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March 25, 2021 | 11:00AM – 12:00PM

The Tesla Effect

Presenting Sponsor

2021 YTexas VIrtual

The Tesla Effect

Join YTexas for our 2021 virtual event series. A fast-moving, interactive event including short stories and live chat discussing why executives see a bright future for the Lone Star State.

At this event, learn about Tesla’s growth plans in Texas and hear from local executives doing business in the burgeoning electric and autonomous vehicle industry.

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YTEXAS PARTNERS

AGENDA

Introduction - 11:00 AM

11:00 AM

Opening Remarks

Brint Ryan

CEO
Ryan LLC

Ed Curtis

CEO
YTexas

Yana Kolmakova

Marketing Director
YTexas

11:05 AM - Why Texas Stories
11:07 AM - Panel Discussion

11:07 AM

Innovation

Ed Curtis

CEO
YTexas

Thomas Healy

CEO
Hyliion

Brad Hunstable

Founder & CEO
Linear Labs

Jeff DeCoux

Chairman
Autonomy Institute

11:32 AM - YTexas Summit Updates
11:37 AM - PANEL DISCUSSION

11:37 AM

Workforce Development

Eddie Reeves

Partner
Vianovo

Aaron Demerson

Commissioner
Texas Workforce Commission

Chris Reilly

Director of Recruiting and Workforce Development
Tesla

11:57 AM - Closing Remarks

11:57 AM

Closing Remarks

Eddie Reeves

Partner
Vianovo

Ed Curtis

CEO
YTexas

Yana Kolmakova

Marketing Director
YTexas

FEATURED PRESENTERS

Yana Kolmakova

Marketing Director, YTexas

Yana Kolmakova is the Marketing Director of YTexas, leading the statewide organization in strategy & growth initiatives, brand management, and member engagement. Getting introduced to YTexas in 2017, Yana grew passionate about the mission and has evolved with the brand ever since.

Yana has been at the forefront of major marketing initiatives across a wide array of industries including legal, print & digital publications, and high tech. Yana’s work has been featured in D Magazine, Texas CEO Magazine, CIO Insights and across multiple regional and national commercial print and broadcast campaigns.

With over 12 years in multi-media production, corporate marketing and business development, Yana is passionate about helping brands create and communicate their story with strategy, impact, connection and purpose. She’s inspired to design out-of-the-box, engaging and memorable experiences that create community and engagement. Yana strives to approach every experience with her entrepreneurial spirit, a highly creative drive and with a servant leader attitude.

Yana was originally born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and got to Texas as fast as she could, immigrating straight to Richardson as a young child with her Russian family. She now resides in East Texas with her husband Beau and daughter.

Thomas Healy

CEO, Hyliion

Thomas Healy is the CEO at Hyliion, a provider of electrified powertrain solutions for the commercial transportation industry. A leader in the global fight against climate change, Hyliion delivers solutions that negate carbon emissions without sacrificing performance and reliability. Named one of Forbes “30 under 30,” Healy took Hyliion public in October of 2020.

A serial entrepreneur, Healy founded two start-ups prior to Hyliion and holds five secured automotive device patents. Healy’s passion for racing and motorsports inspired him to pursue dual engineering degrees in mechanical engineering and engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

Aaron Demerson

Commissioner, Texas Workforce Commission

Aaron Demerson currently serves as the Commissioner Representing Employers for the Texas Workforce Commission. Governor Greg Abbott appointed him to the three-member Commission on August 20, 2019. In his role, Commissioner Demerson serves as an advocate for over 565,000 Texas employers and over 2.6 million small businesses.

Prior to his appointment, Commissioner Demerson served as the Director of the Office of Employer Initiatives at the Texas Workforce Commission.

Prior to employment at the Texas Workforce Commission he served as a Senior Advisor to Governor Rick Perry and Executive Director of the Economic Development & Tourism Division in the Governor’s Office leading a team that marketed the State of Texas as a premier destination for both business and travel.

