Have an undeniable business idea that you think will make millions? Looking for tips to go from being a dreamer to a builder of a business? This panel will discuss the promising characteristics of a “want-repreneur” and how to turn those traits into real action.
What are this distinguishing characteristics of a dreamer that can push their vision into action?
How can ‘ego’ play a role in going from dreamer to creator?
How do you balance between just ‘winging-it’ and ‘perfection-paralysis’
Does a business plan help or hurt?
Who should you ask for help and whom should you absolutely not ask for advice?
What are your first three steps?
Chris Franks @cefranks
Chief Growth Officer, SchoolRunner
Chris Onan @chrisonan
Galvanize Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer
Ellis Blevins @ellisblevins
Principal / Founder, Fluid Consulting Services
be sure to visit our meetup page to attend our next shoot
meetup.com/Talking-Offline/
Sponsored By:
mcSquares: collaborative workspaces
mcsquares.com
Based on Anthony Francos’s popular article in the SoDA report, this panel will discuss the widening divide between marketing initiatives and creating great product experiences.
How should Marketing and Product Development collaborate?
Should marketing “own” UX? If not, who should?
Where can Marketing damage UX
Can good UX overcome bad marketing? How about visa-versa?
Which is more important?
Brett Schklar @digitalbrett
CEO, The Market Creation Group
Todd Cameron @redfoxstrategy
Head of Content and Strategy, TapInfluence
RJ Owen @rjowen
Director of User Experience at Universal Mind
be sure to visit our meetup page to attend our next shoot
meetup.com/Talking-Offline/
Sponsored By:
mcSquares: collaborative workspaces
mcsquares.com
In this interactive session during DSW, we selected audience members who chose to “pitch” their startup idea, in 5 minutes, to a panel of successful entrepreneurs. Panelists offered on-the-spot critiques and helpful advice on the pitch, the business, and obstacles the entrepreneur will need to watch out for.
Lizelle Van Vuuren @lizellevv
Entrepreneur, Growth Marketer, Community builder
Jon Nordmark @Jon_Nordmark
Iterate Studio co-founder – 10 years as eBags’ CEO & co-founder
Bob Ogdon @BobOgdon
Chairman and Founder at Swiftpage
John Funk @johntfunk
TechStars, Network Effects Capital, TrashCo, Inc.
Anthony Franco @anthonyfranco
mcSquares, EffectiveUI,UX Magazine
be sure to visit our meetup page to attend our next shoot
meetup.com/Talking-Offline/
Sponsored By:
mcSquares: collaborative workspaces
mcsquares.com
There is a difference between collaboration and consensus building. This panel discusses the core differences between gaining team alignment and making everyone happy.
What is the difference between consensus building and collaboration?
Does it make sense for a leader to make decisions without consensus?
In what circumstances is total team consensus critical?
When can consensus building be damaging?
When can collaboration be damaging?
What are some practical tips for creating a collaborative environment?
How can you collaborate with setting the expectation that every idea will be executed on?
Panel
Jeff Macco @jeffmacco
CEO at SeedPaths
Michael Simpson, @PairinCEO
Co-founder and CEO at Pairin, Inc.
Rob Novick @rob_novick
Managing Partner, Envision Business Consulting & Capital
Jim Franklin, @jimfranklin
Board member at Fluorofinder.com
be sure to visit our meetup page to attend our next shoot
http://www.meetup.com/Talking-Offline/
Sponsored By:
mcSquares: collaborative workspaces
www.mcsquares.com
One entrepreneur’s innovation may be another person’s unemployment – Are your company policies fundamentally “evil” or are they “disruptive” and how do we tell the difference?
Should a leader be concerned how his company’s innovations impact other competitive industries?
Why are some companies (like Uber) often described as ‘evil’, while others (like Apple) are considered disruptive?
Do some industries demand aggressive behavior in order to have innovation take place?
Draw a bright line for us – what behaviors would you consider being aggressive to the point of being called ‘evil’?
What moral standards should all companies follow?
Are there any current moral standards that need to be sun-setted?
Panel:
Maryanne Rose @SpenDifference
CEO/President SpenDifference LLC
Andy Brandt @brandtroo
Co-founder at SQFT Mobile Application
Technology Executive (CIO,SVP,VP)
be sure to visit our meetup page to attend our next shoot
http://www.meetup.com/Talking-Offline/
Sponsored By:
mcSquares: collaborative workspaces
www.mcsquares.com
Creating a company culture with positive longevity is one of the most complicated aspects of organizational leadership. The panel this week will discuss some of the bad and good cultures they have worked in, how they foster a great culture, and how to evolve as organizations change.
