The Innovation CaféDaily Conference Report
by Linda Fischer
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3:30 p.m. April 24
Thank you for a great conference!
This last day has been a great way to end a conference that, in some respects, took on a life of its own. Our hope was for this to be a fluid event that would change and morph as you gave us input on what you hoped to hear; and, with your help, it was exactly that. In fact, one coworker suggested that maybe “conference” is not the best way to describe what we just experienced. It sounds so static … a sit-and-listen type of event rather than one that depends on your participation to be successful. Because of you, we experienced success.
That said, we all were spellbound and happy to listen to Bill Strickland! I'm not going to attempt to capture in a few words what this man has accomplished. All I can say is, "Go to www.bill-strickland.org."
Once again, we are so glad you could attend and stay tuned for post-conference updates ... we'll be in touch!
4 p.m. April 23
By now, you’ve seen a performance of Swamp Gravy, participated in the interactive policy plenary with Mark Pinsky and attended one of the concurrent sessions ... a full day of interesting discussion about community development.
Swamp Gravy, the official folklife play of Georgia, is a wonderful example of the ripple effect, of how one idea grew and has had far-reaching impacts that no one ever expected. Want to learn more? Visit their web site.
I hope everyone who had a chance to participate in the policy plenary with Mark Pinsky of Opportunity Finance Network, Alan Berube of The Brookings Institute and Ray Boshara of New America Foundation enjoyed the opportunity to have your comments and questions captured online and sent to the panel in real time! To view everyone’s comments—more than 150, altogether—click on the Innovation Café tab (at left). These comments are being used to shape the Roundtable Discussions scheduled Friday morning.
Several people have asked about the documentary that was one of the concurrent sessions. Find out more about the film, Brooklyn Matters.
One last note for the day: We want to send a special thanks to the Kevin Lucas Orchestra, which provided the music for the reception last night.
See you tomorrow!
5 p.m. April 22
Collaboration. Ideation. Implementation. Value creation.
Ideation? I have to admit … I never heard of that word until Kathie Thomas of Fleishman-Hillard came along. Even then, I didn’t believe it was a “real” word until Merriam-Webster said it was so!
Ideation and the other elements mentioned are all part of the “Innovation Toolkit” Thomas brought to the opening session of “Exploring Innovation,” and they will be the foundation for your journey through tomorrow’s sessions. So here’s a little recap of how they affect innovation … something to keep in mind as you think about how to bring innovation to your organization:
- Collaboration: In today’s connected world, it’s important to bring a variety of ideas to the table.
- Ideation: Creative ideas not only help your organization innovate, they help you stand out in a crowded playing field.
- Implementation: You can have all the good ideas in the world, but if you don’t implement them, what good are they?
- Value Creation: If you collaborate, ideate and implement, but don’t create value with your idea, then it isn’t innovative.
Thought for the day from Kathie’s presentation: This is the time to keep the faith. There are going to be winners, even in this economy.
I hope you enjoyed your first day at the conference! We’ll talk more tomorrow.
Announcements“Fed Prize” Challenge: The deadline for challenge entries has been extended to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 23. Win a valuable scholarship to a NeighborWorks America Neighborhood Reinvestment Institute or CFED’s Asset Learning Conference. Simply click of the “Innovation Café” tab and then the “Fed Prize” Challenge. Canceled Mobile Learning Lab: Information and extensive video about the initiatives that were the focus of “New Models for Community Engagement,” the canceled learning lab, are available online at www.pulitzerarts.org, www.stlbeacon.org and www.ketc.org. |
8 a.m. April 22
Welcome to the 2009 Exploring Innovation conference!
Thank you for taking the time to join us for this event. We know that everyone has busy schedules and that there are many other conferences available. So, it is important to us that the time you spend here is worthwhile. We think the caliber of the speakers, presenters and our well-respected partners ensures a valuable experience.
Over the next few days, I will be posting comments and suggestions about how to get the most benefit from the conference. One way to start is to go to the online Innovation Café—just click on the link here, or use the tab in the left-hand navigation. There you will find a world of interesting activities and information about your peers who are also attending the conference. And the real-world café will open in the Lenox Room after lunch.
Enjoy the conference … and I’ll “talk” with you later!
exploring: searching or traveling for the purpose of discovery innovation: to add value by applying a new idea or method to something established |