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Ben Franklin Announces “Innovation Guru”as i xchange Keynoter |
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The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania has announced that innovation expert Jeff DeGraff will be the keynote presenter at i xchange 2009. I xchange will be held beginning at 5:30 pm on the evening of Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at the Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem.
The i xchange has become the premier business networking opportunity in northeastern Pennsylvania. Last year, more than 600 technology entrepreneurs, business people, economic developers, venture capitalists, political leaders, educators, students, bankers, lawyers, and accountants from Ben Franklin’s 21-county service area attended, and even more are expected this year.
The i xchange will combine an executive networking session, the keynote address by DeGraff, and the presentation of Ben Franklin’s annual Innovation Awards. These awards recognize and salute outstanding accomplishment in business and technology.
Known as the “guru to the innovation guru” at Fortune 500 companies, Jeff DeGraff has created a broad array of widely used tools and methodologies for implementing innovation. DeGraff is a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. He is also the managing partner of Competing Values Company, a consulting firm that assists leaders in facilitating change, and the executive director of the Innovatrium Institute for Technology.
3M, Apple Computer, American Express, GE, Johnson & Johnson, LG, Pfizer, Toyota, and Yahoo are a few of DeGraff’s representative clients. Besides being a charismatic and in-demand speaker, DeGraff is a thought leader at top innovation incubators and think tanks such as the Aspen Institute. His advice is frequently sought by the investment community on how to pick, manage, and harvest winning ideas and successful business enterprises.
DeGraff has written about innovation in numerous articles and books. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The i xchange will also include the fifteenth annual Northeastern Pennsylvania Innovation Awards ceremony. The Innovation Awards honor individuals and companies that exemplify innovation in helping accomplish the mission of the Ben Franklin program: developing early-stage, technology-oriented companies; helping established manufacturers creatively apply new technologies and business practices; and promoting an innovative community-wide infrastructure.
Individuals interested in purchasing tickets to the Ben Franklin i xchange may visit www.nep.benfranklin.org or call 610-758-5200.
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