SAN CARLOS, CA (TIP): Indian American author, entrepreneur and Carnegie Mellon Fellow Vivek Wadhwa has been selected as one of the recipients of 2018 Visionary Award established by Silicon Valley Forum.

Delhi-born Wadhwa also holds the position of Director of Research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at the Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University. He has done extensive research on advancing technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, computing, synthetic biology, 3D printing, medicine, and nanomaterials. Wadhwa believes that these technologies will change our world by causing disruption in industries and paving way for the creation of many new policies, laws, and ethics.

Every year, the forum shortlists experts from the Silicon Valley for its annual accolade that is bestowed on “Silicon Valley’s brightest stars and leading founders will take the stage in celebration of their achievements, work, and contributions to Silicon Valley’s renowned business and technology ecosystem.”

This year’s four winners are: Vivek Wadhwa, distinguished fellow at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering; Kimberly Bryant, founder and CEO, Black Girls Code; Caterina Fake, cofounder, Flickr and Hunch, author, entrepreneur, and angel investor; and, Astro Teller, entrepreneur, scientist, and author, Captain of Moonshots, X. The winners will be honored in an award ceremony at Domenico Winery in San Carlos, California, on May 17, 2018, the organization said in a press release.

“Every year at our annual Visionary Awards, we look forward to the opportunity to celebrate the absolute best of the best of Silicon Valley—the leaders whose work is synonymous with what makes this region so magnetic,” said Denyse Cardozo, Silicon Valley Forum CEO. “We’re proud to invite the Valley to join us this year as we celebrate the achievements of this extraordinary group.”

The forum has been actively helping people to learn how to build a business in the Silicon Valley for the last 35 years. The organization focuses on creativity and innovation, using technology to bring society towards a better future.

Since its inception, the forum has hosted thousands of successful events, programs, and conferences that educate, train, inspire and connect technologists, entrepreneurs, corporates, investors, innovation and startup hubs, and students in the Silicon Valley, nationally as well as internationally.

“As my friends know, I have been merciless in condemning it for sexism and ageism. And of late, I have been calling out tech companies for widening the equity gap, leading us into a jobless future, and stealing our happiness. Yet, what does the Valley do? Give me an award!” wrote Wadhwa in an email to his colleagues. “These awards are considered to be the ‘Oscars’ of Silicon Valley.”