The second annual Silicon Alley Uptown conference took place on November 17 and it was nothing but impressive. I thought it would be nice for us to get to know them a little better, ergo the following interview. SAU was started last year by a dedicated group of J-termers who thought Columbia needed to pay more attention to the massive shifts going on in the economy due to the Internet and technology more generally. I programmed Apple Computers in high school and never lost the technology bug as I got older. The rise of the Internet in the early 90s opened up a lot of new possibilities as well.
Technology is only one component.
After school I worked as the Director of Telecommunications for a wireless company. Compare this year s events to last year s. Attendees this year were much more realistic about prospects in the new economy. The panel topics and speakers reflected this shift as well. Last year s event was much more of a grass roots event.