SXSWORLD

Chris Sacca speaking at The Next Web Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, April 2009 Chris Sacca Brings Startup Wisdom to Accelerator Competitors By Chris Fullman (makers of Typekit) to name just a few, this venture capitalist's influence on today's Internet has been significant. Through his holding company, Lowercase Capital, Sacca invests in I f there is something that Chris Sacca has not done, it is let a good opportunity go by. With his connections to many of today's leading online services, groundbreaking platforms and brands, including Twitter, Photobucket and Small Batch over two dozen consumer web, mobile and wireless technology startups, not to mention the number of mature enterprises already in his port- folio. His early involvement with Twitter as one of the brand's first investors was crucial in helping to launch what has become one of the most influential web platforms in the last 10 years, and Sacca has con- tinued as a company adviser. Prior to his investment work, Chris served as Head of Special Initiatives Associate Fellow of the Saïd Business School at the prestigious University of Oxford in the U.K. His grassroots and humanitarian endeavors have seen him advise for the President Obama's 2008 campaign and Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong foundation, and he has traveled to Ethiopia to assist in providing clean drinking water via Charity:Water, and assisted with Wyclef Jean's Yéle Haiti foundation. As with any level of success in the industry, Sacca has been play- at Google, overseeing such key projects as Google's 700MHz spectrum initiative, its groundbreaking Oregon data center and free WiFi net- work in Mountain View, California, as well as business development transactions and mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, he has served as an executive for Speedera Networks (since acquired by Akamai), one of the world's leading streaming and digital distribution companies. He also has handled venture capital, merger and acquisitions and licensing transactions for VeriSign and Macromedia. All of these projects and accomplishments have led to Sacca's endorsement by The Wall Street Journal as "possibly the most influential businessman in America." Additionally, he was recognized as a Henry Crown Fellow at the influential Aspen Institute and serves annually as an 20 SXSW ORLD / F EBRUAR Y 2010 fully targeted by the online community. His adventures are parodied on Twitter's "fakesacca" account, and he has earned the nickname "The Start-Up Whisperer" through Kara Swisher's BoomTown blog. Nevertheless, Sacca remains committed to moving the interactive industry forward with a focus on user-centric applications, communica- tions and social-powered humanitarian platforms. At SXSW 2010, Sacca will serve as emcee for Microsoft BizSpark Accelerator at SXSW. In this competition, companies will present their best ideas in such areas as online entertainment, social networking and web-based technologies to industry experts and potential investors. In its second year, the event has expanded to 32 participants and will take place over the course of two days. Last year's winners were the online communications portal, Ribbit; Weardrobe, a clothing-based social net- working tool; video tool and aggregator Tubemogul, and online music promotion and distribution site, Popcuts. n The 2010 Microsoft BizSpark Accelerator at SXSW, featuring Chris Sacca as emcee, will be held at the Hilton Austin Downtown, March 15-16 from 10am to 6pm. COURTESY OF BORIS VELDHUIJZEN VAN ZANTEN

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