TechColumbus and Innovation Fisher Partnering to Bring Innovate Columbus to the Central Ohio Business Community

Regional business leaders, entrepreneurs and corporate innovation teams will share best practices and exchange ideas for driving innovation during this year’s Innovate Columbus summit April 27 in Columbus, Ohio.

Innovate Columbus is presented by TechColumbus and the OSU Fisher College’s Innovation Fisher Student Organization.  Both organizations had their own innovation events in the past – The TechColumbus Innovation Summit and the Innovation Fisher “What If?” event – and this year they join forces for greater impact.

“Innovate Columbus 2011 brings together a fresh and eclectic mix of leading-edge keynotes and experiential lab facilitators who will share how they leverage innovation to create dramatically increased value for their companies and clients,” says Tim Haynes, vice president of TechColumbus. “The event will bring together the brightest minds in a number of industries to talk about best practices and share ideas.”

“Innovate Columbus is for entrepreneurs, creatives, futurists, researchers corporate leaders and innovation teams from Ohio and across the U.S,” added  Michael Bills, executive in residence, The Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University. “Developed by senior business and innovation thought leaders, the event expects to draw more 400 top executives and passionate practitioners to generate actionable strategies for tech-based businesses.”

Keynote speakers include: David Pogue, personal technology columnist for The New York Times; Sarah Lacy, award-winning Silicon Valley technology journalist and author; and Anousheh Ansari, space explorer and CEO/chairman/co-founder of Prodea Systems, Inc. Other speakers include Phil Duncan, global design officer, Procter & Gamble; Drew Banks, head of marketing, Prezi; Tobe Cohen, vice president/general manager for performance nutrition, Abbott; and Bob Johansen, distinguished fellow, The Institute for the Future.   For more information on speakers, visit www.innovate-columbus.org/speakers.html.

Attendees will participate in Innovation Labs, with a series of hands-on, collaborative group sessions that explore a range of idea discovery, innovation execution, and other value creation topics. Moderators and panelists for breakout sessions will include executives from a number of organizations, including Battelle, Guidewire Group, Inc., Maketools and Resource Interactive.  For more information on Innovation Labs, visit www.innovate-columbus.org/labs.html.

The presenting sponsor for Innovate Columbus is IBM. Other sponsors include The Ohio State University College of Business, Manta, Porter Wright and Resource Interactive. Innovate Columbus will take place Thursday, April 27, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ohio Union on the campus of The Ohio State University. For more information and to register, please visit www.innovate-columbus.org.

About TechColumbus (www.techcolumbus.org)

TechColumbus is a nonprofit organization that focuses on technology-based economic development in the 15 counties of central Ohio. TechColumbus accomplishes this by:

•    Providing professional development and technology business assistance to both large and small companies that rely on technology for business success
•    Managing a 62,000 square foot technology business incubator that has been recognized as one of the best in the country
•    Managing TechStart, the Central Ohio Entrepreneurial Signature Program, with a mission to create, finance and launch new tech companies in central Ohio
•    Assisting in the development of facilities for tech companies
•    Working with state and local organizations to attract new tech companies to the region

For more information about TechColumbus visit www.techcolumbus.org