Unlock the Secret to Making Products Customers Will Love
2025-02-19 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Urko Wood, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were a reliable way to differentiate your products and
services from the competition?
Actually, there is.
The key to successful differentiation lies in focusing on what truly
matters to your target customers. By asking the right questions, understanding what
they want to accomplish, and where their needs remain unmet, you can unlock new
opportunities for growth.
Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) is a breakthrough approach that flips traditional market
research and the front end of innovation on its head. It’s uniquely effective at helping
entrepreneurs and business leaders uncover the key, hidden needs that drive customer
decisions, thereby enabling them to create differentiated growth strategies and products
with strong market fit. Due to the complexity and cost of full JTBD consulting projects,
however, it has been out of reach for most small and mid-sized companies.
In this TIGER Talk, Urko Wood will introduce you to “Lean JTBD,” a practical evolution
of the proven JTBD framework, designed to help entrepreneurs and business leaders:
— Find and capitalize on the customers’ unmet needs
— Boost employee engagement and productivity
— Foster a culture of innovation
…by applying the mindset and key concepts of JTBD – without the complexity or cost of
traditional consulting.
If you want to build products and services that stand out, command premium pricing,
and deliver sustainable growth, this talk is for you!
***************
Urko Wood is an accomplished innovation leader and the founder of Reveal Growth Consultants, where he helps companies drive innovation and growth by uncovering their customers’ hidden unmet needs.
With over 18 years of expertise in the Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) innovation approach, Urko has enabled companies of all sizes – including startups and Fortune 1000 leaders – to achieve revenue growth through unique customer insights. His passion lies in transforming innovation from a guessing game into a repeatable, customer needs-driven process.
Urko has worked with leading organizations such as Battelle Memorial Institute, NetJets, Can-Am Off-Road Vehicles, Franklin University, and GBQ Partners to uncover hidden customer needs that drive innovation and differentiation.
Before founding Reveal in 2012, Urko worked closely with Tony Ulwick, the chief pioneer of JTBD, at Strategyn Consulting. Urko had prior leadership roles at Deloitte, UnitedHealthcare, where he built top level skills in strategy, sales, and customer engagement.
Urko earned his MBA at The Wharton School and he’s a veteran of the US Navy.
Urko is an active writer and speaker on innovation and growth strategy. He has guest lectured at Denison University, OSU’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Otterbein University’s MBA Program. A lifelong learner, Urko is dedicated to helping leaders and entrepreneurs unlock their potential to build products and services customers truly love.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Urko
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*
FirstLast

Email*

Company*

Consent to Use My Image & Voice*
By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Humans and Machines: The Automated Future of Work
2025-02-21 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Ronak Patel, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Automation is no longer something in the distant future; it’s a present reality that’s reshaping industries across the globe.
A common misconception, however, is that automation is solely about replacing humans.
But the reality is that the future of work is about creating a powerful synergy between human ingenuity and machine efficiency.
In this TIGER Talk, Ronak Patel will explore the rise of AI and automation, dispelling myths of job displacement, and unpacking the human-bot collaboration so we can all be better prepared for the future of work.
***************
Ronak Patel is CEO of Sunflower Lab, a fast-growing, award-winning digital product and innovations agency with offices across North America and India.
Ronak is an entrepreneur and technologist at heart. He truly believes technology can change the world for the better. That’s why for the past 17+ years, he has consistently invested time during his business days to be involved in day-to-day technology decisions.
He earned his Bachelor of Engineering, Information Technology from UVPCE. He currently resides in Columbus. He’s always happy to meet with other entrepreneurs and executives interested in technology.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Ronak
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*
FirstLast

Email*

Company*

Consent to Use My Image & Voice*
By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

CES 2025: Sustainability, Wellness Tech, and Real World AI
2025-02-28 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – 3rd Floor, 7775 Walton Pkwy, 3rd Floor, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with our featured speakers, Brad Griffith & Melanie Muscolo, and your fellow participants.
CES (formerly known as the International Consumer Electronics Show) bills itself as “the most powerful tech event in the world” and “the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators.”
At this year’s event — in Las Vegas as usual, Jan 5-10 — CES continued fulfilling these promises, showcasing and shaping our technology future!
This year, the focus at CES was on sustainability, wellness and digital health tech, and AI applications that are moving beyond hype and search engine replacements into real-world impact.
From groundbreaking advancements in clean energy and biodegradable batteries to AI-driven solutions for retail point of sale, business efficiency, healthcare, and urban planning, CES 2025 showcased innovations that are reshaping industries and our daily lives.
Join our featured speakers Brad Griffith & Melanie Muscolo for a photo-filled recap and discussion about the most disruptive trends. From startups revolutionizing climate tech to major industries integrating AI for meaningful change, they’ll share a broad array of technologies and a concise set of insights.
They’ll discuss what’s next in consumer technology—what will empower us, what might distract us, and how we can use it intentionally to build a smarter, more sustainable future.
If you’re a leader navigating a rapidly evolving landscape, and you’re ready for technology that serves us better, this talk will give you the key insights you need to stay ahead.
***************
Brad Griffith is a technology innovator and a champion for equitable opportunity. His life’s mission is to close equity gaps by creatively applying software and design. He is the President of Buckeye Innovation, the web engineering and design team he started in 2009 to amplify the impact of innovative businesses and organizations. His team of 17 includes designers and developers who love building and supporting websites, web applications, and mobile applications.
Prior to starting Buckeye Innovation, Brad built web applications at JPMorgan Chase, QUALCOMM, and the Go Big Network. He earned his MBA and a BS in Engineering with honors from The Ohio State University. He lives in New Albany with his wife and two young daughters where he is an active Girl Scouts “Troop Cookie Dad” in addition to other community volunteer roles.
Brad was selected in 2020 to the inaugural class of the Columbus CEO Future 50 and was also a finalist for the 2019 and 2023 Small Business Leader Awards from the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Buckeye Innovation was recognized in the 2022 and 2023 Inc 5000 as one of the country’s fastest-growing private companies and in 2023 was selected as one of Inc’s Best Workplaces.
***************
Melanie Muscolo is a dynamic business development leader with a passion for fostering relationships and solving the problems companies are facing. As the VP of Growth & Strategic Engagement at Buckeye Innovation, she has spent the past five years helping businesses and organizations expand their digital impact through innovative technology solutions.
Melanie’s career began in television, where she worked on game and award shows, honing her skills in high-energy, fast-paced environments. She brings that same enthusiasm and creativity to her role at Buckeye Innovation, where she focuses on building relationships, identifying new opportunities, and shaping strategies that fuel long-term success.
Outside of work, Melanie enjoys going to concerts, binge-watching the latest true crime documentaries on Netflix, and spending time with her fiancé and their beloved beagle, Hank.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this one is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch + Mingling
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Brad & Melanie
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Mingling

