DBU Hosts Inaugural Tech Symposium

"Three million people move to cities every week," explained Jennifer Sanders, Executive Director of Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA), a public-private partnership dedicated to supporting the design and execution of a smart city plan for Dallas. "That is the population of Chicago." In light of this population flow, urban planners often seek technological solutions to meet the challenges of this swell of rapid urbanization.

Topics such as this led the discussion during DBU's inaugural Tech Symposium on October 8. The conference centered around the theme of "Disrupt the Disrupters" and addressed the need for "smart cities" that engage with emerging technologies such as BlockChain, Data Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence to improve civic infrastructures.

Sanders, who served as the keynote speaker for the event, has been featured in the Dallas Business Journal40 Under 40 and Top Women in Technology. In her address, she spoke of utilizing technology and available data to use resources more efficiently, work for the revitalization of neighborhoods, and improve public health.

Sanders went on to state that the City of Dallas must learn from the innovations that other countries and cities have implemented for civic improvements, such as Amsterdam's incentive of public transportation or Estonia's global leadership in waste recycling. The solution, she said, is found in clarifying the problems facing the city, exploring useful emerging technologies, and testing processes and finding better solutions.

Other internationally renowned speakers at the conference included Mance Harmo, CEO and Co-Founder of Hedera Hashgraph; William Gordon, CEO of BlockQAI; and Dave Copps, CEO of Hypergiant Sensory Services.

Hosting its first Tech Symposium this fall was a unique opportunity for the Master of Science in Information Technology and Management program "to equip, connect, educate, and challenge both corporate affiliates and students about the needs and encounters that a large city faces as tech companies relocate and expand in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area."

Over two years ago, DBU launched the Master of Science in Information Technology and Management (MSITM) program, and it has become the second largest of the master's degrees.

"The MSITM program has quickly recognized the needs that DFW faces when entering into technology arenas," shares Sharon Gorikapudi, Director of the MSITM program and Assistant Professor of Information Technology and Management.