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Posts Tagged ‘Wild for Innovation’

Wild for Innovation Info Now Available

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Fridays can get pretty wild in the Granite State and last Friday, a group of approximately 50 business leaders got wild at the University of New Hampshire…..wild for innovation that is.

UNH Facilities Design and Construction Executive Director Larry Van Dessel (r.) leads a tour of James Hall as NH Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy (l.) looks on.

UNH Facilities Design and Construction Executive Director Larry Van Dessel (r.) leads a tour of James Hall as NH Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy (l.) looks on.

Sponsored by the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development and Public Service of New Hampshire in partnership with the University of New Hampshire, Wild for Innovation was a perfect opportunity for local businesses to learn more about the exciting efforts underway at UNH to support creativity and economic development.  At the event, we heard about the changing demographics of the state from Carsey Institute Senior Demographer Ken Johnson, gained insight into the Green Launching Pad which is dedicated to successfully launching green businesses and learned about EcoLine, a landfill gas-to-energy project that uses purified methane gas from a nearby landfill to power the campus.

We also were very fortunate to gain leadership skills from Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Management Vanessa Druskat, Ph.D. and to receive some excellent teamwork tips from UNH Women’s Lacrosse Coach Michael Daly and Women’s Swimming & Diving Coach Jarrod Zwirko. 

To cap off the evening, we even watched the UNH Wildcats men’s hockey team clinch first place in Hockey East by storming back from three goals down in the third period to tie the BC Eagles.

Special thanks to UNH Sports Properties’ Jenna Kubesch for helping to organize the day’s events and to the entire UNH campus for being so welcoming and hospitable!

To view the presentations from the event, please visit: http://www.nheconomy.com/WildforInnovation.aspx.

– Steve Boucher, Communications & Legislative Director

It Makes Perfect Business Sense to “Get Wild”

Friday, February 26th, 2010

How many times in a business situation do you think that it pays to “get wild?”

Well, I’m here to tell you that next Friday, the entire state of New Hampshire will go “Wild for Innovation” as we partner with Public Service of New Hampshire and the University of New Hampshire to host a daylong celebration of some of the finest innovative initiatives in the nation.

Our good friend Allen Voivod of Epiphanies, Inc. just wrote a great blog about our upcoming event – here’s what he had to say:

Networking, Innovating and Getting Wild About Business

Here’s one thing that 2009 taught us – everything you think you know about business can change very rapidly, and cause even the most stable of companies to get nervous, get shaky, and in some unfortunate circumstances, go under.

innovations22Here’s something else we know – out of recessions come some of the most powerful, profitable, game-changing companies. General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, CNN, Federal Express, Burger King, and dozens of other giants started out in what some would consider the worst of economic circumstances.

One of the keys to their survival through thick and thin is their ability to innovate – to constantly search for ways to improve the way they do business, internally and externally. This is the overriding theme behind “Wild for Innovation,” billed as “a unique opportunity for New Hampshire businesspeople to converge with some of the brightest at UNH for a day of learning, sharing, celebration.”

It’s happening Friday, March 5th, at UNH in Durham, starting at 12pm and continuing through 5:45pm, after which there’s going to be a tailgate-style networking dinner. (You can stay and watch UNH’s hockey team take on Boston College at 7:30pm and make a night of it, too.)

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t planning on going originally, even though one of our clients is involved in putting on this event. But I’ve since changed my mind, and the reason why is because of what I learned from studying up on trade shows a couple of years ago:

If you want to stand out in your field, look at what’s happening in different industries to get fresh ideas, find out what’s working (and what isn’t), and bring some of that into your own presence as appropriate.

Same thing goes for innovation – if you want to get in the innovation mindset, surround yourself with open-minded business professionals who are thinking in that direction. Surround yourself with people who are actually innovating for a living. Get fresh input from different fields that you can take back and put to work in your own business.

You’re going to get that (and a lot more) from Wild for Innovation Day. It’s an event unlike others I’ve seen put on here in NH in the past, tickets are limited for it, and half are gone already, so don’t wait until the last minute – jump on it today.

To learn more, visit: http://wildforinnovation.eventbrite.com/.

NH Business Community Invited to Get “Wild for Innovation”

Monday, February 1st, 2010

What is it that all successful teams have in common? Find out on March 5th, 2010 when the UNH Wildcats, the Whittemore School of Business, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development and Public Service of New Hampshire host a unique afternoon workshop at UNH aimed at building teams, developing effective leaders and stimulating innovation.

innovations2The “Wild for Innovation” workshop has been developed specifically for New Hampshire business leaders and their teams. Participants will attend classes on innovation and leadership effectiveness from Whittemore professors, experience the innovations in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and work directly with UNH athletics coaches on team building. There will be a special look at UNH’s Green LaunchPad as well as a discussion on leader effectiveness. The event will culminate with a BBQ tailgate party, a team picture and reserved seats to see the nationally ranked Wildcat hockey team in action against the Boston College Eagles.

“This is a unique opportunity for New Hampshire businesses to spend an afternoon focusing on techniques for building a winning team,” said New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy. “Innovation is a team sport and we know that great teams don’t just happen. It takes practice, focus and commitment to be successful year after year.”

With an eye toward developing leaders for tomorrow, the workshop sessions will address opportunities for every type of New Hampshire business, from the service sector to the emerging areas of renewable energy and nanotechnology.

“Wild for Innovation day could be a seminal moment for the business leaders of the next decade,” according to Pat McDermott, the Economic and Community Development Manager at Public Service of NH, the lead sponsor of the event. “In the next ten years, start-up companies and corporate stalwarts will all face the same challenges, and those with the best leaders and strongest teams will be most likely to succeed.”

The Wild for Innovation workshop will be held at UNH in Durham on March 5, 2010. The event is limited to 100 participants. Companies are encouraged to register their teams online as early as possible by visiting http://wildforinnovation.eventbrite.com/