Silicon Valley has emerged as much more than the world’s hub for technology innovation – it is a laboratory for developing new methods that foster innovation and attract funding and creative people.
This course explains the success factors involved in this process and shows how to bring those methods into your organization.
Who should attend?
The Masterclass is perfect for those who want to absorb the best practices of Silicon Valley and inject them into their work. Participants should be able to pitch their existing business ideas in front of an audience. Accelerator participants from all stages are welcome to apply. This Masterclass will be open to a maximum of 35 participants, so register early!
Objectives
What is the challenge for all of us tasked with leading our company to success through innovation? First, it is to fully grasp the realities of today’s economy on a global scale, and discern where we are likely headed. Part of this challenge is to accept that many of the big innovations that will shape the world in the next 20 years will come from new companies that can risk everything, and not from the large, incumbent corporations. How we choose to partner, emulate or compete with these new companies will define our future. Second, it is essential to be nimble and willing to challenge the current way of doing business, and be open to ideas that come from outside our company, and even from outside our industry. Finally, it is to be courageous enough to know that many of the experiments we try with new technologies and new business models will not succeed, but that if we don’t experiment, we can never uncover new business opportunities.
- Learn the fundamental frameworks for innovation and how to apply them to your work
- Develop the skills to prioritize innovations most likely to gain market traction
- Develop the skills to raise funding quickly and efficiently for your venture
The only way to never fail is to never take any risk – even though at its essence, business is all about taking calculated, intelligent risks. Companies that succeed again and again are those that encourage calculated, intelligent risks, and that deliberately de-personalize failure, so that projects that do not succeed are genuinely seen as an experiment to be learned from, not as a failure on the part of an individual or group.
Led by Andrew Isaacs 
Andrew Isaacs is a successful scientist, business executive, entrepreneur, and educator. He is passionate about mentoring the next generation of business leaders and has a strong track record of helping entrepreneurs launch their careers. Isaacs has worked at the crossroads of Silicon Valley technology and business innovation for 33 years, 18 of those years at UC Berkeley, helping start-ups and established companies create and execute successful leadership strategies.
Isaacs joined the UC Berkeley faculty in 1999. In 2000 he was appointed Executive Director of UC Berkeley’s Management of Technology Program, the joint program of the Haas School of Business and College of Engineering. He co-founded UC Berkeley’s Center for Energy and Environmental Innovation in 2005, and since 2006 has served as Faculty Director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Executive Education. Isaacs is ranked one of the Top 15 professors in the US by 360Career.
Details
- Date: 19-20 December 2016
- Location: Berlin, Germany
- Led by: Andrew Isaacs, UC Berkeley
Registration
Please register individually for this Masterclass. You can register here.
Climate-KIC start-ups and select programme participants have free access to this Masterclass. Travel costs will be reimbursed by Climate-KIC up to 200 euros per person. Costs must be submitted within 15 days of the end of the Masterclass for reimbursement. All participants must pay and arrange their own accommodation. Please note that there is a €500 no-show fine for this Masterclass. Please read the full Code of conduct and be prepared to send in your signed version when requested to do so.
Please wait with arranging your travel until you have received your official confirmation of participation per email.
Cost
For those not following the Climate-KIC Acceleration Programme (or associated Climate-KIC programmes), the fee for this Masterclass is €950 per person.