Social vs. Professional Networks in a Globally-Connected, Knowledge-Based World

Ellen Levy is currently the head of Corporate Development & Strategy for LinkedIn. In addition, she is the Founding Managing Director of Silicon Valley Connect, working with large corporations and entrepreneurs on opportunities for innovation; and is the Network Advisor to global venture firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson.

Before founding Silicon Valley Connect, Ellen spent two years running a groundbreaking program at Stanford University, facilitating collaboration between industry partners, Silicon Valley and the University research community by championing questions having to do with people, technology & innovation. Today, Ellen focuses much of her time on issues pertaining to the Consumer Internet, the dynamics/implications of social networks, innovation ecosystems and supporting organizational models.

Ellen has held formal roles in venture capital (Softbank; NeoCarta), startups (WhoWhere; Softbook), technology think tanks (Interval Research), big companies (Apple Computer, PriceWaterhouse), foundations (Clinton Global Initiative) and universities (Harvard; Stanford)

Her advisory relationships have included non-profit boards (Business Innovation Factory; CFHI; SSRC: MIND Institute), startup advisory boards (Progress Financial; SynCHEnergy; CareerCore; WeeWorld; TrustedID), universities (USC Stevens Institute for Innovation; UC Santa Cruz College 8), and entrepreneurship organizations (tiE).

She has a B.A. from the University of Michigan, and M.A./Ph.D. from Stanford University in Cognitive Psychology.