N2Y3 Netsquared Conference 1st day Wrap-up

Wow, what a day! Day 1 is over and I can’t wait for day 2. The day was information packed from the get-go with Vince Stehle from Surdina giving the N2 goers the welcoming speech. That was followed by the two minute elevator pitch from each of the 21 featured projects. Micheal Metz from Cisco then welcomed us all to their top-notch facilities. Next up it was a featured project Carnival who set the stage for Nicolas Kardas from Microsoft to tell us about all the great things in their Live platform.

After lunch it was the breakout sessions that featured projects vying for the coveted #1 prize. There are many projects here this year and I invite you to review them by following the link above.

When we returned back to the hotel we were met with an amazing array of food, drink and some of the biggest players out there today. I was able to dine with Beth Kanter, Erin Denny and Houston’s Katie Laird.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more updates!

January Net2 – Kelly McCann with the AIDS Foundation Houston

We are really excited to start the 2008 year with a wonderful guest speaker!! Kelly McCann, longtime advocate and CEO of the AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc., will be speaking about her work promoting AIDS awareness, prevention educationShe has done some amazing work, working city-wide testing campaigns through the recent Hip Hop 4 HIV ‘Know Your Status’ concert this year in Houston to travelling across the world working on global AIDS initiatives. This will be a powerful discussion, not to be missed!

A little bit about Kelly:
Kelly has over 22 years of experience in the fields of corrections, community mental health and HIV services. After working for many years for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, MHMRA of Harris County, and Montrose Counseling Center, Kelly joined the staff of AIDS Foundation Houston (AFH) in 2001 as Vice President of Community Resources.

Her focus on prevention education and continuity of care issues, especially with corrections populations, contributed to the agency?s status as a leader in the provision of services to incarcerated and recently released populations. Kelly served as Project Director for two important prison-based programs: Wall Talk, an offender peer health education program currently operating in 80 Texas prisons, and Safe Prisons, an innovative, peer-based offender sexual assault awareness program. In addition, Kelly served as an external consultant to the U.S. Surgeon General?s Call to Action on Correctional Health Care in May 2004.

Kelly was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of AFH in August 2005. Since that time, she has focused on developing closer ties with diverse population groups such as members of the gay community, politicians and policy makers, and African American church congregations. Kelly has also established priorities of testing and prevention, increasing community awareness of HIV especially among youth, and raising the profile of AIDS Foundation Houston within the city.

Let us know if you would like to come. Sign up online here

http://netsquared.meetup.com/3/calendar/6524220/