Upcoming Events

March 4, 2025 | San Francisco

GTA hosted a panel and reception at the Olympic Club in San Francisco on the topic of AI-driven startups and the emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in this space. Alumni panelists shared their insights into how AI startups are driving innovation and redefining the tech landscape. The panel was followed by a networking reception where SF Hoyas in the tech space connected over drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

Panelists included:

• Cheryl Contee (MBA’04), Co-Founder & Senior Advisor, Change Agent AI
• Utsav Gupta (L’15), Founder & CEO, Filarion, Inc.
• Sarah Heck (MSFS’10), Head of Policy Planning & Programs, Anthropic and GTA Board Member

Special thanks to the Georgetown Club of Northern California for their marketing support.

April 22, 2023 | San Francisco

From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the decoupling of the US-China relationship to the political polarization of the United States, the geopolitical landscape has become more complicated for global businesses in the midst of a global pandemic. Join global technology leaders and Georgetown faculty for a discussion of the current situation and a prognosis for the future.

Panelists included:

• Anupam Chander, Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Technology at Georgetown Professor of Law at Georgetown
• Ned Segal (C’96), Former CFO, Twitter
• Nicole Wong (C’90), Senior Advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group and former Deputy Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the United States
• Moderator: Igor Mikolic-Torreira, Director of Analysis, Georgetown University Center for Security and Emerging Technology

Sponsored by the Georgetown Technology Alliance, Center for Security and Emerging Technology, and Walsh School of Foreign Service.

November 9, 2022 | Virtual

Two GTA board members had a conversation with Francis X. Suarez, Mayor of Miami on how Miami is growing into a tech hub, and how the physical landscape of the tech industry is changing.

Panelists included:

• Francis X. Suarez, Mayor of Miami
• Katherine Boyle (C’08), General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz
• Trae Stephens (SFS’06), Partner at Founders Fund and Co-Founder of Anduril Industries

Watch a recording of the event >

May 5, 2021 | Virtual

In December 2020, it was first reported that SolarWinds, a major US information technology firm, experienced a massive cyberattack which affected up to 18,000 clients, including numerous US government agencies and Fortune 500 companies whose networks and data were exposed and vulnerable for months.

Described by Microsoft’s president Brad Smith, one of the affected clients, as “the largest and most sophisticated attack the world has ever seen,” the US government investigation attributed the cyberattack to Russian intelligence, with Russia then denying responsibility. As details continue to emerge, the implications will affect a range of sensitive activities—from software supply chain management, to strategies to protect critical infrastructure, to new approaches in national and global cybersecurity.

The Georgetown Tech Alliance held a a critical conversation examining the scope of this historic cyberattack and what was to come next.

Panelists included:

• Ben Buchanan (C’12, G’13), Director of the CyberAI Project, Georgetown University Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET)
• Richard Magnan (L’89), General Counsil, CIO, and Chief of Cybersecurity, Rising Tide
• Imani Tate (SFS’12), Technical Compliance Program Senior Manager, MongoDB

Moderators:

• Jesse Colligan (SFS’14), Georgetown Tech Alliance
• Melissa Tidwell (C’99), Georgetown Tech Alliance

Watch a recording of the event >

June 11, 2020

The GTA hosted a panel discussion on how the future of defense will emerge. The history of Silicon Valley is deeply intertwined with the U.S. Department of Defense, dating back to the Navy’s purchase of Moffett Field (where this event is being hosted) in 1933 to dock and maintain the dirigible U.S.S. Macon. The interconnectedness continued throughout the Cold War and into the modern era, but recent signs have begun to appear indicating an unraveling of that relationship. Speakers included:

• Michael Brown, Director of Defense Innovation Unit
• Katherine Boyle (C’08), Principal at General Catalyst
• Chris Fussell, President, McChrystal Group
• Trae Stephens (F’06), Co-Founder of Andruil Industries and Partner at Founders Fund

September 19, 2019 | Washington, D.C.

Ready, Set, Connect! connects students and alumni for an evening of speed networking. Georgetown alumni living in D.C. joined the GTA to connect with students, share expertise and career insights, and to continue to foster a strong community of Hoya Gateway users.

