HAPPEN
FALL 2018 Presented by CIC Venture Café Global Institute
FALL 2018
venturecafeglobal.org vencafglobal vencafglobal
Presented by CIC Venture Café Global Institute
“Exploration is the engine that drives innovation. Innovation drives economic growth. So let’s all go exploring.” Edith Widder, scientist and oceanographer
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.� Vincent van Gogh, artist
Photo and cover photo by Wesley Law
CONTENTS
TJ HUGHES
40
06
15
A NOTE FROM TRAVIS SHERIDAN
WELCOME TO VENTURE CAFÉ
WHY IT MATTERS
Thoughts on innovation and humanity from the president of CIC Venture Café Global Institute
The mission drives the movement
From inspiration to action
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TECHNOLOGY 18 Johanna Mikkola, The Code Champion 20 Rod Brown, The Community Partner 22 Innovator Spotlight:
Docsmore, Travis and GeoOrbital
46
SOCIAL JUSTICE 48 Logan Philon, The Education Advocate 50 Antionette Carroll, The Equity Designer 52 Innovator Spotlight:
Roxbury Innovation Center
70
BUSINESS 72 Justin Harris, The Beer Buddy 74 Innovator Spotlight: EY 76 Innovator Spotlight: HSBC
Photo and cover photo by Wesley Law
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84
24
SCIENCE 26 Amy Greeson, The Herbal Explorer 30 Leila Pirhaji, The Determined Biotechnologist 32 Innovator Spotlight: SOMPO Digital Lab
54
EDUCATION 56 Karen Cuthrell, The Feelings Validator 58 Innovator Spotlight: Caribu 60 Innovator Spotlight: J-Startup
34
HUMANITIES 36 Faye Ellen + Siobhan Burger,
The Creative Consultants
40 TJ Hughes, The Game Artist 44 Innovator Spotlight: Joyance Partners
62
CIVICS 64 Matthew Beatty, The Hometown Listener 66 De Andrea Nichols,
The Justice-Seeking Visionary
68 Innovator Spotlight:
Global Center on Adaptation
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VENTURE CAFÉ’S GLOBAL NETWORK Connect in a city near you
86
82
MAPPING THE MOVEMENT Goal: 50 cities by 2025
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MAKE IT HAPPEN
PUBLICATION CONTRIBUTORS
A FINAL THOUGHT
Time to take action
Innovation sparkplugs
Let’s go exploring
CREATIVE TEAM
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
ALLISON BABKA
Allison Babka is a St. Louis-based independent journalist and copywriter whose work has appeared in regional publications, on national blogs and on big-name brand websites. Interviewing innovators, business owners and quirky folks about their creative “spark” is her life’s passion, but she also gladly writes stories about cats and “Star Wars.” Learn more at allisonbabka.com.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
AMANDA DAMPF
Amanda Dampf is a St. Louis-based independent creative director and designer who has helped international brands establish innovative solutions to their design problems. She’s also been involved in event planning, prop styling, fashion, and interior decorating projects. When not designing, you’ll find her treasure hunting at flea markets, traveling or adoring her dogs Han and Chewie. Learn more at amandadampf.com.
PRESIDENT, CIC VENTURE CAFÉ GLOBAL INSTITUTE
TRAVIS SHERIDAN
Travis Sheridan is the president of CIC Venture Café Global Institute where he oversees the organization’s expansion into new markets and supports existing Venture Café operations. Outside of work, he collects collections such as local art, Pez, Adidas and friends. The thread connecting them all is storytelling — what the artist sees, where the Pez was from, where the shoes have traveled and what his friends have experienced.
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, CIC VENTURE CAFÉ GLOBAL INSTITUTE
NATHAN RENDER
Nathan Render is the director of operations for CIC Venture Café Global Institute and a lifelong social impact and innovation enabler. He enjoys using his (nerdy) passion for systems to build scalable solutions that help make the world a better place.
PROOFREADER
KELSEY WAANANEN
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIBERS
ERIN MCKEE KELSEY WAANANEN
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER
WESLEY LAW
PRINTER
MODERN LITHO
FALL 2018 venturecafeglobal.org hello@venturecafeglobal.org vencafglobal vencafglobal
2018-2019 Happen is a special publication by CIC Venture Café Global Institute. Copies are available at worldwide Venture Café locations or by emailing hello@venturecafeglobal.org. Printed in Jefferson City, Missouri, by Modern Litho St. Louis with soy-based inks and paper containing recycled fibers. ©2018. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
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Photo by Inti St. Claire
Travis Sheridan
INNOVATION IS A PROCESS TO IMPROVE THE HUMAN CONDITION. So why not connect innovation to as many communities as possible? HUMANS FIX THINGS; technology doesn’t. That is the foundational belief that drives what we do through the CIC Venture Café Global Institute. What began in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as a way to connect the local innovation community has now grown into a global movement. After all, if we’re going to improve the human condition, we need as many people as possible engaged in that process. We need to broaden, include and connect. We must broaden how innovation is applied. While most people think innovation is about apps or novel technologies, the reality is that innovation is happening within all industries. When innovation is applied to education, the improved human condition is smarter students. Innovation applied to government puts forth better-served citizens. In healthcare, it’s a better quality of life. In manufacturing, it’s increased margins and profitability. In the arts, it’s an improved audience experience. The more industries that are engaged in innovation, the more opportunities there are for magic to happen at the adjacencies. We must include more people within the innovation community. At Venture Café, we begin planning all programs with a simple question: for whom? As a convener, Venture Café is responsible for ensuring that inclusion is part of the community’s DNA. Every week during the Venture Café Thursday Gathering at our locations around the world, local community members present a variety of topics and talks. But we’re not satisfied with simply inviting members of underrepresented groups to attend — we also need to provide a platform for content and knowledge, a way for both presenters and information seekers to connect and benefit. We strive to remember that an invitation is not the same thing as access.
We must connect innovation communities locally, nationally and globally. What happens when you galvanize a local innovation community? What happens when you cultivate a shared purpose and a sense of belonging? What happens when you do that in multiple markets? The answer — as we’ve seen worldwide — is great things. We want the boundaries of our innovation communities to be porous, for innovators to opt in and opt out as they need. In Cambridge, Boston, Miami, St. Louis, Tokyo, Winston-Salem, Rotterdam and beyond, Venture Café is building a community of communities — an innovation collective that can change the world and improve the human condition. But why do all of this? The answer lies in the stories within this publication. As you’ll read, innovators, entrepreneurs and justice seekers in every Venture Café community are asking questions, pushing boundaries and collaborating to bring about meaningful change and economic mobility. Their work improves the human condition. Our job — that of Venture Café, of local community members, of civic leaders, of all of us — is to empower them. Innovators don’t wait for things to happen; they make things happen.
TRAVIS SHERIDAN president, CIC Venture Café Global Institute
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“If we are working together, that will make us understand each other, appreciate each other, help each other.� Jack Ma, Alibaba Group co-founder
WELCOME TO VENTURE CAFÉ! Want to make things happen? Start here. VENTURE CAFÉ IS A FAST-GROWING, global network of independent organizations with a shared mission: connecting innovators to make things happen. After launching a single location in 2010, CIC Venture Café Global Institute now is building a movement in cities all around the world to create stronger, more inclusive ecosystems that enhance and accelerate the innovation process. At its core, Venture Café connects creators, investors, coworkers and big-idea people, amplifying the work within the community. Each Venture Café location offers high-touch programming, engaging spaces and storytelling opportunities that are tailored to the needs of the local region.
OUR PURPOSE: MAKE THINGS HAPPEN Creating opportunity and action that will lead to a better, more just world is the point of Venture Café. Connecting innovators of every level and in every sector makes things happen. To that end, we create wholly inclusive gathering spaces that remove walls, increase human connectivity and welcome all people, ideas, technologies 10
and industries. We reduce existing silos to build a globally competitive talent base and foster cross-sector collaborations. Venture Café accelerates innovation through our spaces, programs and “engineered serendipitous encounters” that bring together a diverse mix of the community. We aim to nurture collaboration, ignite creativity and catalyze action to solve problems facing humanity today on a local and global level. Venture Café also provides a social support system for innovators of all backgrounds, fostering relationships that increase access to resources such as capital, talent and ideas and strengthening entrepreneurship, communities and economies. Enabling economic mobility also is a high priority for Venture Café, as we believe that deliberately and meaningfully supporting traditionally underserved entrepreneurs and communities and empowering connections within can lead to greater wealth generation. Venture Café programs increase the opportunity for economic mobility by lowering the barriers to entry and creating a safe environment where more people can participate in the innovation sector. In addition, we lead by offering tools and resources openly, creating a shared platform that aligns and amplifies the efforts of community partners.
MISSION
PURPOSE
TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN CONNECTING
INNOVATORS PROGRAMS
PEOPLE
• Thursday Gathering • Captains of Innovation • Civic Innovation Hall • Equity-Driven Innovation
• Who are the innovators?
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL FIND Venture Café Thursday Gatherings
Our signature weekly event attracts the innovation community as well as anybody looking to connect and become forces for change. The free Thursday event offers fun networking opportunities along with high-impact educational sessions, and the program contributes deeply to all other aspects of Venture Café’s work. For many new participants, a Thursday Gathering is an easy gateway into innovation ecosystems.
Captains of Innovation
Captains of Innovation is a cross-sector, full-spectrum innovation program that helps corporations accelerate their rate of innovation and introduces them to emerging talent and ideas. The program assists members in conceiving, developing and commercializing ideas, products and services while connecting to startups, entrepreneurs and thought leaders and hosting conferences, hackathons, think tanks and more.
Civic Innovation Hall
Venture Café currently operates or is now planning a dedicated civic innovation hall in each of our communities. This physical gathering space helps foster and sustain an innovation community as well as an exchange of ideas, creating a place for all to connect and serving as the “living room” of the innovation ecosystem with no barriers to entry.
Equity-Driven Innovation
An invitation to participate in innovation isn’t the same as creating pathways for true access. Historically, leaders often have declined to actively engage a number of already marginalized communities. To address this, Venture Café leads programs aimed at improving overall equity. Roxbury Innovation Center in Boston, EdHub in St. Louis, and engaging the Overtown community in Miami are three of our current Equity-Driven Innovation efforts.
