Silicon Valley Poker Challenge

The inaugural Silicon Valley Poker Challenge was held on March 13, 2011 at Bay 101 Casino as a prelude to the 2011 WPT Shooting Star event. Its creator is Brian Reynard, CEO of the Silicon Valley Executive Network (SVEN) who organized the event in conjunction with the World Poker Tour.

Brian Reynard is a native of Silicon Valley and has spent 20+ years in some of the world’s leading high tech companies, including 16 years at Cisco in various management roles. His key focus with the Silicon Valley Executive Network is cross-pollinating the core and most senior elements of the high tech ecosystem to build relationships, clarify the technology landscape, and make a philanthropic impact in the community.

With help from Phil Hellmuth making a call on Brian’s behalf to the World Poker Tour in the Fall of 2010, the event was launched to create a unique gathering that pitted elite poker professionals against the core elements of the Silicon Valley technology ecosystem, consisting of senior level high tech executives, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs.

With a fabulous start to this kick-off event on the eve of the WPT Shooting Star, the Silicon Valley Poker Challenge achieved its goal of camaraderie, competition, and impact in the community. 40 executives from high tech, venture capital, and Silicon Valley startups battled 16 professional players, including Erik Seidel, Phil Hellmuth, Layne Flack, Frank Kassela, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Hoyt Corkin, Kara Scott, Dan Cates, Thomas Marchese, Justin Smith, Gavin Smith, Dwyte Pilgrim, and more. Executives from Facebook, Sony Computer Entertainment, Google, Cisco, McAfee, Stubhub, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Institutional Venture Partners, and many other high tech companies, startups, and venture capital firms were represented. Matt Savage, WPT Tournament Director, oversaw the event with emcee assistance from Phil Hellmuth. The champion that emerged was Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, giving the crystal championship trophy and bragging rights to the technology titans in a battle of pride for Silicon Valley.

Other key entities involved in the event were Albertini Group, lead by CEO, Nancy Albertini, whose firm was the key sponsor. Albertini Group has a very unique blend of executive search and venture investments (www.albertinigroup.com). Nancy and husband Steve, a high tech executive himself, are both avid poker players and participated in the event.

Also key to organizing and carrying out of the event was BUILD (www.build.com). Founded in 1999, BUILD runs the nation’s largest youth incubators with the mission to use entrepreneurship to excite and propel disengaged, low-income students through high school to college success.

Silicon Valley Executive Network (SVEN) is a nonprofit, private, invitation-only, business & social network for senior high-tech executives, venture capitalists, and key technologists who make up the core DNA of the tech ecosystem. SVEN also acts as an accelerator for early stage tech companies, and a trusted advisory group to various top tech companies. Formed in 2007, 52 events to date, 250+ executive members. Focus areas are: 1) Traditional IT/Internet, 2) Healthcare, 3) Cleantech/Energy, and 4) Digital Media & Entertainment.