ITHAKA Sustainable Scholarship 2014

At the Starting Line

All organizations are feeling the pressure to innovate. Even in organizations with a long history of success, it requires starting anew. As you launch a new initiative, how do you assess its full and lasting potential? How can you approach it smartly—from the starting line to the finish?

Join us for an inspiring 1.5 days packed with strategies and tools to focus your organization in the right direction. We’ll bring together experts from both within and outside of academia and discuss how to create fabulous services and products, all while lowering risk and increasing impact.

What you'll leave with:

• New strategies for defining what's important and choosing your KPIs
• Practical ideas for inspiring staff and achieving alignment
• Effective methods for testing new ideas
• Real-world examples to watch and use when talking with others
• Inspiration and readiness for improving your organization

October 20, 2014

Registration and Lunch: 12:00–1:30 p.m.

Welcome and Introduction: 1:30-1:45 p.m.

• Kevin Guthrie, President, ITHAKA
• Bryan Alexander, Bryan Alexander Consulting, LLC

How They Do It: 1:45–2:30 p.m.

Think about the great product companies today: what are they doing right? If you look under the hood, the answers might surprise and enlighten

• Marty Cagan, Founding Partner, Silicon Valley Product Group

Find Your Guideposts: 2:30–3:15 p.m.

What are the key metrics for success? How do you know what they are? Once you know, how do you use them to inspire your teams and achieve your goals?

• Keith Webster, Dean of Libraries, Carnegie Mellon University
• Mark Becker, President, Georgia State University

Refreshments and Networking: 3:15–3:45 p.m.

Embrace Data: 3:45–5:15 p.m.

People will show you what they like, if given the opportunity. Technology is helping us do this in fantastic ways and see what happens at small and large scales.

• Larry Rudman, Vice President of Learning Services, Kaplan
  
• Aaron Brenner, Coordinator of Digital Scholarship, Unviersity of Pittsburgh
• Willem Pieterson, Chief Operating Officer, Syndio Social

Wrap Up and Preview of Day 2: 5:00–5:30 p.m.

• Bryan Alexander

Reception: 5:30–7:00 p.m.

October 21, 2014

Breakfast and Registration: 8:00–9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Introduction: 9:00–9:15 a.m.

• Bryan Alexander, Bryan Alexander Consulting, LLC

Take It to the Test Kitchen: 9:15–10:45 a.m.

You have the best idea ever, but you're mired in questions about how to get it started and sustain it. First, why not find out if it's actually the best idea? There are more tools available than ever before to test things out and see if they fly.

• Ed Liebow, Executive Director, American Anthropological Association
• Heather Cassano, Chief Experience Officer, Scholastic
• Alex Humphreys, AVP, Labs and New Business Development, ITHAKA
• Eric Johnson, Director of Digital Access, Folger Shakespeare Library

Refreshments and Networking: 10:45-11:15 a.m.

Be Inspired: Products to Watch: 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

We sought out new products and services launched in the last two years that we think are doing something right. We’ll hear their stories, and we'll eagerly be watching to see if they succeed long-term.

• Sam Molyneaux, CEO and Co-Founder, ScienceScape
• Jeremy Dean, Director of Education, Genius
• Dave Zwieback, VP of Engineering, Next Big Sound

Lunch: 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Ready. Set. Change: 1:30-3:00 p.m.

Talk is easy, but action is hard. We’ve brought together leaders to share their experiences: those whose organization has successfully turned its ship and come out smiling, and those whose ship is just leaving the dock to start the journey.

• Elaine Maimon, President, Govenors State University
• John Sherer, Director, University of North Carolina Press
• Dane Neller, Chief Executive Officer, Espresso Book Machine by OnDemand Books

Closing: 3:00-3:15 p.m.

• Kevin Guthrie, President, ITHAKA