Don Dodge is a Developer Advocate at Google helping developers build new applications on Google platforms and technologies. Prior to joining Google Don was a startup evangelist at Microsoft. Don is also a veteran of five start-ups including Forte Software, AltaVista, Napster, Bowstreet, and Groove Networks. Don has been in the software business for more than 25 years. He started his software career with Digital Equipment, aka DEC, in the database group. He was part of the leadership team of five software start-ups. Forte Software was the first multiplatform object oriented development environment. AltaVista was the first search engine on…
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Rami Essaid is the CEO and Co-Founder of Distil Inc, the first cloud solution to block bots and stop web scraping. With over 11 years in communications, network security, and infrastructure management, Rami has advised enterprise companies around the world, helping them embrace the cloud to improve their scalability and reliability while maintaining a high level of security. Rami attended North Carolina State University where he majored in computer engineering, while simultaneously launching his first mobile communications start-up Post-college, Rami successfully exited that first start-up and has gone on to help start-ups and businesses advance the innovation and security of…
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John Frankel has been an early-stage venture investor since 1999. He worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co. for 21 years in a variety of roles that involved technology development, reengineering, and capital markets. He started his business career with Arthur Anderson & Co. in the audit and insolvency divisions. John was one of the earliest investors in Quigo Technologies and in Cornerstone OnDemand. He has also served and/or now serves on the boards of 500px, Apparel Media Group, Alerts.com, ClearPath Immigration, Infochimps, Klout, Patents.com, Phone.com, Quigo Technologies, StrongTech, The Goldman Sachs Trust Company, Track.com, and Voxy. He is also a…
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Aziz Gilani has spent the past 15 years focused on software and the internet. Prior to joining Mercury Fund, Aziz was a Senior Engagement Leader with Infosys Consulting, a founding executive at ABB Performance Services, a Senior Consultant at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, and an Analyst at Lotus Development Corp. Aziz received his BBA from the University of Texas where he was a TILF Scholar, and his MBA from Northwestern University where he was an FC Austin Scholar. In addition, Aziz is a graduate of the Kauffman Fellows Program where he completed industry-defining field work in Seed Accelerators. Aziz…
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Nicole got her entrepreneurial start in the 4th grade, orchestrating cousins into theatrical plays and charging neighbors admission. From there, she founded three startups including PropertyManagementShop.com, all of which are still operating. She has spent nearly a decade working to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Colorado through leadership roles at various organizations and incubators such as CTEK, Investor Avenue, CleanLaunch, and the Advance Colorado Center. She considers herself privileged to have worked with nearly 100 brilliant and gutsy seed-stage web software entrepreneurs. Nicole graduated with her Master’s Degree from the University of Florida, likes to do at least one philanthropic…
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Balaji Gopinath is currently the Vice President of Emerging Technology with the Audience & Multi-Platform Technologies (AMPT) group for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.). Over the last twenty years, Balaji has worked with leading media and entertainment companies leading their digital initiatives, has held global roles as a GM, SVP of Product and Consumer Experience at both private and public companies; and has previously worked at CTP, Scient, NCR, Delivery Agent, and Nike and was instrumental in helping launch Hotwire.com and Sephora.com among others. He is a startup junkie, has been a founding member of several companies, is an…
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