Newswise — BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- One of Silicon Valley’s most successful entrepreneurs and venture capitalists will return to Indiana University and his home state of Indiana on Sept. 18 for a day of special programs with students and an evening with the general public.
An initial investor in WordPress, which fuels the majority of blogs around the world, IU graduate Tony Conrad and his firm True Ventures have also funded companies such as FitBit, MakerBot, Danger, Typekit, High Fidelity, Slack, August, Stoneyfield Farms and Blue Bottle Coffee. In his return to IU, Conrad will share information about his latest company, the social media platform About.me.
“It’s one thing to invest millions of dollars into companies that become household names, but it’s a rare skill to also start companies and run them yourself,” said Caroline Dowd-Higgins, director of professional enrichment for the IU Alumni Association. “That makes people like Tony Conrad, who work on both sides of the entrepreneurial street, particularly interesting. Tony was generous and enthusiastic to spend an entire day on campus to talk and work with students and members of the Indiana tech community.”
The IU Alumni Association is co-hosting the public event with Union Board. “We are delighted to bring talented and accomplished alumni to our students and Indiana residents as part of our mission,” Dowd-Higgins said.
Conrad will meet with local entrepreneurs and tech experts at the historic Showers Administration Building, 601 N. Morton St. He will participate in an invitation-only lunch with IU career services staff and faculty.
In the evening, Conrad will meet with female student leaders and entrepreneurs at the Student Building on campus. At 7 p.m., the general public is invited to "An Evening with Tony Conrad" at Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union. The auditorium event is free; no registration or tickets are required.
In addition to his numerous business interests, Conrad was a T40 national co-chair of technology, which resulted in cutting-edge use of technology to mobilize a grassroots effort on behalf of a then unknown senator named Barack Obama, who was running for president of the United States. Conrad is a 1984 graduate of IU with a major in telecommunications. He describes himself as “an animal whisperer, sometimes triathlete, an unfortunate Cubs fan, and lover of languages, art and architecture.”
The IU Alumni Association is a global alumni organization that brings 600,000 IU graduates together to support one another and Indiana University throughout their lives. The association activates IU’s powerful network through live events, webinars, scholarship programs and seriously fun traditions.
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