The business world is waking up to the fact that innovation is taking on a new shape, and that simply flooding the market with overblown and overbuilt new products is not the answer. They know that what’s next is all about being nimble, agile and flexible in creating compelling customer value, flowing that value through streamlined processes and seamless experiences void of burden and waste, and embedding a real discipline around the daily pursuit of better in service of the customer. In this talk, Matthew E. May will illustrate the 3 principles and 10 key practices that foster a culture of cross-company innovation, inspiring managers to unleash the human creativity of every individual in the organization, while providing the knowledge needed to design idea systems and structures that avoid the typical downfalls of traditional approaches. Examples drawn from a number of companies and organizations point out the do’s and don’ts, must-haves and nice-to-do’s.

Mr. Basu’s presentation will focus on the economy’s nascent economic expansion and its sustainability. Special attention shall be given to the performance of the global economy, the local and U.S. economies, regional economies throughout the U.S., financial markets, labor markets, real estate and other salient aspects of the economic environment. The speaker will also discuss the state of the small business environment as well as the role of small businesses in the recovery. Finally, the speaker will provide an economic outlook for the year to come on both a national and local level.