This year’s TiEConKerala was special – not just because it was hosted outside Kochi for the first time, but because it unfolded in the breathtakingly serene Zuri Kumarakom Resort. The calm backwaters, lush greenery, and pristine ambience set the perfect stage for powerful conversations on entrepreneurship.
What truly stood out was the meticulous planning behind the event. From the agenda and speaker lineup to hospitality and production – everything reflected the maturity of an ecosystem that has successfully executed 14 TiECons, raising the bar year after year. When a community does something consistently well over time, excellence becomes its culture and TiE Kerala has clearly mastered that art.
I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the session “The Fund vs The Foundry: A Battle of Perspectives on AI Startups”, discussing the future of AI from three lenses:
– Mayuresh Raut: the AI investor perspective
– Jacob Joy: the beneficiary / user perspective
– Myself: the AI product builder perspective
The session was insightful, and candid – even more meaningful as I was sharing the stage with two friends.
But the real highlight for me was the President’s Dinner after the event. Walking into a hall filled with TiE Kerala Charter Members along with their spouses felt less like a formal gathering and more like a warm family reunion. The camaraderie and affection among members were genuinely heartwarming – perhaps the real reason TiE Kerala continues to deliver impactful initiatives with such unity, energy, and passion.
Watching Vivek Krishna Govind (President – TiE Kerala) address the members and warmly acknowledge the contribution of Dr Geemon Korah (Chair – TiECon Kerala 2025 & Vice President – TiE Kerala), Divya Thalakkalat (Executive Director – TiE Kerala) and the entire organising team showed what authentic leadership look like. While having conversations over dinner, I loved listening to the stories shared by senior charter members about the first TiECon in 2012 and how the journey has evolved since then – full of passion, persistence, and purpose.
Leaving Kumarakom, I carried with me a deep sense of pride and gratitude to be part of the TiE global community, where accomplished leaders and entrepreneurs selflessly contribute to build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
To the TiE Kerala team – thank you for the warmth, the inspiration, and the energy.