Innovation focus of The Chamber’s Directions 2014 event

Disruption and innovation — and their role in job creation — will be the focus of Directions 2014 in Reno on Jan. 30.

The 22nd annual economic forum is sponsored by The Chamber.

Victor Hwang, a Bay Area venture capitalist whose firm is working to measure the innovative nature of communities, will be among the speakers.

Hwang, co-founder and chief executive officer of T2 Venture Capital in Portola Valley, will discuss the development of an innovative ecosystem in Reno.

Along with his business interests, Hwang is executive director of the Global Innovation Summit, a conference that attracts delegates from 50 nations.

Other scheduled speakers include:

Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Owen Roberts, the general manager of Microsoft Licensing in Reno.

Jeremy Aguero, an economic analyst with Applied Analysis.

Also scheduled will be a panel discussion on the proposed margins tax that’s on the Nevada ballot in November. Members of that panel will include Andy Ellard, president of Manda Machine Co. Inc.; Carole Vilardo, president of the Nevada Taxpayers Association; Chris Nielsen, executive director of the Department of Taxation and Tray Abney, director of government relations for The Chamber.

Directions 2014, which is billed as the largest business networking event in northern Nevada, will be at the Tuscany Ballroom of the Peppermill Casino Resort Spa. Doors open at 7, and the program runs from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For registration, which includes details on early-bird pricing, see www.thechambernv.org. For sponsorship information and package pricing, contact Lynn Tackman at 775-636-9551 or ltackman@thechambernv.org.

NNBW staff