Babson College will host the 6th annual Babson Forum on Entrepreneurship and Innovation (BFEI) on October 12, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Keynote speakers are:
Panelists and Moderators include:
- Christi Andersen, founder of Zyrra, a custom-made bra retailer that was named one of Babson’s Most Fascinating Alumni businesses in 2007.
- Tom Beaudoin, President of Polaroid.
- Alison Barnard, one of Inc. Magazine’s “Top 30 Under 30″ entrepreneurs and founder of two innovative Boston clothing boutiques — “in-jean-ius” and “Twilight.”
- Joe Gagnon, CEO of Exit 41, a start-up that’s revolutionizing fast-food drive-thru ordering via outsourcing.
- Stephen Greene, CEO of RockCorps, a fast-growing national organization that provides tickets to big concerts in return for 4 hours of community service.
- Scott Griffith, CEO of Zipcar, the high-profile car-sharing service that’s now expanding internationally.
- Hayden Hamilton, one of Inc. Magazine’s “Top 30 Under 30″ entrepreneurs and founder of GreenPrint, which helps companies cut printing costs (and saves trees).
- Eric Hudson founder of Recycline, maker of the “Preserve” line of recycled, recyclable consumer products which were just launched into Wal-Marts nationwide.
- Mary Jeffries, President and COO of Petters Group Worldwide.
- Andy Palmer, CEO of Vertica Systems and founder of five successful tech startups in the past 12 years.
- Tom Petters, Chairman and CEO of Petters Group Worldwide, a Minnesota-based investment company, and Chairman of Polaroid.
- Todd Rywolt, VP of New Product Development at Hasbro.
- Kes Sampanthar, Practice Manager at Akamai Technologies and creator of the innovation tool ThinkCube and the creativity game MetaMemes.
- Herbert Wilkins, General Partner at Syncom Funds and board member of Si TV, TMX Communications, and Simplink Inc.
Three panel tracks will run throughout the day: “Turning your big idea into reality,” “Sparking innovation,” and “The next big ideas in” tech entrepreneurship, green entrepreneurship, and social entrepreneurship.
BFEI is the largest student-run entrepreneurship-focused event at the F.W. Olin School of Business at Babson College. The BFEI aims to raise awareness of the key opportunities and challenges facing the entrepreneur in an increasingly complex and global business world. In addition to the speaker list and panel sessions, this year’s Forum will include a Business Expo, which aims to connect companies with students and alumni. Expo attendees will enjoy a live band, open bar, and heavy appetizers. The Forum will also feature an Opportunity Assessment Contest, sponsored by Polaroid, with the winning idea receiving $5,000.
About John Sculley
John Sculley was Pepsi-Cola Co. CEO from 1978 - 1983; during which time 'Pepsi Generation' and 'Pepsi Challenge' marketing campaigns propelled Pepsi into the largest selling packaged good product in America. Sculley was recruited by Steve Jobs to be Apple CEO from 1983 to 1993; during which time, 'Macintosh', 'Desktop Publishing' and 'Powerbook' launches propelled Apple to the largest selling PC in the world. Since leaving Apple, Sculley has been a venture capitalist backing successful start-ups Select Comfort, NFO Research, Intralinks, CreditTrade, MetroPCS, and InPhonic. He was a founding Director of Hotwire.com, the online discount travel service that was sold to IAC for $718 million in 2003. Today, Sculley is using his experience as a corporate CEO and business innovator to help create interoperable networked financial services designed for global commerce. He is part of an investor group that acquired control of MobiMate, an Israeli online "live itinerary" travel service. Sculley is co-founder of SCF Capital Partners, a London based firm which provides cross border supply chain financing. He is also Chairman of IdenTrust, the identity authentication network used by banks and corporations for their global financial transactions. Sculley is a graduate of Brown University and earned his MBA from Wharton.
About Wyc Grousbeck
Wycliffe Grousbeck assumed the role of Managing Partner, Governor and Chief Executive Officer of the Boston Celtics on December 31, 2002, after leading a local investment group that purchased the team. Wyc is the NBA Governor of the Celtics, the Chair of the NBA Planning Committee, and is a member of the league's Audit & Compensation Committee and Advisory/Finance Committee. His local roots and lifelong love for the Celtics served as the foundation for his decision to pursue such an endeavor. Prior to purchasing the Celtics with his partners, Wyc served as a General Partner of Highland Capital Partners, managing $1.8 billion in venture capital funds. He led successful investments in medical technology, software and health care services. He is now a Venture Partner with the firm. His earlier career included four years as a venture capital lawyer in Silicon Valley. Wyc holds a bachelor's degree in history from Princeton University, where he rowed on an undefeated lightweight crew team that claimed the national rowing championship. He received a law degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Stanford Business School where he was a Miller Scholar. Born outside Boston, Wyc has lived in the area most of his life. He currently resides west of the city with his wife, Corinne, and their children. Wyc and Corinne are dedicated to assisting several New England area charities including Children's Hospital Boston and Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation.
For more information and registration, visit www.babsonfei.com.
