TC Sessions: Mobility is back in San Jose on May 14, and we’re excited to give the first peek of what and who is coming to the main stage. We’re not revealing everything just yet, but already this agenda highlights some of the best and brightest minds in autonomous vehicles, electrification and shared mobility.
We’ve selected the most innovative startups and top leaders from established tech companies working in mobility. This past year saw huge leaps forward, and we’re thrilled to bring the latest and greatest to our stage.
This year, we’re holding a pitch-off competition for early-stage mobility companies. More details to come.
Don’t forget that early-bird tickets (including $100 savings) are currently available for a limited time; grab your tickets here before prices increase.
Some speakers have already been announced, and more will be added to the agenda in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out this early look at the agenda:
AGENDA
9:35 AM – 10:05 AM
Investing in Mobility with Reilly Brennan (Trucks VC), Olaf Sakkers (Maniv Mobility) and speakers to be announced.
Reilly Brennan, Olaf Sakkers and two yet-to-be announced venture capitalists will come together to debate the uncertain future of mobility tech and whether VC dollars are enough to push the industry forward.
10:05 AM – 10:25 AM
Coming soon!
10:25 AM – 10:50 AM
The Next Opportunities in Micromobility with Danielle Harris (Elemental Excelerator), Dor Levi (Lyft) and Dmitry Shevelenko (Tortoise)
Worldwide, numerous companies are operating shared micromobility services — so many that the industry is well into a consolidation phase. Despite the over-saturation of the market, there are still opportunities for new players. Dor Levi, head of bikes and scooters at Lyft, Danielle Harris, director of mobility innovation at Elemental Excelerator and Dmitry Shevelenko, founder at Tortoise will discuss.
10:50 AM – 11:10 AM
Waymo Grows Up with Tekedra Mawakana (Waymo)
Waymo Chief Operating Officer Tekedra Mawakana is at the center of Waymo’s future, from scaling the autonomous vehicle company’s commercial deployment and directing fleet operations to developing the company’s business path. Tekedra will speak about what lies ahead as Waymo drives forward with its plan to become a grownup business.
11:10 AM – 11:30 AM
Innovation Break
11:30 AM – 11:40 AM
Live Demo. Coming soon!
11:40 AM – 12:00 PM
Setting the Record Straight with Bryan Salesky (Argo AI)
Argo AI has gone from unknown startup to a company providing the autonomous vehicle technology to Ford and VW — not to mention billions in investment from the two global automakers. Co-founder and CEO Bryan Salesky will talk about the company’s journey, what’s next and what it really takes to commercialize autonomous vehicle technology.
1:00 PM – 1:25 PM
Pitch-Off
Select, early-stage companies, hand-picked by TechCrunch editors, will take the stage and have five minutes to present their companies.
1:25 PM – 1:45 PM
Building an AV Startup with Nancy Sun (Ike)
Ike co-founder and chief engineer Nancy Sun will share her experiences in the world of automation and robotics, a ride that has taken her from Apple to Otto and Uber before she set off to start a self-driving truck company. Sun will discuss what the future holds for trucking and the challenges and the secrets behind building a successful mobility startup.
1:45 PM – 2:10 PM
Working with Cities, Not Against Them with Euwyn Poon (Spin) and Shin-pei Tsay (Uber)
Many micromobility services got off to a rough start with cities in the early days of the industry. Now, operators are making a point to work more closely with regulators from the very beginning. Hear from Spin co-founder Euwyn Poon and Uber Director of Policy, Cities and Transportation Shin-pei Tsay on what it takes to make a copacetic relationship between operators and cities.
2:10 PM – 2:30 PM
Innovation Break
2:30 PM – 2:50 PM
The Electrification of Porsche with Klaus Zellmer (Porsche)
Porsche has undergone a major transformation in the past several years, investing billions into an electric vehicle program and launching the Taycan, its first all-electric vehicle. Now, Porsche is ramping up for more. North America CEO Klaus Zellmer will talk about Porsche’s path, competition and where it’s headed next.
2:50 PM – 3:15 PM
Navigating Self-Driving Car Regulations with Melissa Froelich (Aurora) and Jody Kelman (Lyft)
Autonomous vehicle developers face a patchwork of local, state and federal regulations. Government policy experts Jody Kelman, who leads the self-driving platform team at Lyft, and Melissa Froelich, senior manager, Government Affairs at Aurora, discuss how to get your startup back on the road safely.
3:15 PM – 3:35 PM
Coming Soon!
3:35 PM – 4:00 PM
The Future of Trucking with Xiaodi Hou (TuSimple) and Boris Sofman (Waymo)
TuSimple co-founder and CTO Xiaodi Hou and Boris Sofman, former Anki Robotics founder and CEO who now leads Waymo’s trucking unit, will discuss the business and the technical challenges of autonomous trucking.
4:00 PM – 4:20 PM
Innovation Break
4:20 PM – 4:30 PM
Live Demo. Coming soon!
4:30 PM – 4:55 PM
Coming soon!
Don’t forget to grab your tickets and join us this May.
Source: TechCrunch