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

AI Agents – Separating Fact from Fiction
2025-03-07 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Ron Savoia, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
In this TIGER Talk, Ron Savoia will discuss AI Agents, also known as Agentic AI, the latest craze in Generative AI!
Ron will cover the core aspects of AI Agents and their functionality. He’ll also present several platforms and tools that are great examples of AI Agents.
Ron will highlight how AI Agents are being used today, the workflows they’re automating, and the financial value they’re delivering, including:

reduced costs,
increased employee productivity
new revenue streams

Finally, Ron will cover what we call “API Workflow Managers” that are claiming to be AI Agents and why he believes they are NOT true examples of Agentic AI.
***************
Ron Savoia is the Co-founder and CEO of CopilotBuilder, which is a software platform that enables organizations to create their own custom Generative AI agents. This platform was the recipient of the Columbus Business First Biztech Award this past fall and was recently accepted into the Rev1 Customer to Capital program.
CopilotBuilder currently has several local organizations using this platform for various use cases in support of their business startup, which have been instrumental in advancing the platform in terms of additional functionality and new use cases that it supports. Ron also was the founder of Stratus Innovations Group, which is an IT services provider, and previously was the first Ohio-based Microsoft employee for their Microsoft Consulting Services Group.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Ron
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

The Meaning Gap in the Age of Automation: Navigating Work and Life with AI and Robots
2025-03-14 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Ryan Frederick, and your fellow participants.
As AI and automation increasingly reshape the world of work, many people face a profound crisis of meaning in their personal and professional lives. Tasks once done by humans are rapidly becoming automated, raising existential questions about purpose, identity, and the future of work.

In this talk, Ryan Frederick will explore how the rise of AI and robots is impacting human purpose, the emotional and psychological challenges this brings, and ways to adapt and thrive in a landscape where work as we know it is dramatically changing. Join us to learn strategies for finding meaning and maintaining fulfillment in an automated world, beyond productivity and efficiency.

Key Takeaways:

The Changing Landscape of Work: Understand how AI and automation are transforming industries and jobs, leading to shifts in how we perceive work and its value.
The Crisis of Meaning: Learn about the psychological and existential challenges that arise as human work is replaced by machines and how it affects our sense of purpose and identity.
Redefining Purpose: Explore ways to find meaning beyond traditional work, focusing on creativity, connection, and human-centered values that machines cannot replicate.
Adapting to Change: Gain practical strategies for maintaining fulfillment in a world where jobs are increasingly automated, and discover new ways to integrate technology into a meaningful life.
The Human Advantage: Understand the unique human qualities—such as empathy, creativity, and moral decision-making—that remain vital in an automated world, and how to leverage these traits in future roles.

***************
Our featured speaker, Ryan Frederick, is an advisor, author, investor, and speaker. Ryan is a Principal at the technology advising firm Transform Labs.
Ryan blends a technical background with business acumen to provide a balanced perspective of company strategy and business model for the most value and impact. Ryan has been part of starting and growing several product and service companies, including from inception to exit and turnarounds, helping the companies to establish product market fit and long-term sustainability.
Ryan has written two books about starting and managing companies. The first, The Founders Manual, focuses on key insights for entrepreneurs around product, being a founder, and their companies. The second, Sell Naked, shares perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of managing and growing a professional services firm.
Ryan frequently speaks about the future of work, digital transformation, and leveraging technology for greater impact and value.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this one is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch + Mingling
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Ryan
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Mingling

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

AI and Workforce Development: What Small Businesses & Municipalities Need to Know
2025-03-21 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with featured speakers, Mel McGee & New Albany Mayor Sloan Spalding, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
New Albany Mayor Sloan Spalding will provide introductory remarks about Community Innovation Partnership and then tee up the conversation.
Community Innovation Partnership is a coalition of mayors committed to leveraging emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence to enhance city functions, strengthen workforce development, and shape policy. Mayor Spaulding will introduce Mel McGee.
Preview of Mel’s remarks below:
As AI continues to shape industries, small businesses have a unique opportunity to harness its potential for workforce development, efficiency, and growth. To stay competitive, it’s essential to understand how AI can enhance employee skills, ensure responsible use, and take advantage of funding opportunities.

AI for Workforce Development & Upskilling: AI-driven training tools can help employees build new skills, improve productivity, and adapt to changing job demands.
Developing Internal AI Policies: Establishing AI policies ensures responsible use, protects data security, and aligns AI adoption with business goals.
Ohio’s TechCred Program: Businesses can receive up to $180,000 per year in reimbursement for AI and tech-related training to upskill their workforce.

