Teddy Liaw, local business entrepreneur and founder/CEO of NexRep, a business process outsourcing provider, recently organized and hosted the Vegas Tech Summit with support from the city of Las Vegas Economic and Urban Development Department, Clark County, the state of Nevada, and companies like The Howard Hughes Corporation.
Held Sept. 14-16 at various locations throughout the valley, the Vegas Tech Summit sought to introduce CEOs, founders and captains of industry from the tech and venture capital industries to the business-friendly state of Nevada, while considering relocation to Las Vegas and enjoying an introduction to premium communities like Summerlin.
This by-invitation-only event included such powerhouse individuals as David Yeom, CEO of Evite; Nan Wang, founder of Sleeper; and dozens more. Among the speakers at the event’s key working session were Ryan Smith, director, Economic and Urban Development Department for the city of Las Vegas; Nevada State Treasurer Zach Conine; Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones; Lawrence Epstein, COO of Ultimate Fighting Championship; and Seth Schorr, CEO of Fifth Street Gaming.
Liaw, who moved to Las Vegas a few years ago after becoming disenchanted with the Bay Area for its high cost of living and declining quality of life, assembled a powerhouse steering committee and sponsor list to ensure attendees would be wowed with Las Vegas at every turn.
“Our goal was to introduce tech leaders and venture capitalists, mostly from California to the incredible quality of life that exists here in Las Vegas,” said Liaw. “Everyone is familiar with the Strip, but they may not know of communities like Summerlin with great schools, nor do they understand the impact professional sports has had on the valley’s quality of life. Those features, combined with Nevada’s business-friendly environment, relative housing affordability, and access to supportive local governments that facilitate business development, make Las Vegas ideal for both business and personal relocation.”
In addition to Liaw, steering committee members included Bernard Bermudez, Heather Brown, Liza Fong, Rukshana Hussain, Jason Lin, Ashley Lowe and Piotr Tomasik. Attendees kicked off the experience with an exclusive experience at Allegiant Stadium, followed by a working session at a private home in The Summit at Summerlin, lunch at Harlo at Downtown Summerlin, a tour of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and a visit to a private home at McDonald Highlands in Henderson.
According to Smith, “Las Vegas has a huge value proposition relative to quality of life, particularly for those in the Bay Area making $200,000 to $300,000 a year, yet they can barely afford a shared apartment with roommates.” Smith, whose team has been integral to the development of two Innovation Centers in downtown Las Vegas where startups have a place to successfully launch, has been actively working to recruit tech companies from the Bay Area. He looks forward to continuing to connect with attendees of the Vegas Tech Summit to ensure they are well versed in all that Las Vegas has to offer.
Photo: Attendees of the Vegas Tech Summit at the home of Marc and Jane Schorr in The Summit at Summerlin