Anyone in the IT industry in Pakistan surely already knows about the Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs, better known as OPEN. Spread across 6 separate chapters in the US, OPEN has become a real force to be reckoned with, when it comes to knowledge share and networking.

When CIO Pakistan invited Dilawar Syed, President OPEN Silicon Valley, last August to give a keynote at its launch ceremony and receive an award for holding Pakistan’s name in the spotlight, a connection with OPEN SV was made. In an effort to reciprocate the efforts of the group, CIO Pakistan partners with OPEN SV’s conference this year in June, providing online coverage through creative connectivity solutions.

The conference entitled, Winning Tomorrow, is the 6th annual event marked on the calendar of some of the most influential business leaders, entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, policy-makers, academics and social leaders from across the US and Pakistan. Divided across three main tracks, Cleantech, Global Affairs and Tech & Media, the flagship event has brought together the heavyweights to engage the audience in better understanding the challenges, issues and opportunities in each area.

Background of the Event
OPEN Forum has rightfully earned a place as a leading annual business event in the US, gaining participation in the hundreds every year. Forum participants have a unique opportunity to network, build relationships and exchange ideas with fellow entrepreneurs, professionals and investors from around the world. But makes the magnitude of the OPEN Forum even more powerful is the fact that OPEN is a purely volunteer organization. Its massive network across the United States and in Pakistan, the selection of pertinent topics and the right alignment of speakers have helped the event grow as large as it has.

Dilawar Syed, President OPEN SV writes, “This would be OPEN Silicon Valley’s 6th annual business conference. Each year, the event grows to the next level in terms of the breadth and depth of content as well as in its attendance. This year in particular, promises to be richest conference program to date. For the first time in OPEN Forum’s history, we will have industry-themed tracks on such diverse sectors as technology, media, cleantech and healthcare. Entrepreneurship, of course, will run as a theme throughout the conference agenda. Furthermore, we have evolved the format with more interactive sessions including a luncheon with investors in cleantech where entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to share and get feedback on their ideas.”

Overall, continues Dilawar, great care has been taken to develop a conference theme and program which allows the participants to walk away with specific insights, tools and targeted relationships to overcome today’s challenges and prepare for a successful career ahead. “I would say that this would be the biggest change in our focus as we are placing increased emphasis on mentorship and individual success along with the opportunity to network with hundreds of conference participants.”

One of the biggest criticisms of events face is the fact that they are usually conducted in isolation, benefiting only the members of the immediate community. How has the OPEN Forum become, well, more open and inclusive?

OPEN is an all-volunteer group, run and managed by local entrepreneurs and professionals in each chapter. OPEN Forum is arguably Silicon Valley’s biggest business event made possible exclusively with the efforts of volunteers – a fact I personally take great pride in.

This is a global event where we make every effort to put together a diverse program that would be of interest to both the OPEN community in the US as well as Pakistan.

Last year, about 600 entrepreneurs and business leaders attended the event from across the US and from abroad.

We are constantly seeking partners such as the CIO magazine to collaborate to make sure our rich content reaches broad and benefits more emerging leaders.

Has the level of engagement and involvement from professionals in Pakistan increased over the years?
There is a strong representation from Pakistan each year.  We have hosted iconic figures such as Syed Babar Ali to emerging entrepreneurs and top PSEB and government officials. I have seen more entrepreneurs from Pakistan attend OPEN Forum each year. That is a very welcome trend, and where OPEN can have the most impact.

There are specific issues that have plagued Pakistan’s Technology and Business community. How has OPEN SV’s themes reflected the issues that the Tech communities in the US and Pakistan face?
Our focus is on broader business opportunities. The industry and the tech community in Pakistan is discussed in the larger context of the role it plays in advancing entrepreneurial opportunities.

In the years that you have been part of OPEN SV, what changes have you seen in the ex-pat community and IT professionals in Pakistan working together in either business or knowledge-sharing?
There are certainly more shared efforts between Silicon Valley and the Tech community in Pakistan. Many of OPEN SV leaders are running their own product development initiatives out of Pakistan. As we mature further as an organization and the community in Pakistan develops, in part due to good efforts of industry journalism such as the CIO publications, knowledge-sharing and collaboration will only increase.

The speakers you have are undoubtedly thought-leaders across various industries and areas. With Pakistan’s current geopolitical and socioeconomic situation, what’s the reaction been from the speakers?
What sets Silicon Valley apart is the premium it places on the talents of smart and hardworking individuals. The tech and the broader business sector has benefited from the tremendous talent of the Pakistani-American community in fueling the sector’s growth. Folks here are appreciative of that, and in some measure, this also helps the image of Pakistan as a source of world-class talent.

Editor’s note:
You will be able to log onto ciopakistan.com and webstudio.ciopakistan.com to get coverage, interviews and updates about the OPEN Forum 2009 event. If you would like more details about the event itself, please log onto www.opensiliconvalley.org

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