Venture Café // venturecafeglobal.org
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PEOPLE VENTURE CAFÉ’S GLOBAL ATTENDANCE*
100,000+
attendees per year
2,000+ attendees per week
AT I C/L PAN S R I E H OTH
INX
2010
ATTENDEE BACKGROUND*
AS PACIAN/ AFR IFIC I C BLA AN ISLA C K -A M ND ERI ER CA N /
E OTH
R
H
NIC ISPA
WH CAUITE/ CA S IA
IN /LAT
10,400* Total free educational sessions
N
X
2018 AFR B L A I CA N C K -A M E
YES, YOU’RE AN INNOVATOR, TOO!
RIC
AS PACIAN/ IFIC IS AN
/
We keep the definition of “innovator” broad on purpose because we believe that anybody can change the world when they’re invited to try and are offered resources. That’s why Venture Café is proud to welcome innovators of every expertise, background, nationality and gender to our events and why we intentionally ask a wide range of presenters, educators and thinkers to lead our programming. Inclusion isn’t just a buzzword here — it’s the meaningful foundation for how we approach everything. The more people engaged in innovation, the bigger the impact!
LAN
DER
WH CAUITE/ CA S IA
N
16%
2010
7%
77% ATTENDEE GENDER*
2018
40% 58%
2%
*ESTIMATED FIGURES AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION
Venture CafĂŠ // venturecafeglobal.org
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GROW TH ORIGIN STORY
333,761
VENTURE CAFÉ was born out of the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) and started as an idea. A world leader in shared workspace and building innovation campuses, CIC began moving from a concept of space to one of community in 2009. The idea grew into a global movement, and Venture Café now expands to cities with CIC, ahead of CIC and to smaller markets without CIC. As Venture Café grows, it creates a network of connective tissue that ties everything together.
Total cumulative attendees since inception
COLLECTIVE ATTENDEES PER YEAR* 125,000
100,000
OCTOBER In St. Louis, Venture Café launches as the organization’s first expansion city.
75,000
50,000
25,000
MARCH Venture Café’s first-ever Thursday Gathering is held in Kendall Square to connect innovators in Cambridge.
2010
JULY Venture Café premieres its Miami venue, opening a door to Latin America.
109,267
77,107
56,206
38,158
12,826 1,659
OCTOBER Rotterdam becomes Venture Café’s first international site. Also, the CIC Venture Café Global Institute (VCGI) is created to support and lead the growing Venture Café network.
MAY WinstonSalem becomes the first Venture Café launched independently of Cambridge Innovation Center.
MAY Venture Café is introduced in Tokyo, a key global market.
14,182
NOVEMBER 2018 Philadelphia becomes the seventh location in Venture Café’s worldwide network.
17,792
6,564
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
*ESTIMATED FIGURES AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION
WHY IT MATTERS Inspiration sparks action VENTURE CAFÉ CONNECTS changemakers who strive to improve the human condition all around the world. From innovation districts to civic-change resources to education initiatives, Venture Café helps passionate innovators spark better economic mobility, social justice and quality of life both regionally and globally. But Venture Café is simply the facilitator — the matchmaker that connects people, ideas and resources. The innovators who dream big and envision a better future are the ones who truly are leading the movement. These are the folks Venture Café celebrates within the following pages — the people who see big things ahead, who notice what’s missing, who spot opportunities, who believe in equity. With backgrounds in every discipline, they prove that there’s no one path to success or to meaningful change. On the next pages, read about the innovators who truly make things happen — and who will inspire you to do the same.
Venture Café // venturecafeglobal.org
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“Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.” Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder
A Wyncode Academy class
TECH NOL OGY
Johanna Mikkola
THE CODE WARRIOR JOHANNA MIKKOLA MIAMI
Johanna Mikkola’s Wyncode Academy is raising the ROI on education in Miami. “WHO DOESN’T WANT TO COME TO MIAMI and learn technology skills? It’s very, very appealing!” Johanna Mikkola insists. The co-founder of Wyncode Academy isn’t wrong. With a tropical climate, lively culture and outstanding dining scene, Miami attracts millions of visitors every year. But Mikkola is much more interested in the folks who want to stay and contribute to driving Miami’s new tech-focused economy. Since 2014, Mikkola’s Wyncode Academy has pursued that mission, offering accelerated education in a variety of technology paths and connecting outstanding students with career opportunities at big-name companies. “We’re not at the beach too often, but it’s certainly awesome to be in the tropics and doing something like this. Isn’t it the greatest lifehack to be able to teach, to be in a tech community, to be part of building something from the ground up instead of joining an existing tech hub like San Francisco?” Mikkola marvels. “And I really believe that technology talent, high-quality technical training and education are going to be needed in every city. But for us, we’re just doing our best to make South Florida an awesome place to do that for anyone.” Mikkola, originally from Toronto, Canada, deliberately set sights on Miami for establishing Wyncode Academy. After ten years of using technology to disrupt the National Hockey League as senior manager of officiating, Mikkola was ready for something new. Her husband Juha, a serial entrepreneur, had gone through a local coding bootcamp to boost his e-commerce business and began thinking about the true return on investment for education. Together, they saw the growing need for fundamental technology skills and the connection to well-paying opportunities for students, so they began developing their plan to provide that. 18
“We actually looked at Los Angeles, Austin and Miami. We tried to identify a few things, like which of these cities has the biggest gap between qualified talent and open positions for certain technologies.” Mikkola says. “Miami had one of the biggest gaps. There were so many open positions and very few qualified candidates in the market, according to recruiters. And so we saw a huge opportunity to do it in Miami. We were actually first to market in South Florida and ended up being the first code school in the country to be licensed.” “We really view coding and technology skills as modern-day literacy. In order to understand industry and the world around us, everybody needs to have some understanding of the language of technology,” Mikkola continues. “In a web development program [like ours], most people go on to pursue technical positions as developers. But the others are working as technical project managers or they’re entrepreneurs who are managing their tech scene. It’s important for them to understand the technology behind the things they’re interacting with.” The decision to found Wyncode Academy in Miami’s colorful Wynwood district appears to be paying off. As of 2018, more than 600 people of all ages and backgrounds have gone through Wyncode’s programs in full-stack web development, UX/UI, front-end web development and digital marketing, with many landing jobs at national brands like Amazon, Microsoft and Wix. But Mikkola’s focus remains on building opportunities directly within Miami, cultivating relationships with local companies that hire and promote Wyncode’s graduates. Moreover, Wyncode offers courses to corporate teams looking to partner with area startups on innovative solutions, ultimately fostering community relationships and keeping investment and ideas here in the region.
A Wyncode Academy class
“We loved coming somewhere that was nontraditional tech, where we could be part of making the wave, not just joining the wave — building from the ground up,” Mikkola says. Part of building Miami’s innovation hubs, Mikkola stresses, is connecting Wyncode students and graduates with area leaders. Through pitch competitions, local events and mentoring, Wyncoders gain visibility for their new skills and projects — something that’s essential to welcoming a greater variety of workers into tech fields. “We really believe in the importance of a gender-diverse workforce, in particular in technology,” Mikkola says. “We really feel that education is the place where we need to start. If tomorrow we wanted to have a 50 percent female tech workforce, it wouldn’t even be possible because there aren’t enough women in the pipeline yet.”
“We really view coding and technology skills as modern-day literacy. In order to understand industry and the world around us, everybody needs to have some understanding of the language of technology.”
“And it’s interesting about the background of people who come into the program — really, really diverse backgrounds. We’ve had chefs, musicians, artists, accountants, attorneys. We’ve had ages 18 to 63 and the average age is 29, so they’re career-changers,” Mikkola continues. “They want to be in a career that’s challenging, creative and has a lot of earning power. Huge demand and low supply means that it’s a great time to be in tech.” Wyncode Academy // wyncode.co
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Rod Brown (left)
“Entrepreneurship, when done right, is a tremendous vehicle to help so many people along the way.�
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THE COMMUNITY PARTNER ROD BROWN WINSTON-SALEM
Rod Brown sees — and creates — opportunities that others overlook. MOST KIDS LOOK FOR WAYS TO MAKE MONEY. A paper route here. Some yard work there. But Rod Brown was different. Instead of one-time projects, he saw the right opportunities for the right times. “Growing up in Wilmington, North Carolina, me and my friends would go around and knock mistletoe out of trees, bag it up during the holidays and walk around the neighborhood selling it,” Brown laughs. The entrepreneurial spirit has fueled Brown since he was 10 years old, leading him to a career in wealth management before founding a bevy of successful companies and mentoring novice business owners. But through it all, he’s had friends beside him, bringing together different expertise to build something great. “Knowing what you’re best at and knowing your skill set is definitely huge,” Brown says. “If you know what you’re good at and what you’re not good at, and if you’re honest with yourself and true to yourself, then you definitely want to find people with those skill sets where you lack.” That’s an approach Brown took when launching OnceLogix, an awardwinning electronic health-records system that has major customers throughout a third of the United States. With developer Trinity Manning and financial advisor Ty McLaughlin, Brown has grown the company into a recognized industry innovator. “We definitely have different experiences, different skill sets that we brought together to leverage,” Brown says. “And it also makes day-to-day work easier. If an issue comes up, we — almost without saying anything — know who’s going to address it, who’s going to lead that particular challenge.”
Absorbing knowledge from people outside the company is a benefit, as well. Brown says that Winston-Salem’s innovation community has blossomed, thanks to the area’s universities, startups, financial backers and civic leaders. “It’s definitely vibrant,” Brown says. “You just kind of have to get involved. You just kind of have to plug in. And that’s not difficult because the ecosystem is pretty inviting.” And Brown has developed his own way of removing barriers to innovation. Recognizing that minority-owned businesses didn’t always have access to major tools for success, he and his OnceLogix partners started the Small Business Cookout as a two-day experience to share ideas and mentor novices. “We found ourselves in rooms where there weren’t too many people that looked like us, nor were there many women. There’s a lack of information and a lack of access, possibly to capital, for some folks. We are a minorityowned company, so we started pondering, ‘Well, why is this happening?’” Brown says. “We want to be in a position to impact generations. By propping up one business, your reach is tremendous. If you do that 900 more times, you can help a thousand businesses and impact those communities,” Brown continues. “It’s important for generational wealth. If you have a strong community, you have a strong family, you have a strong state and ultimately a strong country. Entrepreneurship, when done right, is a tremendous vehicle to help so many people along the way.”
