The Cal Poly Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) will host its first forum of the academic year, titled “You + Media = The Future” from 4:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, October 16, at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center Pavilion. The evening will kick off with student pitches from the finalists of the 4th Annual Ray Scherr Elevator Pitch Competition. Forums are free and open to the public; registration is required.
Traditional media has undergone a sea change over the past decade, and innovation has played a tremendous role in the way stories are captured, delivered and shared. Industry leaders will discuss the ways the average citizen has the power to contribute to the media pool and how platforms and storytellers have adapted and evolved. Panelists include Tim Bennett, former president of HARPO Productions; Tod Nelson, former senior editor of Books, Music, & Video at Amazon.com; Lorie Hearn, executive director of inewsource; and Melissa Godsey, marketing and brand strategist at Rosetta.
“Technological innovations have always driven media, from the first printing press to the Internet and everything in between,” said Tod Nelson, former senior editor of Books, Music, & Video at Amazon.com. “At best this leads to a democratization of information–everyone has access to and can share the best information. At worst this creates a cacophony of voices vying for attention. Media must distinguish itself from the cacophony and find its audience.”
During the Pitches, Exhibits and Networking (PEN) portion of the forum, finalists of the 4th annual Ray Scherr Elevator Pitch Competition will pitch their ideas to attendees and judges in 90 seconds. Categories include Idea Cloud—for those with just a concept–and Launch Pad, for founders with an existing business. Audience Choice and Freshman winners will also be chosen. The overall winner will receive a trip to Chicago for the 2013 National CEO Conference to compete in the CEO Elevator Pitch Finals with students from all over the U.S.
The October Forum is the first event of the 2013-14 Entrepreneurship Forum Series, which unites the Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo entrepreneurship communities. Guests can network with local and national industry leaders and innovators, meet student entrepreneurs, and learn more about CIE resources and services.
In addition, CIE will introduce the Coleman Fellows for this year which include Mary Glick, chair and associate professor of journalism in the College of Liberal Arts, who spearheaded the formation of this forum theme, panelists and the Entrepreneur-in-Residence schedule for visiting speaker, Lorie Hearn. More information on this year’s Coleman Fellows can be found on the CIE website.
CIE is introducing the Pioneer Pass program for the second year. This annual pass is a voluntary method to financially support the Forums Series and gives pass holders expedited registration, access to special industry events, and more. Pioneer Pass holders help uphold the quality and longevity of CIE programming.
For more information and to register, please go to: cie.calpoly.edu/.