***************
Melanie McGee is a pioneering technologist, educator, and entrepreneur with nearly three decades of experience in software engineering, artificial intelligence, and workforce development. As the Co-founder of SkillSpout and Founder & CEO of We Can Code IT, she drives AI adoption and practical tech education for small to mid-sized organizations.
A recognized thought leader, Melanie has shaped the future of AI-driven learning and workforce transformation, with her work featured in books, media, and academic settings. Beyond tech, she’s an avid cyclist, trail runner, and lifelong learner passionate about innovation and problem-solving.
***************
Sloan Spalding is the Mayor of New Albany, Ohio. Sloan currently serves as Assistant Auditor for Ohio State Auditor Keith Faber. Prior professional appointments have included being selected as section chief for employment law for then Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, general counsel and deputy chancellor for the Ohio Board of Regents, chief legal counsel to the Ohio Department of Mental Health and labor relations director for The Ohio State University.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Mayor Spalding & Mel McGee
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Beyond the Behemoths – How JobsOhio Supports Growth-Stage Companies & Innovators
2025-03-28 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Please arrive at 11:30 am, ready to interact with featured speaker, Josh Hoffman, and your fellow participants.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Amgen. Anduril. Honda. Intel. You’ve heard all about these recent economic development wins for the State of Ohio, and the incentives provided by JobsOhio, One Columbus, and their local economic development partners. However, did you know JobsOhio has programs specifically for our growth-stage companies and innovators?
This TIGER Talk will explore opportunities available for early-stage companies to continue their growth story in Ohio.
Please join Josh Hoffman as he discusses how JobsOhio goes beyond the behemoth companies you’ve seen in the headlines to provide resources for your start-up, spin-out, or scale-up.
***************
Josh Hoffman is Director of Healthcare at JobsOhio,. Josh received his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Maryland. He continued his education with master’s degrees in biomedical engineering and business administration from The Ohio State University. Prior to JobsOhio, Josh spent ten years in clinical research and digital health at The Ohio State University, CoverMyMeds, and VPL. In his current role, Josh is responsible for strategy and investment in the state’s healthcare and life sciences sector. In addition, Josh drives strategy and business development for the Ohio Discovery Corridor. Josh lives with his wife and two children in Westerville, Ohio.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Josh
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

INVINCIBLE 2025: Three Key Insights To Master Today
2025-04-04 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with featured speaker, Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
With change being a constant, companies and individuals are undergoing a fundamental transformation in the way they live, work, and prosper.
In this exciting yet pragmatic and highly interactive TIGER Talk, Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva will show how the business reality is changing in 2025 – and how to take advantage of these changes to make you disruption-ready and turbulence-proof.
***************
Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva is the Founder and Chief Reinvention Officer, Reinvention Academy. She is also Co-founder of The Reinvention Summit.
Often called “The Reinvention Guru” and “The Queen of Reinvention,” Dr. Nadya is a scientist, entrepreneur, and author specializing in resilience and reinvention.
As a consultant and educator, she helped such companies as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coca-Cola, IBM, Cisco, L’Oreal Group, Danone, Kohler, Erste Bank, Henkel, Knauf Insulation, and Vienna Insurance Group reinvent their products, leadership practices, and business models to meet new market demands and prepare for incoming disruptions.
As a speaker, Dr. Nadya has delivered keynotes and workshops to over 500,000 executives, and four TEDx Talks. As an author, she has written several award-winning books including “The Chief Reinvention Officer Handbook: How to Thrive in Chaos”. Dr. Nadya is a contributor to Forbes and Harvard Business Review, and her work has been featured in a variety of publications in the USA and internationally.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Dr. Nadya
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

More Than Content: How Experiences, Collaborations & Influencers Build Brands That Last
2025-04-11 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with featured speaker, Sean Dupiano, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
***************
Event Description in the words of our event leader, Sean Dupiano:
I run Fluff Studio, a social media agency built on digital strategy—but the more I’ve scaled, the clearer it’s become: your brand isn’t just what you post, it’s how people experience you in real life. AI can optimize content, but it can’t replace human connection—people remember conversations, moments, and the way a brand made them feel.
From launching Kape Coffee to hosting influencer activations, I’ve seen how in-person experiences turn followers into advocates. The strongest brands aren’t just seen online—they create real-world moments that get shared and remembered. This workshop is about bridging the gap between digital influence and real-world impact to build a brand that lasts.
***************
Sean Dupiano is building Fluff Studio, a media company, which just opened its newest 3,000+ sq. ft. retail/studio space.
On weekends, Sean swaps cameras for coffee beans at Kape Coffee, a pop-up his company hosts at Coppa Gelato, curating flavors from across the world, blending travel, culture, and caffeine into something tangible, something you can taste.
Seven years in the military taught Sean discipline, adaptability, and how to lead under pressure. Sean co-founded Fluff Studio and Kape Coffee to figure things out for himself—to learn by doing, failing, iterating. Along the way, he’s met Colombian coffee growers with stories as rich as their beans, built partnerships that crossed industries and continents, and worked with executives on the nuances of brand positioning.
More than anything, Sean has learned that the best ideas don’t just live on a screen. They live in rooms, in conversations, in the space between strangers who might not stay strangers for long. Sean is always eager talk about how to make that happen.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Sean
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Prepare or Fail: Driving Technology Transformations That Stick
2025-04-25 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Shara Hutchinson, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Resistance to change is the silent killer of innovation, often turning even the most advanced technologies into costly failures.
Digital transformation isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a make-or-break opportunity for businesses. Yet too often, organizations fall short because their teams aren’t prepared to adopt new tools and processes.
Success hinges on more than just implementing AI, software, or other transformative technologies — it’s about ensuring they are embraced and utilized effectively. This session will equip you with the critical skills needed to prepare your organization for change, overcome resistance, and lead successful technology rollouts. You’ll walk away with actionable strategies to engage your teams, track adoption progress, and maximize the value of your investments.
Join our presenter, Shara Hutchinson, to turn resistance into readiness and ensure your digital transformation efforts achieve lasting success.
Who Should Attend:

Business Leaders and Decision-Makers: Those driving digital transformation efforts such as AI, automation, or software rollouts.
Software Providers and Consultants: Companies responsible for delivering solutions and ensuring client adoption to secure long-term success.
Change Leaders and Managers: Professionals tasked with overcoming resistance and managing organizational transformation.

Key Takeaways:

Why resistance to change is the biggest threat to your tech investment and how to address it.
Strategies to prepare your teams for change and ensure new technologies are embraced.
Data-driven methods to measure adoption and secure a strong return on investment.
How to build a change-ready culture that thrives in innovation and avoids disruption.

