From Idea >> to Innovation >> to Market (Celebrating BritWeek)

Big ideas can start anywhere but where do you go from there? (#InnovationBABCSF)

This event will bring together a panel of experts who will share their insights and experience, as well as the pitfalls and challenges, of bringing a product idea to life. 

• How do you get your idea from your head to a tangible product?
• How do I get funding to produce my product, start my company, etc.?
• How do I protect my idea?
• How do I get it manufactured and what are the hidden dangers? 
• How do I launch my product successfully, and help it remain relevant?
   

Key Take-aways:

• Learn the key steps in bringing a product idea to life and unleash the power of prototyping to ask new questions and drive innovation;
• Understand the importance of protecting your idea/product and navigating the Intellectual Property rights of others;
• Understand how to get your idea/product funded and manufactured and the pitfalls and challenges that you'll meet along the way;
• Learn the importance of aligning marketing effort to product cycles and end user need to gain efficiency, save money and create an operational rhythm.

Who Should Attend:

• Entrepreneurs and Inventors;
• Start-Ups in the Devices, Hardware and Software Space;
• Designers, engineers and those interested in any aspect of design and product design;

Confirmed Panelists:

Marc Shillum, Matternet

Marc, an Englishman, with Swiss ancestry, who trained under the eminent designers Gert Dumbar in Holland and Tibor Kalman in New York, started creative life designing end titles for films, which foretells ending life designing opening titles for films. Marc is currently connecting the dots of experience design as CXO of a revolutionary startup called Matternet and is the Founder of the multi-disciplinary design consultancy Chief Creative Office. Previously he has worked for 6 international advertising agencies, 5 international design companies and 4 international newspapers. He has 3 children Anouk, Elvis and Starsky but only 1 very lovely wife, Dionne.

Andrew Gordon is the Lead Product Designer for Innovate Product Design, San Francisco. Prior to this he spent  several leading a design team at Innovate’s HQ in Salisbury, England. He has also worked as an Industrial Designer for the award winning multidisciplinary creative consultancy, marktunddesign, in Düsseldorf and Paul Haslams Bespoke kitchen and Furniture Design, Jersey (Channel Islands). Andy’s expertise ranges from design research, model making, concept generation and refinement up to final prototyping and manufacture. Andrew has a User Centered Design approach and  has a strong empathy ability to discover insights and deliver minimal and aesthetically pleasing solutions.

Django Andrews counsels and represents clients on a wide variety of intellectual property matters including patent portfolio development and evaluation. Django has experience in patent prosecution and portfolio management, patentability and freedom-to-operate opinions, patent due diligence, and patent licensing. Django holds a Ph.D. in chemistry and counsels and represents clients in the areas of therapeutic, diagnostic, and imaging pharmaceutical agents and methods; medical devices; optical imaging and detection; mass spectroscopy and genomics; and semiconductor fabrication. He has also counselled clients regarding intellectual property agreements, including patent licenses. Django has experience developing and managing patent rights in North America, Europe and Asia.

Bob Christopher is an innovation and operations executive for US MAC with experience building consumer brands in retail channels. Most recently Bob helped crowd fund and launch Play-i, a social robot to help kids learn how to code. At Play-i Bob built a direct-to-consumer drop ship model from China (aka Apple) at Amazon pricing. Connecting brands to people through manufacturing, logistics and retail distribution are core focuses of Bob's experience at Play-i, Anybots, Ugobe and GameGolf. Bob serves as Advisor/Mentor to a number of promising startups and actively helps US MAC companies secure funding through the venture community.

Liza Evans, acknowledged as one of the "20 Best Interior Designers  in Britain" by The Daily Telegraph newspaper, has design studios in San Francisco & London. Living and working in two of the most beautiful and influential cities in the world allows Liza’s interior design aesthetic to be inspired by her transatlantic and European travels ensuring her work is current and on trend. A graduate of the KLC School of Design, she was born and raised in London’s Notting Hill and cites Terrance Conran's shop, Habitat, for igniting her interest in design and a passion for beautiful interiors. Liza’s unique talent is to seamlessly blend modern or traditional interiors with the principles of Eastern simplicity, utilising colour, light, luxurious finishes and sumptuous textures to create stunning interiors for her clients. In 2012 her project for The Oxford & Cambridge Club in London was nominated for an International Design Award by The Society of British and International Design