Kickstand Blog

7:30am Registration

8:30am Welcome & Remarks: Ben Quintana, Chair, IdaVation

• Special Guest Welcome - Dave Bieter, Mayor, City of Boise
  
• Platinum Sponsor Remarks - Eric Bjorkman, Of Counsel, Perkins Coie

Keynote: Unleashing Creativity - How individuals and companies can foster a sustainable culture of innovation

by Mitch Ditkoff, Co-Founder & President, Idea Champions

The future of your business - indeed, the future of any business - is intimately tied to its ability to innovate: the relentless effort to originate and implement bold new ways of creating extraordinary results. But how does innovation really happen? What ignites it? What drives it? And more importantly, what can you do to increase the chances of it becoming a day-to-day reality on the job - no matter what your title?

Mitch Ditkoff's keynote is specifically targeted to anyone wanting to significantly increase their odds of generating, developing, and implementing the kind of ideas that lead to real innovation. His presentation is a boot camp for brilliance. Practical, hands on, and fun, it will leave a lasting impression.

Participants will learn:

• Key insights into what it takes to be a breakthrough innovator
• A clear model on what's required to establish a culture of innovation
• Useful principles and best practices to apply on the job
• Tools and techniques to think outside the box
• The origination and development of at least one, powerful new idea
• A painless way to give timely feedback to fellow innovators
• The confidence and commitment to manifest their most inspired ideas

Break

Creativity and Innovation in Isolation - How Idaho companies are leveraging place to their advantage

• Moderator: Mark Rivers, CEO, Brix & Company, 2009 Idaho Innovator of the Year
• Michael Boerner, Founder & CEO, Unity Media Group and Unity Medical, Inc.
• Bob Lokken, Founder & CEO, WhiteCloud Analytics
• John Sosoka, Co-Founder, Pulse-Robotics

Networking Break

Lunch and Networking Break

World-Class Research Opportunities for Entrepreneurs and Innovators - Idaho-based ideas ready for commercialization

• Moderator: Mike Reynoldson, Government Affairs Manager, Micron Technology
• Mary Givens, Director, Office of Technology Transfer, Boise State University
• Gene Merrell, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Research and Economic Development & Chief Technology Transfer Officer, University of Idaho
• Jason Stolworthy, Technology Transfer & Commercialization and Licensing Manager, Idaho National Laboratory

Break

Disruptive Technologies: Risk taking and focusing on future markets

• Moderator: Jay Larsen, Founder & CEO/President, Idaho Technology Council
  
• Layne Simmons, President, Motionetics, Inc.
• Clay Young, Co-Founder & CEO, Inovus Solar

Networking Break

Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship Roundtables
Facilitated roundtables where attendees can pick the minds of CEOs, entrepreneurs, innovators, and industry leaders.

or

Innovation Workshop with Mitch Ditkoff, Co-Founder & President, Idea Champions

Networking Reception