IEEE Annual Election: Region 6 Candidates (Western USA)

Joseph C. Wei 
(Nominated by IEEE Region 6)

Managing Director
Technology Ventures Group (TVG)
Cupertino, California, USA
​https://josephwei.wixsite.com/region6directorelect

Joseph Wei is the Managing Director of Technology Ventures Group (TVG), an advisory firm for startups and corporations on developing innovative solutions utilizing sensors, mobile and cloud technologies. While running TVG, he co-founded the Lab360 Startup Incubator which invested and accelerated startups focusing on IoT and wearable devices.

Previously, Joseph held executive positions at Inventec Corp., NEC, SGI, and DEC (both were acquired by HP). He is a frequent speaker at conferences globally on entrepreneurship and the latest wearable/IoT technologies. In addition, he mentors startups at Plug and Play, Alchemist Accelerator, and University of Toronto Entrepreneurship Hatchery.

Joseph received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University and completed entrepreneurship courses at Stanford University. He is a senior member of IEEE, a member of IEEE-HKN Honor Society and has been a member of IEEE for over 30 years.

Statement

As a member of IEEE for over 30 years and having been elected three times chair of the Santa Clara Valley Section, the largest section with over 30 active OUs, I have developed strong insights and relationships with members in Region 6 and beyond. I volunteered in various capacities in Region 6, SCV Section, YP, EMBS, MEMS & Sensors, CT Society, IEEE conferences such as WIE-ILC, GHTC, IEEE Sensors and VICS/Awards Ceremony as well as helped organized an exhibit booth at Maker Faire in San Mateo.

My diverse work experience ranges from holding leadership roles with large global computer companies to founding startups to running a startup incubator. I’ll leverage my experience to:

●  Energize Region 6 volunteers by providing them with better tools to enable them to perform the tasks in supporting IEEE            more efficiently and effectively.

●  Promote sharing of best practice ideas amongst all Region 6 Section chapters and promote co-sponsored chapter events.

●  Increase collaboration opportunities between IEEE and professionals in tech companies in Region 6 by aligning the IEEE          values with the priorities of these professionals.

IEEE Accomplishments and Activities
(S’81-M’81-M’93-SM’13)

I was elected as the Chair of the Santa Clara Valley (SCV) Section (the largest Section in IEEE) for three terms. I initiated operational improvements to allow Executive Committee members to fulfill their duties more efficiently and effectively. The results of these improvements led SCV to receive the Outstanding Large Section Awards from MGA, Region 6 and from the Region 6, Central Area. As the SFBA Consumer Technology Chapter Chair, I led the chapter in growing membership over 25% and formed the SF/OEB/SCV joint chapters.

Region 6

• Chair, Admissions and Advancement - Senior Membership (2022-present)

Council Officer

• San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) Council (2014-2018)
• Central Area Chair, Region 6 (2018)

Society               

• Consumer Technology Society Representative to Sensors Council (2019-present)
• Associate Editor, IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine (2020-present)
• BoG, VP of Industrial Relation, VP of Education, Distinguished Lecturer - IEEE Consumer Technology Society (2015-2019)
• Conference paper reviewer, GCCE (2014)

Committee

• Partnerships Vice-Chair, IEEE Entrepreneurship (2022-present)
• Partnerships Vice-Chair, IEEE Awards Board Presentation & Publicity Committee (2018-2021)
• IEEE Vision Innovation Challenge Summit and Awards Ceremony Planning Committee (2018-2021)

Section          

• Chair, Vice-Chair, Industry Liaison Chair, Entrepreneurship Chair - SCV Section (2014-present)

Chapters           

• Founding-Chair, Young Professionals - SCV Startup SIG (2020-present)
• Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Program Chair, webmaster, N&A Chair - SFBA Consumer Technology Chapter (2011-present)
• Treasurer, EMBS (2020-2021)
• Advisor SSIT-SCV (2016-present)
• N&A Chair, LMAG-SCV (2021-present)

