3 Inspiring Keynotes + 9 Engaging Panels + 30 Impressive Speakers + 600 Attendees. That’s what you can expect at Babson’s ninth annual Forum on Entrepreneurship and Innovation this weekend. The event is student-run by a fifteen person management team, who have pegged the event to Global Entrepreneurship Week. While the forum is designed for Babson students, including conclusion of the college’s “Next Big Idea” competition, it is also open to attendees from the innovation economy beyond Babson Park.
Next Big Idea Competition
The Babson Forum concludes with an award ceremony for the college’s “Next Big Idea” competition, which gives away $2,500 to a winning Babson student entrepreneur and $900 worth of books and applications for second and third place winners.
The competition opened for submissions on October 19th, which included a form entry and short video pitch around the idea. Those who submitted ideas were encouraged to use social media to promote the videos, with the number of YouTube likes weighed equally with a panel of judges who select five finalists. These five winners will be announced TODAY – so make sure to cast your votes and view the videos pitches here!
These five finalists will present in front of a panel of judges at the Babson Forum. Like the first phase of the competition, the winner will be selected based on crowd voting and panel judging – each weighted equally.
Keynotes
The forum kicks off with Babson’s President Schlesinger, who has been actively spreading Babson’s brand across the globe since coming to office the end of 2008. After welcome remarks, Schlesinger will moderate an hour-long keynote panel with two Boston area founders who are leaders in retail: Ben Fischman, Founder of Rue La La, and Mei Xu, Founder of Chesapeake Bay Candle.
The second keynote after lunch will be given by Marshall N. Cartner, Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. He will speak to how entrepreneurs can use innovation to create wealth and build “real companies” (“as opposed to…” was our thought, too).
The closing keynote will be delivered by Head of Business Design, Colin Raney, at the very innovative Cambridge-based design and innovation firm IDEO. Raney will discuss how “entrepreneurs are designers.”
Panels
Between keynotes, forum attendees can choose to attend a panel in the morning and two in the afternoon. Each panel time block includes three panels to choose from, and includes some of the Boston-area’s favorite leaders like Brian Halligan, Laura Fitton, and John Harthorne. Learn about all the panelists here.
The morning panel session includes: “30 Under 30: Hot Young Entrepreneurs”, “Trends in Entrepreneurial Funding,” and “Intrapreneurship: Creativity & Innovation in Corporations.” The first afternoon session includes: “Entrepreneurial Wisdom,” “Regional Advantage: Fostering Entrepreneurship in New England,” and “Creating Social & Economic Value.” The second afternoon session includes: “Game Changers: Opporunities in Tech,” “New Rules of Marketing,” and “Next Big Idea Competition.”
Ali Powell will be covering the event for BostInnovation and recapping all the great learnings, so make sure to keep your eye out for her!
