July 16th PDMA Pittsburgh Event to Showcase How Startup Accelerators Will Change the Local and National Innovation Landscape

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Industry experts will discuss the state of the accelerator movement and
how established companies in the Pittsburgh area can benefit.

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania – July 7, 2014 – The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) will host “What Are Startup Accelerators and Why Established Companies Should Care” on July 16th at AlphaLab Gear in East Liberty.
Startup accelerators cover a wide spectrum of industries, from robotics to food products. They hope to attract talent and technology-based startups to the region, creating a stronger local ecosystem. This event will unveil how startup accelerators will change the innovation landscape, both nationally and in the Pittsburgh area.

Dr. Susan Cohen, co-author of “Accelerating Startups: The Seed Accelerator Phenomenon” will present the keynote address during the July 16th event where she will discuss the state of the accelerator movement across the United States.

Kit Needham, CMU Entrepreneur in Residence at Project Olympus, will add to the presentation by discussing local innovation ecosystem, and where and how accelerators fit. A panel of representatives from established companies who have worked with or mentored startup companies will also discuss their experiences.

"We are privileged to have Dr. Cohen and Ms. Needham share their expertise on startup accelerators at our July event," said Randy Rossi, PDMA Chapter President. "The startup community represents some of the best opportunities for innovation and economic growth in recent years. Making this connection between startups and the broader product development community is central to our Chapter mission."

Doors will open at 4:00 p.m. for registration check-in and networking. The Keynote Speaker will begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by accelerator discussions at 6:00 p.m. and a question and answer session at 7:00 p.m.

PDMA is dedicated to sharing knowledge and best practices through professional development, education, collaboration, and networking opportunities. Throughout the year, PDMA Pittsburgh sponsors educational and social events where individuals can develop new skills, learn best practices, and network with peers. Product development professionals, practitioners, academics, service providers, and students are encouraged to participate in PDMA events throughout the year. This results in professional growth for individuals, an innovation-related competitive advantage for their enterprises, and the continued economic growth of the Western Pennsylvania Region.

To learn more about “What Are Startup Accelerators and Why Established Companies Should Care” and other upcoming Pittsburgh Chapter events, log onto www.pdma.org

About PDMA Pittsburgh
The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) is a professional association dedicated to improving the effectiveness of individuals and organizations involved with product development, product management, and innovation. The association’s mission is to improve the effectiveness of individuals and organizations in product development and management by providing resources for professional development, information, collaboration and promotion of new product development and management. The Pittsburgh Chapter is dedicated to the continued to growth of a strong network of local product developers and managers while providing leadership to the next generation.

Media contact:
July 7, 2014 Andi Durkota
pghpdma@pdma.org

June 3 Innovation Forum Event: "The Power of Adjacency: Growth Strategies In Your Backyard"

The Power of Adjacency: Growth Strategies In Your Backyard

Presented by: J. Mark Carr, Managing Partner, South Street Strategy Group
June 3, 2014
Shadyside Courtyard Marriott

* Register Early. Seating is Limited! * 

Identifying and exploiting new opportunities for growth is a constant point of tension for companies. Yet in this never ending quest for growth, many business strategists fail to see the opportunities that are right in their backyards – customer or capability adjacencies that are very natural extensions of their current strategies. An adjacency-based approach to growth has the benefit of leveraging business assets that already exist, but it does come with risks. For example, strategies that are too far afield from your core offerings – and thus with weak linkages – are likely to fail.

During this presentation, you will hear best practices in embedding an innovation culture into an organization through a structured approach of defining, scoping and exploiting adjacencies that can build a long-term pipeline of opportunities for growth. You will walk away from this session being able to:

• Apply several methods for leveraging adjacencies in your own organization
• Understand how to evaluate and prioritize the best adjacencies for growth
• Identify the key issues required to succeed with adjacencies and the risks to watch out for
• Learn from case studies that demonstrate how a successful adjacency strategy can be developed and implemented

Schedule of Events

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.     Registration Open and Networking
5:00 - 6:30 p.m.     Presentation and QA  

