Speakers

MiniTrends 2012: A Conference on Translating Emerging Trends into Business Opportunities

October 17-18, 2012, Omni Austin Hotel, Downtown, Austin, TX

MiniTrends 2012 Conference Chair - Dr. John H. Vanston, Chairman, Technology Futures, Inc.Conference Chair: Dr. John H. Vanston, Chairman, Technology Futures, Inc.
John founded TFI in 1978, building the Austin, Texas-based company into a leading authority in custom research and technology forecasting. His MiniTrends concept, designed to increase creativity, innovation, and success, is summarized in MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends. The book has received several Best Business Book awards and excellent reviews and endorsements.

Mintirends Keynote Speaker: David Pearce Snyder, Futurist and Contributing Editor, The FuturistKeynote Speaker: David Pearce Snyder, Consulting Futurist; The Snyder Family Enterprise, Contributing Editor, The Futurist
David has been in the forecasting business for over 30 years, during which he has built an impressive track record with a wide range of clientele, while compiling a multi million item data base of trends and projections. He has been Contributing Editor of The Futurist magazine for over a quarter century and given thousands of seminars on strategic thinking. David has edited/co-authored five books, and written hundreds of studies, articles and reports on the  future impacts of new technologies.

MiniTrends 2012, Keynote Speaker: Byron Reese, Chief Innovation Officer, Demand MediaKeynote Speaker: Byron ReeseChief Innovation Officer, Demand Media
Byron brings his vast technical understanding to illuminate how today’s technology can solve many of our biggest global challenges. He speaks with the unrivaled authority of an accomplished high-tech trailblazer, inventor, and entrepreneur, and the wisdom of a life-long historian. Reese has served on both public and private boards of directors, has started several non-profit organizations and has just completed the forthcoming book, Infinite Progress: How Technology and the Internet Will End Ignorance, Disease, Hunger, Poverty, and War.

Minitrends Seminar Director - Carrie Vanston, Media and Mkt. Dir., Technology Futures, Inc.Conference Director: Carrie VanstonMedia and Marketing Director, Technology Futures, Inc.
Carrie has many years of experience in public relations, marketing, and sales at TFI and in the entertainment industry. As co-author of MINITRENDS: How Entrepreneurs & Innovators Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trendsshe brings a distinct real-world quality to MiniTrends activities, particularly in the media communications and social media areas.

Minitrends Speaker - Michael Bettersworth, Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Advancement, Texas State Technical CollegeMichael Bettersworth Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Advancement, Texas State Technical College (TSTC)
Michael founded TSTC Forecasting to identify and analyze new technical competencies needed by employers in order to improve student employability through curriculum alignment with market demand. TSTC Forecasting has published many studies on emerging technologies and occupations. New studies are currently underway in big data, unmanned aerial systems, and social media.

MiniTrends 2012 Conference Speaker - Scott Bonneau, VP Engineering, BazaarvoiceScott Bonneau, VP of Engineering, Bazaarvoice
(Mr. Bonneau was unable to join us after all in 2012)

Scott is responsible for the technology vision, organizational direction and implementation of all of Bazaarvoice’s core platform technologies.

MiniTrends Conference Presentor -- Cannon Tina, Partner, Napkin Venture

Tina Cannon, Partner, Napkin Venture 
In addition to Napkin Venture, Tina co-founded PreAccelerate, PetsMD.com, and Book-a-Vet. Ms. Cannon is the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Texas State University and has been a guest blogger for CBS (BNET.com). She has been a featured presenter at various technology events and has mentored numerous start-up businesses.

MiniTrends 2012 Conference Speaker - Wayne Caswell, Founder, Sr. Editor, Modern Health Talk, LLC

Wayne CaswellFounder & Senior Editor, Modern Health Talk, LLC, Founder & Principal Consultant, CAZITech Consulting
Wayne founded Modern Health Talk after reading Dr. John Vanston’s MINITRENDS book. Combining his technical experience, marketing expertise, and his interest in consumer advocacy, he created an online venture that finds tech solutions for safe and independent living at home. His work helps seniors age-in-place as long as possible and avoid the high costs of assisted living and nursing homes.

