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Optimizing the Pacific Northwest Innovation Ecosystem

Bolstering the ability of states and provinces to drive innovation is the impetus behind the first Pacific Northwest Innovation Summit to be held September 17-18 in Seattle. Taken together the Pacific Northwest economy is the 14th largest economy in the world and has the potential to do even better.  The region is emerging as the most dynamic, creative and fertile environment for innovation in the world.  The summit is organized around four major themes:

Summit's Major Themes:

·      Strengthening the Innovation Ecosystem of Washington

·      Building Effective Collaborations across Borders

·      Fostering Entrepreneurship in the Pacific Northwest

·      Financing Technology Development, Commercialization and Start-ups

 

 

Reception - September 17th
 

"What's so funny about Economics?"

Yoram Bauman, a resident of Seattle, received his Ph.D in economics from the UW and has set a goal to spread jobs to the world through economics comedy; to reform economics education and to implement carbon pricing.  Bauman performs regularly at Colleges, companies, and comedy clubs and has shared the stage with everyone from Robin Williams to paul Krugman.  He has appeared in Time magazine and on PBS and NPR and is the co-author of the two-volume  Cartoon Introduction to Economics which is now available in Chinese, German, Italian, etc.  Speaking of foreign languages, he is also the organizer of the hmor session at the annual meeting of the American Economic Association

 

 

Features - September 18th

"Innovation Across Pacific Northwest Borders"

Brad Owen, Lt. Governor of Washington State was a small business owner before entering politics. In 1989, he formed a non-profit organization called Strategies for Youth to fight substance abuse among Washington's young people. He was elected as Shelton City Finance Commissioner and to the Washington House of Representatives in 1976. In 1983, he was elected to the Washington State Senate, where he served until his election at lieutenant governor.

Morning Keynote - Tuesday September 18th

"The World's Fair, Innovation and the Seattle Times"
                              

Frank is a fourth generation member of the Blethen family, which founded The Seattle Times in 1896.  He has been publisher and chief executive officer since 1985, having joined the family business full-time in 1968.  He held a variety of training positions at The Seattle Times until 1974 he joined the Seattle Times-owned Walla Wall Union-Bulletin as publisher.  He returned to The Seattle Times in 1980 and held executive positions in circulation, advertising, marketing and labor.  Frank is a graduate of Arizona State University, and has done post-graduate work at Harvard.  Frank is know for his civic involvement as well as his generosity in donating to many causes in the community, most notably in the areas of higher education, cultural diversity and health and human services.  Frank is deeply committed to diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion.  His other passions include his family, preserving family businesses and independent journalism.

An outstanding panel of business, education and government leaders is assembled in each of these four areas to bring insight, provoke dialogue and offer recommendations for a Pacific Northwest Innovation Action Agenda.  This is not about how regions compete against each other, at the expense of each other.  The objective is to collaborate and come out stronger by leveraging the innovation assets of every state and province.  The summit is a first step in defining “Innovation Policy Principles” and an Action Agenda for optimizing the regions innovation ecosystem. To register and become a delegate to the Summit meeting go to: