Chris Valentine, Founder
Chris Valentine is the founder of the Internet of Senses Institute, a collective of thought leaders, inventors, and early adopters dedicated to building a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, executives, policymakers, and researchers ready to propel the innovation promised by the digitization of the five senses — hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. Launched in 2021, the Institute embodies Chris’ passion for bringing communities together to enhance and move forward the development of technology innovation.
In addition to the Institute, Chris is the founder and CEO of Adeo InterActive, a full service event production firm based in Austin, Texas. In his 25 years of experience in event production, Chris has created a variety of products designed to help companies achieve their unique, tech-related strategic goals while managing high-profile global innovation events for prominent clients, including AARP, Kauffman Foundation, NASA, Turner Entertainment, and Inventures Canada.
Chris also serves as the Event Producer for SXSW Pitch, a cutting-edge startup competition where companies from around the world compete and showcase leading technology innovations.
Of the 647 companies that participated in SXSW Pitch between 2009 and 2023, over 93% received funding, with combined funding over almost $23.2 billion (does not include undisclosed grants, angel and seed funding). Of these 647 companies, 17% have been acquired by Google, British Telecom, Huffington Post, Apple, Live Nation, OpenTable, Meta, Michelin, Constant Contact, and Harmon. Some of our prestigious alums you may know include Klout, ICON, Hipmunk, Wildfire, Tubemogul, Siri, Foodspotting, and Tango.
Previously, Chris developed and published a monthly Global Startup Network newsletter, that provided information and data on startups and technology ecosystems from around the world, sourced from 200+ international news sources.
An Austin resident since 1988, Chris volunteers at several non-profit organizations. Since 2006, Chris has served as the Executive Director for the Busby Foundation, a non-profit that provides support and resources for Central Texas families who are facing ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). In this role, Chris leads the organization’s efforts to increase awareness about the disease and raise funds primarily through the charity’s two annual events – the Lone Star Crawfish Festival and the Rock & Roll Golf Classic. Today the organization has over $1.2 million in its gifting fund and has gifted over $1 million to ALS families in the Central Texas area.
Chris is a graduate of Concordia University Texas, where he earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Communication and Behavioral Science. In his free time, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and son, watching English Premier League soccer and classic movies, and traveling the world.
If you’d like to connect with Chris, please visit our Contact Us page or you can find him on LinkedIn.
MISSION
The Internet of Senses Institute is a nexus for all who seek to learn about and participate in the next technological revolution. We serve as an entrepreneurial community for startups and investors, a research hub for academics and thought leaders, a trend-spotting resource for forward-thinking corporations, and an information center for privacy advocates and policymakers.