In the startup ecosystem, possessing innovative tools is only part of the equation—success hinges on the ability to deploy them strategically. An upcoming event at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall on June 5 will dive into the critical frameworks and decisions that shape the trajectory of AI startups, exploring how they scale or falter. Among the featured experts is Iliana Quinonez, Director of North America Startups Customer Engineering at Google Cloud, whose technical expertise and hands-on experience will offer invaluable insights for founders navigating this space.
Quinonez leads a team that collaborates with early-stage startups through their growth journey, providing tailored guidance on integrating cloud infrastructure and AI technologies. Her approach prioritizes efficiency, recognizing the constraints of time, capital, and clarity that startups often face. She focuses on helping teams optimize these resources while addressing complex challenges, such as designing scalable AI architectures, structuring data pipelines for advanced reasoning, and defining the boundaries between external APIs and proprietary IP.
With a career spanning leadership roles at Salesforce, SAP, and BEA Systems, Quinonez brings a unique perspective to the intersection of enterprise-scale solutions and agile startup innovation. Her session promises to deliver practical advice on building AI agents, balancing risk and reward, and democratizing machine learning access without compromising speed or security.
The event will also host discussions with industry leaders from OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, and other prominent organizations, covering topics from foundational model strategies to data infrastructure design. Attendees can participate in workshops, expert talks, and networking opportunities tailored to AI innovators.
Discounted tickets are available for a limited time, offering savings of up to $300 and a 50% discount on guest passes. Whether you’re a founder, product lead, or tech enthusiast, this event provides actionable insights to accelerate your AI initiatives.
