Toronto’s Mesh 2013 conference will feature a keynote from Salesforce.com’s chief scientist and a greater focus on startups than previous years, organizers announced yesterday.
Mesh has become a marquee event in the Toronto digital media market since its debut in 2006, attracting speakers from recognizable brands, social media superstars, and accomplished entrepreneurs to discuss the latest trends. This year will see an even greater focus on startups with the expansion of its Hosted Startup Program, sponsored last year by Ernst & Young and Microsoft BizSpark.
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Last year 30 entrepreneurs got a golden ticket to Mesh by qualifying for the program. While plans are still being finalized, this year’s conference could see that program expand up to 80 startups, according to organizer Mark Evans. Day two of the conference will also feature a “demo pit,” conceivably for startups to pitch their business to conference attendees.
Keynote speaker JP Rangaswami is the chief scientist at Saelsforce.com, a San Francisco-based firm that’s acquired a number of Canadian startups over the past couple of years. Also featured is Ryan Carson, the founder and CEO of Treehouse, an online technology school that teaches you how to code.
Mesh 2013 will be hosted May 15 and 16 at the Allstream Centre.