ODU Co-Hosts and Simulcasts Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship Conference
Old Dominion University is one of the sponsors of a conference on Monday, May 4, aimed at helping a new generation of innovators to connect and bring about social change.
The Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship Conference will be held at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and simulcast to Hampton Roads via ODU's Teletechnet program.
The theme of the one-day conference is "How Technology Is Knocking Down Doors and Fueling Social Innovation."
ODU is one of a handful of sponsors, along with the Phoenix Project, and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Organizers say the goal of the conference is to use connectivity to help individuals find opportunities for service and help spur social change.
The common thread woven through the speeches and seminars presented at the ASE conference is that technology will play a key role in social innovation, whatever forms that technology takes.
The conference runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.
In addition to the plenary sessions and keynote speakers, conference attendees will choose breakout sessions that best fit their background and further their own professional development.
From noon to 1 p.m., keynote speaker David Gergen will address the conference, speaking about key lessons for future leaders, including a central, compelling purpose rooted in moral values, a capacity to persuade and skills working within the system.
Gergen, a former presidential adviser and currently a professor of public service at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and director of its Center for Public Leadership, will also give the afternoon commencement address at ODU on Saturday, May 9.
Between 3:30 and 5 p.m., Nancy Cooley, vice provost for distance learning at ODU, will moderate a panel session called "Knock Knock. Who's There? What New Technologies Are Waiting to Beat Down the Door?"
Panelists Art Bushkin, chairman and CEO of the Stargazer Foundation, Nathaniel Whittemore of Northwestern University's Center for Global Engagement and Paul Braund, co-founder of the RiOS Institute, will discuss some creative and innovative technological ideas aimed at further engaging individuals in service and cultivating a culture of collaboration within the social sector.
Participants who wish to purchase a webcast of the conference can visit the conference Web site at http://www.aseconference.org/.