MiniTrends Conference Speaker - Andy Fish, Formula 1 LLCAndy Fish, President, Formula Austin, LLC; President and CEO at LISA – Legislative Information Services of America
Andy Fish and Anne Fish started Formula Austin LLC last year to plug visitors into Austin’s culture and business scene in the days before and after the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix, now here in Austin.  Formula Austin aims to link visitors up with authentic Austin experiences and has partnered with 42 local businesses, professionals and musicians to offer a large variety of activities.

MiniTrends 2012 presenter - Flaugher Vicki @SmartwomanVicki @Smartwoman Flaugher, Digital Strategist, Speaker, and Author of “Famous in Your Niche: Building Your Digital Celebrity For Fun and Profit.”
Vicki consults on digital reputation development and has been named in Forbes as one of the 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter, Top 10 Women Social Media Influencers, and Top 50 Power Social Media Influencers.

Dr. August E. (“Augie”) Grant, J. Rion McKissick Professor of Journalism, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of South Carolina
Augie is a technology futurist who specializes in research on new media technologies and consumer behavior and market opportunities for emerging technologies. He is Editor of Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals, now in its thirteenth edition, which is used extensively in industry and has become one of the top-selling textbooks in the field of Communication Technology.

MiniTrends 2012 Conference - Christopher Justice, Chief Executive Officer at Sparksight, Inc.Christopher Justice, Chief Executive Officer at Sparksight, Inc.; Founder, Justice Pest Services
Christopher co-founded Sparksight®  in 2006 and has built the company into a well-respected design agency that specializes in event management, high definition video production and digital marketing. Combining wisdom and humor with common sense, Chris is a master at building better businesses through a combination of face-to-face and online marketing techniques.

MiniTrends Expert Panelist, Kathy Mandelstein, Dir of Social Bus, Ant's Eye ViewKat Mandelstein, Director of Social Business, PwC
Kat works extensively in the social media arena. She contributes to The Austinot and BtoB Magazine’s BtoBlog and is on the Board of Directors for Social Media Club and President of the Austin Chapter. Kat oversaw worldwide marketing programs, web and events as Director, IBM Collaboration Solutions in IBM Software, and for Social Business for all of IBM for several years.

Minitrends Expert Panelist: Luis Medina, CEO, Tech BADr. Luis MedinaCEO, Tech BA — an Initiative of the Government of Mexico partnering with the IC2 Institute of The University of Texas
Luis has an extensive career as an entrepreneur in the business world as well as in academia both in Mexico and the US. As CEO of Tech BA he has interviewed, selected, trained, and helped  many Mexican technology companies define and successfully implement their business plan to enter the US market in a variety of segments.

Minitrends Expert Panelist Joy Miller, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, City of Austin Small Business Development ProgramJoy Miller, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, City of Austin Small Business Development Program
Joy is a marketing and outreach professional with over 20 years of leadership experience in process improvement, human resources, and operations. She communicates with and counsels aspiring and existing small business owners in presentations and in personal communications to ensure understanding of City of Austin resources and assistance available to them.

MiniTrends Conference Speaker - Lani Rosales, COO, AgBeatLani Rosales, Chief Operating Officer, AGBeat.com
(Ms. Rosales was unable to join us after all in 2012)
AGBeat
is one of the fastest growing digital magazines in the entire industry. Lani became the Editor-in-chief of AGBest in 2010, and was recently promoted to COO.  AGBeat condenses news information on technology, business, social media, startups, real estate, economics and more, so the reader doesn’t have to. Formerly focused strictly on marketing, Lani was named one of Real Estate’s 100 Most Influential, as well as 12 Most Influential Women in Blogging.

David Smith, CEO, HBMG Inc.
As a noted futurist, technologist, and business leader, David brings more than 30 years of experience in digital convergence, strategic planning, and emerging technologies.  He has assisted in creating and implementing plans for Fortune 100, emerging companies, universities, and government agencies. David is responsible for the global strategic planning, product development, and business execution at HBMG.

