2014 Schedule
Interactive: March 7–11  •  Film: March 7–15  •  Music: March 11–16

Creativity in Innovation & Entrepreneurship

#sxsw #Creativity

In today’s highly competitive landscape, success often depends on the vitality of the creative process. From music to entertainment to technology, creativity is essential to producing and maintaining a competitive edge. Content and design-driven industries have long relied on creativity to thrive, and increasingly, businesses across industry are dependent on driving creative disruption and innovation in the process of continuous reinvention. Bob Safian, editor and managing director of Fast Company, will lead a discussion with John Maeda, Design Partner at KPCB and former president of Rhode Island School of Design, examining creativity at the intersection of innovation and entrepreneurship. The pair will provide insights and lessons learned on how to flex this often elusive muscle and harness it for real results.

Presenters

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John Maeda

Design Partner @ Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

John Maeda is Design Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, where he works with KPCB’s entrepreneurs and portfolio companies to build design into their company cultures. He served as the 16th president of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) from 2008 through 2013, during which time RISD saw increased applications, fundraising, and career placements. Prior to RISD, Maeda spent 13 years at the MIT Media Lab as a professor and head of research. His career bridging the intersections of graphic design, computer science, art, education, and leadership earned him the distinction of being named one of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century by Esquire.

Maeda chairs the eBay Design Advisory Council, serves on the boards of the wireless hi-fi company Sonos and the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, and is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on New Models of Leadership. His books include The Laws of Simplicity, Creative Code, and Redesigning Leadership, which expands on his Twitter feed at @johnmaeda, one of TIME Magazine’s 140 Best Twitter Feeds. He has received a variety of international awards for his creative work, including induction to the Art Director's Club Hall of Fame and the White House's National Design Award.

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Robert Safian

Editor in Chief

Fast Company

Robert Safian is editor and managing director of the award-winning monthly business magazine Fast Company. He oversees all editorial operations, in print and online, and plays a key role in guiding the magazine's advertising, marketing, and circulation efforts. Safian was named 2009 Editor of the Year by Adweek and recognized as 2008 Innovator of the Year by B-2-B Media. Under his leadership, Fast Company has received numerous accolades: a 2011 winner of a National Magazine award, two-time winner of Magazine of the Year from the Society of Business Editors and Writers; twice honored with the prestigious Gerald R. Loeb Award for Distinguished Business Journalism, among many others.

Safian came to Fast Company in 2007 from Fortune, where he served as executive editor. Prior to that, he was an executive editor at Time and headed Money as its managing editor for six years. Safian has appeared on CNN and other TV networks and has been a featured speaker at events ranging from the Cisco Systems CIO Summit to the Danish Top Executive Summit in Copenhagen. Safian began his career with a seven-year tenure at The American Lawyer, where he rose from summer intern to executive editor. He joined SmartMoney in 1994 and moved to Fortune in 1997.

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