Lead Now – Innovating for Economic Growth

Be part of helping Maine meet our strategic goals. Participants will engage in a cross-sector, online learning journey that will increase their knowledge of Maine’s economy, dive deeply into the story behind Maine’s strategic and economic recovery strategies, and focus on applying innovative thinking as a key strategy for recovery and growth.

Participants may become more innovative thinkers by 1) learning about the role of innovation in Maine’s economic growth; 2) hearing personal accounts of innovation at Maine companies; 3) learning the basic process for generating innovative ideas; and 4) practicing this process using Maine industries as case studies. Innovation can take many forms and innovative ideas can arise in surprising places. Participants are encouraged to attend multiple sessions to gain a comprehensive understanding of how to apply innovative thinking.

Goals:

• Develop a shared understanding of Maine’s economy.
• Learn and practice a three step framework for generating innovative ideas.
• Increase the understanding and importance of cross-sector investments in innovation.
• Expand your network to learn from shared experiences, access new information, frame challenges and opportunities, highlight successes, and learn ways to apply innovative thinking.

Participants may sign up for the entire series or pick sessions aligned with areas of interest.

Dates and topics – all sessions are 9am-12pm on Fridays, except Thursday, May 27th

  1. Friday, March 26, 2021 – Setting the Stage for Seeing the Future: Where History & Trends Converge to Spur Innovative Thinking
    Featured Speaker:  Dr. Todd Gabe will discuss the keys to economic development, where Maine stands according to these important metrics, and how the state can enhance its ability to innovate for economic growth.  Dr. Gabe is a Professor of Economics at the University of Maine, where he teaches and conducts research on a broad range of topics related to state and local economic development. https://umaine.edu/soe/gabe/
    Maine leaders will join Dr. Gabe to share practical stories from their own experiences.
  2. Friday, April 9, 2021 – Defining the Big Opportunities: Spotlight on Manufacturing, Technical Services and Clean Energy. Learn more about the themes and the people that are shaping Maine’s strategies for growth.
    Featured Speaker:  Dr. Andrew Crawley is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maine and a regional economist.  In 2018, he founded the Maine Regional Economic Forecast Lab that focuses on developing and monitoring new indicators for the state’s economy. In 2020, Dr. Crawley and Angela Hallowell, Economic Analyst, Department of Administrative and Financial Services, State of Maine, jointly published a report that identified Food, Forest Products, Technical Services, and Making and Manufacturing as core themes in Maine’s economy.   
    Maine leaders will join Dr. Crawley to share their stories of growing innovative ideas in both Food / Aquaculture and Forest Products.     
  3. Friday, May 14, 2021 – Defining the Big Opportunities: Spotlight on Natural Resources – Food (Agriculture & Aquaculture) & Forest Products. Learn more about the themes and the people that are shaping Maine’s strategies for the future.
  4. Thursday, May 27, 2021 – Supporting Innovation & Entrepreneurship:  Spotlight on Technology, Tele-Growth and AI
  5. Friday, June 11, 2021 – Growing Talent in Maine:  Spotlight on Workforce Trends, Educational Opportunities, and Innovative Approaches to Solving Workforce Challenges
  6. Friday, June 18, 2021 – Creating a Healthy Maine: Spotlight on Healthcare Innovation, Technology, and Delivery

Pricing for the Entire Series:

Alumni & Members: $270
General Public: $360
Scholarships: Register to apply.

Individual Pricing – Pick and Choose Your Sessions:

Alumni & Members: $60 per session
General Public: $70 per session

Scholarships: Register to apply

Click to register for either the entire series or individual sessions:

Register Now

COVID 19 Considerations:
~ MDF will use the Governor’s guidelines to ensure the safe delivery of our programs. This includes masks, distancing, testing, vaccinations, date changes, virtual sessions if necessary, cancellations, and other strategies as guidance related to COVID19 is adjusted to match pandemic indicators.
~ If you sign up and pay for a session, series or cohort and must withdraw because of COVID19’s impact on you, your family, or your business, you can choose to pay it forward to future programs or request a pro-rated refund for missed programming.

Questions? Contact Jan Kearce

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