OnceLogix // oncelogix.com
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Travis
22
GeoOrbital
INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT DOCSMORE WINSTON-SALEM WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES affecting just about every industry, more and more businesses are looking for ways to reduce their ecological footprints. But for companies in fields such as insurance or health care, the high volume of important forms, applications and information means that reducing paper usage can be difficult.
files and offering a secure cloud-based management and storage system. The Docsmore process facilitates more business and happier customers, with users marveling at the ease of sharing and signing contracts within seconds. Even better, Docsmore streamlines all of the forms, faxes and other papers that require completion and compiles the vital data within so that it’s easy to retrieve and sort, eliminating the paper workload for employees.
Bobbie Shrivastav knew that there had to be a better way for companies to process and keep their data without using reams of paper or storing big stacks. As co-founder and CEO of Docsmore, Shrivastav developed a method to manage all those documents, digitally transforming them into writable
In 2017, Docsmore won the Better Business Bureau Innovation Award. That honor and other successes fueled Shrivastav to launch Docsmore Academia, a product dedicated to alleviating paperwork overload within schools.
Docsmore // docsmore.com
TRAVIS ROTTERDAM LIVING IN A TRULY GLOBAL SOCIETY means engaging with thousands of beautiful cultures and languages everywhere, from the conference room to the university quad. But learning the nuances does take time. What happens when you’re ready to interact right now? The team behind a new translation product has a solution. Brend Kouwenhoven, Nick N.M. Yap and Lennart van der Ziel developed Travis for moments when immediate understanding is paramount. Travis is a handheld device that translates spoken words into more than 100 languages, thanks to intelligent software that learns as you use it. One-touch inputs enable connection and comprehension. Eliminating language barriers
means that conversation is immediate, which empowers business leaders, travelers, students, families and new friends. Travis initially launched in 2017 through a highly successful Indiegogo campaign that raised nearly $2 million, and that success has led to Travis Blue, a new prototype for Bluetooth earphones and speakers. Kouwenhoven, Yap and van der Ziel also have used Travis to open discussions about inequities in language resources, establishing the Travis Foundation to donate funds from every Travis purchase toward digitizing lesser-known languages and preserving culture.
Travis // travistranslator.com
GEOORBITAL BOSTON THE BENEFITS OF BICYCLING to work or school are endless — less pollution, less street congestion, less money spent on fuel. But even a quick commute can make a rider quite sweaty due to the physical exertion required for cycling, especially when riding on hills.
port allows riders to easily charge their wheel almost anywhere. Michael Burtov, GeoOrbital’s founder and CEO, developed the technology with engineers at SpaceX and Ford with the hopes of encouraging lapsed bike owners to switch out their front wheel and start riding again with an easier experience.
But now, a Boston-built wheel is making pedaling optional, saving your sweat for other things. GeoOrbital transforms almost any regular bicycle into an electric one with a battery-powered front wheel that lets riders effortlessly glide along for up to 30 miles per charge, or up to 60 miles if you pedal a bit. A throttle clipped to the handlebars boosts the speed, and a USB
GeoOrbital was initially funded via an impressive Kickstarter campaign and now can be ordered through big-name retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. The company also is working with public safety teams to develop wheel tech for bike cops.
GeoOrbital // geoo.com
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“Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It’s posing questions and coming up with a method. It’s delving in.” Sally Ride, NASA astronaut and physicist
A Natural Discoveries excursion by Amy Greeson
SCI EN CE
Photo by Wil Weldon
Amy Greeson (right)
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THE HERBAL EXPLORER AMY GREESON WINSTON-SALEM
Amy Greeson is preserving ancient remedies to use in the medications of the future. IT’S NEVER EASY to watch the people you care about deal with illness. But for Natural Discoveries founder Amy Greeson, that’s what cemented her vocation. Greeson had been a pharmacist at her parents’ small-town drugstore — a place where friends, neighbors, teachers and police officers that she’d known for years would swing by for a chat as they picked up their medications for various ailments and diseases, including cancer. But while the drugs might have made her friends’ lives a little easier, they weren’t necessarily cures. “We couldn’t give them something like, ‘This will take care of your problem and you’ll never have to deal with it again.’ I was seeing people that I loved dearly die right before my eyes,” Greeson says. “I thought we could do better. And then I realized that we were not looking for these new treatments in nature anymore. “So crazily, in my own mind, I thought, ‘Well, I’ll be damned. I’ll just go find them myself.’” That determination is what transformed Greeson from a traditional pharmacist into a scientist intent on reconnecting the natural and medical worlds. Through her company Natural Discoveries, Greeson travels internationally to remote, biodiverse areas to search for plants with properties that may contribute to better remedies for pain, inflammation and diseases. During journeys that may last months or even years, she collects specimens for university or corporate research with an eye on discovering or rediscovering plant compounds that could eventually lead to commercialized products.
“About 55 percent of all pharmaceuticals have their origin from nature — we found something that was very beneficial, we isolated a compound and we finished it synthetically. But we stopped doing that in the 1980s and primarily the 1990s, thinking instead that we could just synthetically create everything,” Greeson says. “But what we’ve discovered is that we failed in many, many ways in that strategy. So we’ve looked at other ways to create therapies and treatments, which are absolutely brilliant, but we still believe there are a huge amount of healing and treatments just in nature, which we have yet to discover and tap.” A longtime pharmacist by trade, Greeson says that the compounds and techniques that she’s encountered in nature weren’t part of her curriculum during college. “When I graduated from pharmacy school, I thought that every drug that I was dispensing had been synthetically created from man, and little did I know that the blueprints for nature were the source for so many of these important medicines that we were dispensing hundreds of times a day,” Greeson says. “It’s always been interesting because those two worlds are more connected than most people will ever know — how the pharmaceutical world is dependent upon the natural world.” Since founding Natural Discoveries, Greeson has repeatedly explored isolated regions of the Congo, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea and more, looking for plants that will complement work being done by the company’s research partners. The journeys into areas that aren’t even noted on maps often are challenging or hazardous, but the plants’ great potential outweighs any hardships.
Natural Discoveries // natdiscov.com
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“I realized that we were not looking for these new treatments in nature anymore. So crazily I thought, ‘Well, I’ll be damned. I’ll just go find them myself.’”
“We go into these remote areas, and the chances that we’re going to find something unique is highly probable. That’s what we’ve based the whole company on,” Greeson says. “We have a huge amount of specimens, for example, that are probably great candidates for antibiotics, antivirals and asthma. A researcher at Chapel Hill has done a lot with cancer and HIV. We’re working with another one for pain and inflammation, and another for malaria and parasites.”
“In an indigenous tribe, the biggest priority is survival. And so all of the treatments and remedies are things that they’ve used for generations -- and some things for hundreds, if not thousands of years,” Greeson says. “We have a very unique approach, I think, in respect to the elders. Without going into the details, we give a lot of power and authority to the people in these countries so that they are the ones in control. We work together. We can’t do it without them.”
Greeson is especially adamant about leaving these remote areas as undisturbed as possible and respecting the elders who have watched over their people for years. Before founding Natural Discoveries, Greeson created Healing Seekers, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the medical wisdom that has been passed down for generations in these locations. Greeson and a small team filmed elders describing their medicinal plants, medical processes, hunting techniques and way of life for videos that were released to about 100,000 schools and even led to a documentary.
Connecting with and helping others is the reason why Greeson continues to traverse countless rivers and mountains.
Now, Greeson connects even more with healers in isolated areas, wanting to learn more about their natural methods while being respectful of their culture and privacy.
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“I’m in my 50s now, and the older I get, the more I realize that life is so much more about what you can do for others. That’s where your happiness comes from,” she insists.
Photos by (top) Amy Greeson, (bottom) Esteban Barrera
A discovery trip to Papua New Guinea
Amy Greeson (left)
Natural Discoveries // natdiscov.com
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“I’m really excited about this intersection of computer science and biology — the application of AI for really improving health and discovering drugs.”
Photo by Lillie Paquette/ MIT School of Engineering
Leila Pirhaji
THE DETERMINED BIOTECHNOLOGIST LEILA PIRHAJI BOSTON
Leila Pirhaji is using artificial intelligence to develop the right medicines for the right patients. WITH DISCOVERIES AND DEVELOPMENTS to improve the human condition happening daily, the intersection among different industries grows more and more important.
The path to new discoveries is a long one, but Pirhaji has patience. With AI speeding up the process, useful therapies could become commercialized and common practice sooner rather than later.
Leila Pirhaji has set up camp at just such a crossroads, with her company, ReviveMed, blending biology and technology to create promising therapies for medical patients. Driven by artificial intelligence (AI), ReviveMed reviews data from small molecules within the human body called metabolites (glucose or cholesterol, for example). When disturbed or irregular, these molecules can lead to metabolic diseases like diabetes. ReviveMed deduces information about the disease process so that scientists can develop medicines that work better than what’s currently available.
“We are in the data collection phase, so we are working with hospitals, collecting data from the liver biopsy, blood, urine and stool from patients. We are hoping to partner with other pharmaceutical companies for clinical trials,” Pirhaji says. “Right now, from just the discovery side to clinics moving any molecules to clinical trials, it takes about five to seven years, so our goal is to expedite this whole process to, like, one year. And that should still improve efficiency significantly.”
Photo by Lillie Paquette/ MIT School of Engineering
“There are actually tens of thousands of these small molecules in the human body. These metabolic diseases are a huge epidemic, and millions and millions of people are suffering,” Pirhaji says.
Pirhaji, who grew up in Iran and studied medicine before switching to biotechnology, frequently speaks at international conferences about ReviveMed’s potential and credits Boston’s innovation community for helping the company thrive.
Pirhaji says that thanks to the machine-learning technology at ReviveMed, which she founded while pursuing her doctorate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), scientists have a better chance of creating therapies that could help more patients than ever before.
“Boston is literally the best place for biotech. Being a first-time entrepreneur is very hard, and you need the support of the ecosystem. There are so many opportunities and prizes and awards even before fundraising,” Pirhaji says. “And there are lots of mentors who will help you and guide you. They’ve been in the industry, and they have so much experience.”
