Ventures in Medicine: Innovations in Cardiology and Beyond

June 29, 2009 – 9:39 pm

SVII "First Wednesday"
Innovation Society Meeting

July 1st, 2009
6:00-9:30 p.m.

Guest Speaker: Ted McCluskey
Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Clinical, Aviir, Inc.
Board Member, Sand Hill Angels


Ted McCluskey, MD/PhD is Chief Medical Officer and VP of Clinical at Aviir,
Inc. a cardiovascular diagnostic company in Palo Alto. Aviir is a
venture-funded biotechnology company developing cutting edge, convenient
diagnostic tests enabling accurate diagnosis and prognosis of cardiovascular
disease. Ted was trained as an interventional cardiologist. In addition to being
an MD, he has a PhD in Pharmacology. Ted is also a Board Director of Sand Hill
Angels, where he manages the education process.

Prior to Aviir, Ted spent four years at Scios (a Johnson & Johnson company), where he oversaw cardiovascular clinical development, including VEGF-121 and their lead product, Natrecor. Prior to Scios, Ted was at Genentech for eight years, overseeing clinical research on cardiovascular applications for TNKase, Bosentan, CathFlo Activase, and for the recently approved anti-angiogenic ophthalmic agent, Lucentis. He led the clinical development for the cardiovascular application of VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) by direct intra-coronary injection, and he has had extensive experience in both in-licensing and out-licensing projects.

Join us, as Ted shares his experiences and insights in this rich innovation journey in medicine. Bring your own perspectives and questions!

Program Schedule:

6:00 Networking
6:45 Community Buffet Dinner
7:10 Appetizer Story: Apple Innovations at Veteran’s Hospital
7:15 Introductions
7:30 Feature Presentation
8:30 Showing Up in support of Innovation
9:30 Closing

Drinks are available on a no-host basis.

Event fee - $30. Pay at the meeting or use PayPal.


Location:

Bay Cafe, Bayshore Ballroom
1875 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto
www.BayCafeRestaurant.com

Drive down Embarcadero East, past Ming’s, turn left into the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course; from the parking lot, walk up the wide path toward the golf course buildings; the restaurant will be on the right.

Restaurant direct line: 650-856-0999

Please be sure to RSVP.
Bring cash or check, or prepay by credit card.
Need to reach us at the last minute? Call: 415-307-0645.

Outlook—What’s Coming Up Next Month:

SVII August Roundtable—a relaxed summertime get-together

To find past program archives, and the current outlook for future programs, see the SVII “First Wednesday” group of SVII Society Online. While you’re there, sign up as a member of our online community of Innovation Advocates.

Stay in Touch

Wish to join our mailing list? Email friends@svii.org. Plan to join the SVII Innovation Society each “First Wednesday” of the month.

Keep checking here for program updates.

SVII is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization. Silicon Valley Innovation Institute, Silicon Valley, USA

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What Can the Founder of Mavericks Surf Contest Teach Us About Risk and Innovation?

June 3, 2009 – 12:38 am

“You’ve got to go out on a limb sometimes because that’s where the fruit is.”
—Will Rogers

The Science of Waves . . .and the Ecosystem Surrounding the Reef at Mavericks

Presented by Jeff Clark, Founder/Director, Mavericks Surf Contest

PARC Forum—Risk-Takers Series
Palo Alto Research Center, Palo Alto, California
George E. Pake Auditorium
Thursday, June 4, 2009
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Contact: (650) 812-4000

Giant wave faces. Swirling boils. Explosive speed. Huge peaks that pitch almost straight out. Ever wonder what makes a Mavericks wave—the Mount Everest of surfing—so unique and completely intimidating? Much it has to do with what’s going on underneath the surface.

Mavericks is the world-renowned, big-wave break located 1/2 mile off the coast of Half Moon Bay, California. In 1975, Jeff Clark became the first person to ever surf Mavericks. Until 1990, he surfed there alone. Many believe this 15-year solo effort to be one of the great feats in surfing history. By the early 1990s, word of Jeff’s adventures began to spread. Since then Mavericks has moved into the foreground of big-wave surfing, attracting the most elite riders to test its limits each time it breaks. These riders are presented with waves as high as 50 feet, remarkably strong currents, dangerous rocks, shallow reefs, and frigid water temperatures.

