Meet the 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.

Since 2009, 732 companies have participated in SXSW Pitch. More than 80% have secured funding, collectively raising over $22 billion in venture capital and exits. Of these 647 funded companies, 22% have been acquired by leading global firms such as Google, Apple, Meta, British Telecom, Huffington Post, Live Nation, OpenTable, Michelin, Constant Contact, and Harmon. Notable alumni include Klout, ICON, Hipmunk, Wildfire, Tubemogul, Siri, Foodspotting, and Tango. (Research data provided by PitchBook)

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.