NYC entrepreneurship conference features CEOs, NBA leader

Company leaders in healthcare, fintech, agtech, venture capital and basketball will take the stage as speakers for the 2024 Eclectic Convergence conference in New York City, organized by Entrepreneurship at Cornell.

Set for Friday, Nov. 15 at the Verizon Education Center at Cornell Tech, the daylong conference offers chats and TED-style talks, as well as a pitch contest among Cornell startups and time for networking. Registration is still open.

"The speakers at this conference always share their personal stories and perspectives -sometimes insights they've never shared before - about their careers and the way they've led their companies," said Zach Shulman '87 J.D. '90, director of Entrepreneurship at Cornell. "And we make sure there are plenty of breaks for people to make connections. One of our goals is to make sure that attendees can make organic, fruitful collaborations."

This year's speakers include:

• Tim Barry '93, CEO, co-founder and chair of VillageMD, a company providing health care services for patients and communities across the United States. Barry is also the 2024 Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year.
• Aaron Holiday MBA '12, co-founder and managing partner at 645 Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on data-driven deal sourcing powered by proprietary software.
• Chris Kanik '05, CEO and founder of Smart Cups, a cutting-edge, sustainability-driven technology company with a printed energy drink. Kanik was also the winner of Season 1 of Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars.
• Liza Landsman '90, CEO of Stash, a fintech company that helps people invest, save and spend wisely.
• Mark Tatum '91, deputy commissioner and chief operating officer of the National Basketball Association, where he's responsible for the NBA's business operations.
• Ponsi Trivisvavet MBA '99, CEO and director of Inari, a company using predictive design and advanced multiplex gene editing to unlock the full potential of seeds and create a more sustainable global food system.

Hosts for the conference will be Shulman and Scott Belsky '02, chief strategy officer and executive vice president of design and emerging products, Adobe.

Read more about the speakers and the day's schedule and register at the Eclectic Convergence website.