Events                

• Co-Chair, Sponsorship - IEEE Sensors 2022
• IEEE Project lead, San Jose Digital Inclusion Hotline program (2021)
• Sponsorship Chair, IEEE GHTC (2014-2018, 2022)
• Organizer, IEEE Brain Data Bank Challenge/IEEE Brain Initiative (2020)
• Strategic Advisor, IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference (WIE ILC) (2015-2018)
• Organizer, Female Founders Startup Pitch Competition, IEEE WIE ILC (2018)
• Organizer, SCV Section exhibit booth at Maker Faire (San Mateo) (2014-2019)

Awards

• IEEE Santa Clara Valley Section Chair Special Award (2020)
• IEEE Region 6 Director Special Award (2015)

Gora Datta, FHL7
(Nominated by IEEE Region 6)

Founding Chairman & CEO
CAL2CAL Corporation
Irvine, California, USA
http://www.goradatta.com

My name is Gora DATTA. I am an ICT (information and communication technology) professional with 38 years of multi-national experience. I specialize in Digital Health Informatics and I am a pioneer in the field of Mobile Health standards.

I am an international entrepreneur and a leader. The group company that I founded 26 years ago, CAL2CAL Corporation, is still going strong. Besides my industry experience, I also cross the world of academia – I am a Visiting Scholar at University of California Berkeley, I am on the Management Board of Trustees of a University and on the Program Advisory Committee of 6 other Universities and Colleges, and  I am also part of a High School District’s Advisory Committee. On my Professional front, I work very closely with multiple County, State and Federal entities – and therefore I bring to you a perfect mix of industry, academia and government experience and expertise.

Statement

IEEE Region 6 includes members from multiple western states; all the way from Alaska to Hawaii and many states in between. As the R6 Director, I will ensure that our Region expand from a niche and loosely connected divergent set of members & Sections, Councils, Chapters to a cohesive, interactive and a thriving group of members focusing on the following:

• Expanding Member’s Career, Growth & Knowledge
• Promoting Diversity, Equity, Innovation & Outreach
• Developing future Technology Leaders, Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Educators
• Enabling workforce development by mitigating skills-gap, upskilling & reskilling our members

IEEE Region 6 members of today are known as energetic volunteers who find time for IEEE activities in between their day-job and free time in the evenings/weekends. As Region 6 Director, I will bring new  transformation ideas so that IEEE activities becomes part of what defines you as a person. It is not something that comes as an afterthought. How can we bring “technology for humanity” when it is something you do only if and when you find free time – it must become 2^nd nature!  

IEEE Accomplishments and Activities
(AF’94-M’07-SM’08)

I am a Senior Member of IEEE and a member of IEEE Computer Society for over 28 years.

I am also a member of TEMS for over 7 years, EMBS for over 6 years, Standards Association member for 5 years, and also a WIE Affinity Group member for over 2 years.

At IEEE, I have held and continue to hold several leadership positions:

• IEEE Speaker
• IEEE VoLT2 Graduate
• IEEE-USA Congressional Visit Member
• At local level – past Orange County Section Chair, its past Vice Chair, its past Treasurer and its past ExCom member-at-large for several years,
• At MGA Geographic Council level: Current and founding Chair of Southern California Council

o   Chair Cybersecurity SIG

• At Computer Society – member of CS Board Geographic Activity Committee and member of several Ad-Hoc committees; Vice Chair Orange County Chapter
• At EMB Society – Vice Chair Orange County Chapter
• At Society on Social Implications of Technology: founding member Technical Committee on Sustainability
• At Standards Association

o   Industry Connections: Chair Mobile Health Apps Standards & Laboratory Services Program

o   Industry Connections: Member of Sustainable Infrastructures & Community Development Program
           - Sustainability Digital Finance Sub-Committee member

• Also, at IEEE Board Committee level

o   Future Directions Blockchain Initiative Executive Committee member and Chair of its several initiatives – Chair Healthcare, Chair Tech Briefs, Co-Chair Conferences and Events

• MCE (meetings, conferences and events)

o   2021 Chair of SusTech Conference: a R6 flagship conference. Earlier was its vice-chair for 2 years.

o   Founded a year-long Virtual Series called IEEE Healthcare: Blockchain and AI Virtual Series – a concept now gaining traction but was unique when it was started in the early days of Pandemic in 2020. Now in its 2^nd year of operation.

o   Founding Chair of 2022 IEEE Global Emerging technology Blockchain Forum: blockchain and beyond.

o   Co-Chair Digital Health Workshop @ IECON2022