Our community is a catalyst for solving and scaling solutions

About

Tara currently serves as a program manager for the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) and its Center for Regional Disaster Resilience (CRDR). During her time at PNWER, she has worked extensively with public and private sector stakeholders in both the United States and Canada on issues including forestry, tourism, cybersecurity, and disaster resilience and recovery. Additionally, Tara manages marketing and communications for PNWER as well as sponsorship outreach and fulfillment. Prior to PNWER, Tara taught middle school and high school history among other subjects and worked in the hospitality industry. Due to her experiences and relationships with PNWER and the hospitality industry, Tara is excited for the positive impact the Congregate Accelerator will have on the tourism and travel industries in our beautiful PNW.

About

Nirav S. Desai is an entrepreneur, investor, and strategist who aims to fundamentally change how organizations source and implement innovative technology in the enterprise. Through his company, consulting, and support to several startups he brings efficiency to how organizations source, sell, implement, and invest in innovation. Over the course of his career, Mr. Desai has advised corporations and agencies in the technology, health, manufacturing/logistics, and government sectors in how best to benefit from their own and others R&D investments. He led an initiative in a major consulting firm to establish a strategy to invest in and source technology from innovation economies across the nation. This resulted in a North American innovation index, founding of a 100+ person immersive technology (virtual reality, augmented reality, etc.) practice, and numerous channel partnerships leading to win-wins between corporations, government, and startups. He brings this experience to Moonbeam which is disrupting corporate innovation and corporate venture capital using data science, artificial intelligence, and immersive technology. Additionally, he advises startups and consults with corporate clients working with innovation labs, government research centers, universities, and incubators and accelerators, to identify and embrace edge technologies. He keeps on the cutting edge of enterprise technology through contributions to civil society. He mentors startups through TechStars Seattle, the TechStars/Amazon Alexa startup accelerators, and the University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs. He serves as an Innovation Co-Chair for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region with a focus on helping states, provinces, and municipalities embrace disruption and position for the future economy. And he helps connect the PNW immersive technology ecosystem through being in leadership in the Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Association—Seattle Chapter, Washing Technology Industry Association VR Council, and a Board Member for the Seattle Immersive Technology Association. Mr. Desai maintains connection with academia serving the University of Washington as an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and as a Civic Council member for the Jackson School of International Studies. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.A. in Mathematics and Philosophy.