Idea Foundry, the University of Pittsburgh, and Duquesne University have been conducting and reviewing research on the link between diversity and impact/social entrepreneurship, through a grant from Vibrant Pittsburgh and the Urban Affairs Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
They are exploring the hypothesis that diverse entrepreneurs are more likely to start social/impact enterprises and that supporting opportunities for social entrepreneurship in Pittsburgh will foster diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship. After reviewing existing research and surveying entrepreneurs, the researchers will be presenting their findings at an informal afternoon talk in conjunction with Inclusive Innovation Week. Light refreshments will be provided. K&L Gates Partnership Center is wheelchair accessible. This event is free and open to all, but registration is required.
Speaker/Facilitators:
Ron Gaydos – Pittsburgh Chamber of Cooperatives
Raqueeb Bey – Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Cooperative
Ryan Haggerty – Work Hard Pittsburgh Cooperative
For all the good they can do, many businesses and community organizations can also be less inclusive in their decision making. Increasingly, businesses and community organizations see being more inclusive as a way to create more value in what they do. It’s of course about doing the right thing but also about “firing on all cylinders” and having a diverse set of skills and perspectives in the house.
Let’s talk about how some businesses and community organizations around Pittsburgh are doing it. They’re looking to non-hierarchical models for some of their decisions about the directions they take, who comes in to the business, and how policy is set.
How can we advance innovation without leaving people behind?
A wide range of new technologies are changing our lives, communities, and society faster than ever before. Artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, virtual/augmented reality, and other innovations present powerful opportunities to solve major problems, but also come with considerable risks. It will take all of us to ensure that these developments serve to correct rather than perpetuate inequities.
We invite everyone - from seasoned technologists to people new to all these terms - to join us for an evening of learning, dialogue, and problem-solving. Hear how different voices in our technology community think about what various innovations are bringing to our society, and spend the rest of the evening engaging with others to find ways that we can individually or collectively use these technologies for good.
SCHEDULE:
5:30pm - Doors open; open activities available
6:00pm - Food served (by Choolaah) - vegan options available
6:30pm - Short speaker presentations and brief Q&A
7:30pm - Small group discussions, ideation exercises, & sharing
8:30pm - Discussions conclude
9:00pm - Doors close
SPEAKERS:
Karen Alexander, Director, XRconnectED
Karen Alexander is a lifelong learner and an enthusiast for XR technologies: virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and 360 video. She formed her consulting company, XRconnectED, to help companies in the Pittsburgh region take advantage of the efficiencies and other benefits of XR. She is working to build community around XR in the city by helping to organize the Pittsburgh VR Meetup, and her PGH in 360: Youth Perspectives project teaches teens to produce 360-degree videos.
Elizabeth LaRue, CEO, Hera Global Tech
Dr. Elizabeth M. La Rue is a world and culture explorer who focuses on social dynamics, health informatics and communication patterns. She is the co-founder and CEO of Hera Global Tech, a women-led company that addresses the issues of women's safety through discrete wearable devices. The company's first product, 'Autonomous', is a unique system that consists of a wearable device and associated phone app that leverage current and emerging sensor technology. They are currently a semi-finalist in the Anu & Naveen Jain Women's Safety XPRIZE.
Eugene Leventhal, Founder/CEO, eduDAO
Eugene is the Founder and CEO of eduDAO, working on building a blockchain-based crowdfunding and community building platform. Prior to grad school, Eugene was a Client Service Manager at RGP, a consulting company, where he supported staffing and advisory projects and was the lead on FinTech research for NY. Before joining RGP, Eugene worked with Options Group, a financial services recruitment firm, in both NY and Hong Kong where he was Vice President of Research covering five offices in Asia Pacific.
Mike Skirpan, Executive Director, Community Forge
Mike Skirpan is the executive director of Community Forge, a community center in Wilkinsburg, PA, and is the founder of Probable Models, an ethical engineering consulting and research firm. He is a recent graduate from University of Colorado's Department of Computer Science where his PhD work focused on ethical engineering through novel pedagogy, technological design, and public communications. His play, Quantified Self won a national award from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and his work has been featured in academic, journalistic, and business publications.
Suzy Teele, Head of Marketing & Communications, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM)
Suzy Teele is the Head of Marketing and Communications for Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM), a national public-private partnership focused on accelerating transformative robotic technologies and education to increase U.S. global manufacturing competitiveness. Prior to joining ARM, she was the COO of two local technology start-ups, and has helped launch more than 16 other companies or divisions in a wide range of industries. Suzy regularly mentors startups at Pitt, CMU, Innovation Works, Ascender, and other organizations. She also serves as Co-Lead for the Pittsburgh Chapter of WELD (Women for Economic and Leadership Development).
LOGISTICS:
Flexable is offering childcare for all Inclusive Innovation Week events. If you would like childcare at this event, please complete this form and select this event.
Community Forge is ADA compliant. For those with questions about venue and accessibility, please contact Mike@forge.community. For all other inquiries, please contact Kenny@ascenderpgh.com
