Mark Rowland to Keynote StartupConnect AZ; Arizona's Leading Conference to Connect, Showcase and Educate State's Growing Startup Ecosystem

Startup Pitch Contest back by popular demand; grand prize winner receives cash resulting from ticket sales from the event

News provided by

Arizona Technology Council

Dec 09, 2014, 02:12 ET

PHOENIX, Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the success of last year's inaugural event that was attended by more than 300 of the state's top technology and startup leaders, the Arizona Technology Council today announced that Mark Rowland will present a keynote speech at the 2014 StartupConnect AZ conference co-sponsored by IDS Technology Marketing. The event is being held Wednesday, December 17, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Scottsdale Hilton Resort Grand Ballroom, 6333 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona's premier trade association for science and technology companies.

Rowland is supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh in Las Vegas via his own startup ROCeteer which aims to unleash the potential of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Prior to this endeavor, Rowland founded and exited StyleTread, a Zappos clone based in Australia. His diverse background spans many sectors including hospitality when he was the CEO of wagamama in Australia; retail when he was the General Manager of Business Development for Australia's largest retailer Coles Myer; and consulting when he worked with PwC Consulting as a crucial member of the global strategy team. Rowland is a Chartered Accountant, NLP Master Practitioner, Certified Meta-Coach and studied System Dynamics at MIT. He is also a dual citizen of the UK and Australia and has a degree in Management Science.

Arizona's second annual StartupConnect AZ continues last year's legacy of providing a venue for the state's technology, startup, and funding ecosystems to interconnect and grow together. A carefully curated panel of experts in technology, business, and entrepreneurship enable Arizona businesses to keep abreast of the latest developments and trends in the fast-moving technology economy.

Tickets are available online now at http://www.startupconnectaz.com/. More information on sponsorship opportunities can be obtained by emailing [email protected].

"When Arizona's startup, technology, and funding communities meet up in a common space we bridge gaps in the technology ecosystem and everyone wins," said Steven G. Zylstra, President and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. "Talent, money, and good ideas are all put to use doing what they do best: growing out state's economy."

The event will kick-off with "Fire Starter" Workshops with choices of two tracks during lunch. In addition to Rowland's opening Keynote speech there will be two panels offered to all attendees: "Money Raising Myths in Arizona," and "Diversity in Tech."

The panelists for "Money Raising Myths in Arizona" are:

Michael A. Dinan
President & CEO, Dinan & Company, LLC
Heidi Jannenga
Founder and COO, WebPT
Tyler Rives
Vice President, Silicon Valley Bank
Mike Katz
Vice President, Battery Ventures
Brian Martin
Senior Associate, Grayhawk Capital

The panelists for "Diversity in Tech" are:

Angela Hughey
President, ONE Community
Cristine Viera
President and Co-Founder, Find Your Influence
Kimber Lanning
Executive Director, Local First Arizona
Marcus Dantus
CEO, Startup Mexico

Last year's successful Pitch Contest, won by Picmonic, will also be returning. Arizona startups will present in front of the live audience, vying for a grand cash prize comprised from tickets sales from the event, expected to reach close to $5,000. A Startup Expo and happy hour full of rich networking opportunities with Arizona's top leaders in technology, entrepreneurship, education and public policy will conclude the day's activities.

"Arizona's entrepreneurial ecosystem is becoming more and more populated with not just luminaries and visionaries, but people who have actually 'been there and done that' and have tremendous insights to share," said Scott Salkin, founder of IDS Technology Marketing and CEO of Scottsdale startup Allbound. "The goal of StartupConnect AZ is to gather folks from all over the state for a day of learning and networking. Not only do we want to disseminate information to all corners of the technology and startup sectors, we want to drive collaboration and true community."

About the Arizona Technology Council
The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona's premier trade association for science and technology companies. Recognized as having a diverse professional business community, Council members work towards furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. These interactions contribute to the Council's culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit www.aztechcouncil.org.

For more information please contact:

Media contact:	Organization contact:
Linda Capcara	Steven G. Zylstra
TechTHiNQ	Arizona Technology Council
[email protected]	[email protected]
(480) 229-7090	(602) 343-8324 x 104