The 360.01 Summit
January 11, 2001
(Image courtesy of 360 Summit)
AUSTIN, TX - More than 300 of Austin's top technology leaders gathered for the 360.01 Summit, held Thursday, January 11 at the Austin Music Hall.
The 360.01 Summit, the third in a series of annual events, is a non-profit endeavor designed to bridge Austin's technology community. The event, founded in 1998 by entrepreneurs Peter Zandan and Steve Papermaster, brings together the top executives of Austin's high tech companies with traditional community and business leaders.
"As hoped, the 360 Summit is serving as a catalyst to affect change," said Peter Zandan, co-chair. "The momentum is still building, and our ultimate success will be measured by our ongoing commitment in making Austin a better place to live and do business.
With "Mopac and the Blue Suburbans" (the house band made up of techies, including Vignette co-founder Neil Webber) playing during breaks, the 360.01 Summit agenda touched on topics including a reality check for the tech industry, insight from failed dot coms, the role of high tech in the community, and the next business cycle for Austin.
The day's first session, "Pass or Fail? Austin High Tech's Report Card" featured a CNNfn-style video with prominent Austinites giving the high tech community a grade in areas such as affordable housing, support of the creative arts, the environment, and support of the community. Zandan presented a survey conducted among Austinites, who gave the tech community a B+ on creating economic opportunities in Central Texas, a B for improving education, a C for the environment, and a D+ on improving transportation.
Speakers Include Many Austin Technology Community Celebrities
Panelists throughout the day included Michael Dell, chairman and CEO, Dell Computer Corporation; David French, president and CEO, Cirrus Logic; Dr. James Truchard, president and CEO, National Instruments Corporation; Tom Meredith, senior vice president, managing director, Dell Ventures; Lieutenant Governor Bill Ratliff; Cliff Sharples, CEO, president, and co-founder, Garden.com; Don Hackett, chairman, my DNA Corporation; Bruce Sterling, futurist and science fiction writer; Gary Chapman, director, the 21st Century Project, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; John Thornton, general partner, Austin Ventures; Azie Taylor Morton, former US Treasurer and president, GRW Capital of Texas; Jan Lindelow, chairman and CEO, Tivoli; Lisa Sharples, chief marketing and merchandising officer, Garden.com; Bruce Brooks, director of community affairs, Microsoft Corporation; Philip Berber, chairman, CyBerCorp, Inc.; and Sam Bryant, director, community and university affairs, Applied Materials, Inc.
Michael Dell, in a session entitled "Reality Check: Is Our Day in the Sun Over?", was asked by Fortune's David Kirkpatrick if the high tech community was still "day trading with jobs and lives" (a comment made by Dell at the previous Summit). Dell responded "now they're getting margin calls." The consensus was that the current market environment provides a valuable learning experience for companies and employees, who are now finding that long-term job opportunities can be more valuable than quick gains.
In a session led by Richard Florida, professor of regional economic development for Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, 57 audience members agreed that Austin was, to some extent, losing its true soul. Panelists discussed the best ways for companies to get involved in the community, including following their passion and finding strategic involvement opportunities that make sense for the company, its employees, and the community.
The Summit awarded its Platinum Whiffle Ball Award to Austin Ventures for its ongoing efforts in bridging the technology community. Lee Walker, chairman of the board of Capital Metro and chairman of the non-profit Community Investment Corporation, received the Civic Entrepreneur Award.
The event was held at the Austin Music Hall
Austin Idea Network Launched
One session focused on the launch of the Austin Idea Network, a group that will serve as the ongoing action and implementation arm of the Summit. The Network, formed as a result of last year's 360.00 Summit, announced four projects on which it will focus energy and resources of its tech leadership.
On January 8, 360.01 Summit participants and leaders of a wide range of community organizations attended the Austin Interactive Town Meeting. The one-hour, roundtable discussion will air on KLRU at 8:00 p.m. on January 11.
The 360.01 Summit is co-chaired by Peter Zandan, CEO of Pazzaz, and Steve Papermaster, Chairman of Powershift Group. The 360.01 Summit sponsors include Advanced Micro Devices; Agillion; Austin Ventures; Dell Ventures; Fortune; Microsoft Technology Center-Austin; Motorola; PricewaterhouseCoopers, L.L.P.; San Clemente by Hill Partners; the Domain by Endeavor Real Estate Group; and Vinson & Elkins. The first 360 Summit was named the "360.Alpha Summit" for its experimental nature. The second 360 Summit was named the "360.00 Summit" for the year 2000. This year's 360.01 Summit follows suit for the year 2001.
