Saroosh Gull is the CEO of Eventcombo, a cloud-based technology platform for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. He's based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
How he got his start: Gull started as a developer, creating websites for Wall Street traders and providers of financial products, before evolving into a functional analyst and product owner, and working on products like Chase’s Quickpay (now Zelle) and Pfizer's Infrastructure-on-Demand program.
"I’ve always loved building. When a personal experience exposed me to the gaps and disconnects in the rapidly growing event industry, I knew we had to build something powerful that consolidates and bridges the various aspects of the event ecosystem," he says.
Since launching in 2015, Eventcombo has evolved into an all-in-one self-service event solution for in-person, virtual, or hybrid gatherings, with standout features like virtual venue streaming platform Fireworks, networking and collaboration space Community, and a vaccination-checking app.
What innovation means to him: Gull thinks that innovation is all about instinct. "If you’re not evolving and innovating, you’re not growing. When you settle or accept, you’re dying a slow death without realizing it," he says. "You have to constantly grow, and that isn’t easy—as you have to push boundaries and introduce yourself and those around you to a vision, which isn’t immediately obvious."
For Gull, he finds that the core driver of innovation is a desire to bring positive change to your community. "When you tap into fresh ideas, methods, and perspectives, that’s when you start adding value," he says. "As with many successful folks, you must be forward-thinking and put yourself in uncomfortable situations to learn, grow, and contribute."
Career highlights: "The satisfaction we get when we see amazing connections being established through the technology we’ve built," Gull says. "Fostering genuine connections between people who would have never met is such a rewarding experience. I’d say I am most proud of being responsible for countless partnerships, friendships, and relationships between people of all diverse backgrounds and cultures, who came to be through our platform—so it’d have to be the all-in-one product we’ve built for the growing digital event landscape."
Vision for the future: "As the pandemic brought 20 years of innovation in less than two, I believe we are now on a fast track in our industry to continue innovation at a pace never imagined possible," Gull notes. "With this innovation, we are discovering new ways of delivering in-person and virtual events, and now with the metaverse, we have seen what is possible."
He also hopes that technology continues to help people connect in safe and inclusive ways. "While we’ve discovered a wider global reach, new revenue streams, rich attendee experiences, intriguing metaverse elements, empowered communities, and much more, let us ensure we create an even more dynamic and open community as our industry is going through numerous iterations," he says. "We must ensure inclusivity, affordably, convenience, and efficiency (go green!)."
Back to the full list: 12 Event Tech Experts Pushing the Industry Forward
