April 16 conference brings national thought leaders to local tech community

SoftwareGR (SGR), a nonprofit that was founded in 2003 by Atomic Object, is getting ready to host the 5th Annual Great Lake Software Excellence Conference (GLSEC) on April 16 at the Prince Conference Center, Calvin College.  

The theme this year is "competitive innovation" and will feature many of the top experts in a variety of software-related topics including mobile technology, cloud computing, embedded development and much more.

Kevin Hykin, who is a co-organizer of the conference and the director of engineering at Burke Porter Machinery, explains that the GLSEC Conference is a "cost-effective conference" that brings many leaders in software development to West Michigan. Hykin is quick to point out that the conference is organized by "volunteers that are passionate about developing the Grand Rapids area into a center of excellence for software."

According to Carl Erickson, founder of Atomic Object, SGR is a volunteer-run organization that serves several purposes for members of the West Michigan tech scene including decreasing the need for travel and costly conferences by bringing "ideas, speakers and inspiration" to the area and also creating "a sense of community for the local tech scene by gathering technology companies and people."

There is still time to register for the conference, either online or at the door. To learn more, you can visit their website here.

Source: Carl Erickson, Atomic Object and Kevin Hykin, Burke Porter Machinery
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs Editor