It’s All in the Process: How Great Ideas are Born

 

Enter the world of a creative. This interactive workshop will walk you through the systematic process of crafting innovative ideas. Industry professionals will outline the ideation process based on existing methods and personal experiences. How did creators of the Swiffer create an ingenious solution for an everyday problem? How do you leverage consumer behaviors and digital media to drive innovation? Answer these questions by unveiling the process behind creating great ideas in any industry.

 

Speaker:

Marcus Collins, Head of Social Engagement at Translation

 

What Businesses Can Learn from Bloggers: The New Era of Building Brands

 

In the new era of marketing, word of mouth and peer recommendations reign. This is further amplified when the persons talking about a product or a service are individuals who have established their authority and credibility around a certain topic or subject matter. When this occurs, magic happens and the smallest, most niche brands can turn into overnight successes. Join this panel of social media influencers as they share tips on how brands can market effectively to the new, more connected consumer, while turning their personal brands into profitable business ventures in the process.

 

Moderators:

LaToya Drake, Marketing Manager, Google

 

Speakers:

 

Smokey Fontaine, Chief Content & Creative Officer at Interactive One

Dana Baxter '02, Senior Director of Communications ESSENCE & People En Espanol

Christina Brown,  Style Blogger, Founder of Lovebrownsugar.com

Susan Getgood, Vice President of Sales Marketing at BlogHer Inc.

 

Uncover the Boss in You: Exploring Ways to be an Entrepreneur

 

Interest in entrepreneurship has skyrocketed, and many wonder what kind of venture to start and how to fund it. Join this panel of entrepreneurs and angel investors to gain insights about the benefits and challenges of launching a start-up, opening a franchise or acquiring an existing business. They will also share advice on traditional and non-traditional capital sources that can be tapped into for these entrepreneurship models.

 

Moderator:  Vincent Ponzo '03, Director of the Columbia Business School Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center

 

Speakers:

 

John Shoaf '10, Founder of Timpanogos Capital; search fund entrepreneur

Erica Duignan Minnihan '04, Managing Director at DreamIt Ventures; angel investor

Lorine Pendleton, U.S. Director of Business Development at Dentons LLP; angel investor

Lillian Zheng '15, Co-Founder of EmmaJoy

Jodie Patterson, Co-Founder of Doobop