Jeff Clark will talk about his Mavericks experiences, and the collaborative efforts by surfers and scientists to enhance their understanding of Mavericks wave crests, which involves careful tracking of the seafloor imagery of Mavericks, provided by the California Coast State Waters Mapping Project.

Each winter, during a waiting period typically set for sometime between December and March—when conditions are just right, and giant swells roll in from far across the Pacific—the Mavericks Surf Contest comes to Half Moon Bay. It is Jeff Clark who predicts and then calls the contest, bringing in, at two days’ notice, 24 of the world’s best big wave surfers to test themselves against the bone-chilling cold, ever-present dangers, and giant waves of Mavericks.

Jeff Clark, Founder/Director, Mavericks Surf Contest

About Jeff Clark

Labeled one of the “world’s best big-wave riders” by Surfer magazine in 1994, Jeff Clark, along with Mavericks and the Half Moon Bay surf scene, has been featured in such films as Riding Giants and Adventures in Wild California.

The annual Mavericks Surf Contest was founded and is directed by Jeff Clark. The invitational surf contest brings together the best and boldest big wave surfers from all over the world to Half Moon Bay. Clark also runs the Mavericks Surf Shop in the Princeton Harbor neighborhood of Half Moon Bay, not far from the famous break, where he sells his custom-made surfboards, surfing apparel, big wave photos,
posters and more. Jeff Clark is often asked to speak to business groups about risk-taking and innovation.

About PARC (Palo Alto Research Center, Palo Alto, California)

A center for commercial innovation, PARC works closely with clients to discover, test, and deliver new business opportunities, turning ideas into impact. Enterprises and entrepreneurs alike can gain new insights into customer needs, extend technical capabilities, and acquire valuable new technology assets.

Celebrated for innovations such as laser printing, the Ethernet, the graphical user interface, ubiquitous computing, blue lasers, MEMS, and large-area electronics, PARC has invented and contributed technologies that have helped launch more than 30 companies. PARC was founded in 1970, and incorporated in 2002 as a subsidiary of Xerox Corporation. This program is part of PARC Forum’s Thursday afternoon series.

Directions to PARC: http://www.parc.com/directions

More information and previous Forum talks are available online at http://www.parc.com/forum

About PARC Forum: http://www.parc.com/forum

Online Archive: http://www.parc.com/events/forum/archive.php [video + audio of past Forums]

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A Silicon Valley Innovation Journey: From Semiconductors to Sustainability

May 30, 2009 – 7:22 pm

SVII "First Wednesday"
Innovation Society Meeting

June 3, 2009
6:00 - 9:30 p.m.

Guest Speaker: Kevin Surace, CEO, Serious Materials

“Factories re-open, creating new jobs and cost savings for U.S. employees.”

Is this a headline from years gone by? A satirical story reported in The Onion? Or an apt characterization of the work of a 21st Century Silicon Valley innovation leader? Our third option has all the charm.

Join us as Kevin Surace, former semiconductor executive and current CEO of Silicon Valley-based Serious Materials, shares with us his recent White House commendations from the President and Vice President, and his adventures as a leader in one of the most critical 21st Century innovation industries.

Serious Materials develops and manufactures sustainable green building materials that save energy, save money, improve comfort and aggressively address climate change. The company was voted #1 at Cleantech Forum XII, won Global Gypsum Product of the Year 2008, won the first Aspen Institute award for innovation in Energy Conservation, and was awarded Green Product of the Year by Popular Science. It has also been recognized by TIME, CNN, Fortune, and Business Week as one of the top green technology companies.

Products such as SeriousWindows™ and SeriousGlass™ reduce heating and cooling energy costs by up to 50% and improve occupant comfort. QuietRock® soundproof drywall and QuietGlass® reduce material use, enhance livability, and support dense sustainable urban construction. EcoRock™ uses 80% less energy in its core production and has the potential to save billions of pounds of CO2 annually, making it the only true green alternative to gypsum drywall and five times more environmentally friendly. SeriousWindows, SeriousGlass and super-insulating ThermaRock™ drywall support energy efficiency funding programs as outlined under The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) including Weatherization (WAP), Green Federal Buildings, State Energy Program (SEP), Energy Efficiency Block Grants, Energy Tax Credit for Consumers, and Tax Deductions for Commercial Buildings.