“Until now, our ability to identify and measure metabolites was very limited. We could only characterize a small set of these metabolites in the human body, and when we measure a small number of data points, we really don’t understand what’s happening with the diseases,” Pirhaji says. “AI enables us to characterize metabolites so much faster and cheaper. When we have a lots of those data points and could characterize metabolites for each patient, we really understand at a detailed level what’s happening in a disease so that we can develop therapeutics for patients.”
“I’ve been doing this research since I literally started going to college, and I’m really excited about this intersection of computer science and biology — the application of AI for really improving health and discovering drugs,” Pirhaji continues. “It’s really crazy when you look at the statistics — so many people are suffering from so many diseases with no treatment. In the next five years, we’re really focusing on developing therapeutics and the right drug for the right patient.”
ReviveMed // revive-med.com
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INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT
SOMPO DIGITAL LAB BOSTON
PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE ARE LIVING LONGER. But how can different communities and society as a whole prepare for the changes that human longevity brings? A new collaboration among Venture Café’s Captains of Innovation, SOMPO Digital Lab and a variety of startups and corporations may provide the answer. Experts on the physical, financial and psychological aspects of aging are working together in an innovative “aging cluster” called the AGEncy — a space in Cambridge Innovation Center in Boston where stakeholders can share research, trends and tools — to map out solutions for older family members and for our future selves. Through teamwork and both internal and external programming, these organizations are building consideration for the new definition of “twilight years” right into important projects that are happening now across industries. An “ideathon” hosted by Venture Café’s Boston location and SOMPO, one of the largest insurers and assisted-living facility operators in Japan, sparked the undertaking in 2017. With a specific focus on senior mental health, the organizations invited local startups and students to pitch solutions about how people might age smarter, better and be more technologically connected. The topic is a vital one, as an estimated 47 million people worldwide live with dementia — a number that’s projected to increase to 75 million by 2030. After the ideathon, the organizations, event judges and invested stakeholders suggested working together even more in an effort to transform elder care on a global scale. The AGEncy at CIC launched a year later and represents how large organizations with headquarters around the world can work with innovation hubs to bring about both local and universal change.
SOMPO Digital Lab // www2.sompo-hd.com/digital/en/pc
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“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou, poet and activist
“Nour,” a game by TJ Hughes
HUM ANIT IES
THE CREATIVE CONSULTANTS FAYE ELLEN + SIOBHAN BURGER ROTTERDAM
Faye Ellen (right) and Siobhan Burger
Faye Ellen and Siobhan Burger create delightful, meaningful bridges between art and business. IMAGINE THE LOBBY of a typical corporate space. Beige walls. Uncomfortable seating. Bad lighting. Nothing that shows what the company values. Nothing that says “you’re welcome here.” Nothing that brings joy. But what if it doesn’t have to be this way? Arttenders is on a mission to change how corporations and brands think about their spaces. Founded by artists Faye Ellen and Siobhan Burger, Arttenders designs environments that delight visitors and employees alike while showcasing what a business stands for. Creating and commissioning a variety of art ranging from sculpture to painting to interior design to interactive experiences, Arttenders aims for developing custom solutions that get people talking. “The inquiries vary from office design that connects the brand identity with the working environment to large-scale public interventions in urban development or corporate clients that are looking to express their brand identity in a very different way than usual,” Ellen says. “If you want something that’s specifically about your DNA, something made for you and it’s unique and contributes to the experience, that’s what we do.” “I think even though art is the outcome, we always start looking at corporate issues from a design-thinking approach. So we already try to connect all of the different fields from the get-go,” Ellen continues. “And that is something that in development and spaces and user outlines 36
is oftentimes forgotten or thought about at the end. This makes our interventions almost always an integral solution to different issues.” Arttenders’ work goes well beyond what is typically thought of as “art.” The team collaborates with technicians, developers, programmers and many other specialists to create some of the most innovative environments in the world. Recently, real estate developer Kroonenberg Groep commissioned Arttenders to enhance the space in the Kalverpassage in Amsterdam, which had been transformed into a shopping area. Arttenders worked with graphic artists and software developers to create an engaging LED ceiling that’s a true work of art. “The purpose was to seduce passersby to enter the retail environment and to add an extra-exclusive layer, to make it a high-end experience. We could expand the technical possibilities of the canvas, as you might call it, and create this very intense user experience,” Ellen says. “Our technical team and the art itself came together for something that our client would have never imagined.” Arttenders also designed spaces in and around CIC Rotterdam. As an environment that provides coworking, event and office spaces to Rotterdam’s innovation community, CIC Rotterdam was the perfect partner for Arttenders. “CIC in Rotterdam actually challenged the design team and the architects to add this playful layer to their interior design that also was very
Kalverpassage, an Arttenders project in Amsterdam
functional. For example, we did sign interventions instead of having arrows point to how to get to the space and there are big artworks there that relate to the startup environment,” Ellen says. “So it not only serves the goal to a wayfinding signage intervention, but it also tells a little bit more about the CIC brand and its community.” Serving as art directors, Arttenders team members bring in renowned, high-end creatives and agencies to help produce eye-catching installations — especially when those artists have niche specialties that lend themselves well to specific ideas. “The artists that we work with, they can think outside of the box,” Ellen says. “So if our knowledge is limited for a specific part of the project, we know that they will be able to surprise us and to make sure that the client is wowed on all levels.”
“Even though art is the outcome, we always start looking at corporate issues from a design-thinking approach.”
“We have to be very agile because the types of projects are so different. Today, I might need an architect and a technical drawer and someone who can calculate stuff for us. Tomorrow we’ll be working on an app, and then the day after we’ll be doing a video clip for a song,” Burger adds. “A lot of people in our network are experts in their fields. This is who we really want to work with — with people who are experts at what they’re doing and make a cool team.” Arttenders // arttenders.com
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Above and right: CIC Rotterdam as designed by Arttenders
Music also plays a role in many Arttenders projects. Studio Lernert & Sander partnered with Arttenders for a national advertising campaign that celebrated 40 years of glass recycling in the Netherlands, developing a campaign strategy that included outdoor signage, in-person experiences, digital items and wearables. But one of the most memorable aspects of the endeavor was when Arttenders commissioned renowned Dutch hip-hop group De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig for a catchy hit single celebrating the milestone. “Our glass recycling system was implemented 40 years ago, and our client wanted to highlight that in a positive way. But it’s very difficult to shape an advertising campaign on something that you socially should do and emphasize the things that we are already doing well,” Ellen says. “The highlight of the campaign was that a local rap group launched a song that was an homage to the glass recycling bin. A video clip was directed by the artists and was launched as an autonomous song instead of an advertising campaign. Because we did it in this way, the media outreach was a lot larger than they had imagined.” Who knew that a tune about glass recycling would become a bona fide hit? Within two weeks of its release, the video for the single “Glasbak” was viewed more than 200,000 times on YouTube and earned more than 130,000 plays on Spotify.
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“You have to be a gutsy client if you want to work with us.”
Ellen and Burger appreciate clients who are willing to take chances on the original creations that the Arttenders team might dream up. “You have to be a gutsy client if you want to work with us because normally clients want to see what they’re going to get. And that’s the picture we can’t show,” Ellen says. “We can reference projects we’ve worked on and we can show that they had a lot of effects on the space, on the brand, on the experience, but we’re never doing things twice. Everybody needs something that fits their own identity.”
Arttenders // arttenders.com
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TJ Hughes
Photo by Wesley Law
“I try to make things that the kid versions of ourselves would have liked.�
THE GAME ARTIST TJ HUGHES ST. LOUIS
TJ Hughes’ interdisciplinary career is all fun and games. SOME PEOPLE CREATE VISUAL ART. Some people develop video games. But TJ Hughes sees no need to make a choice — he’s determined to do both.
Photo by Wesley Law
“People are starting to blur the lines now because folks are into this,” Hughes says. “I think with the blend of art and technology, there’s still so much room for growth and innovation because of how new and how fast technology is advancing.” The games that Hughes develops via his studio Terrifying Jellyfish and through partnerships have simple mechanisms and are visually stunning, with colorful art and whimsical characters being hallmarks. Drawing upon ideas from games that he grew up with, Hughes creates entertainment that’s pure escapism for players of all levels. “I try to make things that the kid versions of ourselves would have liked. It’s kind of like retroactively realizing your
childhood dreams — just tapping into that,” Hughes explains. “And it’s even more awesome when you can make something that both a kid and an adult can enjoy, because then you’re hitting ‘fun’ at its most raw definition, I think.” Hughes’s latest game is “Nour,” and it has no objective other than to delight — no points, no levels, no goals. In “Nour,” users are only compelled to play with their food, creating art from 3D-animated sushi, candy sprinkles, bubble tea and ramen noodles. “The game has a lot of my personality in it, and it’s amazing that I can work on something like that full time; that’s usually something that’s a side project [for many people],” Hughes says. “If you really have an artist’s identity, people want to see more of that. People want to see more of a human story in games. People want to see more humanized elements. And I think that putting your personal mark on your games really elevates it to art.”
Terrifying Jellyfish // terrifyingjellyfish.com
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Above and right: Scenes from “Nour,” TJ Hughes’ latest game
“Putting your personal mark on your games really elevates it to art.”
For Hughes, creating playful video games is his longtime dream come true. As a teen, he began working on a free game-development platform called Unity, building up knowledge by watching YouTube tutorials and playing with code. At age 16, Hughes entered a 48-hour game jam, developing his first full game “Feesh” and netting thousands of downloads on distribution platform Steam. From there, he joined Happy Badger Studio and worked on “SmuggleCraft,” which was released to much acclaim on both Steam and PlayStation 4. “It was just a huge moment for me, to be working my dream job at such a young age and also have a game released on PlayStation. I never thought I’d say that,” Hughes marvels. “If you had told me that when I was a kid, I’d have freaked out.” Now in his early 20s, Hughes is focusing on his own Terrifying Jellyfish studio, talking to kids about careers in gaming and connecting with other artists and developers. “There’s a lot of people in St. Louis to offer great advice and just to hang out with during gaming events — a very awesome place to meet artists who are in between art and tech and who will use technology to influence their art. Just such a wide range of different creators,” Hughes says. “It’s great to really see the growing potential of St. Louis’s tech and art scene.”
