About The Conference

What is the purpose of the Conference?

The social problems and barriers to economic prosperity for all seem more and more complex in this increasingly global world. In fact, the more we engage in addressing the individual problems, the more we recognize how everything is interconnected in a complex tangled web. As a result, the need to learn from each other and collaborate is greater than ever. We need:

We need to build bridges between those working in health, agriculture, business, policy, technology, infrastructure, finance, the arts and the sciences.

The purpose of this year’s conference is to identify and connect people with a passion for finding and enacting innovative ideas and approaches for addressing these problems. We want to link innovators, practitioners, researchers, volunteers and students in discussions and planning on how to move ideas forward. We want to develop a common language and core set of goals to lay the foundation for future collaboration and effective practice.

How is the conference organized?

The conference begins with a plenary session to lay a foundation of common understanding about the role of Social Innovation and Collaboration in developing effective solutions for addressing poverty. This session will set the stage for the conference work by providing examples and a framework for meeting and collaborating at the conference.

A networking session follows the plenary to give participants an opportunity to find out what others are doing. Posters prepared in advance by participants will be displayed in the "Marketplace of Ideas and Opportunities." Each participant will have sticky-backed contact cards to attach to posters of people they want to connect with in the upcoming breakout sessions. Lunchtime will provide an opportunity to build relationships through informal conversations.

Preplanned as well as spontaneously organized breakout sessions will be facilitated to enable conference participants to explore their options. There will also be sessions on organizational resources to connect the university and practitioner communities through collaborative research, academic internships, and other mechanisms.

How do I get involved?

All conference participants are invited to share information about themselves on the Collaboration Map and to prepare a poster about their work and ideas for the Marketplace of Ideas Networking Session.

Who Should Attend?

The Conference brings together the university community (including students and faculty from all disciplines as well as staff from centers and programs that facilitate research, internships and career placement) and the practitioner community (including those working in NGOs, religious organizations, government agencies, foundations, and community settings).