From Startup Founder to Global Enterprise CTO: Scaling Technology, Teams & Yourself
Scaling Technology, Teams, and Yourself
What does it take to evolve from building a startup to leading technology for one of Europe's largest retail organizations?
Join us for the next Ground Zero Breakfast Series with Artavazd Sokhikyan, Chief Technology Officer of Dunnes Stores, co-founder of buymie and 7smarts.com. Having built multiple startups from the ground up and now leading enterprise-scale technology, Artavazd offers a rare perspective on what changes and what shouldn't as companies, teams, and responsibilities grow.
Every successful company eventually outgrows the leader who founded it, unless that leader continues to grow. This conversation also explores that deep personal development journey.
The conversation will be moderated by Karén Gyulbudaghyan, Tech Diplomacy pioneer, venture capitalist, Founder of Ground Zero Venture Café, and UC Berkeley SkyDeck Global Ambassador & Key Advisor.
Together, we'll explore:
✅ Building and scaling buymie from startup to enterprise success
✅ The transition from founder to global enterprise executive
✅ Leading large engineering organizations without losing an entrepreneurial mindset
✅ Scaling technology, teams, and yourself as a leader
✅ Transforming companies through technology while balancing innovation, resilience, and execution
✅ Lessons for founders, engineering leaders, and anyone preparing for the next stage of their career
Ground Zero Breakfast Series brings Armenia's founders, innovators, investors, engineers, and future leaders into intimate conversations with remarkable people who are shaping industries around the world.
No technical background is required, only curiosity and ambition!
📅 August 18, 2026 🕣 8:30 AM
📍 Ground Zero Venture Café, 1 Saryan St., Yerevan