Roddey is the Head of Partnerships @ b8ta, where he helps innovative brands, big and small, launch products into b8ta’s 80+ brick-and-mortar stores nationwide. And not just tech products. Roddey establishes partnerships with a wide assortment of brands who want consumers to experience their products first-hand in b8ta’s software-powered stores. When Roddey’s not talking about retail-as-a-service, he’s probably outside playing in the ocean or mountains.
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Chris Chuang is a California native turned North Carolina family man who is serious about finding solutions to tackle the challenge of screen addiction and children in today’s families. His personal motto is: Husband and Father first, CEO Next. For the past three years as CEO of Republic Wireless he has led teams working to develop a suite of products designed to help simplify family communications. Relay, the first product, is a WiFi 4G LTE screen free walkie talkie launching May 14, 2018. Thankfully, Relay is an opportunity that aligns all three roles in his life on a common mission to provide remarkably simple, affordable, and safe ways for families to stay in touch … starting with his wife and four young children, all of whom have growing needs to communicate as they explore the world around them. A graduate of Stanford, Chris has spent his entire 20+ year career in the technology sector, with a majority of his time focused on working with teams building innovative and disruptive solutions in the communications markets. He has been recognized for his leadership as a “40 under 40” winner, NC Tech Exec of the Year, and TechWire Top Startup Leader. Chris’ leadership abilities have been honed by his experiences across a variety of companies and roles. Before becoming CEO of Republic Wireless, Chris served as COO of Bandwidth, helping grow that business from a small private company generating tens of millions in annual
revenue to a profitable public company with hundreds of millions in annual revenue. Prior to Bandwidth, Chris was VP of Strategic Development at Motricity, where he led efforts to raise nearly $500M in venture capital and acquire three companies. Chris helped grow Motricity from $10M in annual revenue to over $100M, which later went public and reached a billion dollar market cap. Earlier in his career, Chris worked as an investor at Technology Crossover Ventures (a multibillion dollar VC fund) and as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, with both roles also focused on the communications markets.
Nick Cherukuri is the Founder and President of ThirdEye Gen, Inc. At ThirdEye, he leads the effort to bring the X1 AR Smart Glasses & AR platforms to the commercial and consumer worlds. Previously, he developed AR/VR applications that were successful in mobile App stores. He has lengthy experience with the software and hardware components of Augmented Reality and in creating powerful AR experiences for users as well as patents in the AR field. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania where he was a founding member of the Penn AR/VR organization and also played Winger on the Men’s Rugby Team.
Odyssey Toys is a family run company leading the industry in fun, exciting, and cutting edge toys and gaming experiences. We are investing a great deal of our creative juices in mixed reality in its limitless reaches.
Leon Temiz is the founder and CEO of Electronics Expo a premiere consumer electronics and system integration retailer. Leon is a noted entrepreneur who has innovated in both physical retail and online sales. He is nationally recognized for his decades of work in the consumer technology industry.
Tom Connolly was appointed Vice President, Operations in March, 2018. Prior to this appointment Mr. Connolly was Operational Vice President, Business Analytics and Financial Planning since joining Brookstone in November, 2015. Prior to joining Brookstone, Mr. Connolly was Director, Business Planning & Analysis at Vestis Retail Group.. Before that, Mr. Connolly worked at Eastern Mountain Sports for many years, holding positions from Store Manager up to Director, Compensation & Benefits. Mr. Connolly holds a Bachelor of Arts from Haverford College, PA.
In 1986 my dad bought me my first XT DOS operated computer and I was very busy tearing it apart and reassembling it, till I discovered it had “Digger” installed, when I laid down the screwdrivers for a bit. Ever since I’ve been attached to the latest tech, with a strong affiliation to video, photography and sound as a filmmaker and content creator. A few years ago, I was lucky to cross path with temi at its very first stages and have been focused on giving birth to the world’s first personal robotic assistant that works and has value to its users.
Scott Chapps is Chief Creative Officer at Aura. His passion for product design and brand experience has led him to help launch upwards of 30+ start-ups such as Allbirds, Casper, and now Aura. Before joining Aura, Scott spent 20+ years collaborating with leading design firms in his native city of London, Sweden and the U.S., honing a truly global perspective on design. In 2006, Scott also co-founded ChappsMalina, a product design studio in New York City, and led multiple design initiatives for globally recognized brands across various industries, most notably, Samsung, Panasonic, Electrolux, PepsiCo, and Johnson & Johnson. Scott‘s contributions have won global design awards and he holds numerous U.S. listed design patents.