Rick SmyrePresident, Center for Communities of the Future; Owner, Strategic Concepts, Inc.
Rick is an internationally recognized futurist. Over the last fifteen years he has pioneered the concept of “community transformation” and has keynoted and presented at over three hundred events in the US, Scotland, England and Canada. His present focus is on developing networks of people and organizations interested in the emerging concepts of Transformational Learning, Master Capacity Builder, and Creative Molecular Economy.

Charles Studor, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Briggo Inc.
Addressing the need for convenience in a fast-paced world along with social awareness, Charles converged robotics, mobile apps, and cloud computing to create a technology that enables customers to store favorite coffee recipes in the cloud, remotely order, and have those drinks produced with robotic precision. Using an ethically source organic Peruvian bean, the first Briggo kiosk was deployed at the University of Texas last fall with plans to extend fully automated kiosks across the country.

Minitrends Conference Speaker - Dr. Lawrence VanstonDr. Lawrence Vanston, President, Technology Futures, Inc.
Larry is an expert on the future of telecommunications and its significance to organizations and people. Since 1985, he has been the director and principal author of ongoing reports commissioned by the Telecommunications Technology Forecasting Group (TTFG), presently comprised of AT&T, CenturyLink, Verizon, and Windstream. Larry directs TFI’s popular TFI Asset Valuation Conference, now in its 7th year.

Minitrends Speaker Panelist - Peter Zandan, Global Vice Chairman at Hill and Knowlton, Board member at Next Big Sound, Inc., Investor at Klout, Sr. Advisor at Public Strategies Inc., Sr. Advisor/Chairman at Earth and SkyDr. Peter Zandan, Angel Investor; Global Vice Chairman at Hill and Knowlton; Board member at Next Big Sound, Inc.; Investor at Klout; Sr. Advisor at Public Strategies Inc.; Sr. Advisor/Chairman at EarthSky
As an angel investor, Peter serves as an advisor and strategic investor in early-stage companies. At H+K Strategies, Peter helps direct strategic initiatives and is the worldwide research practice group leader where he provides assistance for clients in the financial services, energy, technology, healthcare and retail industries. His experience as a successful CEO/Chairman/founder of a public company, IntelliQuest, helps inform the advice and counsel he provides.

More speakers to be announced soon!

___________________

Advisory Committee:

Mintirends Advisory Committee - Laura Alter Laura Alter Online Marketing Manager, AllClear ID; Co-Founder, Austin SEO Meetup

 

Minitrends Advisory Committee - Henry Baird, Associate Dean, General Studies, ITT Technical Institute - SeattleHenry Baird Associate Dean, General Studies, ITT Technical Institute – Seattle

 

MiniTrends Advisory Committee - George Bounacos, COO, Silver Beacon MarketingGeorge Bounacos, COO, Silver Beacon Marketing

 

Minitrends Conference Advisory Committee - Dr. Luis Cabeza, Consulting Engineer , Austin EnergyLuis Cabeza, Consulting Engineer at Austin Energy

 

Minitrends Conference Advisory Committee - Susan Davenport, Senior Vice President Global Technology Strategies, Austin Chamber of CommerceSusan Davenport, Senior Vice President Global Technology Strategies, Austin Chamber of Commerce

 

Minitrends Advisory Committee - Terry Newman, Assistant Dean for Financial Affairs at UT Austin, Jackson School of GeosciencesTerry Newman, Assistant Dean for Financial Affairs at UT Austin, Jackson School of Geosciences

 

Minitrends Advisory Committee - Howard Smallowitz, Mgr. ISM Application ArchitectureHoward Smallowitz, Manager, Manager, ISM Application Architecture, IBM

 

Minitrends Advisory Committee: Barbara Springer, International Business Development at University of Texas at AustinBarbara Springer, International Business Development at University of Texas at Austin

 

Minitrends Advisory Committee - Tanisha Walters, Vice President, Wealth Management Banking, Bank of America, N.A.Tanisha C. Walter, Vice President, Wealth Management Banking, Bank of America, N.A.

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