What culture efforts have you seen that have had positive cultural results?
What culture initiatives have you seen completely fail?
The ultimate cultural conundrum: How do you deal with great talent that is a negative impact on culture?
Do team building exercises work?
Are company “clicks” a sign of a good culture or a bad one?
Have you ever encountered a company culture that could be better described as an organizational cult?
Panel:
Richard Coyte @rcoyte
Director, Growth Management Practice Group at Chromedia
Whitney Walpole @myCOREgames
Owner & President at Culture Counts
Natalie Baumgartner @ask_dr_nat
Founder + Chief Psychologist at RoundPegg
be sure to visit our meetup page to attend our next shoot
http://www.meetup.com/Talking-Offline/
Sponsored By:
mcSquares: collaborative workspaces
www.mcsquares.com
For the last few years, businesses have focused to improve women’s workplace status to ensure they receive equal compensation, respect, and opportunity. Hallelujah!
But many organizations, with good intentions, are starting to take pro-women policies too far; policies that may ultimately hurt the women they are designed to help and worse, alienate the other 50% of their workforce.
Hosted by Anthony Franco, this panel of prominent women leaders discuss their experiences with “Leaning-In” and how organizational attitudes are helping, and often hurting, gender relationships in the workplace.
Have you ever been a victim on gender-bias at the workplace? If so, how did you lead through it?
How do you distinguish between gender bias and just regular bad behavior?
Have you ever played the gender card to your advantage?
What gender-based organizational policies work? What ones don’t?
Panel
Krystal Covington @KrystalGoLead
President & Founder of “Women of Denver”
CIO/CTO BI Incorporated
SVP/IT, Starz
Director – IT Service Management at Dish Network
be sure to visit our meetup page to attend our next shoot
http://www.meetup.com/Talking-Offline/
Sponsored By:
mcSquares: collaborative workspaces
www.mcsquares.com
Kickstarter and Indiegogo – are these for you? Sounds like a no brainer – set up a campaign in 10 minutes for your product idea and watch the money start rolling in, right? Well, not so much. This panel will be a group of successful and not-so-successful crowd-funders with tips, tricks, lessons, and horror stories,
Questions this panel answers:
What are the ingredients of a successful crowd funding campaign?
Do those little crowd-funding agencies have any impact?
What advice for success would you offer?
What did you wish you knew before going in to a crowd funding campaign?
If you were to start a campaign tomorrow, what are the first three things you would do?
Panel:
Jason McGowin @ jmcgowin
VP Sales and Marketing at FlameStower, Inc
Leigh Lepore @CrowdfundStrat
Founder, Crowdfunding Strategy & Information
Zofia Wosinska @ESTAINEfashion
CEO & Founder, ÉSTAINE
be sure to visit our meetup page to attend our next shoot
http://www.meetup.com/Talking-Offline/
Sponsored By:
mcSquares: collaborative workspaces
www.mcsquares.com
This panel explores some of the patent conundrums facing innovative companies today and offers tips on how to protect yourself from patent litigation.
Questions this panel explores:
How can a business innovate in the litigious, intellectual property world we live in today?
Can a small company protect its IP effectively with a patent?
What newer changes to patent laws should audience members know about?
Are patent trolls a necessary evil?
What changes would you like to see in the patent laws today?
Panel:
Bruce Kugler
President & MD at Sheridan Ross
Steve Katsaros
Founder & Inventor at Nokero
Devin Loojen
Patent Attorney at Duft, Bornsen, and Fettig, LLP
be sure to visit our meetup page to attend our next shoot
http://www.meetup.com/Talking-Offline/
Sponsored By:
mcSquares: collaborative workspaces
www.mcsquares.com
Hosted by Anthony Franco, this panel of 3 Colorado technical leaders discuss the differences between innovation and execution.
This weeks panelists are:
• Molly Rauzi, CTO Gagen MacDonald
• Paul Farnsworth, SVP Level 3
We discuss:
• How does your organization distinguish between innovation and execution?
• How exactly does innovation implemented ?
• How do you turn an innovation into action ?
• Is there a point where it is destructive to continue practicing “innovation”?
be sure to visit our meetup page to attend our next shoot
http://www.meetup.com/Talking-Offline/