From Idea to Unicorn: Building Billion-Dollar Startups
Join us for an exclusive conversation at Billion-Dollar Founders: Silicon Valley Meets Detroit, an inspiring event bringing together tech visionaries Alfred Chuang (co-founder of BEA Systems) and Dug Song (co-founder of Duo Security).
Discover firsthand insights from two groundbreaking entrepreneurs who've built billion-dollar companies, reshaped industries, and fostered innovation from Silicon Valley to the Midwest.
We’ll explore:
Ideation: How Alfred and Dug identified untapped markets—and how they positioned BEA Systems and Duo Security ahead of their time
Product/Market Fit: What it really took to find resonance with users and scale across competitive markets
Fundraising: How they pitched to investors, earned trust, and raised capital at critical stages
Exits: Lessons learned from going public and being acquired—what they’d do again, and what they wouldn’t
The Future of Tech Hubs: How Silicon Valley is evolving, and what that means for emerging regions like Michigan
Michigan’s Tech Moment: What will it take for Michigan to become a sustained innovation hub? We’ll explore its unique advantages—and the gaps we need to close
…and much more.
This exclusive session offers invaluable insights, behind-the-scenes lessons, and practical strategies from two of the most accomplished founders in modern tech. Whether you're building the next category-defining company or backing bold ideas, this is a rare opportunity to learn what it truly takes to scale a billion-dollar business—from inception to exit.
Agenda
4:00–4:15 PM - Registration & Opening Remarks by NewLab
4:15–5:00 PM - Fireside Panel Discussion
Featuring: Alfred Chuang (Co-founder, BEA Systems), Dug Song (Co-founder, Duo Security) + Professor Brophy (University of Michigan)
Moderator: Asher Siddiqui
5:00–5:15 PM - Interactive Audience Q&A
5:15–5:45 PM - Closing Remarks & Networking
Who Should Attend: Founders and Investors shaping the future of innovation and capital.
Speakers:
Alfred Chuang - General Partner at Race Capital and Co-founder & CEO of BEA Systems
Alfred Chuang is the founder and general partner at Race Capital. Recognized by Andreessen Horowitz as the “Silicon Valley CEO’s CEO”, Alfred is an accomplished entrepreneur and venture capitalist.
Prior to Race, Alfred co-founded and took BEA Systems public (Nasdaq: BEAS). In addition, Alfred became BEA’s chairman of the board where he remained until BEA was sold to Oracle in 2008 for $8.6B. BEA was the fastest enterprise technology company to reach revenue of USD$1B.
Prior to BEA, Alfred spent eight and a half years at Sun Microsystems, Inc. During his tenure, Sun grew from less than 1000 to 60,000 people strong with revenue over $6B. Alfred led product development, network infrastructure, systems architecture, and expanded Sun’s business to Asia.
Alfred’s notable awards include C/F Silicon Valley Philanthropist of the Year, SD Forum Visionary Award, CIO Magazine 20/20 Vision Award Honoree and Community Star from Asian Americans for Community Involvement, eChina Forum Silicon Valley Award Honoree, and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. University of San Francisco President’s Ambassador, UC Davis Outstanding Alumnus Award, UC Davis Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal.
Alfred is an independent advisor at the University of San Francisco School of Engineering, Member of the UC Davis Chancellor’s Board of Advisors, Member of the School of Business Dean’s Committee, City University of Hong Kong, and Member of the School of Engineering Industrial Advisory Committee, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Alfred received a B.S. in computer science from the University of San Francisco and a master’s degree in computer science with specialization in distributed data management from the University of California, Davis. Alfred also attended St. Andrews College and Wah Yan College.
Dug Song - Co-founder & CEO of Duo Security
Dug Song is co-founder and former chairman & CEO of Duo Security, Michigan’s first tech unicorn and multibillion venture-backed acquisition. As a founder and funder, Dug is a champion for growing community wealth — economic, social, cultural, and environmental — to build a more just and inclusive future for all.
Dug is heavily involved in the global startup community and fostering entrepreneurship in Michigan as an active investor, advisor, and board member. He is co-founder/chair of the Michigan Founders Fund, helping entrepreneurs turn business success into positive community impact, and serves on the boards of the Detroit Regional Chamber and the US Department of Commerce’s National Advisory Council for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, with a focus on racial justice and economic equity.
In 2020, Dug and his wife started the Song Foundation to invest in the innovative people and organizations improving the quality of life for all in Southeast Michigan. Song also serves on the executive board of the Wallace House Center for Journalists, and on the national advisory board for Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Michigan.
Co-Host: Professor David J. Brophy - Director, Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
Prof. David J. Brophy, Ph.D. has been a Director, Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance at Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Endowment Arm since 1992, where Prof. Brophy assists emerging and mid-size companies. Prof. Brophy is a Founding Member of the Journal of Business Venturing Editorial Board, The Journal of Private Equity Finance and the International Venture Capital Journal. Prof. Brophy served as an Executive Officer of Ally Financial Inc. Prof. Brophy advised several institutional and corporate investors in their private equity finance activities.
Prof. Brophy joined the finance faculty of U-M in 1968. Prof. Brophy is a Professor of Finance and a Member of the Finance and Entrepreneurial Studies Faculty at The Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, where he teaches courses in entrepreneurial finance, corporate valuation, venture capital and both domestic and international private equity and finance.
Prof. Brophy served as a Chief Financial Officer of Asia Automotive Acquisition Corp. since June 2005 and served as its Chief Accounting Officer. Prof. Brophy served as an Advisor of River Place Financial Corporation. He also serves as Director of the University of Michigan Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance. He also is Founding Director of two leading international private equity conferences: the University of Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (venture capital-oriented) and the University of Michigan Global Private Equity Conference (corporate growth and buyout oriented). He has been a consultant to a variety of government agencies in the U.S., Australia, France, India and Russia and has served on the Governor’s Commission on High Technology in Michigan. He is active in the development of policy regarding the University’s role in technology transfer, entrepreneurial activity, and venture capital investment. Dr. Brophy has also served as consultant to the State of Michigan Task Force on Venture Capital. He serves as an Advisor at Kyyba Ventures.
Co-Host & Moderator: Asher Siddiqui - Tech Investor
Asher Siddiqui is a tech investor with a global career spanning 25+ years, made 100+ VC deals (direct and LP), closed $15bn+ in M&A transactions and raised hundreds of millions of dollars in LP commitments in venture capital.
Asher started his career in the late 90’s as an entrepreneur & software engineer (1998-2006) in the US and UK, followed by 10 years (2006-2016) in M&A, as Head of M&A and CVC at Etisalat Group (now e& Group - one of the largest listed TMT groups in the world.) and then switched to VC and joined the global leadership team at 500 Startups ($2bn AUM firm that invested globally in 35+ unicorns and 160+ centaurs) in San Francisco (2016-2019).
Since then, Asher has helped to build several institutional VC firms globally, including Sukna Ventures (KSA & UAE), Lumikai (India), Race Capital (USA), Zayn VC (Pakistan). Humanrace Capital (USA).
Asher Siddiqui has served on the advisory boards of several other prominent VC firms, including: FootPrint Coalition Ventures (led by Robert Downey Jr. - USA), Merus Capital (led by the former Head of Corp Dev at Google - USA), Race Capital (led by Alfred Chuang - founded and exited BEA/WebLogic to Oracle for $8.6bn), The Treasury (led by the cofounders of Betterment and Acorns - USA) among others.
You can learn more about Asher at http://linkedin.com/in/ashersiddiqui