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Terrifying Jellyfish // terrifyingjellyfish.com
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INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT
JOYANCE PARTNERS BOSTON
HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED a moment of pure joy that you’ve longed to have again and again? Perhaps you’ve reveled in tasting the perfect pinot noir or revisited important memories thanks to the salty aroma of seaside air. Joyance Partners, a recently launched venture capital partnership, is determined to produce more of those experiences for people across the globe. Investing in companies and technology that deliver what they’re calling “delightful moments,” Joyance Partners focuses on five key areas: emotion detection, emotion intervention, emotion creation, altered state and altered environment. By developing or contributing to emerging tech that leads to happiness, Joyance Partners is looking to help humans feel stronger, calmer, more joyful and more in control. The Joyance team — comprised of partners with doctorates in bioinformatics and physiology as well as team members with backgrounds in bioscience, virtual reality and lab sciences — has decades of cumulative experience in technology, media, business and law along with established reputations for driving startup success. The organization defines “delightful moments” as small but powerful separations from daily humdrum, such as coming home to a puppy that’s excited to see you or listening to a favorite opera. Joyance invests in companies that are passionate about developing technology and products that extend or enhance these types of experiences and that improve people’s day-to-day lives. Joyance investments range from transforming the human (genetics and neurosciences) to creating new forms of human chemistry (personal pharma) to changing human circumstance rather than body (virtual reality). The opportunities to touch every industry and uplift each person on the planet are endless.
Joyance Partners // joyancepartners.com
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“Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare, social justice can never be attained.” Helen Keller, author and activist
Antionette Carroll
SOC IAL JUS TICE
Antionette Carroll
THE EQUITY DESIGNER ANTIONETTE CARROLL ST. LOUIS
Antionette Carroll is giving teenagers the tools to build a fairer future for generations to come. THERE ARE MANY TYPES of designers in the world. Graphic designers. Interactive designers. Fashion designers. Architectural designers. All are valuable. But more than anything, Antionette Carroll is looking for equity designers. With many city resources going to affluent, white neighborhoods and projects, marginalized communities often are overlooked. Sometimes it happens accidentally, sometimes it’s calculated, but the result is the same — Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and disabled communities frequently are left with inferior education, safety and quality-of-life assets. But Carroll insists that can change with purposeful design. While “design” commonly is used to represent a visual creative process, Carroll says that design also can be applied to deliberately thinking through how to develop 48
organization, infrastructure, communications and resources that will enable a better human experience, particularly for those communities that are typically neglected. This creative problem solving relies on intentionality, interdisciplinary collaboration and a clear answer to “Who will benefit from these actions?” “For me, if you’re designing, you’re either designing around equity or you’re designing around inequity. There’s not really a grey space there,” Carroll says. “And that design has impacted the quality-of-life expectancy and the narratives that we have around different cultures.” One way of addressing those challenges is by empowering young people. Carroll aims to raise an army of equity designers through Creative Reaction Lab, her St. Louis-based organization that teaches Black and Latinx youth how to recognize systems of injustice within their communities.
A Creative Reaction Lab excursion to view works by artist Amy Sherald at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
“You’re either designing around equity or you’re designing around inequity. There’s not really a grey space there.”
Via equity-centered community design, Creative Reaction Lab’s unique creative problem-solving process, participants dive into a community’s needs, assess what’s happening and develop intentional, meaningful solutions that dismantle systemic oppression. Having young people immerse themselves within their own communities is vital to the process, Carroll says. “What we typically see with a lot of adult-oriented work are people on the outside looking in and saying, ‘This is what this community needs.’ And that’s a problem because how are we actually designing better outcomes for people if they’re not even a part of the equation?” Carroll says. “Even though our students are asking advice from the community members, they are also a part of those communities. It’s easier for them to have empathy when they are directly connected to many of the challenges that these community members are bringing up.”
generations of trauma, and to not see value in that is a disadvantage to us as the United States of America and, I would argue, as a society,” Carroll continues. “There are already those in the community doing amazing work. One of the things that we try to be intentional about is not devaluing it, looking at how we actually build partnerships with them.” Carroll says that by teaching youth about equity design now, they’ll have the tools to implement it as they become leaders throughout all disciplines and industries — a big payoff for the future. “If you work with the youth and actually shift their mindset around these issues — whether they end up in government, they end as an organizer, they end up in healthcare, they end up as a journalist — that equity mindset and that equity-design mindset build not just awareness but actually doing something around it,” Carroll says. “That’s a 40-, 50-, 60-year investment and return — the impact that they can make to really challenge the system.”
“When you look in a lot of these communities, they’ve been able to survive and thrive, and they have resiliency. They have the drive to survive Creative Reaction Lab // creativereactionlab.com
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Logan Philon
Photo by Micah Brown
“There’s no such thing as a silver bullet in the fight against poverty, but if there were, it would be education.”
THE EDUCATION ADVOCATE LOGAN PHILON WINSTON-SALEM Logan Philon’s Piedmont Renewal Network offers new opportunities for underserved students. AN EDUCATION CAN BE THE CATALYST for huge life changes, but difficult circumstances often put quality schooling out of reach for many young people.
And the reward for seven years of dedicated work? A full-ride education at a college or university within the program’s growing network as well as the tools to succeed later in life.
Logan Philon is determined to change that. Philon founded Piedmont Renewal Network, a nonprofit dedicated to developing education opportunities for students in Winston-Salem’s low-income neighborhoods, after researching poverty while he was a college student at Piedmont International University.
“On our first day of class, I told these kids, ‘You guys are scholars. People in your communities are going to tell you to do good at school, so you can go out and be more than somebody on the street,” Philon remembers. “But I told them, ‘We’re partnering with you now because we believe you ARE somebody. You ARE worth it.’”
Philon’s research has shown that students with a low socioeconomic status often have difficulty in school because of instability at home or a lack of optimal educational resources in class. Studies also show that Forsyth County, which includes Winston-Salem, has one of the lowest rates in the United States for citizens finding success as an adult after growing up poor. With a team of education experts, Philon’s Piedmont Renewal Network offers these students a more secure pipeline to college and future opportunities.
“The identity shift that occurs when they are consistently exposed to that rhetoric and that valuation of their person is tremendous,” Philon continues. “And I think that’s the most special thing about this program.”
“You think that you really know something about it until you dive in and learn things and realize, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of stuff going on here,’” Philon says. “I’m not a saint, but when you see what’s not working and you come across this data, I think it’s a natural reaction to say, ‘There’s a problem here and somebody needs to stand up and do something more innovative to fix it.’” For students attending schools in select underprivileged areas, Piedmont Renewal Network provides a variety of programs aimed to improve their likelihood of academic success, including the flagship College Lift Initiative. The seven-year program begins preparing the young scholars for college in 6th grade, with a roster of academic professionals and volunteer tutors partnering with the schools and supplying extra instruction to raise GPAs, improve standardized test scores and demonstrate critical thinking throughout kids’ middle-school and high-school years. “There’s no such thing as a silver bullet in the fight against poverty, but if there were, it would be education,” Philon says. A family component is a big part of the College Lift Initiative, too. Studies show that supportive family involvement can profoundly affect students’ study habits as well as their overall views about the need for education, so Piedmont offers parents, grandparents and guardians seminars about creating good learning environments at home and how the college application process works. When teachers, families and students work together, college and future success become more attainable, Philon says.
Philon’s team partners with a number of longtime academic leaders and organizations, but Piedmont Renewal Network might not exist at all without guidance from an institution 2,500 miles away. The University of Southern California offers the Neighborhood Academic Initiative to students in South and East Los Angeles who have fewer academic opportunities than their peers in other neighborhoods. A seven-year college-prep program that enrolls nearly 1,000 students annually, NAI’s much-lauded success inspired Philon to connect with that program’s leaders for advice about how he might develop a similar solution for Winston-Salem. “I had never read anything nationally, much less in Winston-Salem, that was quite this effective. I really keyed in on this, and I thought, ‘Why not?’” Philon remembers. With USC providing plenty of training and advice — essentially providing the blueprints to build and improve upon their own model — Philon set about making connections in town. Speaking with investors, school district administrators, startup coaches, university officials, city leaders and businesses owners through Venture Café and other avenues, Philon and his team brought Piedmont Renewal Network to life. And he’s more excited than ever about how the city could prosper with an excited, educated workforce. “You can fix this problem. You’ve just got to decide to do it. And it transforms an entire family, it transforms the neighborhood, it makes Winston-Salem an equitable, just place full of opportunity,” Philon says. “And that’s the endgame. That’s what we want to see.”
Piedmont Renewal Network // renewalnetwork.org
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Top and bottom: Brainstorming during an Autodesk Design Swarm at Roxbury Innovation Center
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INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT
Participants discuss robotics during the TLE Pre-Accelerator at Roxbury Innovation Center
ROXBURY INNOVATION CENTER BOSTON INNOVATION CENTERS have become effective tools to foster collaboration and catalyze economic development. In particular, centers located near communities that are historically underserved or without such resources are especially powerful at generating opportunities for anyone with an idea. Roxbury Innovation Center is just such a place. Through a public-private collaboration with the City of Boston and Venture CafĂŠ Foundation, RIC empowers and guides innovation and entrepreneurship as viable career options with the goal of creating better economic development within neighborhoods of high unemployment. Since Venture CafĂŠ Foundation opened RIC in 2015, it has provided a variety of resources for small-business owners at all stages and in all industries through instructional workshops and courses, networking events and mentorship as well as a startup class. RIC also offers coding programs and official Fab Lab space for youth and adult makers.
Roxbury Innovation Center // roxburyinnovationcenter.org
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“My wish is that, one day, formal education will pay attention to the education of the heart, teaching love, compassion, justice, forgiveness, mindfulness, tolerance and peace.� Dalai Lama, spiritual leader
Karen Cuthrell
EDU CAT ION
Karen Cuthrell
“Sharing your story, sharing your emotions. That’s what we have to do.”
