Tech Takes On Retail During The Holidays {Sponsored by Verizon FiOS}

Tech in Motion's December event is tackling the woes that technology gets caught under the mistletoe with during the holidays. Stay tuned for further information.

As usual there will be bites, drinks and great connections to be made during the networking happy hour preceding the discussion.

Event Schedule:

6:00-7:00: Networking with our speakers and other local tech enthusiasts. (And free food! Who doesn't love free food?)

7:00-8:00: Panel discussion with our wonderful speakers.

8:00-8:20: Q&A so you have a chance to ask all of your burning questions!

Speakers:

David Cost l @DavidCost (https://twitter.com/davidcost)

Vice President of Ecommerce & Digital Marketing at Deb Shops (http://www.debshops.com/default?device=c&network=g&matchtype=e&creative=47685952830&adpos=1t1&gclid=CjwKEAiA4_WjBRCNgf7A_KeE9jwSJADtegYdrh0_eJq2A5WKikuAYIVBRAXuFSRvF7896EyXEFxJ2hoCVPfw_wcB)

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/4/b/e/600_432085790.jpeg

David Cost is Vice President of Ecommerce and Digital Marketing at Deb Shops (http://www.debshops.com (http://www.debshops.com/)) an omnichannel retailer operating 295 stores in the US. David rebuilt and relaunched Deb's digital presence -- Ecommerce, Social Media, eMail, SMS and Blog. Since the relaunch in 2011, Deb's Ecommerce sales have increased from 1% to over 10% of total company sales. Deb has partnered in the development of new ecommerce technologies as a beta tester and early adopter with companies including BloomReach, TellApart and 8thBridge. Prior to Deb Shops, David was a co-founder of PriceSCAN.com and was an early pioneer of internet price comparison services. David is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Fowler “Big Pitt” Abercrombie l @Fowler_BigPitt (https://twitter.com/Fowler_BigPitt)

Manager of Broadband Product Development at Verizon FiOS (http://fios.verizon.com/)

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/5/0/d/600_432085869.jpeg

Fowler Abercrombie is currently the Manager of the Broadband Product Development. He is responsible for the platform, product enhancements, and product management for FiOS Internet services for the entire Verizon Wireline footprint. Fowler was previously the Manager of the HSI Product Management team. Fowler received his Bachelor Degree in Business Studies from Dallas Baptist University in 2009 and his MBA from Dallas Baptist University in 2014.

Derek Rodner l @Rodstar (https://twitter.com/rodstar)

Vice President of Product Strategy at Agilence (http://www.agilenceinc.com/)

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/5/2/d/600_432085901.jpeg

Derek Rodner is the vice president of product strategy at Agilence. He is responsible for the vision and development of Retail 20/20, a SaaS-based operational reporting solution. Retail 20/20 customers include: Neiman Marcus, Lowes Home Centers, Rite Aid, Famous Footwear and more. Derek was most recently Vice President of Marketing at PERFMAN, a cross-platform systems management software provider. Prior to joining PERFMAN, Derek was responsible for worldwide marketing for EnterpriseDB Corporation, spearheading the growth of the company to over 300 customers and millions in sales. Before EnterpriseDB, Derek held a number of marketing roles at Unisys Corporation. He led the open source initiative at Unisys and was responsible for the marketing of their Intel server line. In addition, Derek was the first non-employee Chairman of the Marketing Board for the Open Source Development Labs (OSDL). Derek was also the founder and president of an ERP implementation and consulting firm for Fortune 500 companies. Derek is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

Darren Hill l @WebLinc (https://twitter.com/WebLinc)

Co-Founder & CEO at WebLinc (http://www.weblinc.com/)

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/e/2/0/1/600_432117857.jpeg

Darren Hill possesses nearly twenty years of eCommerce design, development, and marketing experience. In 1994, he co-founded WebLinc with his brother, Jason. They had the foresight and courage to enter the virtually untapped opportunity that the Internet offered.

