SIIA Online Ed Tech Business Forum

Innovation Incubator Business Profiles Presentations
Discover your next product or opportunity for partnering, acquisition or investment. Hear the participants of the Innovation Incubator Program give a short introduction to their innovative idea, product or service for the K-12 or postsecondary market.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Ken Wasch, President, SIIA
• Kevin Custer, CEO, AutismPro and Founding Principal, Arc Capital Development
• Karen Billings, Vice President, Education Division, SIIA
  

Embracing the Global Opportunities….Before It’s Too Late
It’s not IF or WHEN you can take advantage of global opportunities; it is Happening NOW. Hear about the key global trends in classrooms and the market place and how they will affect the U.S. education technology business. Discover what new products are likely to come into the U.S. and why global companies are entering the U.S. market. Find out where your new opportunities are and how you can embrace them, take advantage and benefit from them – before they become a liability.

Moderator:

• William Kelly, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Learning.com

Panelists:

• Robert Martellacci, President, MindShare Learning
• Steven Dowling, Senior Vice President of Development, President , Pearson Inc
• Michael Doyle, Managing Director, Quayle Munro, Inc.
  
  
  

• John Richards, President, Consulting Services for Education

• George Cigale, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Tutor.com

Panelists:

• Kylie Sachs, Principal, Ascend Venture Group LLC
• Nina Rees, Senior Vice President For Strategic Initiatives, Knowledge Universe
• Michael Marchesano, Managing Director, The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc.

• Kevin Custer, CEO, AutismPro and Founding Principal, Arc Capital Development

Panelist:

• Dr. Richard Sims, Chief Economist, National Education Association

Reactor:

• Chad Johnson, Director, Cherry Tree & Associates, LLC
• Eileen Lento, SLED Strategist, Intel Corporation

• Remarks from the new Education Technology Director at the U.S. Department of Education
• Highlights from the Innovation Incubator Program
• Where Are They Now: The Innovators from Years Past
• Business Profiles Review: Vote for the Innovation Incubator Awards

Keynote:

• Karen Cator, Director, Education Technology, Department of Education

What are examples of the strategies and tactics used by companies to build a global partner ecosystem? The session offers practical perspectives from both a large and emerging company who have accomplished this. What are the lessons learned? What kind of time and resource investment should be expected? What would you NEVER do again?
 

Facilitator:

• Richard Casabonne, Chief Executive Officer, Casabonne Associates, Inc.

Presenter:

• Mimi Jett, General Manager, netTrekker
• Malik Aborashid, president, EduRabia

Case studies from U.S. companies who have created materials using international companies. Where is the best leverage? What needs to be kept in-house? How do you manage across time zones, cultures, and expectations?
 

Facilitator:

• Mark Hammer, Vice President, Marketing, CompassLearning

Presenter:

• Todd Brekhus, President, Digital Solutions, Capstone Digital
• Sudhir Singh, President and CEO, Q2A Media
• Tij Nerurkar, President-North American, Tata Interactive Systems

Imagine a world where educational games help solve the toughest problems facing us today by fully engaging global students on the most pressing issues. Learn how schools are using games to prepare our 21st century students to compete in a Global Workforce. How can educational games move from a niche product to mainstream, delivering education to thousands of students simultaneously?
 

Facilitator:

• Paul Skiera, Director of Business Development, Adaptive Curricu, Sebit, LLC

Presenter:

• Bert Snow, Vice President, Design, Muzzy Lane, Inc.
• Joy Smith, Chief Development Officer, Florida Virtual
• Victoria Van Voorhis, Chief Executive Officer, Second Avenue Software

Hear from and interact with researchers and/or participants involved in K-20 global research efforts and initiatives. Understand the challenges of either localizing research for a specific geography or managing a multi-country project. Discover examples of different types of research models and the trade-offs required.
 

Facilitator:

• Kathy Hurley, Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Pearson School and the Pearson Foundation

Presenter:

• Bob Longo, President, SchoolOne
• James Teicher, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The CyberSmart! Education Company

Whether you’re a start-up, mid-size or a large, established organization, you need to have a cost-effective sales strategy. In this economic climate, you need to make sure every dollar is working for you. Hear a variety of tactics to help you make the decisions for determining the right channel mix, sizing the investment, designing the right organization and evaluating your results. Learn what works/what doesn’t from others’ experiences, to attract new customers and expand business with current customers.
 

Facilitator:

• Brenda Raker, President, The Greaves Group LLC

Presenter:

• Karina LeBlanc, Vice President, Virtual Expert Clinics, Inc.
• Rita Ferrandino, Founding Principal and Government Relations Practi, Arc Capital Development

What are some of the access and equity issues that are being resolved with an innovative use of technology? This session will provide an opportunity to learn about initiatives and next generation products that are being used to address global problems in education. Is your company positioned as a solution to the problems facing the world of education? How can your products and services serve as an agent of change and be profitable, too?
 

Facilitator:

• Kelly Hamilton, Senior Manager, Product Marketing, Blackboard, Inc.

Presenter:

• Patrik Zackrisson, VP, Business Development North America, Fronter International
• Holly De Leon, Vice President, K-12 sales, Livescribe Inc.
• Vineet Madan, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, McGraw-Hill Education

Listen to intellectual property and licensing experts discuss how to proactively protect your creations whether they are technology, methodology or content. Hear company warriors describe their “war stories” and “battle scars”. Find out who and what is out there that can support you in the effort to secure your value-add.
 

Facilitator:

• Michael Johnson, President Chief Potential Officer, Full Potential Associates

Presenter:

• Sarah Robertson, Partner, Trademark and Creative Industries , Dorsey and Whitney, LLP
• Susan Adelmann, Partnerships and Business Development Manager, Follett Software Company

How do you know that the products and services you develop are relevant to the market you have targeted? You want to stay in touch with your target customer base or understand how to tailor an existing product to make it relevant in other markets. Hear success stories of companies who have focused on target customers first and products second to grow their business.
 

Facilitator:

• Andy Frost, Director, Product Management, PLATO Learning

Presenter:

• Donald Greenberg, COO, Red Apple Digital, Inc.
• Ntiedo Etuk, Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Tabula Digita, Inc.

Today’s social media technology enables users to form and join communities of common interest to learn and share information. This session will provide an opportunity to learn about different social media technologies and their uses in education. Learn how companies can leverage these sites to learn more about their customers.
 

Facilitator:

• Charlene Blohm, President & Chief Executive Officer, C. Blohm & Associates, Inc.

Presenter:

• Lisa Schmucki, President, edWeb
• Robert Iskander, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, VIP Tone, Inc.
• Sandra Fivecoat, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, WeAreTeachers