Launched in December 2015 at the request of our community members, FountainBlue’s VIP Roundtables convene executive and entrepreneurial leaders in conversations on innovation and market trends. This invitation-only event facilitates connections between select entrepreneurial and executive leaders to share best practices on opportunities and challenges, while supporting the strategic and business development goals of all participating companies.
Our on-site monthly roundtables converted to online in March 2020, and find that it is more efficient logistically, has a broader and more global appear, and better addresses the needs of our host and participating companies and leaders. The deeper networking and business development objectives are generally conducted following the meeting itself.
convene senior technology executive and entrepreneurial leaders to discuss strategies and best practices for addressing tech, market and business trends and
develop collaborations and relationships which benefit the strategic, planning and execution goals for all involved.
What to Expect for Each Month’s VIP Roundtable
Our monthly Socratic-style interactive discussions are conducted with ‘Chatham House Rules’, which allow for the sharing of general information without reference to specific people or companies.
Although we don’t share slides, each participating executive will provide an in-depth perspective for the month’s topic, as well as thought-provoking examples, best practices and use cases.
We connect our participating executives and entrepreneurs to each other with a summary of notes from the conversation. These notes will be shared with the larger community via our monthly newsletter as well as our blog and LinkedIn accounts.
To respect the privacy of our attendees, we do not share a full attendee list prior to the program, except with the hosting party, so that they can better frame their opening remarks.
Our monthly programs convene monthly, typically on the second or third Fridays from 7:50-9:00 a.m. PST. Notes from past meetings are available online at https://fountainblue.blog/category/vip/.
Registration and Participation
Our series is designed for senior executives to connect and discuss market and technology challenges and opportunities. Corporate Partners for the series provide opening remarks on a specific topic, with other executives chiming in with their input. This tightly facilitated conversation allows all executives to speak at a high level, leaving the more detailed discussions for follow-up meetings.
If you would like to nominate a senior executive (or yourself) for one of our upcoming programs, please e-mail us at info@fountainblue.biz and let us know your perspective for the upcoming topic. Once approved for participation, the $200 registration link will be sent and once payment has been remitted, a calendar invitation will be sent with virtual call details.
If you’re an invited executive and did not receive the calendar invitation or the e-mail, please e-mail us at info@fountainblue.biz and we will provide the details.
Privacy and Respect
Each attending executive commits to arriving on-time and staying for the length of the program.
Our monthly Socratic-style interactive discussions are conducted with ‘Chatham House Rules’, which allow for the sharing of general information without reference to specific people or companies.
To respect the privacy of our attendees, we do not share a full attendee list unless it’s for the hosting party who will provide opening remarks. Please assume that each participating executive represents a host or partner organization.
All participating executive will be providing both an in-depth and a divergent perspective for the month’s topic, as well as thought-provoking examples, best practices and use cases.
Notes will be taken and e-mailed to all participating attendees, and also shared anonymously over our web site and blog. See below for links to our prior discussions.
2023 VIP Roundtable Programs – all held online from 7:50 – 9:00 a.m. PST
The final 2020 VIP Roundtable will be on the ‘Smart Cities, Smart Buildings’ topic, scheduled for Dec 11 from 7:50 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. PST, and held online.
Bring your crystal ball to this month’s VIP roundtable. Share your thoughts on what’s hot and what’s not in the iSMAC (Immersive, Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud) space, what the sleeper technologies and companies are, how the technology and business climate will evolve in 2017, and what that means for entrepreneurs, executives and investors.
February 3 @ Texas Instruments, Convergence of Technologies and Industries
With the rapid evolution of technologies and markets, corporate leaders are under tremendous pressure to deliver customized solutions to a very demanding customer base. This month, we will share best practices on how to adapt solutions and technologies applied to different problem sets and niche customers to an entirely new and different market, opening up new opportunities and challenges.
March 3, 8-10 a.m. @ Techlab Innovation Center, Collaboration Best Tools and Practices
Everyone touts the merits of collaboration. When done well, increased collaboration and coordination between internal and external stakeholders leads to greater productivity, increased innovation, and a more empowered and loyal workforce/customer base, for example. But few speak up when online collaboration goes awry – when tools and processes add more overhead, more complexity, more expenditure, with less impactful results. Share your best practices on processes and tools that support your collaboration goals in this interactive roundtable.
