Events

Public Program

Innovation Hub: Mass Momentum

Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe; Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School; Rob Go, NextView Ventures; Carmichael Roberts, North Bridge, and moderated by Robert Krim, Framingham State University
Thursday, May 19, 2016, 6:00PM - 7:30PM

This program will be held at MIT's Morss Hall at the Walker Memorial Building (142 Memorial Drive - Cambridge)

Massachusetts is the birthplace of more world changing innovations than almost anywhere on earth. From the first modern anesthesia to the first venture capital firm to the legalization of same sex marriage, these innovations have shaped the world.  

Our region’s future as a global innovation hub can’t be taken for granted.  Five leaders from divergent sectors who focus on innovation will address critical questions about how to keep our region innovative:

Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School

Rob Go, NextView Ventures

Carmichael Roberts, North Bridge

Moderated by Robert Krim, Dir., Innovation Center, Framingham State University

 

They will tackle questions such as:

  • What innovation drivers have consistently been a part of our region and what can we do to strengthen them for the future?
  • Why have major social innovations, from being the 1st state to abolish slavery to the 1st state to legalize gay marriage (and many others) happened here?
  • What can our region learn from previous losses?
    • The 1st decade of the auto industry was centered in Boston & Hartford. How did we lose it?
    • Greater Boston was the center of early computer development (in the ‘40’s), the transistor revolution of the ‘50’s as well as some early digital breakthroughs in the 1960’s. Why did the next wave of innovation move west?
  • How did waves of innovation in each of four centuries bring the region back from depression to national and global innovative leadership? 
  • How can these lessons help retain the current “innovation generation” in this region?

This program has been made possible through the underwriting support of Framingham State University and Legal Sea Foods. 

Presented by the Massachusetts Historical Society working with MIT, the Russell Museum at MGH, Cambridge Innovation Center, Framingham State University and faculty from Suffolk University.

There will be a pre-talk reception at 5:30pm.