IIT Bay Area Alumni Association

🌟 A Huge Thank You! 🌟 We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated in the IIIT Bay Area Leadership Conference this year! Once again, your participation, insights, and enthusiasm made it an incredible event! 🎤 A special thank you to our speakers for sharing nuggets of wisdom!  👏 A big shout out to our generous sponsors for their support!  🚀 The start up booths showcased cool new tech!  🔗 The Women’s Career event led to insightful, candid conversations!  🤝 The Campus Mixers were noisy and paparazzi-worthy!   ✨ Extra-lucky attendees won unique, stylish merch and giveaways! 🙌 Let’s continue to connect and collaborate as we shape the future of technology together. We are happy to announce that preparations for IIT Bay Area Alumni Leadership Conference 2025 have already begun! Additional details to come soon! #TechLeadership #Networking #Innovation #Grateful IIT Bay Area Alumni Association - Nidhi Kannoujia, Arnab Debnath, Ashis Khan, Swapnil Sinvhal, Praveen Vayalamkuzhi, PhD, FRSA, Lochan Alagh, Rao Charagondla (CNR), Anshu Agarwal, Ishita Sharan, Hrishikesh Sathawane, Bidyut Parruck, Mateen Syed, Paula Patel, Surbhi Kaul, Dipty Desai, Ph.D.

I am proud to be playing my small part at IIT Bay Area Alumni Association - it is completely volunteer run so putting a conference together for ~900 attendees and over 30 speakers is no small feat. Requires a lot of commitment from the board members and volunteers who do this along with their day job. This year's conference opened with an excellent keynote conversation between Ali Ghodsi (CEO, Databricks) and Karthik Narain (CTO, Accenture) which set the tone of the conference theme of “Decoding the future”. The pace of this changing future is 10x so it is always great to hear from industry leaders who have a front row seat to this evolving future. Throughout the day we had several enlightening lighting talks and panels. One of the lighting talks was the “Power of Positioning.” Every time I listen to Chandar Pattabhiram (Chief GTM Officer, Workato) I feel like I shouldn’t have spent my time learning marketing at business school because all the knowledge and nuggets that I need to excel in B2B marketing are available in Chandar’s talks! I had the privilege to chat with Abhinav Asthana (CEO, Postman) which is used by over 30M developers. Unique insights were shared on how to build a very successful PLG motion that is being used by the entire developer population and then expanding this market with AI to help a new generation of developers who won’t deal with code at all. We ended the conference with a keynote by Arvind Jain (CEO, Glean). Truly inspiring on how engineers can build unicorns if they have full conviction in what they are building. No IIT conference is complete If IITs don’t show their competitive campus spirit which was evident in the campus mixer. IIT Bombay always wins in numbers but IIT Kharagpur won in excitement this time! Thanks to all the campus mixer leads for bringing their campuses together. And special thanks to my Roorkee batchmates who are always there to support me. I would like to hear what you want to see at the conference next year - please send your suggestions in comments. Stay tuned for all the recordings… Nidhi Kannoujia, Praveen Vayalamkuzhi, Swapnil Sinvhal, Ishita Sharan, Lochan Alagh, Ashis Khan, Hrishikesh Sathawane, Arnab Debnath, Rao Charagondla, Dipty Desai, Vidul Prakash, Jagdish Bansiya, Shashi Dhar, Sanjay Tibrewal, Akash Garg, Piyush Bhargava, Virendra Singh, Chandra Shekhar Tekwani, Ashvin Kannan

*IIT-BayArea Career Club: Empower Your Career: A Pre-CXO Event Workshop* 🗓 Sun 17 Nov 2024 ⏰ 4:30 pm PST 📍Zoom: https://lnkd.in/g8vMP4ds  Register: https://lu.ma/45cxtddp Join us for an exclusive pre-CXO event workshop designed to equip you with the tools and strategies to make the most of your time with industry leaders. Prep workshop for the event: https://lnkd.in/gu7HZxqF Learn how to: * Craft impactful questions: Discover the art of framing insightful queries that spark meaningful conversations. * Maximize your 30 minutes: Learn time management techniques to optimize your interaction with CXOs. * Leverage networking opportunities: Build valuable connections and expand your professional network. * Develop a strong personal brand: Highlight your unique value proposition and leave a lasting impression. This interactive workshop will be led by a seasoned executive coach, Deep S., who will provide actionable advice and personalized guidance. Homework: ★ Watch this video https://lnkd.in/gU-Fs_hg ★ Take notes on what you learned