Registration Fees 

	Advanced Registration	On-Site Registration
Members	$25	$30
Non-members	$40	$45
Students	$10	$15

Parking 

Valet parking at Shadyside Courtyard Marriott is $7 (regularly $17)

Meter parking is also available on a nearby street

REGISTER TODAY

About the Speaker 

J. Mark Carr, Managing Partner, South Street Strategy Group

Mark works with clients to dramatically improve their business results through the development and implementation of innovative and effective business and marketing strategies. Mark’s specialty is helping companies develop go-to-market strategies for the launch of a new product, service or business unit as well as for entering new market segments. His recent project work has spanned the full spectrum of strategic business and marketing issues including brand activation, marketing performance improvement, and loyalty.

He has over 15 years of management and consulting experience in the high tech, wireless, consumer products and publishing industries, including work with large organizations such as XM Satellite Radio, Merck Medco, Nextel, Verisign, Marriott International, Nextel International, and Banknorth as well as a host of mid-sized and entrepreneurial ventures.

Mark has served on both sides of the management equation, working as a strategy consultant as well as a senior executive at a number of firms. Prior to joining South Street Strategy Group, Mark spent nine years as a partner at the marketing strategy firm CMG Partners. Positions prior to CMG included: President and CEO of WriteRead; Director of Business Development and Product Management at SilverPlatter Information; and Senior Consultant with Nextera Business Solutions, formerly Symmetrix.

His first career was as a business journalist and editor, and he continues to write and speak regularly on a variety of topics related to business and marketing strategy. He is currently an adjunct professor in Babson University’s MBA Program and Executive Program. Mark writes and speaks regularly on a variety of topics related to business and marketing strategy.

Mark’s bylines include articles in top business, marketing and trade publications including Marketing Management, Sales and Marketing Management, Marketing Magnified, MarketingProfs.com, Financial Times (of London), CFO Magazine, PR News, Management Consultant International and the Journal of Business Strategy.

He also speaks regularly on a variety of topics related to business and marketing strategy to groups such as the Marketing RoundTable (GSU), The Marketing Research Event (TMRE), Front End of Innovation, American Marketing Association, Business Marketing Association, and the Sales and Marketing Executives International.

Thompson Joins PDMA Corporate Board of Directors to Improve Member Experience

Congratulations to Jeff Thompson, Aesynt Director of Innovation Programs, who will serve on the PDMA Corporate Board of Directors as the Vice President of Member Experience.  Jeff has been extremely active with the Pittsburgh Chapter for the past four years, serving as Chapter President, Vice President of Programming, and Director of Marketing as well as a member of the Corporate Advisory Board.  In his new corporate role, Jeff's primary objective will be to strengthen and grow the organization's membership to enhance the impact within the product development community.  Jeff believes that bringing together academics, practicing professionals, and service providers is the best model to accelerate and improve innovation and product.  He also recognizes that the local chapters play a key role in the international organization and are an important part of the value delivery.

Learn more about the Corporate Board of Directors.

www.pdma.org > About > Board of Directors

A Message from the PDMA Chapter President - Randy Rossi, Bally Design

It was another great year for our Chapter! I'd like to extend a sincere thank you to PDMA members, students, guests and sponsors for your support throughout 2013.  Your participation and engagement throughout the year, coupled with the dedication and leadership from our Board Members, help us accelerate the contribution that innovation makes to the economic and professional growth of people, businesses and societies in our region.

We continue to strive to bring you the latest thinking and insights into the issues and topics most relevant to anyone involved in product development.  Innovation excellence is a phenomenon that every company wants more of and yet, whether large or small, public or private companies struggle with what it is and how it happens. It's a dichotomy - on one hand, innovation comes from the relatively loose "fuzzy" front end but also requires a highly structured and disciplined back end. Although organizations look to put innovation policies, processes and practices in place, there is still ambiguity, disconnects and limited sustainable success.

One of the new developments from PDMA (in conjunction with the Total Innovation Management (TIM) Foundation) that we are really excited about is the introduction of the "International Innovation Management Standard."  This new standard is designed to help organizations pragmatically organize all innovation activities to improve innovation performance.  It provides structure with uniform guidelines, tools, processes and terminology, but can be tailored to meet a company's unique needs. Our Chapter will roll out more information on the International Innovation Management Standard in 2014, so please check the website and event calendar in the months ahead to learn more.

