Cultural Entrepreneurship: Translating Ideas into Action

Instructors: Jen Guillemin, BU Faculty
Wendy Swart Grossman, BU Faculty and Consultant
LZ Nunn, Loeb Fellow, Boston Global
Max Enrollment: 25
Date/Time: Jan 14/ 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Harvard Innovation Lab, Room 122, 125 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02163
Description: This 6-hour workshop is designed for students interested in learning more about Cultural Entrepreneurship and its practical applications. The workshop will provide case studies of strategic entrepreneurial thinking and explore the fertile intersection of place, innovation and dynamic leadership.
This interactive workshop will give participants a background in the field and encourage them to realize their potential as leaders and change makers.
Attendees will meet leaders in the field though a guest panel and tour Boston’s Innovation District.
The goal is to provide participants with a background in cultural entrepreneurship, creative placemaking, advocacy, and ideas generation so they can tap into their own entrepreneurial potential and build their network with each other and the community.
OUTLINE
PART I – INTRO TO CULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Goal
Clarify terms of Cultural Entrepreneurship (CE) and how we will address CE through the workshop.
Use story-telling to share Cultural Entrepreneurship history.
Explore ways creative entrepreneurs are shaping vibrant, diverse
communities and contributing to a dynamic creative economy nationally and internationally.
A. Historical Context
Explore the historic relationship between innovation and technology.
B. Ideas generation
Exercises to help generate ideas, identify skill sets and tap into points of creativity and inspiration.
C. Spotlights
Successful examples of CE that leverage technology, engage communities and build strong partnerships.
– draw from our collective examples of cool initiatives that engage people and drive commerce
– show visually exciting examples and generate conversation
– invite others to share their examples
PART II – INTERSECTION OF PLACE, INNOVATION and DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP
Goal
Identify leaders and policy makers across sectors who promote innovative, collaborative spaces that incubate entrepreneurial initiatives.
A. Exploration of New Models: Innovation Centers
Dynamic leadership = Case Study
Emphasis on Scalability
B. Evolution of Traditional Models in a Changing World
How the BARR Foundation in Boston, the ArtPlace America and the National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town program are bringing artists and community development practitioners to work together to make places more livable with enhanced quality of life, increased creative activity, a distinct sense of place, and vibrant local economies that capitalize on existing assets.
C. Role of leadership and place. How local policies and community leaders create policies that promote and enhance creative enterprise, placemaking and civic engagement.
PART III – Making it Real
Goal
Hands-on creative engagement through a panel and tour.
Meet industry leaders and identify challenges and opportunities
in the field of creative placemaking and cultural entrepreneurship.
Proposed Panelist:
Scaled success: Nico Mele, K School and Echo http://echo.co/user