Illini-TEC Forum of Chicago

Please join the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Technology Entrepreneur Center for an Illini-TEC Forum Luncheon Event:

Date: Monday, April 9, 2007
Noon - 2 PM

Location: Illini Center, 4th Floor
200 South Wacker Drive,
Chicago, IL 60606
(map)

“Innovation is Mission Critical: Maximizing Your Innovation Ecosystem”

We invite you to take this opportunity to join the Technology Entrepreneur Center for our upcoming Illini-TEC Forum, where we will have an exciting and informative discussion exploring the “Innovation Ecosystem,” where you will gain strategic insights about matching technological innovations with the marketplace.  We are fortunate to bring you together with a panel of experts for this interactive, two hour discussion.

Topics will include:

• The elements of the “Innovation Ecosystem”
• Is there a shortage of innovation in the marketplace?
• Mindsets that need to change to accelerate innovation:
• Companies that want to keep their ideas to themselves,
• looking only inside the company for innovation(s), and
• willingness to use a third-party specialist

For innovation creators:

• Surprise sources of innovations - how the established company can unlock a surprising new profit center from their intellectual property
• Assessing R & D strategies and intellectual assets
• Roadblocks to market placement faced by the creators of innovations

For those looking for new innovations:

• Looking outside the organization and tapping into the “world mind” of innovation
• How to accelerate the pace of innovation, while minimizing costs (how the process works)

Our Distinguished Panelists:

Mel Gaceta
Investment Manager
Motorola Ventures

Jeff Bruce
Managing Partner
Innovation Management Partners

Kelly Dempski
Senior Researcher
Accenture Technology Labs

Neil Widlak
Director of Strategic Technology Development
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)

Moderating the discussion is David Reitzel, Managing Partner at Innovation Management Partners. We would also like to thank Innovation Management Partners for sponsoring this Illini-TEC Forum.

Anyone having particular issues that they would like to have addressed by the panel is invited to contact the moderator, David Reitzel, in advance at dreitzel@innovationmgt.com, or call (312) 635-5223.

Cost: $12 in advance, $15 at the door
Lunch will be served.

Register here by 5:00 PM April 8th.

Limited seating available, so register today!