Block Party: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in AI Service Integration
SIT SV Hub × GATTD - Block Party!
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly evolving from isolated tools into interconnected systems. As organizations move from experimentation to production, the focus is shifting toward reliability, interoperability, and trust across the entire AI lifecycle.
This session brings together AI founders for a panel discussion exploring how the AI ecosystem is evolving into a multi-layered supply chain - spanning data, models, infrastructure, applications, and governance. As these layers mature, the need for trusted integration across systems becomes increasingly critical.
Together, we will explore:
How the AI ecosystem is becoming more modular and specialized
Where demand is accelerating across enterprise and startup environments
What challenges teams face when deploying AI systems at scale
How trust, security, and reliability are shaping next-generation AI systems
What new opportunities exist for builders contributing to the evolving AI ecosystem
This session is designed for founders, engineers, investors, and ecosystem builders who want to understand how AI systems are moving from standalone tools toward integrated, production-grade platforms.
Agenda
6:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Check in + Network (Light dinner available)
6:30 PM – 6:40 PM | Opening Remarks
6:40 PM – 7:30 PM | Panel Discussion
7:30 PM – 7:50 PM | Q&A Session
7:50 PM – 8:00 PM | Closing Remarks + Group Photo
8:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Open Networking
Meet the Speakers
Moderator
Hans Wang: Senior AI/ML Engineer and Trusted AI strategist working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and global technology policy. With experience spanning large-scale AI native systems, fraud detection, confidential computing, and trustworthy agent frameworks, he focuses on building secure and reliable AI infrastructure and services for the next generation of intelligent systems. Hans is also active in the Taiwan–U.S. technology ecosystem, helping bridge innovation, diplomacy, and emerging AI governance initiatives through cross-sector collaboration.
Speakers
Ming T. Lu: Founder & CEO of TECQMIND, helping organizations scale engineering teams, improve delivery practices, and drive business impact through high-performance engineering cultures.
Wei-Chiu Chuang: Apache Member, The Apache Software Foundation, is deeply involved in the open source community as an Apache Software Foundation Member, and as a committer and PMC member across multiple Apache projects. He previously served as Chair of Apache Hadoop. Wei-Chiu holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University.
Albert Shih: CPO of MoBagel, leading AI company founded on the principle of making AI accessible to individuals and businesses.
About GATTD (Global Alliance for Taiwan Technology Diplomacy)
GATTD is an initiative dedicated to strengthening Taiwan’s global presence by connecting its technological strengths and global Taiwanese network with international leaders across technology, business, and policy.
Its mission is to build a platform that facilitates meaningful collaboration and exchange between Taiwan and the global ecosystem - bridging supply and demand across industries to drive innovation, partnerships, and sustainable growth.
About Startup Island TAIWAN - Silicon Valley Hub
Startup Island TAIWAN is a national initiative supporting Taiwan startups expanding globally. It connects founders with international investors, corporate partners, and innovation ecosystems while showcasing Taiwan’s strengths in technology and entrepreneurship.
Located in Palo Alto, the Silicon Valley Hub serves as a bridge between Taiwan’s startup ecosystem and Silicon Valley, accelerating cross-border collaboration and helping Taiwanese companies scale in the U.S. and beyond.
About Co-Host: Taiwan Next Foundation
Taiwan Next Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area, committed to connecting Taiwanese talents and integrating resources between the US and Taiwan. We support technology media " Taiwan Next" and host the annual Taiwan Tech Summit, inviting experts to share the innovative trends in technology, biotech, investment, and entrepreneurship. Our goal is to build a collaborative network and knowledge-based media, optimize the existing resources, expand the Taiwanese professional network, explore career opportunities, and support other Taiwanese technology associations in the US.