Microsoft's Dennis Ellis to speak at Wilkes-Barre Connect Conference Oct. 25

Bill O’Boyle, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Oct. 17—WILKES-BARRE — Dennis Ellis, TechSpark Manager at Microsoft, will be the Keynote Spotlight presenter at the 2023 Wilkes-Barre Connect Conference.

The conference is set for Wednesday, Oct. 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Wilkes-Barre's THINK Center, 7 South Main St., Wilkes-Barre.

Shanie Mohamed, Director of Economic Development for the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce, said the organization is excited to align the many members that make up the community to learn about the tremendous innovation happening here in NEPA.

"And we are especially looking forward to involving them in our roundtable discussions and having them be a part of developing solutions for the issues we face as a region," Mohamed said. "Entrepreneurship and economic development are key to what we do as an organization, and we are proud to provide opportunities to help these attendees be a part of growing the Greater Wyoming Valley and beyond."

Ellis joined the Microsoft TechSpark initiative as the Wyoming Community Engagement Manager in 2017. He also leads Microsoft's domestic field team for disaster relief.

Ellis came to Microsoft from a public relations firm he founded — Ellis Public Affairs — where he consulted for clients such as Wal-Mart, Google, Denver Children's Hospital, US Chamber, Johnson & Johnson and Anadarko.

Prior to that, Ellis served as Deputy Attorney General in the Colorado Attorney General's Office and in Gov. Bill Owens' cabinet as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the organization tasked with protecting the environment and public health of Colorado.

Ellis also served as Legislative Director and Counsel for U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin of Wyoming.

Featuring a theme of "Creative Solutions, Sustainable Impact," the Wilkes-Barre Connect Conference will demonstrate the power of our creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial spirit in Northeastern PA. This year's conference is presented by UGI Utilities.

Attendees can expect to grow both personally and professionally from the conference content, become more educated on the tremendous innovation and creativity in NEPA, and have an opportunity to participate in building solutions to solve social and economic challenges in our region.

With the conference centering around entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development, there will be breakout tracks dedicated to both entrepreneurial content and community-centric workshops and roundtables focused on many of the regional social and economic challenges we address in our work, such as:

—Workforce career pathways and exploration.

—Barriers to entrepreneurship experienced by minority-owned businesses.

—Housing, community engagement and quality of life, and more.

The conference will also feature the "Spotlight" speaker series, highlighting an innovator or entrepreneur making an impact in the region, as well as a "PITCH Showcase," highlighting the ventures of several entrepreneurs across the Greater Wyoming Valley.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.