***************
Shara Hutchinson is the Founder and Chief Change Strategist at Xposeyour, an emerging tech startup dedicated to preparing leaders and teams for transformation. She is focused on partnering with organizations to minimize employee resistance during change, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget.
Xposeyour’s B2B SaaS solution, Readiness Xchange, helps leaders navigate complex transformations by identifying risks early and driving successful adoption. Shara is a Qualified Education Professional (QEP) with training and workshops that earn you PDU credit hours towards the global CCMP certification.
Having experience leading at a high growth tech startup for nearly 10 years before becoming an entrepreneur, Shara is a TEDx speaker, a Forbes Contributor, and author of Barefoot in the Boardroom: Every Leader’s Guide to Navigating Change. What sets Shara apart is her ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels, aligning initiatives with overarching business objectives. She is passionate about empowering teams through effective communication, training, and coaching, enabling them to embrace change and sustain desired outcomes. Shara has a proven track record of leading complex, multi-faceted change programs from planning to post-implementation review, delivering quantifiable results and long-term value.
Shara serves on the board of Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP Ohio) and National Association for Women Business Owners (NAWBO Columbus). She loves making an impact in the community. When Shara is not working, she spends time making memories with her husband and son.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Shara
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Building a Foundation for AI Productivity: Empowering Your Entire Organization
2025-05-02 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with featured speakers, Gretchen Goffe & Heidi Grenek, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Many companies are exploring the potential of GenAI, but wondering how to scale it’s benefits beyond a few high-profile projects. Realizing widespread productivity gains and ensuring responsible use requires a solid foundation of understanding and usage across all teams.
This TIGER Talk will focus on how a collective effort in building this foundational knowledge can unlock up to 8 hours a week per employee for your organization and protect you from rogue usage.
As an incentive for upskilling your employees, the Ohio TechCred program (Techcred.ohio.gov) reimburses Ohio companies with W-2 employees up to $2,000 per employee who completes AI training.
A key element of this session involves a practical approach to GenAI adoption: encouraging employees to consider tasks they could delegate to four distinct roles. This
exercise helps to demystify AI and highlight its tangible applications across various functions within the organization.
Join our presenters Gretchen Goffe & Heidi Grenek as they discuss practical strategies for empowering every employee to leverage Generative AI (GenAI) in their daily work. This program will explore how to introduce and implement a company-wide AI policy that encourages both innovation and responsible application.
***************
Gretchen Goffe invested much of her career uncovering customer needs and creating valuable solutions for Huntington Bank and then as a consultant to Fortune 500 companies. Later, Gretchen transitioned to teaching as Executive Director of the Innovation Center at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. In 2016 she founded DTLiveLAB with a signature method for teaching people to learn to do, doubling their knowledge in hours instead of weeks or months.
After connecting with fellow Cornell grad Heidi Grenek, the two quickly realized Heidi’s GenAI expertise and Gretchen’s training methods were like peanut butter and chocolate, so they paired up to co-found The Prompt Collective in 2024 and create an enterprise foundational GenAI program called the AI Productivity Supercharger.
Gretchen has a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and Business Management from Cornell University’s Dyson School and completed Stanford GSB’s year-long LEAD
program. She is a Fast Company Executive Board member, writing on design thinking and how to change how people think and work.
***************
Heidi Grenek is an AI enthusiast and entrepreneur who has harnessed emerging technology for companies like Corning, the Palo Alto Research Center, and Xerox. She drove the early adoption of AI-enabled category management to improve the execution of two billion ndollars in annual capital spend. She spearheaded a portfolio of Generative AI applications for her employer to enhance market analysis, sales forecasting, and manufacturing effectiveness.
After Heidi taught Gretchen about GenAI, the two co- founded The Prompt Collective in 2024 and created the AI Productivity Supercharger, a foundational program for enterprises or individuals wanting to harness the productivity gains of GenAI usage, safely.
Heidi has both a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University’s College of Engineering. She also has a Masters of Business Administration from the MIT Sloan School of Management and certificates in Artificial Intelligence from MIT and the University of Chicago.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.

Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Gretchen & Heidi
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Meet the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)
2025-05-16 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with featured speaker, Jeff Spain, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Learn about the valuable services offered by the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) at Columbus State Community College. MEP is a full-service solutions provider that supports
Central Ohio manufacturers.
From consulting and product development to education and talent acquisition, MEP partners with organizations to grow their manufacturing businesses. MEP has a straightforward mission: to strengthen and empower U.S. manufacturers. It is a unique public-private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers. MEP’s most important goals, for the manufacturers it serves, include: accelerating growth, increasing productivity, increasing innovation, and most importantly, increasing profitability.
We will also talk about our manufacturing ecosystem within Central Ohio and answer your questions on that topic.
***************
Our presenter, Jeff Spain, is Senior Director, MEP at Columbus State Community College. Jeff has spent over two decades at Columbus State, working with Central Ohio employers to plan, develop, and
manage hundreds of strategic initiatives, workforce, and economic development projects. In addition to his work with industry, Jeff serves as an adjunct instructor at the College, where his research and practice have focused on applied customer service, leadership, and personal productivity training. As the Senior Director of the MEP at Columbus State, Jeff leads a team with the mantra: “One partner, multiple service solutions.”
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Jeff
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Lead with Clarity: How Stoic Principles Can Fuel Organizational Growth
2025-05-30 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with featured speaker, Tony Dorsey, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
At this TIGER Talk, you’ll learn how true leadership clarity accelerates growth, crushes chaos, and builds unstoppable teams. You’ll discover a simple, powerful framework — the Focus 5 — to sharpen vision, strategy, roles, accountability, and communication inside your organization.
Through real-world case studies from companies like Homage, Rogue, and Takeya, you’ll see exactly how these principles drive real results. Most importantly, you’ll walk away with practical tools to lead boldly, move faster, and build organizations that endure any storm.
***************
Leveraging years of experience as an SVP of Strategic Operations, our speaker, Anthony “Tony” Dorsey, brings a unique blend of first hand scaling expertise, automation insight, and hands-on experience in team optimization.
Tony is the founder of Peak Ops Advisors, a consulting and leadership development firm rooted in Stoic principles, operational rigor, and no-BS execution. With over 20 years of senior leadership experience, Tony helps startups and growth-stage companies scale smarter — without burning out their people, their margins, or their mission.
Before launching Peak Ops, Tony served as SVP of Strategic Operations at HOMAGE and held key operational leadership roles at Rogue Fitness and Takeya USA. His leadership style is built on clarity, accountability, and a deep respect for the grind of real-world execution — not corporate theory.
At Peak Ops, Tony and his team offer elite-level coaching, strategic advising, and execution frameworks for leaders who aren’t afraid to get uncomfortable in the pursuit of meaningful growth. This isn’t leadership coaching for the faint of heart — it’s for those who are ready to face hard truths, sharpen their edge, and lead with purpose.
From high-stakes negotiations to seamless performance management, Tony has helped businesses grow efficiently and sustainably. Visit Tony’s company website at peakopsadvisors.com or join @mementoruckus on IG & Tik Tok.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.

Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Tony
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Beyond Buzzwords: Designing AI Products That Truly Serve People
2025-06-06 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with our featured speakers, Danny Ortiz & Nilanjan Raychaudhuri, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
AI headlines promise the moon, yet founders and other business leaders often discover that shiny demos don’t translate into customer love or bottom-line results.
In this TIGER Talk, Danny Ortiz & Nilanjan Raychaudhuri will cut through the noise and show you how to anchor every AI decision in a single question: “Whose problem are we really solving?” You’ll see why people-first thinking beats model-first hype—and how missteps at businesses like IBM Watson and Zillow became cautionary tales.
Danny & Nilanjan will also hand you a practical playbook you can apply on Monday: fast mental models for spotting high-impact use cases, workflow-integrated architecture patterns, checklists for trust and governance, and mini-case studies where small teams turned user insight into measurable wins.
Whether you own the P&L, drive product strategy, or run day-to-day operations, you’ll leave ready to evaluate AI ideas, rally cross-functional buy-in, and launch solutions that employees trust, customers adopt, and investors applaud.
***************
Danny Ortiz is an accomplished author, national and international speaker, business owner, and entrepreneur with a passion for empowering individuals and organizations to grow holistically through creativity, leadership, and innovation. With a strong background in technology, he has been at the forefront of integrating AI and emerging technologies into business and storytelling.
As the founder of multiple ventures, Danny has leveraged AI to enhance marketability, efficiency, and creative expression, including in Wonder Creations, a company dedicated to revolutionizing storytelling through emerging technologies. His expertise spans artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and leadership development, equipping businesses and individuals to thrive in the digital age.
Driven by his core mission to live with faith, lead with love, and serve with purpose, Danny Ortiz is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections, inspiring transformation, and equipping the next generation of leaders with the tools they need to thrive. His unique ability to merge faith, technology, and entrepreneurship positions him as a sought-after speaker and thought leader in business, innovation, and personal growth.
***************
Nilanjan Raychaudhuri is a founder, product strategist, and AI innovator passionate about empowering individuals and businesses through technology. He is currently building Tublian, an AI-powered platform designed to help developers and freelancers build, run, and scale their businesses independently.
With a background spanning product development, AI automation, and business operations, Nilanjan blends technical expertise with a sharp strategic vision. He is deeply committed to making AI accessible, enhancing productivity, and driving real-world impact through thoughtful, user-centric solutions.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.

Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Danny & Nilanjan
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

The Digital Divide That’s Holding Back American Manufacturing
2025-06-13 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with featured speaker, Ryan Lunka, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
As momentum builds to restore American manufacturing, a growing divide is emerging between the few companies ready to lead and the many still running on outdated, disconnected systems. This digital divide isn’t about access to technology, but about the ability and willingness to modernize. Manufacturers who can’t move fast, automate, or connect their systems simply won’t be able to scale in this new era.

In this TIGER Talk, our featured speaker, Ryan Lunka, will explore how this gap is quietly holding back our industrial revival and why fixing it is more than a tech upgrade. It’s a strategic necessity.

Ryan will break down the hidden costs of legacy systems, the cultural barriers slowing change, and the practical shifts manufacturers can make to stay competitive in the decade ahead.

***************

Ryan Lunka is the Co-Founder and CEO of Doohickey AI, where he and his team are working to disrupt the dinosaur-ish “ERP industrial complex.”

Ryan has nearly 20 years experience working in Ohio with enterprise software and systems integration.. Previously, Ryan served as Chief Operating Officer at nChannel, another Ohio startup, and as a consultant for brands including Four Seasons, Abercrombie, Fossil, AT&T, and Intel.

***************

Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Ryan
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Startup Valuations: What Founders Need to Know
2025-06-27 11:30 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Michelle Murcia, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:30 am.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
In this TIGER Talk, Michelle Murcia. Founder & CEO of Book+Street, will cover:

Why a startup might need a valuation
The different types of valuations a startup might need and when
What’s needed to perform a valuation
What service providers Book+Street recommends

***************
Michelle Murcia has more than 25 years of finance, accounting, administration and investment experience, in publicly traded, privately held and not for profit corporations, startups and billion-dollar enterprises, regional investment funds, investment advisory service firms and highly performing national funds. Michelle has served as a C-level consultant to early-stage start-up companies since 2013 providing strategic financial services as their contract Chief Financial Officer, advising on a number of complex financial transactions, and to an investment advisory firm as Venture Partner, supporting the investment process for Series B, C and later stage syndicated venture transactions, including due diligence, financial modeling, investment document preparation and portfolio reporting.
Michelle launched Book+Street in early 2018 to address a big gap in the startup ecosystem in the Midwest, providing on-demand CFO and controllership services to a growing number of tech and service companies throughout Ohio.
Throughout her career, Michelle has designed, implemented and administered multiple equity-based compensation programs, including ISO qualified and non-qualified stock option programs, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, and phantom stock plans. In 2003, she received the designation Certified Equity Professional (CEP), a recognized certification in the subject of equity-based compensation, from Santa Clara University.
Michelle is a Certified Public Accountant in addition to her Certified Equity Professional designation. She earned a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Service Sector Management from California State University, San Marcos, and an MBA from The Ohio State University.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.