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THE FEELINGS VALIDATOR KAREN CUTHRELL WINSTON-SALEM
Karen Cuthrell helps children understand their feelings so that they can thrive. KAREN CUTHRELL HAS SOMETHING TO TELL CHILDREN: Your feelings are valid. In homes and classrooms around the world, kids often are expected to process their emotions like small adults — don’t cry when a friend heads home, don’t become angry when another child snatches your basketball, don’t dwell on getting a new teacher. But Cuthrell says that when children express these feelings, accept their validity and think through next steps, they gain the tools they’ll need for school and for the rest of their lives. “One thing they’ve proven is that EQ (emotional quotient) is just as important as IQ (intelligence quotient) and sometimes even more important, because if you don’t have your emotional intelligence going into the classroom, it’s difficult to learn. It’s difficult to stay focused, and you’re not able to manage your emotions,” Cuthrell says. “But if you have those things and you’re able to manage your emotions, then you’re ready to learn.” To help children work through their feelings, Cuthrell developed the Feeling Friends, an educational curriculum of experiences, music and media that feature a cast of empathetic plush characters. Lotta Love the Lovaroo (“Love is the most important feeling,” Cuthrell says), Hattie the Happy Hippo, Slumpy the Sad Elephant, Griswald the Grumpy Grizzly and others represent a smorgasbord of emotions and teach kids the vocabulary necessary to understand and express their feelings. “No one has tackled this building block, but we tackle it. We meet the children at their language,” Cuthrell says. “Someone explained it to me once, and I got it. They said, ‘Karen, I went to France and I couldn’t speak the language. I was there for a month at a time. Eventually I learned how to operate, learning how to speak the language with my horrible vocabulary. It was difficult,’” remembers Cuthrell, who appears in Feelings Friends materials as Miss KK. “Whenever anyone asks children how they feel, they don’t speak the language because they haven’t been taught. So what we do, we come down to their level and speak the language at the level they already understand.” With materials and songs designed to make kids feel safe, Cuthrell has found that children relax around the colorful Feeling Friends which allows them to find the root of what’s bothering them and figure out solutions. She says that children who had bottled up their feelings for years gradually express themselves more, sharing their thoughts with their new character pals in person or through books.
“It’s amazing. When you put a character on a feeling, a character that children believe in, they will tell you how they feel. The words become real for them,” Cuthrell marvels. For Cuthrell, seeing children responding to and flourishing with Feeling Friends materials is a victory 24 years in the making. Cuthrell conceived the first Feeling Friends character in 1994 to help her young daughter express herself after being diagnosed with depression. She returned to the idea of a cast of loving, expressive characters in 2008 after processing emotions about difficult events in her own life and reached out to people who could help her achieve her vision. After some refinement, the new Feeling Friends were born. “I started getting my own help at the time, and the Feeling Friends came along about the same time. So not only did the Feeling Friends help my daughter, which was the purpose of them, they helped me, as well,” Cuthrell says. “These characters helped a mom and a daughter express their emotions and become very emotionally intelligent. And there are days now when I have to use the same principles that I use with children on myself.” Adults have responded well to the Feeling Friends curriculum, too. Cuthrell says that she’s led Feeling Friends sessions in public health institutions, businesses and community organizations that have moved grown-ups to share their own stories and the feelings they’d kept hidden for years. “It’s so simple. You just have to free yourself. [For events] I make a PowerPoint of me — I’m from Winston-Salem, I went to school here, went to church here, did this, did that. I tell them, ‘Through all of that, I held my emotions in when I should have been screaming at the top of my lungs,’” Cuthrell says. “Once you put your own vulnerabilities out there, people are able to put their own vulnerabilities out there and let down the barriers. One lady said, ‘I thought my stuff was bad, and then I heard yours!’” “Any time I tell my story, women come up to me crying, ‘That happened to me too, and I’ve never told anybody.’ Well, you can tell it now. You ought to be free!” Cuthrell continues. “A lady wrote me a note that said, ‘I’m still grateful to you for freeing me. I am not the same person that I used to be.’ Isn’t that amazing? Sharing your story, sharing your emotions. That’s what we have to do.”
The Feeling Friends // thefeelingfriends.com
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A family demostrates the Caribu app 58
INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT Maxeme Tuchman
CARIBU MIAMI
MANY STUDIES HAVE SHOWN that young children benefit from adults reading to them; the personal connection and the exposure to storytelling language help put kids on a path for later success in school and work. But those benefits can be difficult to reap when reading friends are in different homes or even different countries. Caribu, a startup in Miami, removes those obstacles. An app for Apple devices, Caribu facilitates a stronger storytime for kids and adults who are separated, thanks to video-calling tech that allows users to read, draw and learn together in real time. Caribu CEO Maxeme Tuchman and CTO Alvaro Sabido often describe the platform as “Facetime meets Kindle” with a focus on children’s literacy. Long-distance grandparents and parents away on business are big fans of using Caribu to read bedtime stories with their little ones, but the founders especially love serving military families; Caribu provides free subscriptions to its interactive platform to all current members of the U.S. military to help keep families connected during deployment. Caribu partners with publishers such as Mattel, Sesame Street for Military Families and Usborne and holds hundreds of books and activities within its library. The platform also offers books in six languages to encourage global learning.
Caribu // caribu.com
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Yoshiaki Ishii (right) at Venture CafĂŠ Tokyo
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INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT Yoshiaki Ishii (center)
J-STARTUP TOKYO
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 10,000 STARTUPS IN JAPAN. As is the case in other countries, many of these startups won’t scale or go global due to a lack of entrepreneur education, resources, funding and mentorship. But J-Startup is changing that. Sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), J-Startup is a hyper-focused training ground for promising startups, providing the tools they’ll need to succeed as fierce global players. Through the program, public and private sectors work together to foster these companies and grow Japan’s reputation for innovation. A panel of top venture capitalists, scholars and other experts recommend J-Startup prospects based on their mission, originality and growth potential. As a METI director and longtime proponent of startup culture and success, Yoshiaki Ishii is leading the J-Startup program. Under his management, J-Startup has become a true innovation ecosystem, connecting participating companies to funders, government officials and globally centered consultants as well to worldwide conference and marketing options. Moreover, J-Startup is growing Japan’s potential by welcoming overseas entrepreneurs who are attracted to the country’s established innovation culture.
J-Startup // j-startup.go.jp
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“If we do not share our stories and shine a light on inequities, things will not change.� Ellen Pao, Project Include co-founder
Matthew Beatty (right)
CIV ICS
Matthew Beatty (right)
THE HOMETOWN LISTENER MATTHEW BEATTY MIAMI Matthew Beatty is bringing new Miami voices to the forefront through authentic personal narratives. “YOU’VE GOT TO CREATE A WAY for people to become a champion for that thing that they care about,” Matthew Beatty insists. Beatty knows a thing or two about this. As the senior director of communications for the Miami Foundation, Beatty’s charge is to share how donations from philanthropists and the foundation’s partner initiatives are transforming Miami communities. But perhaps even more importantly, Beatty is passionate about using his position to connect with other Miami residents — the citizens who otherwise might not have a say in new city policies or investments. These are the folks who will build the region’s future, though, and Beatty is determined to bring them into the loop. Philanthropy in large U.S. cities — especially along the upper East Coast — tends to revolve around families of donors who invest millions over generations, but those families of generational wealth aren’t typically found 64
in Miami, which is only about a century old. Known as a city of transplants (about 70 percent of its residents are born in other states or abroad), Miami brings together people of many different incomes, ethnicities, cultures, occupations and vulnerabilities. Would newer residents really want to invest in a city in which they didn’t grow up? That question might be daunting for traditional fundraisers, but the Miami Foundation sees it as an opportunity to reach millions of residents who may not have deep pockets but want to be involved in forging Magic City’s success. In recent years, the foundation has begun retooling its programs and outreach efforts to feature more opportunities for Miamians to boost their city in low-cost ways. “Because of the place that we live in, we have to democratize philanthropy so that anyone and everyone can participate. Otherwise, our work would
“Let’s put the resources into creating ways of engagement for anyone to participate in shaping the community.”
essentially cut out the vast majority of residents that live here,” Beatty says. The efforts have worked. Beatty says that the foundation’s annual Give Miami Day, during which residents raise funds for about 700 area nonprofit organizations, has become one of the largest philanthropic events in the country thanks to an increase in smalldollar donations. Likewise, participants in the annual Public Space Challenge have transformed neighborhoods, parks and common areas into points of pride through art and events completely funded by grants. “The idea that you can be an individual, that you don’t have to be tied to an institution, that you don’t have to be of a certain age or from a certain family, but yet you still can get the resources to shape something unique that you want to see in your community — that’s not traditionally the way philanthropy works,” Beatty says. “But that’s the way it has to work in Miami in order for it to be effective.” These low-barrier entries into civic pride encourage a sense of ownership among Miami residents. But where do these ideas come from in the first place? And what else could the city’s leaders do to ensure that Miami valued citizens from all backgrounds? That’s where My Miami Story comes in. What began as a way to get residents to understand the data within the Miami Foundation’s annual quality-of-life report has blossomed into something new and empowering. “We were looking to get that information into people’s hands in a way that encouraged them to actually take action. So often you do these big, bulky reports, and they just sit somewhere and no one engages with the information,” Beatty says. “So this was a way for people to sit down in small gatherings with these fact cards that have the data from the report and use it to spark a conversation about what their experience has been like living in this town.” Through My Miami Story sessions, small groups discuss local issues and solutions while sharing personal anecdotes about their own lives and what they’re looking for in Miami. Modeled after Chicago’s On the Table series and supported by a grant from the Knight Foundation, the My Miami Story conversations bring strangers together to bridge communities, drive action and foster a sense of belonging.
“The question was, ‘What’s the common thread that links every single person who lives in this community?’ And that was their Miami Story — how you got here, why you stay here, what you care about in this community and then, ultimately, what you can individually do to improve or effect a change around that issue,” says Beatty, who grew up in Miami. “You start getting to a place where you get to connect someone’s personal narrative to the issues that this community is facing. And that’s what that program seeks to link: How does your personal narrative fit into the broader narrative of Miami and, ultimately, what can each of us do to address those issues?” Beatty says that the Miami Foundation is ready to take My Miami Story even further, looking for ways to connect the city’s leaders to the issues that people raise during the conversation sessions. Beatty is excited about giving residents more platforms for joining with organizations and policymakers to effect change. “How do we get the resources into the hands of people who are experiencing life on the ground in this town, rather than it being top-down where we, from downtown, kind of legislate where the resources go?” Beatty asks. “Let’s put the resources into creating ways of engagement for anyone to participate in shaping the community that they want to see in their own neighborhood.” “It’s the voice of the people, directly from their mouths, telling you what they want to see and how they feel about their city,” Beatty says. “And that’s an incredibly powerful ‘Why?’ for someone to participate [in My Miami Story]. We can say, ‘Look, there are few ways in which your voice in its raw form can make it into the boardrooms of the decision-makers, but this is your way to do that. So make sure that your narrative is a part of what we share with these decision-makers and also how we as a foundation direct our resources.’” Beatty is excited about the increase in civic engagement that’s happening in Miami alongside the growth of the innovation sector. He says that digital outreach is merging with in-person conversations to promote change. “New power dynamics are much more grassroots and democratized in nature. It’s a system where anyone who wants to be a part of that system or be a part of effecting a certain kind of change can plug into it and get the resources they need to drive that change,” Beatty says. “That’s Miami.”
