The good folks at Johnson & Wales' School of Technology invited me to speak, and we've collectively turned the opportunity into a joint JWU and RI Nexus event on a topic close to my heart: innovation and entrepreneurship among college students and recent grads.

I've been thinking about this topic a lot the past couple of years, and have become convinced that these very young entrepreneurs and innovators could and should play a key role in the transformation of Rhode Island's economy.

I've talked with dozens of you in RI's info-tech and digital media community about the possibilities and challenges, and appreciate the opportunity to get my thoughts down and engage a larger audience in the discussion.

Here's the description for the event - I hope you can make it.

Young Innovators & Entrepreneurs: How a New Generation is Reshaping their Careers and the Economy

Xavier Auditorium
259 Pine Street
Providence, RI
Google Maps
Thursday, April 2nd 9:30-11:00am

Innovation and entrepreneurship among college students and recent graduates has surged in recent years. The economic downturn is further fueling this trend, as more members of this new generation realize that pursuing their passions, and starting their own businesses, is the best route to building a more fulfilling, lucrative – and even more secure – career.

Simultaneously, across the nation, academic, business and government leaders are beginning to recognize that nurturing these young entrepreneurs and innovators is key to reshaping their communities' economies.

Using info-tech and digital media – the industry sector at the vanguard of new generation innovation – as our lens, we'll survey these dynamics, their implications, and strategies for taking advantage of them. We'll do so from the perspective of both students and recent grads looking to forge their careers, as well as from that of faculty, business professionals, public officials and others interested in supporting their efforts.