November 20, 2019 | San Francisco

Georgetown traveled to San Francisco for Dreamforce 2019 as a Salesforce Changemaker! Dreamforce brings together thought leaders, industry pioneers, and thousands of Salesforce customers, partners, employees, and key stakeholders for four high-energy days of learning, inspiration, equality, and fun.We gathered to share our work in the Designing the Future(s) of University and Tech & Society initatives for an alumni gathering featuring Randy Bass, University Vice Provost for Education and Professor of English.

April 10, 2019 | San Francisco

In 2019, the Georgetown Technology Alliance in partnership with the Cawley Career Center, launched the Future Leaders in Technology (FLITE) program. The FLITE program’s objective is to create opportunities for Georgetown undergraduate students across all disciplines to become the next generation of leaders at technology companies, startups, and nonprofits. Students engage in six- to ten-week paid summer internships at a technology firm or position with a technology focus in Silicon Valley, New York, or Washington, D.C.

On April 10, over 170 alumni, parents, faculty, and staff came together in San Francisco to support this inaugural program and raised over $100,000 for the FLITE program. This summer the FLITE program provided two undergraduate students with technology-focused internships this summer. Karissa Prayoga (F’21) and Fanyu Cui (C’21) participated in eight-week internships at two Hoya-led companies: DigiSure and Openwave Mobility.

The event featured a fireside chat on the topic of ethics in Silicon Valley between GTA co-founder Bud Colligan (F’76, P’07, P’14) and Roger McNamee, Silicon Valley investor and NYTimes best-selling author of Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe.

December 3, 2019 | San Francisco

Fintech has been one of the hottest sectors of the startup scene for several years. According to CB Insights, there are 29 fintech unicorns valued worldwide, in aggregate, at $84.4 billion. Q2 2018 saw five new unicorn births alone.Additionally, financial services giants continue to aggressively invest in tech and in UX, increasing sounding more and more like software companies. On December 3, 2019, the GTA hosted a discussion at the office’s of BBVA New Digital Businesses, where we explored the many areas behind the label FinTech. We spoke to leading operators and investors in neobanking, insurtech, blockchain, AI, and lending about the things that make fintech unique from other tech categories. Panelists also discussed the importance of the global revolution in fintech that is playing out very differently in markets like China or Latin America than in the US and discussed big trends in fintech and what to expect from incumbents and startups alike. Panelists included:

• Susan Ehrlich, CEO, Earnest
• Jose Fernandez da Ponte, EVP, Beyond Core, BBVA New Digital Businesses
• Paul Smith (B’95), CEO, DigiSure
• Nick Talwar (F’95), Partner, Apis Partners
• Moderator: Vijay Rajendran (MBA’07, MSFS’07), 500 Startups

Hosted by BBVA New Digital Businesses, San Francisco.

April 26, 2018 | San Francisco

How many times a day do you ask Alexa or Siri to answer a question for you? Do you use Pinterest to find images to reference later or Google Image Search to identify a work of art you found interesting? Voice and visual searches are growing in number and sophistication. The Georgetown Tech Alliance gathered at Pinterest HQ on April 26, 2018 to discuss how we think we’ll be searching in the future. Panelists included:

• Brian Monahan (C’92), Head of Customer Strategy, Pinterest
• Simonie Wilson, Voice User Interface Designer, Pindrop

April 14, 2018 | Seattle

In recent months, Amazon bought Whole Foods and is testing the world’s most advanced “Just Walk Out” shopping technology; Facebook is fighting fake news; Airbnb is offering host-led excursions and immersive experiences; and Twitter now allows 280 characters. What’s next for technology powerhouses? The GTA gathered during John Carroll Weekend Seattle to discuss where technology companies are headed and how they plan to stay relevant in an ever-changing sector.

November 14, 2017 | San Francisco

Artificial intelligence is everywhere. In your home (Alexa), on your phone (Siri), and on the roads (self-driving cars). The advent of “A.I.” is not a new phenomenon. It has been the inspiration for sci-fi books and movies, from Isaac Asimov’s Robot series to The Terminator and more recently, a virtual girlfriend in HER. But it feels like something bigger is happening and at a more accelerated pace than before. Google’s AlphaGo bested the world’s highest rated human player at Go, an ancient strategy game. In the healthcare arena, IBM’s Watson claims to prescribe specific cancer treatments based on a patient’s genomic profile. And recently, Elon Musk warned that AI poses a fundamental and existential threat to human civilization.

While technology developments powering the rise of A.I. can leave us breathless, there is also a growing concern by many that we may be going down the path of unintended consequences. At a minimum, it raises some serious questions. How does privacy co-exist alongside A.I. powered sensors? Is it right to replace human jobs with robots? What happens in a world where A.I. is weaponized and threatens to annihilate the entire human race? Do intelligent robots have rights?

The GTA gathered at Twitter HQ on November 14, 2017 to host a panel of technology leaders, business executives and ethics experts engage in a wide-ranging discussion that will touch on all of these aspects, with a specific focus on the ethical considerations in the rise of A.I.

November 2, 2016 | San Francisco

The GTA gathered at the Facebook Campus in Menlo Park on November 2, 2016 to host a panel discussion with prominent leaders in the virtual reality field.

May 17, 2016 | San Francisco

The Georgetown Technology Alliance gathered at the Airbnb HQ in San Francisco for a panel discussion on “Growing & Operating Technology Businesses in Today’s Economy” with speakers:

• L.T. Tosi (C’90, L’94, MBA’94) Chief Financial Officer, Airbnb Georgetown University Board Member
• David Wehner (C’90) Chief Financial Officer, Facebook

April 14, 2016 | Rome

The GTA gathered at John Carroll Weekend Rome to discus how globalization, technology and education are transforming how we do business, redefining the social structure at work, and rendering many jobs obsolete. As we move away from the understandings that shaped the past, what new opportunities await us? How will jobs and careers change in the coming years? Fabio Rosati (B’87, Parent’16,’17), co-founder and former CEO of Upwork, the world’s largest online marketplace for work, discussed some of the possibilities within our ever-changing global workplace along with panel of experts.

October 13, 2015 | Sunnyvale, CA

Continuous advancement in technology has led to innovation in nearly every aspect of society. It has also exposed numerous new risks and threats to the state, to commerce, and to the individual. What is the nature of these security threats? What is being done about them? What can we as individuals do to protect ourselves?

The GTA gathered for a discussion of these questions and more as we take a deeper look at the cybersecurity landscape and issues that transcend all facets of life in today’s information age. Panelist included:

• Ravi Devireddy, Founder & CTO of E8 Security
• Alex Doll, Founder & Managing General Partner of Ten Eleven Ventures
• Ryan Gillis (C’00), Vice President, Cybersecurity Strategy & Global Policy at Palo Alto Networks

April 29, 2015 | San Francisco

Which new trends in wine making make a vintage better and which ones are just gimmicks? Is wine on tap really as good as from the bottle? What’s the best way to stay in touch with wine lovers these days?

The GTA gathered for a discussion of these questions and more as we take a look at technology in the wine industry. Panelists included:

• Dan Donahoe, Founder and Chairman of Free Flow Wines and owner of TEIRA wines
• Allyssa Rapp, Founder and CEO of Bottlenotes, Inc.
• John Wilson, Winemaker at Thomas George Estates
• Moderator Hilary Newsom (C’90), President of Plumpjack Group

October 15, 2014 | San Francisco

New technologies and entrepreneurial zeal are transforming food — from what we eat, to how we get it and even changing the dining experience. Startups are attacking the food supply chain, introducing products such as mayo made from plant proteins and soy-based chicken that has fooled even the most discerning food critics. Others are upending traditional food service models by offering instant, on-demand groceries and restaurant delivery. “Foodbombing” and the ability to order and pay for food with your smartphone at restaurants is creeping into the dining experience. A new breed of entrepreneurs is moving beyond media and enterprise software and applying principles like “lean startup” and social media savvy to give themselves a competitive edge in the marketplace over larger incumbents. And many see their missions as broader than simply making a better buck, infusing socially-minded causes directly into their business plans.

Is technology changing food for the better? Are there real, disruptive businesses to be built in this space? Several Hoyas and technology leaders gathered for a thought-provoking and wide-ranging discussion on the burgeoning new “food+tech” movement. Speakers included:

• Dan Leahy (C’08), co-­founder of Savored
• Valentina Cugnasca (C’95), Founder & CEO, VerticalWater
• Dan Zigmond, VP Data, Hampton Creek
• Geoff Lewis, Partner, Founders Fund

April 9, 2014 | Mountain View, CA

In the 80’s, Sony created the walkman. In 2001, Apple launched the iPod. It is 2014, and wearables continue to transform our world. With fitness trackers like Jawbone Up, Smart Watches like Pebble, and Google Glass, our choice of wearable devices is expanding. Even fashionistas have created fashion with a technology twist. The message is clear, we simply luv wearables.

