UPA Minnesota

Thursday, July 9, 2009
Lead the Pack: Sparking Innovation that Drives Customers Wild

Speaker: Nelson Soken

Details & Directions

Date & Time: Thursday, July 9, 2009, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Event Cost: $10 for members and students, $30 non-members (Cash/Check only at the door, No ATM)

RSVP: By 5:00 p.m. on Monday July 6, 2009, to

Location: HGA Architects and Engineers, 701 Washington Ave N., Minneapolis, MN 55401 (Google Map)

Directions & Parking: Parking is available at the lot next to the building, at nearby lots (pay or free), or on the street.

Payment

Online Pay via Paypal: (Credit Card or PayPal account)

• $10 - Members (UPA-MN Chapter Members only)
• $10 - Students
• $30 - Non Members
• Those who wish to join UPA MN and attend this event should use the following:
  $70 - Event ($10) + New/Renewing Membership ($60)

Program Agenda:

• 6:00-6:30 p.m. Registration/Networking
• 6:30-8:00 p.m. Presentation/Discussion

Program Details:

Nelson Soken will talk about topics presented in his recent book: "Lead the Pack: Sparking Innovation that Drives Customers Wild". In it, Soken and co-author Wengert provide an insightful analysis of the psychological factors that influence innovation from the perspective of customers and companies. The business world is fraught with examples of companies that failed or lost market share because they attempted to sell "what we make" instead of anticipating "what you want."

In the current business environment, innovation is a hot topic among business executives and academic business management leaders. Leaders are hungry for answers about how to keep their competitive edge. Nelson will identify and explore the barriers that make it difficult to break free of old habits and discuss how usability professionals can provide significant value to the business strategy dialog while at the same time raising the visibility and influence of our unique set of skills. In essence, he will argue that usability professionals should see themselves as innovation facilitators.

About Nelson Soken

Nelson received a PhD in Experimental Child Psychology in 1992. He spent 9 years at Honeywell in central research. Over the past 8.5 years, he has been at Medtronic, Inc. He served as manager of human factors for 4 years. He is currently a systems strategist and has been involved in numerous innovation efforts at Medtronic. He teaches innovation courses at Medtronic as well as at other Fortune 500 companies and in academic settings across the United States. He has been a popular speaker for Usability Professionals before.