Wharton DC Innovation Summit. COVID-19: Pivot, Reboot, Rebound
May 26-27, 2020 on Zoom
For Immediate Release:
Overview: With a successful track record of hosting five previous highly-rated Summits, the DC Wharton Club is moving the 2020 Wharton DC Innovation Summit: Covid-19 – Pivot, Reboot, Rebound online. It will be held on May 26 and 27, 2020, from 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM EDT each day.
This conference, open to all, focuses on the impact the Novel Coronavirus is having on innovation now and for years to come. Our diverse, accomplished speakers will address how COVID-19 has changed lives, altered the trajectory of innovation, and presented new possibilities for business disruption and growth.
The Summit video has highlights of this year's event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdG7e4e6VPs&feature=youtu.be
The Summit features top keynotes:
- Marla Beck, Co-Founder & CEO, Bluemercury, Inc., an iconic luxury beauty retail chain whose exponential growth continues to be guided by her leadership and passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and consumer brands. Named as one of Goldman Sachs' 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.
- Dr. Kaihan Krippendorff, Founder of growth strategy & innovation consulting firm, Outthinker; author of 4 books including Driving Innovation From Within
- David Morey, Chairman & CEO, DMG Global & author, Innovating Innovation & Creating Business Magic; he will focus on "Leading Change Beyond COVID-19"
The 2020 Summit will also have the top panelists consistent with the Summit theme on these vital topics:
- COVID-19's Impact on Private Startup Funding
- Power Pitches: Pending & Post-Pandemic
- Public Funding Options During & After the Pandemic
- The Impact of COVID-19 on the Workforce & Workplace of the Future
- Innovating for Supply Chain Resilience
- The Pandemic's Impact on Healthcare Innovation
- Pivot, Reposition & Future-Proof
- COVID-19's Effects on the Future of Higher Education
Record of Success: The 2020 Innovation Summit builds upon five successful past summits, each of which received rave reviews from speakers, attendees and sponsors. Typical reviews:
- "The Summit is fantastic. I've had a lot of great conversations with individuals here. There are many new perspectives, innovative ideas, and great opportunities to collaborate. We've had numerous informal sessions with much dialogue."– Ruth Ann Hudson, IBM
- "What's exciting about the Summit is that we have entrepreneurs and innovators coming together in the Nation's Capital, finding ways entrepreneurs and innovators can help the big problems over the next decade. I'm excited about being here because the talent gathered here can together be part of the solution for our Nation's ills." – Aneesh Chopra, first White House Chief Technology Officer
Prior Summits in the Washington, D.C. area allowed attendees to meet in person -- investors, innovators in industry and government, policy makers, entrepreneurs, academic leaders (from Wharton, UPenn, Johns Hopkins and other top schools) and others whose common goal has been to empower private and public innovators to spur business, economic and job growth in the U.S. and abroad. These conferences cumulatively had over 1,700 attendees representing 350+ companies (from startups to Fortune 500 companies) and other organizations and featured 300+ diverse speakers in over 180 sessions.
Prominent keynotes included:
- Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn, "Fathers of the Internet"
- Seth Goldman, Co-Founder & TeaEO Emeritus of Honest Tea, Executive Chair of Beyond Meat
- Susan Penfield, Chief Innovation Officer, Booz Allen Hamilton
- Aneesh Chopra, Hunch Analytics, first White House Chief Technology Officer
"Going online has several advantages," says Alan Schlaifer, Summit Chair. "It gives us access to outstanding speakers throughout the U.S. Plus, it makes it easy for anyone – anywhere in the world – to be online for as many keynotes and panels as convenient. They can return any time in the next three months to get access to the recording of those or other sessions."
He adds, "The schedule includes breaks where attendees and speakers can connect in Zoom Breakout Rooms and in Chats."
A portion of the proceeds will be given to other nonprofits helping those adversely affected by COVID-19.