Got the divine call to build a company of consequence? Let me share an insightful video of a keynote conversation between two Industry leaders who do this for a living. I am the chair of the IIT Bay Area Leadership Conference 2024. Our goal was to invite builders and investors of companies of consequence to share their experience with the audience of IIT alumni and other attendees. With the help of my fellow Board Members and volunteers of the IIT Bay Area Alumni Association, we invited Founders/CEOs/CXOs of several Unicorns (e.g., Databricks, Glean, Illumio, Postman, Vectra AI) and VCs that have successfully funded many Unicorns (e.g., Sapphire Ventures, Lightspeed, Zetta Venture Partners, Engineering Capital, Blumberg Capital). Jai Das, CEO, founder, and partner of Sapphire Ventures, delivered the mid-day keynote "How to Build A Company of Consequence" on October 19, 2024 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Jai had funded 14 IPO'd startups and 8 Unicorns. Jai invited Sudheesh Nair, ex-CEO (2018 - 2024) of ThoughtSpot, one of Jai's Unicorns. Before joining Thoughtspot, Sudheesh was President at Nutanix and grew the revenue from zero to $1B during 7 years. Together, they delivered a brilliant session starting with "Founding a startup is a divine calling" and talked about the pitfalls to avoid: - Never do it for the ego - Never ignore company culture - Never disregard customer feedback - Never lack focus on long-term value creation and focus solely on short-term profits - Never micromanage leadership and underinvest in people: - Must avoid high cash burn IIT Bay Area Alumni Association - Nidhi Kannoujia, Arnab Debnath, Ashis Khan, Swapnil Sinvhal, Praveen Vayalamkuzhi, PhD, FRSA, Lochan Alagh, Rao Charagondla (CNR), Anshu Agarwal, Ishita Sharan, Hrishikesh Sathawane, Bidyut Parruck, Surbhi Kaul Dipty Desai, Ph.D. Enjoy the video: https://lnkd.in/gmMXZt4q

Ferose V R, Head of SAP Engineering Academy, discusses the ethical implications of AI and technology, emphasizing the need for engineers to be grounded in strong moral values to positively impact humanity. Ferose is a Senior Vice President and Head of SAP Engineering Academy, based out of Palo Alto. He is responsible for building the next generation of engineering talent at SAP. He is passionate about making a difference in the world in a meaningful way. He spoke at the IIT Bay Area Alumni Association Leadership Conference in Silicon Valley. Key Insights: Ethics in Engineering: Engineers must prioritize ethical considerations in technology development to avoid harmful consequences. The moral values of engineers shape the technologies they create, impacting society profoundly. Corporate Responsibility: Large companies like SAP must lead in integrating ethical practices into their business models to influence the broader ecosystem positively. Leadership plays a critical role in addressing these challenges. Humanities in Tech Education: Incorporating humanities into engineering education helps students understand the human impact of technology, fostering better engineers and individuals. This holistic approach is vital for future innovation. Importance of Arts: Emphasizing the arts within STEM (making it STEAM) can help balance technical skills with creativity, preparing students for a rapidly changing job landscape.     Nidhi Kannoujia, Arnab Debnath, Ashis Khan, Rao Charagondla (CNR), Bidyut Parruck, Anshu Agarwal, Swapnil Sinvhal, Praveen Vayalamkuzhi, PhD, FRSA, Ishita Sharan, Lochan Alagh, Hrishikesh Sathawane, Dipty Desai, Ph.D. https://lnkd.in/gp522SQ2

What an amazing lineup of topics & speakers at the IIT Bay Area Alumni Association conference this past weekend!  My customary gratitude post exceeded word and tag limits so I had to make a choice: Either truncate it or share it as an article. And I chose the latter so as to share with my #TheDigitalAgenda Newsletter readers as well! Do give it a read and don't forget to subscribe and give me your thoughts and impressions! Great reconnecting/chatting at the event: Khalid Turk MBA, PMP, CHCIO, CDH-E Ashmeet Sidana Ali Ghodsi Preethy Padmanabhan Nikunj J Parekh Alok Jain Praveen Vayalamkuzhi, PhD, FRSA Muddu Sudhakar Jai Rawat Anupam DattaMajumdar, PhD Nidhi Kannoujia Swapnil Asawa And thanks for posing for the cover: Meenal Nalwaya Surbhi Kaul Krystle Kaul Priya Verma Kritika B.

