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Raj Rajan/TiEAtlanta 

Palaniswamy “Raj” Rajan is currently the co-founder, Chairman & CEO of Virima Technologies, Inc., an IT Operations and Datacenter software developer serving the fortune 5000 companies. He brings more than 15 years experience in the technology industry and combines a deep understanding of current technologies with the ability to articulate the application of these technologies in various business contexts and models. A highly versatile and proven entrepreneur, he has co-founded several ventures including, Vigilar, Inc, a leading network security technology firm; eLaunchpad, LLC, an early stage venture capital firm/incubator focusing on Internet infrastructure and network security technologies; and Resourcis, an executive recruiting firm. During his tenure at Vigilar, he conceived the company’s business plan and methodology, raised venture capital funding, recruited a talented management team and grew annual revenues from $0 in 2000 to $32M in 2005 in probably the most difficult technology industry climate. Another previous success, VerticalOne, a financial aggregator; was sold to S1 in 1999 in a deal valued at $166 million.

Mr. Rajan serves on the Board of Directors of the above companies and as well on the advisory boards of several early stage technology firms around the country. A leader in the business community, he is also involved in several professional and community related organizations. Mr. Rajan was instrumental in establishing the Atlanta CEO Council, a non-profit networking group of more than 1000 CEOs, CxOs, and investors in the Southeast. Mr. Rajan served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CEO council from 1999 through 2011 and is currently one of its Board members. Mr. Rajan also co-founded and is the current President of the Atlanta Chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE), a national mentoring organization for entrepreneurs.

Karen Robinson/NanoLumens 

Karen Robinson is the EVP – Business Development with NanoLumens.  Karen leads the sales team and oversees all new business development and marketing at NanoLumens, a privately held corporation engaged in the research, product development, marketing and sales of unique flexible and fixed large-format LED displays that address a yawning technology gap in the $14 billion digital display industry. NanoLumens technology is not constrained by standard sizes and shapes, or by the weight, noise and cost issues traditionally associated with commercial LED products. Robinson has been instrumental in the planning, strategy and growth of NanoLumens.

Karen is a serial entrepreneur who has been CEO of four different high-growth, venture or angel-backed companies over the last 20 years. Most recently, Karen was president and CEO of Prime Point Media, one of the largest alternative out of home advertising companies in the United States which she successfully led to a lucrative exit when it was acquired by a publicly traded company in 2006.

In 2012, Karen received the Inspiritor Award presented by Turknett Leadership Group. She has been recognized by Atlanta-based Women in Technology when she won its Woman of the Year in Technology Awards in 2000, and is the incoming President of the Atlanta chapter of TIE, an organization that fosters entrepreneurship globally. Karen also serves as the Governors Chairman and board member for Opportunity International, the largest faith-based microfinancing organization serving over 20 countries.

Karen is also an investor and board member at numerous private and public companies in the United States and Canada. Her passions are her family and her involvement in micro-lending in both Sub-Saharan Africa and Central America.