As we look ahead to 2014, our Programming Committee has another excellent slate of events coming up.  We will be starting the year off with a regional premiere of the documentary "Design & Thinking."  We've also assembled a panel of design professionals to discuss the film and the design process immediately following the movie. This event is scheduled for January 29th, and if you register before December 23rd, you'll have a chance to win two tickets to the December 29th Steelers Game. 

Other future program topics include open innovation, the use of accelerators, and using Big Data to address customer needs. Please plan to join us for these relevant and valuable Innovation Forum events. Look for dates and times on the website, via our Chapter emails, and on Twitter, LinkedIn and the PDMA blog.

Whether you are a seasoned veteran, an emerging professional or a student, I encourage you and your colleagues to join the innovation conversation through PDMA.  Follow us on social media.  Become a member.  Participate in our events.  Consider a local or corporate sponsor.   If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to contact me at randyr@ballydesign.com. 

On behalf of the Pittsburgh Chapter Board Members, I want to wish you and your families a Happy Holiday Season and best wishes for a Healthy and Happy New Year. 

 

I look forward to seeing you "at the movies" in January!   

 

Randy Rossi

President, PDMA Pittsburgh
President, Bally Design 

Leading Pittsburgh Manufacturers to Discuss New Product Development at RAPID 2013 Conference

For the first time at the RAPID Conference & Exposition, there will be a track devoted to new product design and development.  

 On Wednesday June 12th, Mark Adkins, President of Smart Hammer Innovation and PDMA Pittsburgh Board Member, will be hosting an Additive Manufacturing (AM) panel discussion with leading Pittsburgh manufacturers. Panelists from Sole Power, MSA, Bayer Material Science, Kennametal, and MEDRAD will share benefits and challenges of bringing additive manufacturing into the new product development area.  This valuable panel discussion, titled "Product Design Considerations Using Additive Manufacturing," session will be held from 10 am - 12 pm.  

This year’s RAPID Conference will take place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center June 10 – 13. Don’t miss your opportunity to attend the industry-leading forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest developments, trends and techniques specific to additive manufacturing, rapid technologies, 3D printing and 3D imaging. While at the show, you’ll learn the latest innovative applications of additive manufacturing in several diverse industries, have interactive discussions with technology experts from around the world, and networks with peers and industry leaders. 

Follow PDMA Pittsburgh next week as we discuss conference news and insights:

@PDMApittsburgh

#RAPID2013

May 15 Webcast: A Look Under the Hood of Outstanding Corporate Innovators

May 15, 1:00 pm CDT

Presented by:

Sally E. Kay, Chair, PDMA OCI Selection Committee

Thomas P. Hustad, Professor Emeritus of Marketing, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University

Suzanne Thompson, Vice President, Global Stewardship & Innovation, The Clorox Company

Meredith Baratz, Vice President, Strategic Insight and Innovation, UnitedHealthcare

Moderated by:

Krishna Kalyan, Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Lessons learned from proven successful practitioner companies provide very effective techniques for companies facing challenges in improving their own new product/service development performance. The 47 companies which have won PDMA’s prestigious Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award (OCI) for sustained quantifiable innovation success have provided a valuable set of such lessons. This webcast details the lessons learned and shows how they have changed during the 25 years in which OCI has been awarded.  It will also take a ‘look under the hood’ at the practices that have contributed to the success of  recent OCI Winners.  Presenters Thomas Hustad ( Professor Emeritus of Marketing, Kelly School of Business, Indiana University) and Sally Kay (Principal, Strategic Product Development  and retired Dow Chemical  and GlaxoSmithKline) will lead the webcast. Participants also will have the opportunity to hear directly from executives at several winning firms about they achieved innovation success in the face of the innovation challenges they have faced.  This webcast is based on materials that can be found in Chapter 24 of The PDMA Handbook of New Product Development, 3^rd Edition.

Join us and Register Today!