Schedule

The agenda for Interise2020 is being developed collaboratively with you and by you, and all the visionaries, practitioners, and small businesses that are actively changing the model of economic development.

*Please note that exact timing of sessions are subject to change.*

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  • Monday

    March 9, 2020

  • Tuesday

    March 10, 2020

  • Wednesday

    March 11, 2020

  • The SolveIt Room is where business owners will: - Network, build partnerships, and identify potential clients with other attendees. - Get your most pressing business questions answered through one-on-one coaching sessions. - Connect directly with our program and resource partners, including the SBA, ICA Group, Dynamic Corporate Solutions, Inc., and more! - Access our "concierge service," where Interise staff will connect you directly with other attendees, based on your needs and interests.
    Business Owner Track

  • Addressing an individuals unconscious biases is a life long journey. This session will include provocative storytelling that takes each individual through an introspective journey through their own biases and how to consciously manage their biases.
    Business Owner Track
    Practitioner Track
    SolveIt Talks

  • The “Chief Technology Officer Training (CTO-IT) Program” (CTO-IT) is an accelerated program combining hands-on design and development workshops with Full-Stack instructors, and lectures from guest experts. This session aims to shrink the growing technology chasm (in knowledge and proficiency) among non-technical entrepreneurs seeking to launch new ideas for tech startups or grow their business through the strategic implementation of technology. The session will include a comprehensive survey of industry-leading technology services and their corresponding consumer or business applications including but not limited to: a) machine learning/data science, b) augmented /virtual reality, c) cloud services and d) developer frameworks for online and mobile technologies.
    Business Owner Track

  • This facilitated session will explore the distinction between entrepreneur and venture development programs and how economic development leaders and practitioners can support women and entrepreneurs of color through programs designed to teach business model validation skills and the entrepreneurial mindset. Drawing on the work of Ken Harrington and the presenter’s work running a business model validation program for early stage IT, bioscience and consumer/manufactured product entrepreneurs, the session will look at how these programs differ from traditional incubators and accelerators, what outcomes (pivot, partner or perish) can be used to measure success, and how programs can foster diversity, equity and inclusion in regional entrepreneurship ecosystems through intentional outreach and program design that goes beyond traditional business training and technical assistance.
    Practitioner Track

  • Hear from trailblazers and innovators who are connecting capital solutions to the small business owners who need it most: cooperative capital, closed loop capital, venture capital, and more.
    Business Owner Track

  • This may come as a surprise: being incredibly busy and overcommitted isn’t sexy. In fact, it isn’t attractive in the least. People think if they are rushing from appointment to appointment, showing up “on time,” making excuses for their tardiness, that they look “important.” This is the great illusion of modern professional times. Not only is this kind of overbooking unsexy, it can (and likely will) compromise your best efforts to promote your business, win over new clients, and establish the reputation you need for enduring sales.
    Business Owner Track

  • Hear from CEO's from across the country who partner with state, city, and nonprofit workforce development programs to hire people in recovery, returning citizens, at-risk youth, and those at risk of human trafficking. They are impacting their community while fulfilling their hiring needs and maintaining successful growth and profit margins.
    Business Owner Track

  • Financial wellness is the hot new topic in many circles but what does it actually mean and how can a small business employer design a benefit strategy to build it. Ms. Gopnik will discuss new research about the financial challenges faced by lower wage employees and their impact in the workplace. She will use real world case studies to illustrate how building employee financial wellness can be simple, inexpensive and impactful.
    Business Owner Track

  • A Conversation on Innovation: Not every community has the same access to resources, nor the same social or economic history. In Portland, the current climate and political history have created some very specific opportunities and challenges to supporting local businesses and historically under-served entrepreneurs. We have made a number of adjustments and augments to the standard Interise program in order to best meet the needs of the business owners in our area. We invite other Instructors, Directors, and Program Managers to join us to share experiences, learn about the different community needs, explore the programmatic adaptations that have been implemented throughout the network, and create a space to brainstorm new ideas around how we can continue to customize the program to better support our local communities.
    Practitioner Track

  • Why do some people stabilize and succeed while others get overwhelmed or simply give up? As a researcher, I have seen it hundreds of times. Two entrepreneurs launch their businesses with great products or market innovations, ready to take on the world. They both work long hours, focus on their customers and dream of business success. But fast-forward three to five years later and they have very different results. Based on research and years of working with companies across the spectrum, this session will share strategic ways of thinking about work, business relationships and intentional success. Participants emerge better equipped to stop struggling and instead focus on strategically managing their personal and company brands.
    Business Owner Track

  • This would be a fireside chat with all the Interise program administrators and instructors. I will discuss how the Greenville Chamber has creater a year-long experience for disadvantage businesses using the Interise curriculum and incorporating other strategies and program value-added components. The objective of this talk is to challenge program partners to think of how they can create a stronger and more impactful experience for those who go through their local program to create greater sustainability.
    Practitioner Track

  • Women business leaders face unique barriers to saving for retirement. It’s not only the gender pay gap, and the compounding effect from years of lower income either. Our retirement gap study found that women business leaders start saving later than their male counterparts, and 20% of those who support dependents are not saving at all! When it comes to male business leaders, none of them mentioned difficulties saving for retirement while supporting dependents. Our session will explore these trends and more, along with providing suggestions for what business owners and leaders can do to bridge the retirement savings gap.
    Business Owner Track

  • This presentation will introduce a disciplined approach that can be applied by small business owners to establish a suitable organizational climate within their workspace. Once created it will help facilitate the change management process that will occur during the scaling effort and assist small business owners in meeting their business growth goals.
    Business Owner Track