What sets Darren apart is his ability to recognize new opportunities and to adapt quickly. That’s how he keeps WebLinc at the forefront of eCommerce technology. “Never relaxing, always pushing what we can do,” is how he describes the company.

He has a superior understanding of the eCommerce industry and the technology that supports it. He not only keeps up to date on what is trending and what retailers want, but also has great foresight to look past the trends to see what will evolve into the next technological advance.

Darren’s business savvy goes beyond just co-founding and overseeing a thriving eCommerce company; he is a serial entrepreneur. He and his partners have helped reinvigorate the Old City community. They operate two successful restaurants/bars, and have purchased additional buildings including the historic 100 Market Street property.

He was named to the “Top 30 People Under 30 Years Old” in Philadelphia. He is a regular guest speaker at Drexel University’s LeBow Business College and has been profiled in Inc. Magazine, Philadelphia Magazine, the Philadelphia Business Journal, Streaming Magazine, and TechTimes. Darren was recently ranked at #3 on Drexel University’s Top 40 Under 40 alumni list.

Darren graduated with honors from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business.

Moderator:

Todd DeCapua l @AppPerfEng (https://twitter.com/appperfeng)

Senior Manager of Product Marketing & Software at Hewlett-Packard Company (http://www8.hp.com/ca/en/software-solutions/network-virtualization/index.html?jumpid=va_ritzacmhpv)

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/9/d/0/9/600_432280201.jpeg

Todd DeCapua is senior manager of Application Delivery Management, Go-To-Market for Software at HP. He leads the product marketing team responsible for HP’s Application Delivery Management portfolio, spanning Network Virtualization (cross-portfolio) and Service Virtualization.

DeCapua is a seasoned software professional with more than 20 years of experience in IT applications development, IT operations, product marketing, product management, channels operations and business development in several domains including: Mobile, Agile, Cloud, and Performance.

Prior to this role, DeCapua was VP of Channel Operations and Services for Shunra. He was the key executive responsible for creating value and capabilities, technical integrations and OEM’s with key partners like HP, and driving Marketing and Sales activities through the field channels and key customers. DeCapua’s ability to deliver resulted in HP acquiring Shunra in April 2014.

Prior to Shunra, DeCapua held several senior leadership roles at ING DIRECT, where he was a key executive Agile change agent, transforming it to an Agile organization with the right people / processes / tools and delivering compelling results.

Prior to ING DIRECT, DeCapua worked in several consulting organizations and roles, including Andersen Consulting.

Learn about our sponsors:

Verizon FiOS (http://fios.verizon.com/)

Verizon is at the center of today’s connected world, working independently and with tech industry partners to put simple, yet incredibly powerful digital tools in the hands of our customers. With the nation’s most advanced and reliable FiOS fiber-optic and 4G LTE mobile networks, Verizon’s customers enjoy the benefits of the digital lifestyle, while we provide the communities we serve with new ways to prosper and grow in the Internet Age – connecting them to the global economy, expanding access to opportunity, and offering new approaches to the challenges of health care, education and environmental sustainability.

Verizon’s 100% fiber-optic FiOS network delivers market-leading broadband speed – with symmetric upload and download throughput – as well as brilliant HD TV service to homes in parts of 12 states and the District of Columbia. Our unique wireless, broadband and cloud assets give us the ability to do what others can’t: deliver truly integrated connected solutions that work across all devices and platforms.

Want to learn more about Tech in Motion?

• Visit TechinMotionEvents.com (http://bit.ly/1qDwKMK)

• "Like (http://on.fb.me/1gjxei9)" us on Facebook!

• Join the conversation on Twitter! Share and follow along with@Tech_in_Motion (http://bit.ly/1d2mMvB)

• Check out our Tech Job Board (http://bit.ly/1kRBVb5)

• Read insightful content from our speakers across the country on our blog (http://bit.ly/1iKIK9M)

• Want to sign up for our email list? Click Here! (http://bit.ly/1i8Gh7w)

• Interested in sponsoring a Tech in Motion event? Click Here (http://bit.ly/1nq8Kxr)!