Timeline:
11:30 am – Lunch / Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Michelle
1:00 pm – Wrap / More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Welcome to “Finance City”: A Real Nice Place for Decision-Making
2025-07-09 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
NEW! Early Start Time for EXTRA connecting opportunities.
Feel free to arrive as early as 11:00 am.
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Tom Rutledge, and your fellow participants.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
In this TIGER Talk, Tom Rutledge – a 30-year veteran of the institutional debt markets on Wall Street and active advisor/investor to start-ups – will discuss the value of using decision-making tactics borrowed from the financial markets. He will cover:

The mindset and thought processes that result from years of analyzing and structuring investment products (a.k.a. “Finance City.”)

A handful of basic tactics that can be applied to a wide range of decision-making challenges, including some problems far beyond the city limits of the investment world

Examples of how to financialize career decisions, household decisions, business decisions outside of finance, and how financialization can spur innovation in a host of other industries.

Trends in financial deal-making that are emerging from today’s headlines, such as opinion polling, digital currencies, increasing energy demand, retirement savings, and multiple applications of AI.

***************
Tom Rutledge‘s Wall Street career spans thirty years of debt markets roles at Merrill Lynch, Deutschebank, and JP Morgan, as well private credit fund management at Magnetar Capital and his current position on the Executive Committee at Jade Mountain Partners. He has also been an active angel investor, with a portfolio of investments that includes two Columbus-based companies: HonestJobs and Aunt Flow.
At Magnetar, Tom authored a whitepaper examining how the interaction between start-ups and the private credit industry has become an engine for innovation: Assets as a Service: Credit Investors and the Tech Economy.
Tom grew up in Clintonville, graduated from Whetstone High School, earned his BA at Amherst College and his MBA at MIT. He was also board chair of charity evaluator GiveWell.org from its early years in 2008. Finally, he was a one-day champion on the TV show Jeopardy!.
Tom currently lives in Boston, but frequently returns home to visit Columbus.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing.
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Tom
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Our Business World - Driven by Fear? A frank talk about channeling our emotions in business.
2025-07-25 11:00 - 13:00 | OH
JOIN US …
… on the 10th anniversary of the 1st-ever TIGER Event.
Festivities will include prizes & giveaways.
Doors open at 11:00 am.
Come early & interact with our featured speaker, Hugh Cathey, and your fellow participants.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
In this TIGER Talk, accomplished business leader Hugh Cathey will discuss:

Why fear exists in our work lives.
What does fear look like?
Controlling that fear.
Using fear to guide you?
Do you ever lose that sense of fear?

Don’t miss this fresh take on a topic that many business leaders prefer to ignore but would do well to confront and learn how to control.
***************
A serial entrepreneur, Hugh Cathey has just embarked on his 10th early-stage company. From his early career in a family business to working for a Fortune 20 company, to going back into the start-up arena, Hugh has experienced some wins, and a number of losses.
After leaving AT&T, and going through several start-ups on the West Coast, Hugh moved to Columbus in 1996 to start a tech company financed by a single high net worth investor.
After going through an IPO in 1997, he was president of the launch team of another highly-financed company that fell apart during the ‘dot-com bubble burst’ of the early 2000’s.
This was followed by a series of tech company start-ups that met with some success and some real challenges. Along the way some lessons were learned that may be helpful to others.
Today, Hugh is CEO of a health-tech company based in Columbus.
****************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Social Time
11:30 am – Lunch & More Social Time
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (Your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Hugh
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Social Time

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Unleashing the Power of Generative AI: Navigating the Future of Work - 2025 Edition
2025-08-01 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH 43054
Friday 8/1/25, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Christopher Slee, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:00 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
“Unleashing the Power of Generative AI: Navigating the Future of Work” is a concise yet insightful talk that demystifies generative AI for a diverse audience.
Chris originally created and delivered this popular presentation in 2024. And now he’s significantly updated and enhanced what he’ll be sharing to reflect the dramatic advances over the past 18 months in AI tech and how it’s being applied.
Come explore the transformation of AI from simple tools to systems capable of learning and creating like humans.
Discover the importance of “prompt engineering” and “workflow engineering” as essential skills for harnessing AI’s potential. Envision a future where multiple AI models collaborate to enhance decision-making and problem-solving.
Join us for this mind-expanding TIGER Talk to unlock the power of generative AI and prepare for a thriving future of work in the age of AI.
***************
From our featured speaker, Christopher Slee:
Hi I’m Chris, the Principal Technologist at Transform Labs (formerly AWH) and the CTO of IncludeHealth, a healthcare start-up changing the face of Virtual Physical Therapy.
When I speak about technology, I like to keep it accurate and relatable. I share stories and insights that matter to tech enthusiasts and anyone interested in how technology intersects with our daily lives and work. It’s about making sense of tech and making it understandable.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Chris
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Growing Pains: How Growth Can Break Your Business
2025-08-22 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Rob Young, and your fellow participants.
Doors open at 11:00 am.
Come early & interact with our featured speaker, Rob Young, and your fellow participants.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Most business advice glamorizes growth and suggests that it should be one of a business’s top priorities. While growth can be great, it has a dark side. Growth will amplify and exploit weakness in a business. Without a solid foundation, a business can crumble under the weight of growth.
In this TIGER Talk, we will explore the dangers of growth, consider practices to manage it, and discuss easy-to-implement tools you can use to ensure that your company is a growth-ready business.
***************
Rob Young is a former executive who never planned to have a business career. He spent two decades in senior leadership roles in companies ranging from a VC-backed startup to a global corporation.
Having burned out on corporate life, Rob traded his briefcase for a tool belt and spent five years renovating historic houses. Days spent doing hands-on construction side by side with talented craftspeople were some of his most enjoyable.
It was during this time that Rob recognized a consistent pattern: the business owners he worked with had never been trained to run a business and struggled to navigate growth. After watching several businesses fail, he founded Stage 3 Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping business owners navigate the challenges of growth with clarity and confidence through simple tools, practices, and rhythms.
Rob is the author of Stage 3 Success, a practical guide for owners of growing businesses who want to scale without losing control.
***************

Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Chris
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

From Prompts to Partners: How AI Is Changing the Way We Work and Think
2025-09-12 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Kristy Wedel, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive early. Doors open at 11:00 am.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
AI adoption isn’t about chasing the latest model or expecting instant transformation from a single tool. As AI evolves, the real shift is happening beneath the surface in how we think, decide, and work together. The question isn’t just what AI can do, but how we adapt our processes.
This TIGER Talk will explore how to move beyond early experimentation by rethinking how decisions are made, how insight is shared, and how real value is created. It highlights common pitfalls like strategic drift and pilot purgatory, and offers practical ways to design AI workflows that prioritize clarity over speed.
Whether you’re leading a team or just beginning to explore AI in your day-to-day life, you’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to use it more thoughtfully and effectively.
***************
Kristy Wedel, Founder of ReMemora, has over 15 years of experience in developing and democratizing analytics solutions that drive transparency and efficiency across various industries including healthcare, banking and government.
At the forefront of AI adoption and instructional design, Kristy’s strategic acumen ensures that AI is leveraged effectively and responsibly. She is a staunch advocate for robust AI governance. Kristy is a member of the Women in Analytics (WIA) team, and is also a doctoral student at Franklin University in the Doctor of Business Administration program.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.

Timeline:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Kristy
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Sales Versus Growth - Why They’re Different and What’s Needed To Achieve Both
2025-09-26 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
NEW! Early Start – Extra Time for Connecting. Arrive as early as 11:00 am.
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Dana Allender, and your fellow participants.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Join us for this TIGER Talk by Dana Allender.
While “sales” often focuses on short-term wins — generating leads, closing deals and meeting quotas — “growth” requires a deeper, systemic approach that aligns your entire business including sales, marketing. product/service delivery, customer success and, most importantly, executive leadership.
Sales is the key ingredient in growth! However, true growth is not just about increasing revenue but having the right people doing the right things across the organization. By understanding the difference between “driving sales” and “achieving growth”, leaders can focus on stage-appropriate actions and strategies to transform their businesses, wherever they might be in their journey!
***************
Dana Allender is Founder of SUN (as in, “Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles), a firm he created to help companies sell their “stuff” and grow their businesses with a “customer first” approach.
Dana’s interest in this came from his own early sales experiences, needing to “build the airplane while flying it” like many founders, business owners and sales leaders do – with the urgency to generate sales today while still learning what works (and what doesn’t) to generate repeatable, scalable revenue tomorrow.
As a proud member of Sandler Sales President’s Club, he’s been “classically trained”. With that, he’s also found from speaking with hundreds of founders, business owners and sales leaders that training and creating “off the shelf” playbooks isn’t enough. Learning and growth happens in actual “customer conversations” while having someone you trust (and who’s done it) working alongside you to make it happen – achieving impactful results faster.
In addition to his years of B2B enterprise sales experience, he’s served in the roles of mentor, advisor and Entrepreneur-In-Residence for organizations such as JumpStart/JumpStart Ventures, Youngstown Business Incubator, Alloy Development’s OhioXcelerate, University of Akron Resource Foundation ICorps, Rev1 Ventures, and RevTech Labs Fintech and Insurtech Accelerator, MAGNET and Bounce Innovation Hub. Memberships include the Angel Capital Association, Ohio Angel Collective, and OhioX while also receiving investing certification through VC University. He‘s also worked with economic development partners including Greater Cleveland Partnership, Team NEO, and JobsOhio to drive innovation in the region.
Dana lives in Rocky River, just outside of Cleveland, Ohio with his family and dogs (Lance and Loki, yes, Loki from the Marvel collection!). His coaching doesn’t end with sales, as he coaches kids’ travel basketball as well. He’s also learning (still) to play the guitar, which you can see prominently displayed behind him during a zoom call and is happy to karaoke anytime – just ask!
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:00 – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing.
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Dana
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Market Validation & Customer Feedback
2025-10-03 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
NEW! Early Start Time. EXTRA connecting. opportunities. Arrive as early as 11:00 am.
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Matt Cynkar, and your fellow participants.
Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Join us for this TIGER Talk by Matt Cynkar of Rev1 Ventures.
As a start, you’ll learn why Rev1 collects feedback from target users and other target stakeholders. You’ll also see how the Rev1 team helps entrepreneurs use data collected to determine whether or not to pursue a new business idea.
And specifically, you’ll learn:

How to identify the pieces and parts of collecting feedback (target audience, qualitative vs. quantitative, etc.), and an ‘MVP’ (Minimum Viable Product) format.
How to analyze and interpret feedback.
A process that will serve you well for the rest of your career as an entrepreneur.