The GTA gathered for an engaging discussion on the growth of the wearable industry, its challenges, and what we can expect Georgetown’s freshman class in 2020 to be wearing. Speakers included:

• Alison Lewis, CEO, Agent of Presence
• Hosain Rahman, CEO, Jawbone
• Wilson White, Policy, Google Glass
• Moderator Raj Mathai, NBC Bay Area

April 18, 2012 | VIEW RECORDING

Everyone is talking about cloud computing, but what does it mean for you? Should you be storing your files, pictures and music in the cloud? Will Google Docs replace Microsoft Office and what benefit will it have for you? Should your business rent computing capacity from Amazon instead of buying servers? Many services like surveys, health benefits, work exchanges and social networks are already in the cloud: what else is coming our way? What are the implications for you when more of your data and applications are in the cloud — are you locked into certain vendors? Find out what future is in store for cloud computing and its implications for you from our distinguished panel of Georgetown alums and other experts. Panelists included:

• Will Aldrich, BSFS’96, VP of Product, Survey Monkey
• Vineet Jain, Founder & CEO, Egnyte
• Patrick O’Donnell, C’91, VP of Global Marketing, Hewlett Packard
• Laura Yecies, MSFS’86, CEO, Sugar Sync
• Moderator Fabio Rosati, B’87, President & CEO, Elance, Inc.

November 9, 2011 | VIEW RECORDING

The internet is a “series of tubes” that has changed the way we communicate as a culture. Politicians routinely use social media to spread their message and communicate beyond the law-making walls, social groups leverage the internet to gain support for their causes, and technology players work together to help facilitate free speech throughout the world. How did this happen? And what’s next? Speakers included:

• Chad Griffin, SFS ’97, Partner, Griffin Scheing & President of the Board of Directors for the American Foundation for Equal Rights
• Christine Pelosi, SFS ’88, Attorney, Campaign Boot Camp Author & Democratic Activist
• Ujjwal Singh, Co-Founder, SayNow and Software Engineering Manager for Google+, Google, Inc.
• Moderator Felix Schein, SFS ’99, Partner, Griffin Schein

February 19, 2011 | VIEW RECORDING

The advent of Internet TV isn’t new, but is it finally ready to take-off and establish its place in our living rooms? Will Internet TV represent another tectonic shift for consumers and businesses? Will it change what we watch—or how we watch? Who will be the winners and losers in this NEXT platform shift? Panelists:

• Gina Clark, VP/GM Consumer Telepresence BU, Cisco
• Jim Funk, VP Business Development, Roku
• Ron Jacoby, VP Connected TV, Yahoo!
• Zane Vella, Founder and CEO, Related Content Database, F’91

Nov 11, 2010

The advent of 4G, Smartphones, Location-Based Services, Mobile Ad Networks, App Stores, Mobile Games, and Digital Media—anytime, anywhere—are fundamentally changing how we access content, conduct commerce, and communicate. AGAIN. Is the Mobile Internet presenting another tectonic shift for consumers and businesses alike and how will it affect our lives and the companies where we work? Who will be the winners and losers in this latest platform shift? Panelists:

• Tom Conrad, CTO, Pandora
• Rich Wong, General Partner, Accel Partners
• Michael Shim, C’95, VP, Mobile Business Development & Partnerships, Yahoo!
• Sam Parker, Senior VP, Operations & Mobile, CBS Interactive
• Craig Walker, MBA ’91, Group Product Manager, Real Time Communications, Google
• Moderator Brian Cooley, Senior Editor, CNET

April 13, 2010 | Menlo Park, CA | VIEW RECORDING

On Tuesday, April 13, 2010, the Georgetown Technology Alliance in collaboration with Georgetown University’s Alumni Career Services, presented “The Future of Health Care: Systems Medicine,” featuring Howard Federoff, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences at Georgetown University and Executive Dean of the School of Medicine. Alumni, parents, and friends attended the event and networking reception hosted at Quadrus Conference Center in Menlo Park.