The Miami Foundation // miamifoundation.org
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“Yarning to Know You” (left) and “The Mirror Casket” (right) by De Andrea Nichols
THE JUSTICE-SEEKING VISIONARY DE ANDREA NICHOLS ST. LOUIS
ENTREPRENEUR. SPEAKER. YOUTUBER. ACTIVIST. LEADER. INNOVATOR. De Andrea Nichols has earned a lot of titles.
racial issues — and she didn’t always have the confidence to speak out about those issues.
But her earliest was artist.
“So early on in life, I would paint pictures of how I was feeling. That turned into the work that I was doing as a designer,” Nichols says. “A lot of my early jobs were at agencies and I absolutely hated it because I didn’t want to design beer campaigns. I wanted to use design and the arts to speak to the people, and it was hard to find a job doing that. That’s what took me toward innovation. It’s like, I’ve got to figure this out myself.”
“Funny story: My first spanking as a kid was because I had drawn all over my great-grandmother’s walls,” Nichols recalls. “And even though they painted over my drawing, every time that I came by, she had art supplies for me. Every birthday, every Christmas, all that I ever got were art supplies. That nurtured that passion and that natural gift of being a visual artist.” Nichols has put that creativity to good use since her early days, creating visual, tactile and experiential art that’s been exhibited in countless museums and public spaces. But more than just interesting colors or shapes, her art intersects with a number of disciplines, ultimately shining a light on today’s most pressing issues. Growing up in Mississippi, Nichols found herself in environments where social challenges were evident — particularly poverty, social injustice and 66
Finding new ways of doing things was the spark Nichols needed to amplify the issues she cared about. She gained national notoriety when the Clinton Global Initiative recognized D*Serve, her project that created a design-based entrepreneurial education curriculum for youth in underserved areas. She moved further into social impact innovation by founding a nonprofit with friends; the organization was a bust, she says, but that led her to later launch Civic Creatives, a social design agency in St. Louis that develops communitydriven solutions through experiences.
“The Mirror Casket” photo by Wendel A. White
De Andrea Nichols creates attention-grabbing programming and art that challenge people to act.
De Andrea Nichols
“The love has always been about the ideas and less about the form that it takes.”
“The Mirror Casket” photo by Wendel A. White
“I’m all about the process. Here’s this thing that we want to make happen. How are we going to do it in a creative way?” Nichols asks. “So I think for me, the love has always been about the ideas and less about the form that it takes.” That form was highly visible in “The Mirror Casket,” a striking sculpture and performance piece with an important message. In 2014, Nichols and a collective of artists created the hand-constructed, mirror-covered coffin after a white police officer killed a black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. After being carried in demonstrations protesting police brutality and mistreatment of Black Americans, the casket now is on display at the National Museum of African American History & Culture. But even with national attention, major speaking engagements and a plethora of highly active social media outlets, Nichols insists that her work is nowhere close to being done. “Art-ivism,” as she calls it, is too important.
going to get more ideas,” Nichols says. “We’re going to get more people involved. We’re going to touch somebody’s heart. And that heart — that one heart — might be the one that could help figure this thing out.” “At large, I think we have to find a way to just do, create — always be creating. And I think everyone has that ability.”
“I just left this conference in Denver where the big question was, ‘What can we actually do beyond calling our senators, beyond giving money?’ Someone said we can make some art, because from the process of making art, we’re Civic Creatives // civiccreatives.com
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The Global Center on Adaptation’s programs aim to counteract climate change
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INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT
GLOBAL CENTER ON ADAPTATION ROTTERDAM
DEALING WITH THE EFFECTS of climate change is vital to every country on the planet. Adverse conditions can affect crop soil and growing seasons, energy resources and costs, drinking water safety and availability, animal activity, air quality, a region’s economic viability and more. It makes sense, then, that collaboration among nations could be the key to weathering the challenges and lessening the fallout for everyone. The Global Center on Adaptation is a multi-national organization that develops and supports bold solutions to help communities adapt to and prepare for climate-related threats. A joint initiative of the Netherlands, Japan and the United Nations Environment Programme, GCA is headquartered in Rotterdam and brings together companies, nonprofits, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions, educational institutions and international government leaders at every level. The team studies risks like natural disasters, extreme weather and rising sea levels along with nature’s ultimate effects on social institutions, financial markets, economic classes and politics, ensuring that adapting climate change is a global priority. GCA is an important step following the 2015 Paris Agreement in which leaders of nearly 200 countries declared to take meaningful action against global warming. Working with each participating nation, GCA uses data to advise on projects and investments that meet Paris Agreement standards and prepare societies for resilience. Through education and action, GCA advances the planet toward a more equitable, inhabitable future.
The Global Center on Adaptation // gca.org
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“Together, we have the power to inspire, connect, and deliver on new opportunities and rich experiences that can open doors to innovation and progress while growing global economies and increasing well-being.� Tae Yoo, Cisco senior vice president of corporate affairs
Justin Harris (right)
BUSI NESS
Ryan Griffin (right)
THE BEER BUDDY JUSTIN HARRIS ST. LOUIS In a world-renowned brew city, Justin Harris makes community connections over hops. IN RECENT YEARS, St. Louis has become known as a craft beer destination. It’s easy to understand why, with several dozen breweries dotting the region and countless libations paying tribute to city life right on the label. But unlike wine, craft beer typically isn’t sold by the bottle in local supermarkets; you typically have to buy multiple six-packs (or larger!) if you truly want to drink your way through St. Louis. For a beer connoisseur like Justin Harris, that just wasn’t good enough, so he and his brother, Ryan Griffin, founded Saint Louis Hop Shop -- a store dedicated to the huge variety of brews in the St. Louis area and a way for beer lovers to create their own sampler packs of bottles and cans from individual local breweries. “You have all these little breweries — and at this point, it felt like every neighborhood developed a brewery and was making really good stuff — but there were no places that were just centered around beer,” Harris explains. “I didn’t want to have a hard time getting to it.” 72
Pulling together an array of local and rare beers might seem like an obvious business concept today, but when Saint Louis Hop Shop made its debut in 2015, there was nothing like it. Harris had the right idea at the right time, and the shop soon outgrew its original digs, moving a few doors down into a larger space that could accommodate more beer shelves, a tasting bar and an event patio. “It’s always cool to see people’s expressions when they come in, especially some of the older customers that hadn’t been here or down to the neighborhood for awhile. They come in and see the new store and it’s like, ‘Oh man, this is really nice,’” Harris says. By nestling Saint Louis Hop Shop into the Cherokee Street neighborhood — a rising area full of innovative artists, antique shops, music venues, coworking spaces and the best authentic Mexican food in town — Harris is surrounded by collaboration and energy. He frequently works with other entrepreneurs within the community to host video game tournaments, shrimp boils and “meet the brewer” sessions.
Justin Harris
For Harris, it’s about connecting with others and supporting a local ecosystem. “It’s deeper than just a business thing. It’s not really looked at like that,” Harris says. “It’s not forced, and that’s what I like the most about this neighborhood. You have a very wide range of people: diversity, race, economic background, religion, everything. It’s really a community. People enjoy knowing the people that they work with and supporting their neighbors. It’s cool.” Harris extends that idea of community to Venture Café St. Louis, where he’s supplied the brews and has spoken about entrepreneurship. Raised in a family of business owners, Harris gave up his longtime job with a national food supplier to create Saint Louis Hop Shop. He now relishes sharing community resources and chatting with others who are solving problems and pursuing their dreams.
“I always felt like beer is a good connector of people and communities.”
“Just connect. Put yourself out there. Go to those different events,” Harris insists. “You just meet people from completely different walks of life.” “And it’s funny because I always felt like beer is a good connector of people and communities,” Harris continues. “It’s really inspirational. I like to hear people tell their different stories. When I’m pouring, I never know who I’m going to be pouring with.” Saint Louis Hop Shop // saintlouishopshop.com
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EY Fintech Pitch Day
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INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT
EY BOSTON
THE INNOVATION BOOM has hit every major city in the United States, with startups developing technology that enhances modern lives and increases revenue. The fintech market, in particular, is so hot that investors often are overwhelmed with possibilities. That’s why EY created an easier way to compare its investing options. The global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services recently teamed up with Venture Café’s Captains of Innovation program in Boston to present EY Fintech Pitch Day, the first public-facing event for EY Americas Tax Innovation Foundry team. For the event, EY invited fintech startups from around the world to pitch creative, disruptive technology ideas in data and analytics, artificial intelligence, SaaS, blockchain and more before an audience of Foundry team members and local innovation leaders. As a new incubator and investor with a recognizable brand history, EY was looking to identify and potentially develop or acquire game-changing solutions and businesses. More than 500 startups were scouted globally, with 12 chosen to pitch to EY representatives in person during the event in Boston. Though it’s only a few years old, the Foundry already has generated buzz within innovation communities. Foundry works within local ecosystems to partner with up-and-coming fintech businesses and connect with angel investors and venture capitalists. The team believes that each community could yield dozens — if not more — of possibilities for deals and collaborations to improve the global financial industry.
EY // ey.com
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Overtown Small-Business/Entrepreneur Engagement Day
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INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT
Scott Willis
HSBC MIAMI
BUSINESSES AND PATRONS interact every day, but companies increasingly are looking for ways to even more meaningfully improve the lives of residents within their local communities. HSBC, one of the world’s largest financial organizations, is making that kind of connection in Miami. Partnering frequently with Venture Café Miami on programming, HSBC engages with the area’s business, innovation and residential communities to promote financial literacy and entrepreneurship. Scott Willis, HSBC senior regional community development manager, and his team have spearheaded the partnership with Venture Café, noting that the activities align with HSBC’s mission of supporting small business owners as well as Miami’s long-term development goals. During a recent entrepreneur engagement day, HSBC led interactive conversations about overcoming business challenges and strategizing for sustainability and scale. HSBC also has powered select Venture Café Thursday Gatherings, conducting workshops on a range of banking topics, including private wealth, retail and business banking, international banking and innovation. More than 300 startup founders, employees, investors, entrepreneurial support organizations and students have attended the sessions, learning more about taking their ideas to new heights and bolstering Miami’s local economy.
