The Issue
Technology is making it easier for everyone and everything to become connected. Cities have begun to harness the power of technology through the creation of “Smart Cities” projects. In the realm of transportation, smart cities projects are created with the idea of taking on the challenges of improving mobility and reducing traffic congestion.
This upcoming dialogue will particularly look at the ways that Coachella Valley cities can adopt Smart City concepts in order to address these challenges. The panel of experts will provide an in-depth look at the general concept of Smart City initiatives, as well as provide a look into different initiatives undertaken by municipalities and businesses.
Event Highlights
Speakers
Sanjiv S. Gupta, Chairman/Co-Founder, Irepa International, LLC
Sanjiv S. Gupta is Chairman/Co-Founder of Irepa International, LLC based in Palm Springs, CA. Irepa International is an IoT Consultancy who offers business development services to technology partner companies as well as sales of turn-key market-ready IoT solutions (hardware and software) to business verticals (cities, buildings, healthcare, transportation, environmental monitoring, security & surveillance, asset monitoring, satellite imaging, hazard prevention, broadband network & service delivery, hotel & hospitality, retail, agriculture, etc.) in order to improve their operational efficiencies along with human health & well-being.
After spending almost two decades in growing Intel Corporation's mobile wireless businesses (Bluetooth, WiFi) with key mobile PC OEMs (Toshiba and SONY), consulting/evangelizing Intel's WiMAX, LTE, WiGigaherz, Wireless Charging and Peer-to-Peer technologies with key Telcos (Sprint, Axtel, Cablevision) and ecosystem partners, and contributing to the building of Intel's revenue-generating IoT partner ecosystem comprised of ISVs (Independent Solution Vendors specialized in IoT Sensors/UX Devices, IoT Gateways, Middleware/Analytics/AI/Machine Learning/Data-driven decision making and Cloud Services), OSVs (Operating System Vendors), and IBVs (Independent BIOS Vendors), Sanjiv can definitely claim his leadership through experience in driving rapid digital conversions using the latest IoT architectures - transforming an old legacy world of enormous disparate disconnected data to a new world of homologous holistic connected data. Sanjiv holds a BSEE and MSEE from the University of Colorado, Boulder and the University of Texas, Arlington, respectively.
Jason Anderson, President/CEO, Cleantech San Diego
Jason is President and CEO of Cleantech San Diego, a nonprofit member organization that positions the greater San Diego region as a global leader in the cleantech economy. Cleantech San Diego’s membership includes more than 100 local businesses, universities, governments, and nonprofits committed to advancing sustainable solutions for the benefit of the economy and the environment. As President and CEO, Jason manages the overall organization and leads several initiatives critical to the mission of the organization, including Smart Cities San Diego, advocacy efforts, and economic development programs. Before joining Cleantech San Diego in 2010, Jason was Vice President of Business Development for the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Prior to joining EDC in 2006, Jason lived in Austin, Texas, where he worked in the State Capitol as Legislative Director for Texas State Senator Frank Madla.
Jason holds a degree in Corporate Communications from the University of Texas in Austin and is a 2008 graduate of LEAD San Diego. In 2014, Jason was named one of SD METRO’s “40 Under 40.” He is a member of the City of San Diego’s Sustainable Energy Advisory Board, the County of San Diego’s Comprehensive Renewable Energy Plan Technical Advisory Committee, and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Advisory Board. Jason is also a board member of Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization.
Kjeld Lindsted, Product Manager, NoTraffic
Kjeld Lindsted is the Product Manager for NoTraffic where he works with cities to solve the wicked hard problems in smart traffic technology. Before joining NoTraffic, Kjeld founded the smart city program for the City of Redlands where he launched an industry-first public-private partnership to develop AI traffic signals at scale. Kjeld's role is to continually evaluate what a digitally native traffic management platform should look like and how to evolve the industry from its roots in mechanical timing devices and analog controllers. Kjeld's approach to innovation is to always ask "what would it look like if we built it today".