Editor’s note: Steve Rao is helping co-host the Virtual Startup Summit on Sept. 3. Here’s how the securing of former Cisco chair and CEO John Cambers – a legend in tech – to deliver opening remarks in a “fireside chat” came about.
MORRSVILLE – In October of 2019, John T. Chambers, former CEO and Chairman of Cisco Systems, gave an inspiring Fireside Chat to the CEO Forum, held at the Raleigh Convention Center. Today, John runs JC2 Ventures, a purpose driven Venture Capital Fund which invests in disruptive start ups around the world. JC2 Ventures works with CEOs every day to serve as “true mentors of Digitial Innovation.
In his book, Connecting the Dots, Lessons for Leadership in A Start Up World, Chambers reminds his readers, how important it is for any company to have a Playbook, a plan on how to respond to changing and challenging times. A playbook can help CEOs face disruption, and enable their companies to emerge stronger than ever before.
John’s favorite advice from a mentor: A company or leader can’t be described as great until they have gone through a near-death experience and come back.
John Chambers, left, with Steve Rao
This mindset helped Chambers guide Cisco out of crisis when the company’s stock crashed and business could have been lost. His leadership helped Cisco survive a number of downturns, including the bird flu, and 2008 recession, to reach a $47 billion market cap by the end of his tenure in 2015.
Chambers challenged Gov. Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Business Leaders, to be prepared to lose 40 percent of all jobs as we know them in the next decade. The opportunity for our state and nation was to create 15 million new jobs, many of them in start ups around disruptive and emerging technologies like AI, Smart Cities, Robotics, and Blockhain. The new jobs of the new economy will require us to have an educational system which is flexible for an everchanging economy.
Chambers speech, seems like a life time ago, in a pre Covid world, where now, more than ever, we have the need to create new jobs as our economy continues to be devastated by the Covid 19 pandemic. John reminded us that North Carolina needs to shift our focus to support small business creation, as we are now competing in a very global economy.
We need our own Start Up Playbook. India, and other nations are getting ambitous and aggressive to be themselves be the destination for disruptive start ups and to have their piece of the 15 million new jobs. I was amazed to find out that John is advising both Prime Minister Modi in India and Macron in France on technology and innovation strategy.
Now, more than ever, we have the need to create new jobs as our economy continues to be devastated by the Covid 19 pandemic.
Unemployment is at record levels in North Carolina, and businesses are really struggling. In fact, Chambers has stated that any recovery could be at least five quarters from now, with signs of economic recovery only showing up in mid or late 2021.
The family connection
Shortly after his talk, I went up to John, and told him that I had known his parents very well during my childhood and teen years in West Virginia. Dr. Jack and June Chambers had been mentors to my parents, when my father immigrated from India to Charleston, WV to pursue a career as a General Surgeon. John’s sister, Cindy and his brother-in-law Gary were my next door neighbors for over 13 years. Dr. Chambers had passed away a few months ago (his mom a number of years ago). I wanted John to know how proud all of us were of his career and what wonderful people they were. It was a great feeling to be able to have a conversation with one of my heroes, and tell him how much his family meant to me.
After my remarks, John looked at me, and said, “anyone who knew my parents, and is from West Virginia, is a member of my West Virginia Family.”
He asked me to attend an Executive Lunch with him. The rest is history.
He gave me his card and number and we stayed in touch. He said, “Steve, if you ever need anything, call me. I cannot make guarantees but I always help my West Virginia family.”
A few months, ago, I reached out to John to ask him to attend as the opening keynote at our second Virtual Start Up Summit, hosted by founders Keith Washo, Mark Bovisotto, and myself. John emailed me back, and said he would be honored to be a part of the Start Up Summit on Sept. 3. IBM, Oracle, and a number of other sponsors, start ups, and investors are so very eager to hear from John, on the theme of How to Survive and Thrive in a Covid Economy.
I am sure that Chambers will once again challenge our state to step up our game when it comes to growing our start up community, and to accelerate new job creation by leveraging the tremendous acceleration in Technological innovation.
We cannot think of a better person that my West Virginia brother, John Chambers to help our start ups, investors, and small businesses develop a Covid 19 Playbook so we can grow, hire, and create new jobs in our state and be a destination for great ideas, companies, and the brightest citizens of the world.
See you on Sept. 3rd!
About the author: Steve S. Rao, a native of Charleston, West Virginia, is serving in his third term as an At Large Member of the Town Council in Morrisville, NC in Wake County. He served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2015 – 2017.
