Pathways to Entrepreneurial Success: Lessons Learned (Valo Park Auditorium)

“Pathways to Entrepreneurial Success: Lessons Learned” brings together successful entrepreneurs to share their experiences, challenges, and triumphs. This panel discussion will delve into the critical lessons learned throughout their paths to success, offering attendees actionable advice on navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship. Gain insight and practical tips from those who have turned their visions into thriving businesses.

MODERATOR:

John Gustavo Blair
Director, National Business Investment, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
John Gustavo Blair is originally from the Washington, DC area. He has been at the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) since 2017. At the EDA, John serves as the Director for National Business Investment and in addition to leading the team focused on supporting companies with a US headquarters, John specializes in working with emerging tech companies in sectors ranging from artificial intelligence and blockchain to drones and autonomous vehicles. Read full profile…

PANEL:

Steven Chen
Principal, Chairman Emeritus – Cyber Seed Investment, Blu Ventures, Tysons
An investor, serial entrepreneur, and mentor. Experience includes founder CEO of an Intel Capital portfolio company, 20x exit, CTO and m&a for a $150M public company, $300M+ SBIR contracts, chairman of the IEEE 1451.5 Std for Wireless Sensor Networks, 10+ patents. Currently founder of 2 startups, investor of 50+ companies and board roles for 5+ companies. Read full profile…

Blake Hall
Co-Founder and CEO, ID.me, Tysons
Blake Hall is the Co-Founder and CEO of ID.me, the next-generation digital identity network that simplifies how individuals can create a secure, private, and portable digital identity. More than 130 million members can use their ID.me Wallet to easily verify and use their identity across 30 states, 16 federal agencies, and over 600 organizations. ID.me’s technology meets the federal standards for consumer authentication set by the Commerce Department and is approved as a NIST 800-63-3 IAL2 / AAL2 credential service provider as verified by the Kantara Initiative. Read full profile…

Denise Garcia Van Wyngaardt
CEO, Indigo IT
Denise Garcia Van Wyngaardt is the CEO of Indigo IT, a government contracting business located outside of Washington, DC that provides IT solutions and services to the federal government and commercial clients in the areas of cloud computing, cybersecurity, and IT service management. The company’s contract portfolio spans a broad range of both DoD and civilian agencies with employees spread across 17 states. Garcia Van Wyngaardt has instilled a values-based philosophy in Indigo IT’s culture and operations that has shaped Indigo IT into an award-winning IT service provider in an extremely competitive industry. Read full profile…