We’re three weeks away from our biggest event of the year, the GeekWire Summit, and we’ve still got a few surprises in store as we prepare for our signature technology conference on Sept. 12 in Seattle.
Here’s the latest: Peter Lee, the new Microsoft Research chief, has joined the lineup as a participant in the innovation panel that will round out the day and provide a glimpse of the key trends to watch in the tech industry in the years ahead.
More details and tickets for the full-day event are available here or below.
Lee, the former head of Carnegie Mellon’s top-ranked computer science department, initially joined Microsoft in 2008 from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). As the new leader of Microsoft Research, Lee has a unique vantage point across areas including machine learning, social networking, mobility, the future of human-computer interaction and many other areas being pursued by Microsoft Research’s 1,100 scientists and engineers.
He joins a panel that includes Eric Anderson, the visionary tech executive from Planetary Resources, Intentional Software and Space Adventures; and wireless industry vet Vern Fotheringham, the CEO of Kymeta Corp., the Bill Gates-backed startup that is using metamaterials to transform the way people receive wireless broadband via satellites; and Jeremy Jaech (of Aldus and Visio fame) who has returned to the startup world as the CEO of home sensor startup SNUPI.
We’re also pleased to welcome Glenn Walcott, president of fast-growing DoubleDown Interactive to a panel on gaming that will be led by industry vet Ed Fries, with additional participants including Microsoft Halo leader Bonnie Ross.
A panel on the future of retail — featuring veterans of Amazon, Starbucks and Nordstrom — will examine the changing nature of e-commerce and the increasing crossover between the physical and digital worlds. Panelists include Jane Park, the CEO of cosmetics e-commerce startup Julep; Dr. Nadia Shouraboura, the CEO of robot-powered apparel startup Hointer; and Michael Smith, the CEO of organic food delivery service Full Circle Farms, and former president of Nordstrom.com.
Bloomberg Businessweek’s Brad Stone, who is literally writing the book on Amazon, will moderate this panel on the future of retail.
Our lineup for the rest of the day also includes top Silicon Valley venture capitalist (and early Twitter investor) Bill Gurley, acclaimed photographer and CreativeLive co-founder Chase Jarvis, HBO technology chief Otto Berkes and many others.
In addition to the main event on Sept. 12, attendees also receive complimentary access to the Summit pre-party, the evening of Sept. 11, hosted by Zillow in downtown Seattle; and the after-party on Sept. 12 on a great rooftop deck in downtown Seattle, presented by Avalara.
Stay tuned for more details, and looking forward to seeing you at the GeekWire Summit!
Thanks to all of our sponsors for making this event possible: Cobalt, Filter, Wave Business Solutions, Fresh Consulting, First Tech Federal Credit Union, Appature, Mailchimp, Moz, FusionStorm, MightyCall, Knoll, Vertafore, University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education, Summit Group Solutions, Avalara, Zillow, Ticketmaster and Davis Wright Tremaine.