From IIT Classrooms to Tech Boardrooms: A Human Journey In a captivating dialogue, tech luminaries Monica Bajaj and Padmasree Warrior shared not just their professional wisdom, but also touching personal stories that shaped their remarkable journeys. From the challenging days at IIT, where Padma was one of only five women in a class of 250, to navigating the ever-evolving tech landscape, their experiences resonated with both warmth and insight. Monica fondly recalled a professor's advice to treat getting into IIT like boarding a Mumbai train - a metaphor for perseverance that still guides her. Monica shared her struggle with IIT's infamous open-book tests, a humbling experience that taught her the value of practical problem-solving. Their corporate adventures were equally enlightening. Padma's transition from chemical engineering to leading tech giants like Cisco and being on the boards of Microsoft and Spotify, and eventually founding Fable, showcased the power of adaptability. Monica's pivot from AI research to security highlighted the importance of resilience in a rapidly changing industry. Family life wasn't left out of the conversation. Monica touchingly shared how she and her husband supported their children's creative pursuits, breaking away from the typical tech-centric path. Padma's anecdote about hiring a young Indian user who provided crucial feedback for Fable demonstrated the value of diverse perspectives and humility in leadership. These personal stories, interwoven with their insights on AI, workplace dynamics, and the future of tech, paint a picture of leaders who haven't lost touch with their humanity. Their message is clear: in the race towards technological advancement, our personal experiences, empathy, and continuous learning remain our greatest assets. As we stand at the crossroads of innovation and human values, let their wisdom guide us towards a future where technology enhances rather than replaces our human essence. IIT Bay Area Alumni Association | Okta | Fable

Get ready to swap spreadsheets for scenic views! The IIT Bay Area Alumni Association Hiking Club is excited to announce our next monthly hike on Sunday, November 17th, 2024 at 8:30 am PDT. This month's adventure takes us on the stunning Los Alamitos Creek Trail. We'll explore the beautiful trail that runs along the creek, offering a serene escape into nature. From its southern endpoint to Camden Avenue, the trail winds through lush greenery, offering breathtaking views of the creek and surrounding hills. 🗓 Date: 17 Nov 2024, Sunday ⏰Time: 8:30 am PDT 📍Location: 5949 Winfield Blvd, San Jose, CA 95118 Hike: https://lnkd.in/gRnY9q2M (Note the hike starts at the other end compared to what the All Trails suggests) 🥘Food: Potluck: Let us know what dish you are bringing at https://lnkd.in/gKNuTVMn

Get ready for an exclusive opportunity to connect with some of the most influential executives in the industry! Join us at the CXO Engagement Series for a dynamic evening of powerful insights, one-on-one interactions, and unparalleled networking. Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024   Time: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT   Location: HP, 6280 America Center Dr, San Jose, CA 95002   Ticket Price: $20  This is your chance to gain firsthand knowledge from top leaders—CEOs, CTOs, and innovators—on the latest trends, career strategies, and business opportunities. Don’t wait—sign up early to ensure the best chances for personalized interactions and exclusive access to game-changing ideas. Featured Speakers:   - Shalini Govil-Pai, VP & GM, Google   - Pervinder Johar, CEO, Avathon   - Swapnil Jain, Co-Founder & CEO, Observe.AI   - Anshu Sharma, Co-Founder & CEO, Skyflow   - Sarika Garg, Co-Founder & CEO, Cacheflow Spaces are limited. Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to expand your professional network and gain insights from the best in the business. Register now before the price increases! REGISTER HERE: https://lnkd.in/gMA_gJaK  #CXOEngagement #NetworkingEvent #ExecutiveInsights #CareerGrowth #IITBayArea

𝐈𝐈𝐓-𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝑵𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝑰 𝑨𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 Wednesday, November 6 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Location: Hacker Dojo, 855 Maude Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043 Reg: https://lnkd.in/gVSUzq-V Speakers:  ★ Gaurav Agarwal ('01 IIT Kanpur) Founder & CEO, RagaAI Inc ★ Niraj R. ('00 IIT-Kharagpur) Founder & CEO, SproutsAI ★ Rehan Asif ('13 IIT-Guwahati) Head of AI, RagaAI Inc ★ Rishi Singh (IIT-Delhi) Founder & CEO, BaseRock.ai ★ Vikas Chandra ('98 BITS Pilani) Senior Director of AI Meta