Bring your curiosity, and your insights. We hope to see you there!

Program Schedule:

6:00 Networking
6:45 Community Buffet Dinner
7:10 Appetizer Story
7:15 Introductions
7:30 Feature Presentation
8:30 Showing Up in support of Innovation
9:30 Closing

Drinks are available on a no-host basis.

Event fee - $30. Pay at the meeting or use PayPal.


Location:

Bay Cafe, Bayshore Ballroom
1875 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto
www.BayCafeRestaurant.com

Drive down Embarcadero East, past Ming’s, turn left into the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course; from the parking lot, walk up the wide path toward the golf course buildings; the restaurant will be on the right.

Restaurant direct line: 650-856-0999

Please be sure to RSVP.
Bring cash or check, or prepay by credit card.
Need to reach us at the last minute? Call: 415-307-0645.

Outlook—What’s Coming Up Next Month:

Ventures in Medicine: Innovations in Cardiology and Beyond
Guest Speaker: Ted McCluskey, Sand Hill Angels

To find past program archives, and the current outlook for future programs, see the SVII “First Wednesday” group of SVII Society Online. While you’re there, sign up as a member of our online community of Innovation Advocates.

Stay in Touch

Wish to join our mailing list? Email friends@svii.org. Plan to join the SVII Innovation Society each “First Wednesday” of the month.

Keep checking here for program updates.

SVII is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization. Silicon Valley Innovation Institute, Silicon Valley, USA

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Inspiration, Open Source and Sun SPOTs

May 5, 2009 – 11:55 pm

Turning Vision into Value

Invite your friends and colleagues and join us for the Silicon Valley Innovation Institute’s Innovation Society 2009 Series.

SVII “First Wednesday”

Innovation Society Meeting

May 6, 2009
6:00 - 9:30 p.m.

Inspiration, Open Source and Sun SPOTs

Guest Presenter: Roger Meike, Director of Operations
Sun Labs, Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Embedded computers are all around us. There are many more embedded computers than there are people on the planet. The implications of the growth of these devices is staggering. While the internet has more than a billion computers connected to it, there are several times that number of cell phones connected to the internet. Sun has created an open source technology called Sun SPOT to help create the “internet of things.” The mission is to inspire a community of developers to invent the next generation of connected devices using Sun’s technology. Roger will discuss strategies and tactics employed as well as the results of Sun’s activities so far in this area.

Roger Meike is Senior Director, Area 51 and Director of Operations, Sun Microsystems Laboratories. His background is in cognitive science and his career has lead him back and forth between new start companies and large research organizations. While his background is mostly in software, he also enjoys consorting with hardware folks. He has been accused of being many things including photo enthusiast, sailor, ham radio operator, musician and techno-geek/nerd.

Bring your curiosity, and your insights. See you there!

Program Schedule:

6:00 Networking
6:45 Community Buffet Dinner
7:10 Appetizer Story
7:15 Introductions
7:30 Feature Presentation
8:30 Showing Up in support of Innovation
9:30 Closing

Drinks are available on a no-host basis.

Event fee - $30. Pay at the meeting or use PayPal.


Location:

Bay Cafe, Bayshore Ballroom
1875 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto
www.BayCafeRestaurant.com

Drive down Embarcadero East, past Ming’s, turn left into the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course; from the parking lot, walk up the wide path toward the golf course buildings; the restaurant will be on the right.

Restaurant direct line: 650-856-0999

Please be sure to RSVP.
Bring cash or check, or prepay by credit card.
Need to reach us at the last minute? Call: 415-307-0645.

Outlook—What’s Coming Up Next Month:

A Silicon Valley Innovation Journey: from Semiconductors to Sustainability

Guest Presenter: Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials

Archives

To find past program archives, and the current outlook for future programs, see the SVII “First Wednesday” group of SVII Society Online. While you’re there, sign up as a member of our online community of Innovation Advocates.

Stay in Touch

Wish to join our mailing list? Email friends@svii.org. Plan to join the SVII Innovation Society each “First Wednesday” of the month.

