50x15 Partner Summit Brings Together Worldwide Digital Inclusion Leaders

The 50x15 Partner Summit, held Wednesday, Nov. 14 at AMD headquarters in Sunnyvale, CA, brought together current and prospective 50x15 Partners to discuss digital inclusion issues, the next phase of the 50x15 Partner Program, and the initiative’s comprehensive ecosystem approach to providing Internet access and computing capabilities to half the world by 2015.

More than 40 attendees, from organizations such as Google, Dell, Nokia, Microsoft, the Clinton Foundation, and Architecture for Humanity, spent the day-long summit interacting and learning about worldwide results achieved through the 50x15 Initiative from the perspective of AMD and 50x15 Partners.

AMD Chairman and CEO Hector Ruiz delivers the closing remarks at the 50x15 Partner Summit.

The Summit was opened and adjourned by AMD executives and featured eight speakers from a wide array of 50x15 Partners and a special digital inclusion ecosystem panel discussion. Tom McCoy, Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer, kicked off the Summit by stressing the importance of digital inclusion programs like 50x15 and how the success of such programs relies heavily on strong ecosystem partnerships. Hector Ruiz, AMD Chairman and CEO, concluded the Summit by acknowledging the successful evolution of the 50x15 Initiative from its inception at Davos in 2004 and the power that companies can experience by providing new technologies to emerging growth markets. As an example, Ruiz provided an anecdote about his experience being one of the first to offer pagers in China translated into the local native language.

In between remarks by McCoy and Ruiz, the 50x15 Partner Summit featured numerous speakers and panelists, including:

Writer, actor and filmmaker Turk Pipkin gives a moving, insightful keynote address, highlighted by clips from his forthcoming documentary, a follow-up to Nobelity, the Movie.

• Turk Pipkin: As the Keynote speaker, Pipkin provided an insightful and inspiring look at his life as filmmaker and writer/producer of the documentary Nobelity, which takes a look at the world’s most pressing problems through the eyes of nine Nobel Laureates.
• Lance Armstrong: Seven-time Tour de France champion and cancer survivor, Armstrong spoke to attendees about his work as chairman and founder of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
• 50x15 Partners: Speakers from Microsoft, Nokia, and Inveneo shared success stories involving ICT projects in emerging markets around the world. James Utzschneider, General Manager, Dynamics Marketing, Microsoft Corp., provided details on Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential program; Joe McCarthy, Principal Instigator, Nokia, showed attendees the myriad digital inclusion initiatives Nokia is involved in; and Kristen Peterson, Co-Founder, Chair and Chief Development Officer, Inveneo, discussed the Inveneo Certified In-Country ICT Partner Program (ICIP).
• Digital Inclusion Ecosystem (Sustainability) Panel: Speakers from AMD Brazil, Cisco, Green WiFi, the Clinton Foundation, Inveneo and UBS Investment Bank — representing each phase of the 50x15 Initiative’s digital inclusion ecosystem approach to building learning labs — answered questions from moderator Deepak Kamlani, CEO of Global Inventures, as well as Summit attendees. The panelists were:
• Power: Kristen Peterson, Inveneo
• Connectivity: Paul Lamb, Cisco
• Devices: Bruce Baikie, Green WiFi
• Financing: George Longo, UBS Investment Bank
• Content: Valter Cegal, AMD
• Expertise: Cassia Vanderhoof Holstein, Clinton Foundation
• Open Architecture Challenge: Kate Stohr, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Architecture for Humanity, discussed the new, seventh component of sustainable ICT ecosystems: architecture. Ms. Stohr highlighted how the AMD Open Architecture Challenge — an open international design competition — is providing solutions for building sustainable, multi-purpose, low-cost technology facilities for those who need them most.

In addition to the quality and quantity of major corporate entities and global non-profits present, the interaction and knowledge shared during the Summit made it an overwhelming success. But don’t just take our word for it. Here are just a few of the many positive comments received by Summit attendees:

	“I really want to applaud you for your excellent work, not just in terms of 50X15, but your efforts to connect the larger community and build partnerships. Your leadership role is much appreciated by me and many others!” — Paul Lamb, Cisco
	“Thanks so much for including us in the Partner Summit, and highlighting this project. Well done. I am looking forward to working with you to follow up on some of the possibilities that came out of the Summit.” — Kate Stohr, Architecture for Humanity
	“We had a great day, and we look forward to working with AMD and the 50X15 Initiative closely in the next year. I am available and willing to contribute my personal vacation and holiday time for projects in Africa which require hands-on-the-ground support.” — Toby Morning, Accton

Click here to watch a slideshow of the 50x15 Partner Summit

Click here to read a blog about the event from Summit attendee James Utzschneider, General Manager — Dynamics Marketing, Microsoft Unlimited Potential program

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