We heard from past Disrupt attendees that they are eager for more opportunities to discuss in greater depth the big topics we cover on the main stage. That insight led us to create smaller, more focused discussions we’re calling Off the Record (OTR) sessions — which we’re launching at Disrupt SF for the first time this Sept. 18-20.
The idea behind the Off the Record sessions is simple. Take speakers from our main stage, a moderator and a few hand-picked experts, and stage a 45-minute, roundtable discussion that includes questions from the audience. Any regular Disrupt attendee may participate. The sessions take place on site at the venue in an area we have set aside for OTRs. The discussion is followed by a networking reception. The OTRs won’t be recorded, and TechCrunch won’t be covering them. The only way to be a part of what is sure to be a series of great discussions is to register for Disrupt SF. The OTRs are meant to provide founders and investors, always the mainstay group at Disrupt, a close-quarters opportunity to engage in conversations with top figures in core categories.
Right, so which categories are those? We’re almost done programming the OTRs, and here is the line-up so far. Later this week, we will announce OTRs for security, AI and health/biotech. Please note that most of these OTRs also correspond to highlighted sections of our Startup Alley.
Cryptocurrencies – Monday Sept. 18 at 12:15-1:30 p.m.
- Vitalik Buterin, Founder at Ethereum
- Naval Ravikant, Founder and CEO at AngelList
- Joseph Poon, Inventor of Lightning Network
- Thomas Greco, special advisor to OMG, Polkadot and Cosmos
- Jon Evans (moderator), TechCrunch contributor
China Cross Border – Monday Sept. 18 at 2:40-4:00 p.m.
- Anna Fang, CEO and Partner at Zhen Fund
- Hans Tung, Managing Partner at GGV Capital
- Cindy Mi, CEO and Founder at VIPKID
- Jon Shieber (moderator), TechCrunch editor
AR/VR – Monday Sept. 18 at 4:15-5:45 p.m.
- Maureen Fan, Co-founder and CEO at Baobab Studios
- Jacob Mullins, Principal at Shasta Ventures
- Tom Emrich, Partner at Super Ventures
- Peter Rojas (moderator), Partner at Betaworks Ventures
Robotics – Tuesday Sept. 19 at 11:15-12:45 p.m.
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- David Zito, Co-founder and CEO at Miso Robotics
- Julia Collins, Co-Founder and co-CEO at Zume Pizza
- Rob Coneybeer, Managing Director at Shasta Ventures
- Carl Vause, CEO at Soft Robotics
- Brian Heater (moderator), TechCrunch editor
