Impatient with the gap between the invention and commercialization of AI tech, Igor left IBM and founded Yap in 2006. Five years later, Amazon acquired Yap for its AI tech, which is now found in billions of Alexa, Echo, and Fire TV devices. With his new company – Pryon, Igor is working on augmented intelligence, aiming to help machines better understand people.
Igor is a passionate supporter of career and educational opportunities in the STEM fields. As such, he serves as a mentor in the TechStars’ Alexa Accelerator, was a Blackstone NC Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR), and founded a chapter of the Global Shapers, a program of the World Economic Forum.
He holds a BS degree in Computer Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, where he was named an Outstanding Engineering Alumnus, and an MBA from The University of North Carolina. He was awarded both the Eisenhower and Truman National Security fellowships to explore and expand the role of entrepreneurship and venture capital in addressing geopolitical concerns.
During Algorithm Conference, Igor will participate in a Q&A with UTD students, then in a fireside chat to discuss self-aware AI machines and augmented intelligence.