Keep checking here for program updates.
SVII is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization. Silicon Valley Innovation Institute, Silicon Valley, USA

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By admin | Posted in Developers Communities, Embedded Computers, Innovation, Kevin Surace, Open Internet Access, Open Source, Roger Meike, SVII, Semiconductors, Serious Materials, Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley Innovation Institute, Sun Labs, Sun Microsystems, Sun SPOTs, Sustainability, Tech | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Innovation on the Edge of Chaos

March 21, 2009 – 4:14 pm

Turning Vision into Value

Invite your friends and colleagues and join us for the Silicon Valley Innovation Institute’s Innovation Society 2009 Series.

SVII “First Wednesday”

Innovation Society Meeting

April 1st, 2009

6:00—9:30 pm

Innovation on the Edge of Chaos: From metaphor to physical principle and back again

Guest Presenter: Bruce Sawhill, ePluribus Research

Dr. Bruce Sawhill will tell the story of chaos theory from the viewpoint of how the history of science influences and is influenced by the history of civilization and cannot be considered separately. In particular, why is chaos theory a relatively recent invention when in principle it could have been discovered in Newton’s time? The implications for modern day personal and business life will be discussed.

Dr. Sawhill received his PhD in Theoretical Physics from Stanford University in 1985. After a post-doctorate at the Max Planck Institut in Munich, he settled at the Santa Fe Institute from 1991-97 to study chaos and complexity science. In 1997, he co-founded the Bios Group, a complexity science consulting group formed to apply cutting edge science to business problems. In 2002, he co-founded DayJet Corporation, the world’s first per-seat on-demand jet taxi service.

Program Schedule

6:00  Arrival and networking

6:45  Buffet dinner

7:10 Appetizer Story—ZooqNet

7:15 Introductions

7:30  Featured Presentation

8:30 Showing Up as an Innovation Advocate

9:30 Closing

Drinks are available on a no-host basis.

Event fee - $30. Pay at the meeting or use PayPal.


 

Location:

Bay Cafe, Bayshore Ballroom
1875 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto
www.BayCafeRestaurant.com

Drive down Embarcadero East, past Ming’s, turn left into the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course; from the parking lot, walk up the wide path toward the golf course buildings; the restaurant will be on the right.

Restaurant direct line: 650-856-0999

Please be sure to RSVP.
Bring cash or check, or prepay by credit card.
Need to reach us at the last minute? Call 415-307-0645.

 

Outlook—What’s Coming Up Next Month:

Innovation Insights and Elements: SunSPOTs and More

Guest Presenter: Roger Meike, SunLabs

 

Archives

To find past program archives, and the current outlook for future programs, see the SVII “First Wednesday” group of SVII Society Online. While you’re there, sign up as a member of our online community of Innovation Advocates.

 

Stay in Touch

Wish to join our mailing list? Email friends@svii.org. Plan to join the SVII Innovation Society each “First Wednesday” of the month.

Keep checking here for program updates.
SVII is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization. Silicon Valley Innovation Institute, Silicon Valley, USA

 

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Silicon Valley Innovation Institute: When Computers Look at Art

March 1, 2009 – 8:16 pm

Turning Vision into Value

Invite your friends and colleagues and join us for the Silicon Valley Innovation Institute’s Innovation Society 2009 Series.

SVII “First Wednesday”
Innovation Society Meeting

March 4th, 2009
6:00 - 9:30 pm

Presenter: David Stork, Chief Scientist, Ricoh Innovations

Thanks to cutting edge advancements in computer science, questions and controversies in the study of art are now being answered in ways that were not previously possible. For example, computer analysis is currently being used to authenticate paintings attributed to artists such as Jackson Pollock and Vincent Van Gogh.

An analysis of perspective, shading, color, and form has thrown a wrench into David Hockney’s bold claim that as early as 1420, Renaissance artists employed optical devices such as concave mirrors to project images onto their canvases.

How do these computer methods work?

What can computers reveal about images that even the best-trained connoisseurs, art historians and artist cannot?

How much more powerful and revealing will these methods become?

In short, how is computer image analysis changing our understanding of art?

Join us as David Stork addresses these questions and more. David is Chief Scientist at Ricoh Innovations. He is also a Consulting Professor of Statistics at Stanford, and a Fellow of the International Association for Pattern Recognition. He has authored and co-authored many publications, including Seeing the Light: Optics in Nature, Photography, Color, Vision, and Holography, the leading textbook on optics and the arts; Pattern Classification, the best-selling textbook in the field, and other critical works. He is also the creator of the PBS documentary, 2001: HAL’s Legacy.

