Acting Director of USAID’s Global Development Lab Lona Stoll to Participate in Techcon 2014: USAID’s Higher Education Solutions Network Conference in California

For Immediate Release

Friday, November 7, 2014
USAID Press Office
Telephone: +1.202.712.4320 | Email: USAIDPressOfficers@usaid.gov | Twitter: @USAIDPress

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Acting Director of USAID’S Global Development Lab Lona Stoll will travel to California to join over 350 student innovators, faculty researchers, development experts, investors, and thought leaders who will meet this weekend in the Bay Area for the Higher Education Solutions Network’s TechCon 2014. This year, TechCon 2014 will highlight more than 40 innovations emerging from USAID’s Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN) Development Labs and partners. An Innovation Marketplace will showcase innovations, and will conclude with the announcement of the winning innovator.  Another winner will be selected through a Shark Tank style pitch competition.  TechCon will also offer a variety of discussions, networking opportunities, sessions, and talks by leading voices in development.

WHAT: The Higher Education Solutions Network’s TechCon2014 is a public event that brings together students, academics, international development experts, investors, entrepreneurs and tech influencers to address how science, and technology, and innovation are shaping international development and solutions to our most important development challenges.
WHO:      

TechCon 2014 is a unique convening of researchers and students, entrepreneurs and innovators, field practitioners and private/public sector professionals focused on creative approaches to solution ideation, testing, and scaling for international development.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Lona Stoll, Acting Executive Director of USAID’s Global Development Lab
  • Janet Napolitano, President of the University of California
  • Nicholas Dirks, Chancellor of UC Berkeley
  • Lynelle Cameron, President and CEO of the Autodesk Foundation and the Senior Director of Sustainability at Autodesk, Inc.
  • Chuck Slaughter, Founder and CEO of LivingGoods
  • Kate Bergeron, Senior Director of Product Design at Apple
  • Richard Blum, Founder and Trustee of the Blum Center for Developing Economies
  • Eric Brewer, Vice President of Infrastructure at Google                              
WHEN:   November 8-10, 2014
WHERE: UC Berkeley, California Memorial Stadium Conference Center

Accredited press only. Invitation transferrable upon request. Cameras welcome.

Social: Follow the conversation on Twitter at @USAID, @USAIDscitech,@GlobalDevLab and #HESN

To learn more about the Higher Education Solutions Network or TechCon2014, please visit http://www.usaid.gov/hesn.

For more information about TechCon 2014, contact: usaidpressofficers@usaid.gov