Smart Transportation Future: Mobile & Big Data

#sxsw #ParkMeSXSW

With automotive, traffic and parking data becoming more open and big data now more prevalent, the acceleration of new technology and apps are engaging the users with their car in a much more meaningful manner. Studies have consistently shown that urban traffic and parking are directly related. Many cities are realizing this and are dedicating their efforts to reducing congestion and pollution issues. Many U.S. cities are recognizing the need to make parking smarter and acting on this need via emerging technologies and infrastructure. For example, new innovations are now delivering live parking data to consumers including heat maps that can show drivers available parking on a block-by-block basis. Hosted by ParkMe co-founders, Sam Friedman & Alex Israel, the panel will explore the latest trends and innovations enabling transportation to be more efficient and eco-friendly.

Presenters

Gal Melamed

Founder & CEO

WonderVoice

Gal Malemed is the founder and CEO of WonderVoice, an Israeli startup. The company's intelligent voice platform is the first to offer a personalized bi-directional social radio coming out of a smartphone. A patent-pending technology, WonderVoice allows you to interact with news feed, music and location based content, using your own voice, speaking in real-life language. You can also conduct a Facebook chat without touching the screen even once. Simply put, WonderVoice is what social networks sound like.

Gretchen Effgen

VP of Strategy & Corporate Dev

Zipcar

Gretchen joined Zipcar in 2010 and oversaw Zipcar’s strategic partner development strategy, resulting in Zipcar’s university partnership with Ford Motor Company and alternative fuel vehicle partnership with American Honda. She now leads global strategy and corporate development.
Before arriving at Zipcar, Gretchen consulted on global expansion for a variety of industry sectors (including creative, technology, and finance) and companies of varying size (from start-ups to large multinational firms). Gretchen spent her early career working on international policy issues for the embassies of the Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China, as well as the Hong Kong Trade and Economic Office.
Gretchen is a graduate of Tulane University and holds an MBA from London Business School. She was awarded the US Presidential Management Fellowship in 2003 and a specially designated Zipcar Innovator Award in 2012.

Sam Friedman

CEO & Co-Founder

ParkMe

Sam Friedman, Co-Founded ParkMe in 2009 to solve his own parking problems. Having paid a seemingly uncountable number of parking tickets and having arrived embarrassingly late to one too many meetings, he realized the parking process needed an overhaul.

Sam also held positions at Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, a Los Angeles based wealth management firm, National Public Radio, and Merrill Lynch. Sam has a BA in Economics and Business from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He used to be fluent in Spanish, and has had amazing parking karma over the past several years.

Scott Sedlik

VP of Prod Planning & Market Dev

INRIX

Scott Sedlik is responsible for product planning and product management at INRIX, the leading global provider of traffic information services to companies including BMW, Audi, Toyota and others. Scott is also engaged in strategic market development, including the company’s connected car initiatives and global expansion into China and other emerging markets.

Scott is a startup veteran with over 20 years of executive experience in strategic marketing, product management, brand development, and go-to-market strategies. Scott’s domain expertise includes automotive telematics, mobile apps, Software as a Service (SaaS), Big Data and e-commerce. He has a successful track record of building leadership positions with public and startup companies in emerging markets from early-stage to international presence. Scott previously held executive marketing and product management positions at numerous technology companies including BSQUARE, InfoMove, and Corbis. He holds a MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management.