Commissioner Demerson has a BBA in Finance from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. He also received a general banking diploma from the American Institute of Banking, and is a ‘91-‘92 graduate of Leadership Austin.

G. Brint Ryan

Chairman & CEO, Ryan LLC

Brint Ryan is Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ryan. Ryan, an award-winning global tax services and software provider, is the largest Firm in the world dedicated exclusively to business taxes. With global headquarters in Dallas, Texas, the Firm provides an integrated suite of federal, state, local, and international tax services on a multijurisdictional basis, including tax recovery, consulting, advocacy, compliance, and technology services. Ryan is a nine-time recipient of the International Service Excellence Award from the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) for its commitment to world-class client service. Empowered by the dynamic myRyan work environment, which is widely recognized as the most innovative in the tax services industry, Ryan’s multidisciplinary team of more than 3,000 professionals and associates serves over 18,000 clients in more than 60 countries, including many of the world’s most prominent Global 5000 companies.

Chris Reilly

Director of Recruiting and Workforce Development, Tesla

Chris Reilly is the Director of Recruiting and Workforce Development for Tesla. His team is responsible for the recruiting of Tesla’s high volume Manufacturing, Service, Sales, and Energy teams, as well as the development of talent pipelines across the company. Prior to Tesla, Chris worked at Apple for almost a decade in San Francisco, Shanghai, and London in roles across Product Merchandising, Program Management, and Finance.

Jeff DeCoux

Chairman, Autonomy Institute

Jeffrey DeCoux, Founder and Chairman of the Autonomy Institute. The Autonomy Institute is a 501c3 consortium of over 100 industry, government, and academia organizations. The Autonomy Institute is focused on accelerating the “Path to Commerce” for Intelligent and Autonomous Infrastructure and autonomous systems.

Prior to the Autonomy Institute, he was the Founder/CEO of several enterprise software companies including Hangar Technologies, Inc., eCustomers, Inc., SMART Technologies, Inc., and SMARTNAP. Mr. DeCoux has raised over $100 million for venture and business operations. Mr. DeCoux has over 30 years of experience within the high-tech industries where his attention has been focused on Founding companies that enhance business productivity through automation.

Brad Hunstable

Founder & CEO, Linear Labs

Brad currently serves as the founder and CEO of Linear Labs, an electric machine company that created an entirely new family of electric motor and generator systems designed for the next generation of electric vehicles, HVAC systems and robotics welcoming in a new era of smarter energy utilization.

Previously, Brad served as CEO of Ustream, an IBM Company. Under his leadership, Ustream grew to serve tens of millions of users globally and $40 million in revenue. In 2016 Ustream was acquired by IBM for $150 million and formed the basis of the new IBM Cloud Video division.

He was honored as an influential young leader in San Francisco Business Times’ “40 Under 40”, was ranked among the 50 “Digital Power Players” by the Hollywood Reporter and honored as Variety’s Producers Guild of America’s Digital 25: Visionaries, Innovators and Producers. In 2017 he received The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business Entrepreneur and Innovation Alumni Award. In 2019 Brad was as a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

Brad is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds an MBA from The Ohio State University.

Eddie Reeves

Partner, Vianovo

Eddie Reeves advises clients on strategic corporate communications, branding and marketing, crisis communications, issues management, employee engagement, and community relations.

Prior to joining Vianovo, he was principal at Reeves Strategy Group, a strategic communications consultancy that helped corporations, mid-sized growth companies and large not-for-profits execute successful sophisticated communications, marketing, lead generation, social media, public affairs, and crisis communications campaigns.

Prior to establishing his independent practice, Eddie co-led the media relations practice of Public Strategies Inc., and has served as corporate VP of marketing and communications for a FORTUNE 1000 global technology services concern. Earlier, he served as press secretary for former U.S. Congressman J.J. ”Jake” Pickle, as press secretary to former Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire, and as an award-winning columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.

Active in the community, Eddie currently sits on the board of the Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport and chaired the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau. Eddie also served on the boards of the Parkland Health and Hospital System, the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic and the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Ft. Worth.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

REGISTER

This event has concluded.