engineers are the new rock stars for middle school students attending Tech Titans’ “Successful Women in Technology” and “You Can Be an Engineer” panels. These engaging and diverse panelists are creating a sensation and inspiring kids from all backgrounds to imagine STEM careers of their own. It’s all part of the Tech Titans Talent Team’s initiative to inspire students to pursue STEM education in high school and beyond. To date, they’ve provided 10,000 STEM inspirations
Tech Titans creates hands-on activities during SMARTgirls STEM Camp
Tech Titans and Qorvo sponsored three days of SMARTgirls summer camp at Davis Intermediate in Wylie during the summer. The focus of the week-long camp was building awareness of STEM opportunities and careers among rising fifth, sixth and seventh grade girls. Thanks to the talent of several Tech Titans volunteers and the generous sponsorship of Qorvo, 29 girls learned about aerospace engineering, robotics, coding, electrical engineering and engineering design principles through presentations, exercises and
Wylie camp encourages girls to pursue STEM careers
Tech Titans recently hosted a STEM camp sponsored by the Wylie ISD Foundation and Girls in Tech, which included activities and tours at Qorvo’s Richardson plant. The four-day camp was created to get young girls excited about STEM. “The highlight of the camp for me was watching the girls in the activities and realizing they have what it takes to solve a real-world problem,” said Lymari Ames, volunteer and project manager at Cisco Systems. Students spent three days learning about various STEM fields by
Tech Titans STEM camp drives interest in tech fields
Tech Titans recently hosted one of their largest STEM camps of the summer at Coppell ISD’s Richard Lee Elementary School with the help of volunteers from member organizations such as AT&T and Ericsson. Students learned about the unique and exciting challenges that occur in STEM fields when designing an autonomous vehicle. “This is a really great opportunity to teach kids about all of the interesting [fields] in STEM,” said Dave Galley, director of STEM workforce initiatives at Tech Titans. Students were
Tech Titans Hall of Fame inductee announced
Digital telecom giant Jim Donald selected as 2014 inductee to Tech Titans Hall of Fame James (Jim) Lee Donald has been selected as The Metroplex Technology Business Council’s 2014 inductee to the MTBC Tech Titans Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes a technology visionary from the DFW Metroplex for outstanding leadership in assisting, advancing and accelerating the performance of the technology industry and/or adoption of technology in North Texas. These accomplishments must span more than one decade and