Bring your curiosity, and your own insights.

Program Schedule:

6:00   Networking
6:45   Community Buffet Dinner
7:10   Appetizer Story—Etch your Banana!
7:15   Introductions
7:30   Feature Presentation
8:30   Showing Up in support of Innovation
9:30   Closing

Drinks are available on a no-host basis.

Event fee - $30. Pay at the meeting or use PayPal.


Location:

Bay Cafe, Bayshore Ballroom
1875 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto
www.BayCafeRestaurant.com

Drive down Embarcadero East, past Ming’s, turn left into the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course; from the parking lot, walk up the wide path toward the golf course buildings; the restaurant will be on the right.

Restaurant direct line: 650-856-0999

Please be sure to RSVP.
Bring cash or check, or prepay by credit card.
Need to reach us at the last minute? Call 415-307-0645.

Outlook—What’s Coming Up Next Month:

Innovation Insights and Elements: SunSPOTs and More
Roger Meike, SunLabs

Archives

To find past program archives, and the current outlook for future programs, see the SVII “First Wednesday” group of SVII Society Online. While you’re there, sign up as a member of our online community of Innovation Advocates.

Stay in Touch

Wish to join our mailing list? Email friends@svii.org. Plan to join the SVII Innovation Society each “First Wednesday” of the month.

Keep checking here for program updates.

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By admin | Posted in Artistic Creativity, Computers and Art, Creativity, Creativity and the Artist, Innovation, Ricoh Innovations, SVII, Silicon Valley Innovation Institute, Stanford, Tech, Visualization | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Invest in Innovation by Growing Creativity: How to Love and not Fear the “C” Word Behind Innovation

February 17, 2009 – 1:00 am
Creativity, a presentation by Jakob Denk
View more presentations from Jakob Denk. (tags: gradient paper)

In a recent Silicon Valley Watcher post, Founder/Publisher Tom Foremski blogged about “10 Reasons Why This is a Great Time to Invest in Innovation.” At the end of his post, which listed many excellent reasons why now, in an economic downturn, it is an excellent time to innovate, Tom concluded with: “The next upturn will be led by what I call New Rules Enterprises, these are organizations that are highly efficient and have made the most of the economies of Internet 2.0.”

I agree with the ideas in Tom’s post, but I feel the need to add a few important thoughts to his last statement. Being highly efficient is often desirable, but only when accompanied by an allowance for creativity and free thinking that cannot always be timed precisely to the minute and packed neatly into a box.

The severity of our economic circumstances pressures organizations and their managers into cutting costs—and time—in many ways, often in what turns out to be a short-sighted attempt to sustain the company; but in the longer term, this damages its future by reigning in—or stifling—innovation. This not only bankrupts an organization’s future; it causes severe loss of employee morale, especially when coupled with lay-offs and stacking extra responsibilities on the shoulders of the employees that remain. Employees often end up feeling anxious, yet apathetic, which is the antithesis of what we think of as the “flow” state required to create, to enjoy one’s life and work, and to feel fulfilled.

Following are two video clips from the TED Talks, from a best-selling author, and a psychologist who has devoted his life’s work to the study of creativity and innovation in business. I hope you’ll feel inspired and renewed by watching them. They each passionately remind us that creativity is the main ingredient in innovation, and instead of being afraid of the “C” word, which often seems to suggest images of being too wild and out of control compared to the tamer “innovation”—we must embrace creativity and encourage creative thinking in all employees to gain the most benefit for our organization’s or project’s development and sustainable growth.

First, here is Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the best-seller, Eat, Pray, Love, who both moves and humors us about our fears of creativity and teaches us something valuable about how to cope with both “successes” and “failures”:

Next, a TED video from a master of creativity—the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi talks about the concept of Flow, also the name of his first classic book on the creative process, and being engaged in a focused state of ecstasy. Using examples from his studies of creativity and innovation in composers, authors, corporate CEOs and his own students, he discusses how human happiness is related to creativity and living in the state of flow, and how to achieve it:

We might remember this quote from one of our most creative advertising trailblazers:

“The majority of businessmen are incapable of original thought because they are unable to escape from the tyranny of reason.” — David Ogilvy

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