HSBC // us.hsbc.com
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“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.� Arthur C. Clarke, author and futurist
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VENTURE CAFÉ’S GROWING GLOBAL NETWORK The innovation movement is coming to a city near you. AS A WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT, Venture Café connects innovators to make things happen. What initially sprouted from a single location now has drawn together scientists, creatives, developers and civic-minded leaders in ecosystems around the world. Through inclusive programming, spaces, storytelling and engagement, Venture Café Global Institute is focused on building a global community of communities.
MAKING IT HAPPEN With a goal of operating in 50 cities by 2025, three key impact measures will remain at the forefront of Venture Café’s efforts:
Broaden the scope of innovation
In each of its locations around the world, Venture Café engages multiple industry sectors through the weekly Venture Café Thursday Gathering. Individually, many industries often operate in silos, but Venture Café collapses barriers in an effort to create greater cross-sector collaboration. Venture Café has successfully engaged innovators in biotech, education, the arts, the internet of things, nonprofits, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, traditional IT, agriculture, government, transportation and many others. The solutions of tomorrow will be developed by people operating at the adjacencies of industries.
Draw from beyond the innovation district
Many innovation districts struggle to create low-barrier opportunities for community engagement on a regular basis, but Venture Café programming provides a consistent and authentic solution. During weekly Venture Café activities in cities around the world, nearly 80% of participants are from outside the immediate innovation district. This allows for increased exposure to the the district’s resources and enhances accessibility.
Create connections
Digital connections should primarily enhance analog relationships and connectedness, not replace them. Each week, Venture Café curates 8-12 free educational sessions that encourage innovators to access subject matter experts in their city. These come in the form of one-on-one office hours and mentoring, small group discussions, information sharing, interactive panel discussions and keynote-style talks. Additionally, Venture Café’s 400-600 weekly attendees themselves are resources to one another. Peerto-peer support is a hallmark of the community, and Venture Café is both a point-of-entry to the startup ecosystem (30% of the attendees each week are there for the first time) and a place to deepen relationships (50% of the participants are frequent attendees).
THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITY People in communities, in states, in countries and on continents all around the world bring something unique to the Venture Café network — something to improve the human condition locally that then could be expanded globally. With sights on developing innovation communities in 50 global cities by 2025, Venture Café will cultivate the following locations next: Philadelphia, United States With connections to other major East Coast hubs, the City of Brotherly Love is ripe with biotech, the arts and a growing social innovation sector. Launching in November 2018. Sydney, Australia On a continent with 24 million people, every Australian startup that wants to scale must think globally from day one. A Venture Café location here not only helps foreign startups expand to Sydney but also connects Sydney startups to global opportunities. Durham, United States Just 90 minutes from Venture Café’s current Winston-Salem location, innovation in the new Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill expansion will create a critical mass in North Carolina. Providence, United States Just a hop away from Boston and Cambridge, Providence has a dynamic talent base and connections to quality educational institutions. New York City, United States The financial and media hub of the world, New York City is the perfect place to connect new innovators to new opportunities and push to eliminate the many levels of disparity within its boundaries. London, United Kingdom Like New York, London is a strong startup city fueled by a lot of financial services companies. This expansion comes at a crucial time as the U.K. seeks to redefine its role in a post-Brexit world. Warsaw, Poland The tech talent in Warsaw is one of the world’s best-kept secrets. Connecting the talented technologists here to a global network of innovation communities opens the door for cross-border collaboration, and this location will include some of Venture Café’s newest programs.
Venture Café // venturecafeglobal.org
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MAPPING THE MOVEMENT BOSTON/ CAMBRIDGE
Venture Café plans to develop innovation communities in 50 global cities by 2025. Here’s where things currently stand.
PROVIDENCE
NEW YORK
PHILADELPHIA DURHAM ST. LOUIS MIAMI
CURRENT
FUTURE
WINSTON-SALEM
ROTTERDAM LONDON WARSAW
TOKYO
SYDNEY
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MAKE IT HAPPEN Connect with Venture Café innovators all around the world. A THRIVING INNOVATION district connects people to opportunities and cities to outcomes. As a connector among thousands of creators, scientists, activists, technologists, educators, business leaders, civic officials, developers and investors all over the world, Venture Café is proud to be a resource that helps people dream big. Want to join in?
Become a Captain of Innovation
CHECK OUT YOUR LOCAL VENTURE CAFÉ In an increasing number of cities around the world, Venture Café links disparate sectors within innovation ecosystems and fosters meaningful, actionable connections through programs, events and resources. Through Venture Café, you can:
Attend Venture Café Thursday Gatherings
Our signature weekly event attracts new and existing members of the innovation community, offering fun, accessible networking opportunities and high-impact educational sessions. This lynchpin of the Venture Café program contributes deeply to all other aspects of the organization’s work. Globally, Venture Café attracts more than 2,000 people each week and more than 100,000 people each year to the Thursday Gathering — and in established communities, 500 people attend the weekly event. Over a year of Thursdays, Venture Café hosts more than 1,500 educational sessions and welcomes more than 250,000 people worldwide.
Visit a Civic Innovation Hall
Venture Café operates or is planning a dedicated civic innovation hall in each of our communities as part of its core offerings to drive local ideas and economies forward. This physical gathering space helps foster and sustain an innovation community and exchange ideas, creating a place for all to connect and serving as the “living room” of the innovation ecosystem with no barriers to entry. Innovation Halls feature unique flexible spaces to support meetings, rentable conference rooms, collaborative areas open to the community, a café or restaurant and communal amenities.
The Captains of Innovation program helps corporations accelerate their rate of innovation and introduces them to emerging talent and ideas. The program assists members in conceiving, developing and commercializing ideas, products and services while connecting to startups, entrepreneurs and thought leaders. As an unbiased facilitator, local Venture Café locations assemble teams of “Captains” — recognized leaders within a regional industry — that assist interested corporations in evaluating and connecting with startups that have technology or ideas that might match their own. Through the Captains of Innovation program, Venture Café also can host conferences, hackathons, think tanks and more.
LAUNCH VENTURE CAFÉ IN YOUR CITY If you’re ready to connect with other local and global game changers but Venture Café hasn’t yet reached your region, don’t worry! As an innovator, you may be able to launch the newest Venture Café location in our global network. Venture Café welcomes leaders from established and rising innovation districts to visit one or more Venture Café locations to experience for themselves the powerful connections and programming that help communities thrive. If you like what you see, let’s talk about how to make things happen in your area. Email hello@venturecafeglobal.org to schedule a meeting.
Venture Café // venturecafeglobal.org
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CREATIVE TEAM
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Allison Babka
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
CIC VENTURE CAFÉ GLOBAL INSTITUTE, INC.
CHAIRMAN
Timothy Rowe PRESIDENT
Amanda Dampf
Travis Sheridan
PRESIDENT, CIC VENTURE CAFÉ GLOBAL INSTITUTE
Nathan Render
Travis Sheridan
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
GLOBAL EXPANSION LEAD
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, CIC VENTURE CAFÉ GLOBAL INSTITUTE
Nathan Render
Joyce Chen
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAPTAINS OF INNOVATION
PROOFREADER
Carrie Allen
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIBERS
MIDWEST REGIONAL DIRECTOR, CAPTAINS OF INNOVATION
Kelsey Waananen
Erin Mckee Kelsey Waananen
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER
Kim Plank
DIRECTOR OF IMPLEMENTATION, CAPTAINS OF INNOVATION
Wesley Law
Kris Price
PHOTOGRAPHY
CLIENT ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, CAPTAINS OF INNOVATION
All photography courtesy of the subjects unless otherwise noted. Venture Café photos courtesy of volunteer photographers from each location. PRINTER
Modern Litho
Bethany Hull
RESEARCH ANALYST, CAPTAINS OF INNOVATION
Christina Holman
VENTURE CAFÉ LEADERSHIP
ADDITIONAL THANKS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VENTURE CAFÉ FOUNDATION (NEW ENGLAND)
Carrie Allen Esteban Barrera Matthew Beatty Skip Bray Jolicia Brown Micah Brown Rod Brown Siobhan Burger Caribu Antionette Carroll Karen Cuthrell Ryan Dampf Docsmore Faye Ellen EY GeoOrbital Global Center on Adaptation Amy Greeson Ryan Griffin Justin Harris HSBC TJ Hughes Yoshiaki Ishii J-Startup Joyance Partners Chris Kuhl Wesley Law Sherita Love Johanna Mikkola Darrell Moore Roshni Neslage De Andrea Nichols Lillie Paquette/ MIT School of Engineering Kim Pett Leila Pirhaji Logan Philon Kyle Porting Roxbury Innovation Center Alvaro Sabido SOMPO Digital Lab Inti St. Claire Travis the Translator Maxeme Tuchman Wil Weldon Sheri Wieberg Wendel A. White Melanie Williams-Bowers Scott Willis Venture Café volunteer photographers Mentors, teammates, family and friends
Kevin Wiant
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VENTURE CAFÉ ST. LOUIS
Tyler Mathews
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VENTURE CAFÉ ROTTERDAM
Anoesjka Imambaks
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VENTURE CAFÉ MIAMI
Leigh-Ann Buchanan
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VENTURE CAFÉ WINSTON-SALEM
Karen Barnes
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VENTURE CAFÉ TOKYO
Yasuhiro Yamakawa
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VENTURE CAFÉ PHILADELPHIA
Tracy Brala
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VENTURE CAFÉ SYDNEY
Zara Crichton
Amy Greeson in a canoe in the Congo by Esteban Barrera
“Exploration is the engine that drives innovation. Innovation drives economic growth. So let’s all go exploring.” Edith Widder, scientist and oceanographer
HAPPEN
FALL 2018 Presented by CIC Venture Café Global Institute
FALL 2018
venturecafeglobal.org vencafglobal vencafglobal
Presented by CIC Venture Café Global Institute