SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Montgomery Summit, a premier technology conference hosted by LA-based VC firm March Capital, and the Tech Diplomacy Network, today announced that John Chambers, Founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures and former Executive Chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, will receive the 2nd annual Tech Diplomacy award for playing a crucial role in strengthening the partnership between the U.S. and India to advance technology growth and innovation in both countries.
Over nearly five decades as an investor and corporate leader, Mr. Chambers has fostered and championed the globally significant relationship between the U.S. and India. As Chairman of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), he has helped foster cross-border collaboration in innovation, digital transformation, and cybersecurity, as well as champion initiatives that empower Indian startups, bridge digital infrastructure gaps, and create opportunities for talent exchange, all while reinforcing India’s role as a global technology hub.
“I’m very honored to receive the 2nd Annual Technology Diplomacy Award,” said Chambers. “Nearly two decades ago, I was one of the first American CEOs to recognize India’s potential for business, technology, and entrepreneurship. At the time, Cisco invested heavily in India’s potential – and today we can all recognize that this prediction was extremely accurate. I’m proud of USISPF’s work, which has been instrumental in positioning the US-India relationship as the most strategic partnership in the world and fostering collaboration in key sectors like technology, manufacturing, and trade. What’s even more exciting is that this is just the beginning. As we face the most disruptive tech transition the world has ever seen with AI, we are on the verge of groundbreaking innovation. By building on existing areas of partnership and identifying new areas for collaboration, we can drive economic growth, improve standard of living, and address global challenges to help empower the next generation of innovators.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been committed to modernizing the country’s technology under his “Digital India” initiative, which Chambers has helped advise. This effort has since spurred technology diplomacy between the U.S. and India, where major American tech companies are expanding into India – for example, recent semiconductor chip investments from Lam Research and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). This is now a critical relationship for global innovation, economic growth, and geopolitical stability, and by deepening ties further, both nations can shape the future of technology in a way that embraces entrepreneurship, promotes democratic values, and supports economic prosperity worldwide.
“John Chambers has demonstrated outstanding tenacity in fostering cross-border collaboration between the U.S. and India, setting a global standard for tech diplomacy in the private sector. His visionary leadership has not only strengthened innovation and talent exchange between the two nations but has also underscored the vital role of technology in shaping international relations,” said Christina Steinbrecher-Pfandt, CEO, Tech Diplomacy Network. “Having visited India over 50 times, John has deeply engaged with the country’s culture, vision, people, and businesses—building lasting partnerships that drive digital transformation and entrepreneurship.”
John Chambers Bio
John Chambers is the founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures, where he focuses on helping startups build and scale. He invests in companies that are leading market transitions, such as Altimate AI, ASAPP, Aspire Food Group, Avathon, Balbix, BigSpring, Nile, ParkourSC, Pindrop, Privoro, Quantum Metric, SAFE Security, Uniphore, Virsec, and Visionary Group. Chambers has also invested in companies that have gone public including, Bloom Energy, Rubrik, and Sprinklr, and marked key acquisitions in the industry, such as Dedrone, Lilac, OpenGov, and Pensando.
Prior to founding JC2 Ventures in 2018, Chambers spent 25+ years with Cisco, serving as CEO, Chairman, and Executive Chairman. With countless lessons learned during his tenure at Cisco and working with startups, Chambers wrote Connecting the Dots: Lessons for Leadership in a Startup World.
Chambers is the Chairman of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and was appointed Global Ambassador of the French Tech by President Emmanuel Macron of France.
About The Tech Diplomacy Network
The Tech Diplomacy Network, founded in February 2023 by Patricia Gruver-Barr and Martin Rauchbauer and run by Christina Steinbrecher-Pfandt (CEO), aims to establish a global community dedicated to sharing best practices in the field. Tech Diplomacy, born in the San Francisco Bay Area amidst the tech boom, represents an evolving practice in international relations catalyzed by the rise of tech corporations and their significant impact on society, economies, and institutions transcending national boundaries. Tech Diplomacy serves as a conduit for constructive discourse among UN member states, international organizations, the tech industry, civil society, and academia. Each year the Tech Diplomacy Award honors a distinguished leader by acknowledging exceptional contributions to the Tech Diplomacy field through innovative and visionary leadership.
About The Montgomery Summit
Each year, The Montgomery Summit hosts an exclusive gathering of entrepreneurs, top-tier investors, and leading corporate executives from private growth technology firms and venture capital firms. This event showcases presentations from over a hundred hand-selected private companies, along with dynamic keynotes, panels, and networking opportunities. Founded by Jamie Montgomery in 2004, the event has been a cornerstone in fostering connections among technological visionaries and innovators worldwide for two decades.
