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SUP-X: The StartUp Expo, Florida’s premier early stage technology conference, announced today that Sean Sheppard will keynote the event, to be held Thursday, July 25, 2019, at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center. Sheppard is one of the Founding Partners of GrowthX, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital fund that also operates a corporate and civic innovation practice helping companies and economies harness disruption for new profitable growth opportunities.
“I’m excited to deliver the keynote to the growing audience at SUP-X,” Sheppard said. “Founders in Southern Florida should not have to leave their homes and move to Silicon Valley to build great companies. Proximity to customers is far more important than proximity to capitalists.”
It used to be that technology was expensive and complex and product talent was sparse. So, the biggest risk for startups was in the product itself. But now, the costs and complexity of technology have been greatly reduced, and product talent is plentiful. We’re now living in what Sheppard calls the “Age of Applied Technology.”
The risk has shifted away from product development and toward market development. However, the way startups function has not. Most founders are incredibly product-focused. Business accelerators exacerbate this problem when they help founders build their product and raise money, rather than helping founders market their product and make money.
“We’re super excited that Sean will be headlining SUP-X this year.” said Bob Fitts, Founder and Producer of SUP-X. “Like Sean, I agree that startups spend too much time chasing capital and not enough time figuring out how to generate sales. I’m certain that having Sean share his wisdom about product-market fit will greatly benefit the early stage entrepreneurs in attendance.”
About SUP-X: The StartUp Expo
SUP-X is Florida’s premier early stage technology and venture capital conference and is held annually in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The event is in its sixth year of production and annually attracts 1000-1500 attendees from throughout North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. The all-day conference has six stages and over 70 panels, speeches, pitches and demos and a startup competition with $25,000+ in cash and prizes. The event begins with a morning forum called #women4women, that is devoted to female founders, entrepreneurs and investors. Over 100 startups, service providers, non-profits and entrepreneur support organizations will exhibit at the event. For more information about SUP-X, visit, www.sup-x.org/2019 or contact bob@sup-x.org.
About GrowthX
GrowthX was founded in Silicon Valley in 2014 as a seed stage venture capital fund. From inception, the goal was to practice innovation investing differently – from an investment approach of helping as due diligence, to a wide area of interest and activity beyond check writing, and a celebration and support of all founders wherever they live. The industry of innovation capital has the power to drive both private value creation and sustainable, positive societal transformation. GrowthX strives to direct capital and expertise to create shared value by accelerating the pace of innovation through funding, commercialization, training and growth.
For more information about GrowthX visit growthx.com or email hello@growthx.com.
