Ever wonder how Starbucks creates so many new products while maintaining such a consistent customer experience? Or who the CEO of Zappos hires to coach startups at his Downtown Project?
On October 23 the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce will welcome Starbucks’ vice president of research and development and one of the most experienced coaches at entrepreneurial consulting firm ROCeteer to Insight Studio | Inspiring Innovation.
Following last year’s inaugural Insight Studio fall event, which brought the leader of Google’s manager development team and the founder of Xactly to a sold-out crowd, the second installment, Insight Studio | Inspiring Innovation, will present Mary Wagner, the head of Starbucks’ research and development team and workplace culture guru Kimberly Guiry.
Mary Wagner
With more than 30 years’ experience in innovation, research and product development, Mary Wagner is the person Starbucks turns to when they are looking for the next Pumpkin Spice Latte. Since April 2010 Wagner has been responsible for ensuring that the global coffee maker maintains a consistent pipeline of innovations while strengthening core products to deliver profitable growth and enhance brand equity.
In 2012, Zappo’s CEO Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project took flight in downtown Las Vegas. In the three years since the launch more than 300 startups and established local businesses have benefited from and grown in this incubator and revitalization project.
When Hsieh started looking to hire a coach for Downtown Project startups he turned to ROCeteer.
Kimberly Guiry
As the happiness astronaut at ROCeteer, the entrepreneurial consulting firm responsible for coaching more than 300 Downtown Project startups in Las Vegas, Guiry specializes in encouraging innovation. She has a passion for facilitating workplace cultures that support success and, for more than 20 years, has been helping businesses from Fortune 500 companies to mom-and-pop shops do more than they dreamed possible.
Insight Studio is a year-long event series that is designed to elevate businesses by delivering inspiration, learning and development to organizational leaders and employees alike. The program is supported by lead sponsor Spectrum Business and Supporting Sponsors Express Employment Professionals and the City of San Luis Obispo’s Economic Development Program.
For more information or to register go to slochamber.org/events/insight-studio