Diane Hessan

Diane Hessan is a successful entrepreneur, marketer and author. She is currently CEO of Startup Institute, which is dedicated to helping people transform their careers. Via SI’s programs, people gain the skills, mindset and networks to succeed in the exciting innovation economy. She is also Chairman of C Space, where she was CEO for 13 years. C Space (formerly Communispace) is a next-generation market research company, which builds online communities to help marketers generate consumer insights, with “a Blue Chip client list that would make a Madison Avenue giant jealous”. Diane led the company to 13 years of exponential growth, and it now has over 500 employees, and offices in over a dozen countries. The company was sold to Omnicom in 2011.

Diane has spent her career as a business executive, and as co-author of the book Customer-Centered Growth: Five Strategies for Building Competitive Advantage.