IT Trends and Predictions
April 7, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. @ Flex, IT Trends and Predictions
We have seen much advancement in the past decades around network, computer, and IT growth and expansion. Our conversation this month will be around expected IT trends around big data, security, access, scalability and customization, and most notably, the key collaborations that need to happen between companies, partners and technologies integral for customer success and corporate expansion.
May 5, 8-10 a.m. @ Samsung, 3655 North First Street in San Jose, Pacific Room, Being Human in an Age That’s Digital
Everything has gone digital: From the bots to the IoT solutions, from big data and analytics to cloud and social solutions, from AI to mobile apps and security scripts. Where does the human come in? Share your best practices on how to best leverage the tech and empower the leader, so we can be human in an age that’s digital.
June 2, 8-10 a.m. @ Intel, Facilitating Hyper-growth
When the product, the team and the traction are good enough, companies must gear up for rapid growth. This month’s roundtable of investors, entrepreneurs, and leaders will share best practices on how to best maintain product integrity when delivering to aggressive timelines, customer relationships and support as adoption and expansion ramps up, and quality talent when leadership and growth are key.
July 28, 8-10 a.m. @ Texas Instruments, Stretching the Technology and Business Envelope
This month we will feature companies stretching the technology and business envelope, adopting collaborative and sustainable business models for the new wave of technologies, including IoT, block chain, security, open source, AR/VR and AI. Central to the discussion is the development of partnerships and collaborations between ecosystems of players.
August 4, 8-10 a.m. @ Palo Alto Networks, Balancing Privacy, Security and Access
There’s as much pressure to have secure communication as there is to have convenient and full access to information you own, as there is to have privacy so that only those who are approved are allowed that access! This month, we will feature experts who will share their best practices on how to balance the three, making a win-for-all.
September 15, 8-10 a.m. @ Polycom, Age of the Customer
The empowered customer is discerning, demanding, informed and all-powerful. This month, we will share best practices on how tech companies are changing the way they do business to better anticipate and serve these customers and how they keeping in front of the curve and soliciting the input of marquis customers to shape product and service offerings and direction.
October 6, 8-10 a.m. @ Techlab, Best Practices in Collaborative Innovation
The new model for innovation involves collaboration – getting together people with disparate backgrounds and points of view to collaborate in generating ground-breaking ideas, and innovative technologies, services and solutions. This month’s VIP roundtable will feature success stories from companies and teams at the innovative edge, working in collaboration with other leaders, teams, companies and industries.
November 3, 8-10 a.m. @ WD, In Search of Unicorns
Many tech companies today outsource their innovation, by buying out start-ups, by spinning out tech ideas, by incubating technologies and entrepreneurs. All are in search of unicorns, companies touting the disruptive technologies that warrant billion-dollar valuations. Come share your best practices for nurturing, identifying, growing unicorns, as well as your cautionary tales.
December 1, 8-10 a.m. @ Intel, Navigating Transitions: Best Practices for Strategy and Integration during M&A Events
M&A is part of today’s tech company’s game plan for growth – as it has been for a few decades. But M&As today are different than that of last decade, and going forward. Our conversation this month will be on best practices for today’s integration and implementation for M&As.
VIP Breakfast Pre-Launch Event, December 11, 2015, 8-10 a.m., Altera Corporation, 101 Innovation Way, San Jose
Navigating Transitions: Best Practices for Strategy and Execution During M&A Events When stakes are high and tech companies are moving fast, you need winning strategies and execution best practices to proactively manage mergers and acquisitions. Our hand-selected audience of senior executives have a wide range of experience and expertise and will share their knowledge and experience at this pre-launch event for FountainBlue’s VIP roundtable. See notes from this event. Please join us in thanking our execs who participated in this conversation as well as our hosts at Altera!
January 15, 8-10 a.m. @ OCZ, 6373 San Ignacio Ave, San Jose, Negotiating for Success
The stakes are high when you’re an exec in a fast-moving tech company. Whether you’re negotiating the terms for multi-million dollars deals or the details for an imminent M&A or licensing terms for technologies, senior execs are chartered with the economic health and brand integrity of the company and team and products they represent. Share your negotiation trials and best practices at this roundtable discussion. Please join us in thanking our hosts at OCZ and our attendees for this event. See notes from this discussion here.
February 5 @ Applied Materials, Convergence of Technologies and Industries
With the rapid evolution of technologies and markets, corporate leaders are under tremendous pressure to deliver customized solutions to a very demanding customer base. This month, we will share best practices on how to adapt solutions and technologies applied to different problem sets and niche customers to an entirely new and different market, opening up new opportunities and challenges. See our notes from this event. Please join us in thanking our execs who participated in this conversation as well as our hosts at Applied Materials!
