Lila Tretikov to Keynote 10th Anniversary of CruzHacks 2024
As we approach the 10th anniversary of CruzHacks 2024, it's worth reflecting on the significance of this event.
On January 19th, over 500 hackers, designers, and entrepreneurs will converge to embark on what can only be described as a deeply human endeavor: a 2.5-day journey of coding, problem-solving, and the generation of groundbreaking ideas.
CruzHacks founders - Doug Erickson, Mark Adams, and Brent Haddad - will reintroduce attendees to a figure who played a pivotal role in the inaugural CruzHacks a decade ago: Lila Tretikov. Ms. Tretikov, acknowledged as one of the most influential women in technology, is not just a symbol of success in the tech world, but also a testament to the power of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Born in Moscow in 1978, Tretikov's formative years were spent in the shadows of a crumbling Soviet Union, a time when the free flow of information was more a dream than a reality. The daughter of a professor and a filmmaker, she was acutely aware of the fragility of freedom of speech and expression. Her journey from the confines of Soviet censorship to the forefront of the open-source software movement in the 2000s is not just a personal triumph, but a narrative that underscores the transformative power of technology and open information.
Three years after the Soviet Union collapsed, at age 16, she left for the United States by herself. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied a subcategory of artificial intelligence.
Her path, from a self-described “classic geek” in Moscow to a Deputy Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, encapsulates a journey of relentless pursuit of knowledge and the application of that knowledge to break barriers. While at UC Berkekey, Ms. Tretikov launched her first company, GrokDigital, which was born of the Human Genome Project. Her subsequent pivotal role at Sun Microsystems are chapters in a larger story about the pursuit of innovation and the democratization of information.
But that is not all. After taking SugarCRM from an open source project to functional parity with Salesforce.com in only 4 years, she was recruited as CEO of Wikipedia. But why stop there? She went on to be CEO & Vice Chair of ENGIE, the leader in decarbonizing global energy management solutions.
For the past 4 years, Ms. Tretikov has been the Deputy CTO at Microsoft.
As Ms. Tretikov prepares to headline CruzHacks 2024, we are not just witnessing a celebration of technological advancement but are also participating in a moment that captures the essence of human potential when merged with technology. Her presence at this event, and her upcoming participation as a panelist at Remarkable AI in March 2024 alongside Guy Kawasaki, promises insights not just into the future of technology, but into the future of human endeavor in an increasingly digital world.
For those intrigued by the intersection of technology and human potential, CruzHacks 2024 is an unmissable event. Details about the event and Ms. Tretikov’s participation can be found at www.cruzhacks.com. This is not just an event; it's a glimpse into the future of human ingenuity.
PS. Ms. Tretikov will attend Remarkable AI as a panelist with Guy Kawasaki. This event will be announced in late February.
Also remarkable…
Forbes' World's 100 Most Powerful Women: Recognized for her leadership at the Wikimedia Foundation and commitment to democratizing knowledge.
San Francisco Chronicle's 21 Most Powerful Women in Bay Area Technology: Honoring her contributions to innovation and building successful companies.
World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders: Selected for her potential to shape the future of technology and her dedication to solving global challenges.