The business world is built upon the notion of smart ideas.
It’s no surprise, however, that it takes more than an epiphany in the middle of the night to be successful. Taking those ideas and turning them into something tangible is the key to long-term success, and although not every inventor’s goal is financial wealth or worldwide fame, an unopened closet full of good ideas for products and services doesn’t do anyone much good.
SBN magazine, along with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio, will honor nearly a dozen business owners for their smart ideas on Sept. 7, 2000, at the Innovation in Business Conference. Featuring an insightful panel discussion by four Master Innovators — A. Malachi Mixon of Invacare, Tom Sullivan of RPM, Jacqueline Woods of Ameritech Ohio/SBC and Dr. Luis Proenza of the University of Akron — the conference will also recognize a number of Visionaries and Rising Stars for their contributions to the world of smart ideas.
Robert Conrad, General Manager and President of WCLV-95.5, will moderate the panel discussion.
Mixon is CEO and chairman of Invacare Corp., one of the world’s premier manufacturers of medical equipment, including wheelchairs.
Sullivan is CEO of RPM, a Medina-based manufacturer of industrial coatings. RPM’s continued ability to post record profits quarter after quarter has earned Sullivan the respect of his peers and demonstrated his ability to adapt and succeed to changing marketplace needs.
Woods is president of Ameritech Ohio/SBC. With the rapidly changing speed at which data and information is transferred, leaders in the telecommunications industry are setting the pace. At Ameritech, Woods is responsible for overseeing how Ohio makes the leap into this new millennium.
Proenza is president of the University of Akron. He has developed unique methods of bringing together education, business and industry to help prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s business world. The partnership of business leaders and educators is helping boost the university into the forefront of Northeast Ohio universities.
The Innovation in Business conference is also sponsored by Arthur Anderson LLP, Brouse McDowell, SARCOM/Frontway, ICG Communications, Pfizer and Product Imagineers, a group of companies that pride themselves on their organizations’ abilities to innovate within their respective industries.
So who will be honored as Visionaries — business owners or companies who have demonstrated years of smart idea integration — and Rising Stars — those people you may not have heard of yet but are shaping the very way we do business? Our judging panel is poring over the entries to determine the honorees. Check out the September issue of SBN to find out.
For more information on the conference, contact SBN at (216) 228-6397. Dustin S. Klein ([email protected]) is editor of SBN.
