Peng T. Ong is a serial entrepreneur and investor who has spent over 25 years building and backing technology companies that reshape industries. As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Monk's Hill Ventures, one of Southeast Asia's leading early-stage venture capital firms, he has helped support and scale the region's next generation of technology founders. Prior to Monk's Hill Ventures, he was a Venture Partner at GSR Ventures in China, where the firm became known for successful investments in companies such as Didi Chuxing, Ele.me, and Qunar.

Michael Nassirian is a veteran technology executive, entrepreneur, and innovator with more than four decades of experience spanning software, hardware, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and advanced product development. He currently serves as Founder and CEO of Thessai Corporation, a company focused on developing privacy-first AI solutions to improve the quality of life, safety, and independence of seniors through intelligent behavioral monitoring technologies.

Colonel Carl Meade is the founder and Directing Executive of CM2 Solutions, LLC, helping organizations integrate advanced technologies while minimizing risk and maximizing strategic value. Prior to founding CM2 Solutions, he directed a portfolio of classified programs for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems and served as Director of Space Exploration Systems, overseeing major government initiatives related to human spaceflight.

Shanaz is the Co-Founder & Executive Advisor at ZenBusiness, a digital business management platform that provides budding entrepreneurs with a complete set of services to simplify the process of starting, managing, and growing their business. Until recently, she was the Chief Operating Officer and responsible for keeping the company moving forward and running smoothly, by overseeing the day-to-day operations of this fast-growing company, which has become one of Austin’s most successful entrepreneurial ventures.

Robert Canik was born and raised on a ranch in central Texas. Despite growing up in a family of modest means, he worked summer jobs and diligently saved enough to put himself through college. In 1985, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, earning highest honors.