Innovation Ecosystem 2009: Driving business growth with proven innovation methods
This full day of learning and networking teaches participants to find their innovation "sweet spot" and navigate through the commercialization process to successfully bring an idea to market.
October 27, 2009
Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts
41 Sheldon Boulevard SE
Grand Rapids Michigan 49503
616.454.7000
Map
Event Highlights
Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT), an Israeli innovation coaching firm, will present a half day workshop to help participants enhance their innovation skills. Using a systematic process based on five innovation patterns, inventors can generate ideas that are both ingenious and viable.
Attendees will also connect with local innovation resources and learn tips and techniques to successfully commercialize their ideas. Participants will be able to attend four of the following roundtable discussions:
- Forming innovation teams
- Screening and scoring ideas
- Researching your market
- Shifting your culture towards innovation
- Accelerating speed to market
- Learning the principles of TRIZ
- Protecting your intellectual property (non-disclosures, patents, trademarks, copyrights)
- Structuring a licensing deal
- Discovering grant opportunities
- Understanding what investors want to know
- Optimizing your website
- Planning your distribution strategies
- Developing the pitch
- Designing for manufacturing
FEE:
Early Bird: $135/person
(register before October 16)
Regular Registration: $165/person
Group Registration: $125/person
(3 or more from same company)
8:00-8:30 a.m. Registration and Breakfast
8:30-8:45 Opening Remarks
Birgit Klohs, President/CEO, The Right Place
8:45-12:00 p.m. Workshop: Finding your Innovation Sweet Spot (PDF, 666 KB)
Yoni Stern, Systematic Inventive Thinking
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:30 Roundtable Discussions Part 1 (choose 2 topics)
- Forming innovation teams: James Goebel, Menlo Innovations, LLC
- Screening and scoring ideas: Yoni Stern, Systematic Inventive Thinking
- Researching your market: Anne Aldrich, Artemis Strategy Group
- Shifting your culture towards innovation:Betsy Simpson & Kevin Keil, Gentex
- Empowering employees with innovation skills: Liz McCormick, Moss Ingram and Felix Pereiro, GRCC
- Learning the principles of TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving): Mansour Ashtiani, Altshuller Institute
- Protecting your intellectual property Part 1 (non-disclosures, patents):Jeff Kapteyn, Price Heneveld
- Protecting your intellectual property Part 2 (trademarks, copyrights):T. J. Ackert, Miller Johnson
- Structuring Partnerships: Mike Suman, Product and Market Development LLC
- Discovering grant opportunities: Andy Jakimcius, Biotechnology Business Consultants
- Understanding what investors want to know: Allan Hoekstra, The Windquest Group
- Optimizing your website: Dustin Schuiling and Jason Dodge, Spearia
- Planning your distribution strategies: Kathleen Hoyle, Blue Strategies Group
- Developing the pitch: Bill Small, The Right Place/MMTC-West
- Designing for manufacturing: Jack Nyenhuis, Broadview Product Development
