Infinidat, Pure Storage, and several other major IT and storage vendors are raising funds for the Tech Tackles Cancer program.
The non-profit initiative will bring vendors together in a “Battle of the Technology Rockstars” on June 21 at The Sinclair music venue in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to raise cash for fighting pediatric cancer.
The initiative was founded by AtScale CEO and technology veteran Christopher Lynch.
The event has a live band karaoke singing competition and Ken Steinhardt, field CTO at Infinidat, will be featuring. He has had close friends and direct family members affected by cancer, and is running a personal fundraising campaign that will directly benefit this charity.
On stage, he will be going up against Nathan Hall, VP of Engineering at Pure Storage, Steve Duplessie, founder and senior analyst of Enterprise Strategy Group/Tech Target, George Hope, worldwide head of partner sales at HPE, and a dozen of other “rockstar” executives from the storage industry.
The live audience and spectators watching the performances via LinkedIn Live will be able to vote for their favorite performers.
Tech Tackles Cancer, which has been running for six years, is returning to an in-person event after a hiatus of more than two years due to the COVID pandemic. To date it has raised more than $2 million in donations for organizations focused on pediatric cancer treatment and research, including St Baldrick’s and One Mission. This year, the goal is to raise over $300,000 for pediatric cancer-related causes.
Steinhardt said: “Tech Tackles Cancer is a cause that I have strong affinity for. To do something for such a good cause and mix it with some good rock music; it doesn’t get any better. I am encouraged by how so many tech companies have responded to this cause, saying ‘I’m on board. How can I help?’ The attitude across the industry has been amazing. It’s a beautiful thing when we’re collaborating for the right reasons.”