March 4, 8-10 a.m. @ Verifone, Technology for a Multi-Generational Customer Base
Technology is pervasive – in so many products, services and industries. Understanding the need of the customer, particularly when they are from different cultures and generations is critical to the success of any product and organization. Share your best practices on how to understand needs and deliver value to your diverse customer base. See our notes from this event at notes. Please join us in thanking our execs who participated in this conversation as well as our host at Verifone!
Information Technology or IT as a Art Background
April 1, 8-10 a.m. @ Dell, IT Trends and Predictions
We have seen much advancement in the past decades around network, computer, and IT growth and expansion. Our conversation this month will be around expected IT trends around big data, security, access, scalability and customization, and most notably, the key collaborations that need to happen between companies, partners and technologies integral for customer success and corporate expansion.
See notes from this roundtable. Please join us in thanking our execs who participated in this conversation and to our hosts at Dell!
May 6, 8-10 a.m. @ Symantec, Recruiting Best PracticesAll leaders know that companies and team are only as good as the best talent you can attract. High potential talent for tech companies is at a premium. Our conversation this month will feature best practices for attracting, retaining and developing these high potentials.
The pace, complexity and versatility is rapidly changing with the empowerment of the customer, the versatility of technology, and the breadth and depth of markets. Share the opportunities and challenges to retailers and tech companies alike at this month’s VIP roundtable.
With the advancements in analytics and social media, marketing and leadership teams have a much more robust arsenal of information and tools to understand and serve a broader and deeper customer base. This month, marketing leaders will share best practices on how to structure and implement revenue-focused communication and service programs to serve and event anticipate the varying needs of a diverse customer base.
There’s as much pressure to have secure communication as there is to have convenient and full access to information you own, as there is to have privacy so that only those who are approved are allowed that access! This month, we will feature experts who will share their best practices on how to balance the three, making a win-for-all.
The empowered customer is discerning, demanding, informed and all-powerful. This month, we will share best practices on how tech companies are changing the way they do business to better anticipate and serve these customers and how they keeping in front of the curve and soliciting the input of marquis customers to shape product and service offerings and direction.
October 7, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. @ Cisco, Best Practices in Collaborative Innovation
The new model for innovation involves collaboration – getting together people with disparate backgrounds and points of view to collaborate in generating ground-breaking ideas, and innovative technologies, services and solutions. This month’s VIP roundtable will feature success stories from companies and teams at the innovative edge, working in collaboration with other leaders, teams, companies and industries.
November 4, 8-10 a.m. @ Samsung San Jose, In Search of Unicorns
Many tech companies today outsource their innovation, by buying out start-ups, by spinning out tech ideas, by incubating technologies and entrepreneurs. All are in search of unicorns, companies touting the disruptive technologies that warrant billion-dollar valuations. Come share your best practices for nurturing, identifying, growing unicorns, as well as your cautionary tales.
December 2, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. @ NetApp, Navigating Transitions: Best Practices for Strategy and Integration during M&A Events
M&A is part of today’s tech company’s game plan for growth – as it has been for a few decades. But M&As today are different than that of last decade, and going forward. Our conversation this month will be on best practices for today’s integration and implementation for M&As.
Benefits for Leaders, Team and Company
Based on the input of our participating executives and companies over the past three years, benefits include:
connections to leaders and companies in similar and adjacent spaces
exposure to new perspectives about current and upcoming industry trends
introduction to complementary technologies and solutions
opportunity to introduce offerings and get feedback
stimulating, interactive, thought-provoking discussions which stimulate strategic thinking and collaborative ventures
Corporate Partnership and Participation Fee
There is a $2500 fee for becoming a 2020 VIP roundtable corporate partner. Specific benefits would include:
hosting one VIP roundtable on relevant topic at a convenient time (limited spots remaining)
seats for two executives to join the other roundtables in 2020
five passes for any 2019 When She Speaks events when a VP from your company joins the panel
inviting partner executive as your guest for up to three events in 2020
For more information and to inquire about a guest pass for an upcoming roundtable, e-mail us at info@fountainblue.biz.
See notes from this roundtable. Please join us in thanking our execs who participated in this conversation and to our hosts for each VIP roundtable for 2015-2020!