***************
With 15 years’ experience in market research and data analysis, Matt Cynkar leads a team focused on applying market intelligence and analytics to accelerate Rev1 Ventures‘ growth strategy. From owning the integrity of Rev1’s internal data, to producing analyses related to specific industries, the team’s work will be an important driver of business insights and strategic guidance.
Matt brings a strong understanding of research methodology and is a proven leader in project management and planning. He identifies and targets the appropriate data sources—both qualitative and quantitative—to support the needs of the entrepreneurs we serve and the portfolio companies they are working to scale. Matt furthers Rev1’s data-driven approach to expand our industry leadership in the region, the state, and beyond.
Matt has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Marketing from Miami University. He enjoys sports and is always up for an adventure, which, with two young sons, is his daily norm.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing.
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Matt
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Lead the AI Charge: Building Trust, Ethics, and Strategy for Small Business Success
2025-10-10 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH 43054
Friday 10/10/25, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Ray Waite, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:00 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how small businesses operate, compete, and grow. While AI tools are being adopted at increasing rates, many organizations are doing so without clear direction, ethical guardrails, or leadership oversight.
This TIGER Talk will be a call to action for business leaders to step forward and guide AI integration with purpose. We’ll explore the five core principles that build trust in AI systems, and why these values must be embedded from the top down.
Participants will leave with practical tools to lead confidently, including an AI readiness assessment and a starter plan tailored for small business environments. You’ll gain clarity on your leadership role in governance, risk management, and shaping a culture of responsible innovation.
The time to lead is now! This talk will give you the roadmap to do it with confidence, integrity, and vision.
***************
Our speaker, Ray Waite, is a futurist, passionate about helping individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations understand and develop the skills necessary to survive and thrive in the emerging turbulent marketplace. He is the founder of Lighthouse Force (lighthouseforce.com), dedicated to leading businesses in the areas of innovation, artificial intelligence, design thinking, critical thinking and transformation management.
Ray loves taking the complex and explaining it in a practical way that can be easily applied. He brings a valuable blend of corporate and academia experience to his facilitated workshops, keynote speeches and consulting, with over 25 years as senior manager in the business commerce, telecom and banking industries at Citizen’s Bank, IBM, Lucent Technologies, and AT&T Bell Laboratories, and over 15 years as a university instructor. Ray’s talks are fun, informative, and full of audience participation.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Event Schedule:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Ray
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

The State of Venture in Ohio® - 2025
2025-10-17 11:00 - 13:15 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH 43054
Friday 10/17/25, 11:00 am – 1:15 pm
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Lindsay Karas Stencel, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:00 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
This is the 2025 edition of Lindsay Karas Stencel’s annual talk on The State of Venture in Ohio ®.
For the 8th year in a row, Lindsay will walk attendees through the status of VC funding in Ohio, discussing new venture fund formation, large exits, and investments and places where the state can continue to develop and grow. She will weave in some pop culture references, leave plenty of time for Q&A, and definitely keep the FUN in FUND.
***************
Lindsay Karas Stencel is a Partner in the New Ventures practice at the law firm of Thompson Hine and chairs the firm’s fund formation subgroup. She advises entrepreneurs, investors and fund managers on venture capital and startup matters, venture capital fund formation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, federal and state securities filings and compliance, including public and private securities offerings, and corporate organization and governance matters.
Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Lindsay served as a Partner and Chief Legal Counsel at a Midwest-focused venture capital firm that invests in pre-seed, seed early stage and growth stage technology companies serving several industries. There, her efforts primarily focused on deal structuring, portfolio management, limited partner relations, fundraising and exit transactions.
Simultaneously, she ran her own private practice representing emerging and diverse venture fund managers across the country, startup clients and founders, investors, and small businesses, assisting with venture fund formation and strategy, strategic deal formation, unique deal structuring and other corporate legal matters.
She also acquired significant experience while serving as Chief Operating Officer and Fund Manager, and subsequently Chief Investment Officer, Chief Legal Officer, and Managing Partner for a venture development organization in upstate New York, where she led that firm to have one of the most active seed funds in the country and spearheaded the formation and development of the largest seed fund in the history of the area.
Lindsay’s unique blend of legal, fundraising and operational experience as a founder and venture capitalist provides her with the ability to acutely understand the issues facing her venture and startup clients. She understands firsthand the matters most important to her clients and can creatively solve problems and efficiently design solutions to rapidly close transactions for investors and entrepreneurs alike.
Lindsay teaches “Venture Capital and Dealmaking” at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where she also frequently guest lectures on contract drafting and preferred securities issuances. Lindsay is a national speaker on topics of women and diversity and inclusion in finance, venture capital, venture capital deal structuring and startup investing.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Event Schedule:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing – Please come early; we expect a large crowd for this popular annual event.
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
WE EXPECT A CROWD OF 100, so we’ll be taking a week off from our usual “15 Seconds of Fame” introductions.
12:00 pm SHARP – Hand-off to Lindsay
1:15 pm – Wrap & Even More Socializing (Given strong interest in our speaker & topic, we’ve run past 1:00 pm each of the past few years. We’re anticipating our crowd will want us to allow that again.)

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

The Founders’ Firewall: Building Cybersecurity into Your Startup
2025-11-14 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH 43054
Friday 11/14/25, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Warner Moore, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:00 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Seasoned cybersecurity expert Warner Moore, Founder of Gamma Force, will lead this TIGER Talk, sharing his insights on the challenges and strategies that startups face in cybersecurity today.
In an increasingly digital world, cybersecurity is no longer a luxury reserved for large enterprises. For startups, securing your business, data, and customer trust is critical from day one. This event, tailored for founders, will provide essential insights into safeguarding your startup from cyber threats, building a security-first culture, and understanding the key cybersecurity steps every founder should take.
Target Audience:
● Founders and Co-founders of tech startups
● Early-stage entrepreneurs looking to strengthen their cybersecurity knowledge
● Startup leaders interested in protecting their business and data from cyber threats
Key Takeaways:
● The fundamental steps to secure your startup from day one
● The legal and financial implications of neglecting cybersecurity
● Practical insights into affordable and effective cybersecurity tools and strategies
***************
Warner Moore is a strategic executive leader with deep and broad experience in technology and information security. Through most of his career, Warner has worked with entrepreneurial growth organizations where technology is their business and their product. Within these organizations, Warner has an accomplished record of building successful cybersecurity programs and high performing teams who embrace DevOps culture and practices.
As an international speaker, Warner has presented to university students, technology professionals, and business leaders including at conferences like Startup Week, CloudDevelop, Path to Agility, InfoSec Summit, CodeMash, Security BSides, DevOpsDays, and Abstractions. Warner is passionate about culture, innovation, and community. His commitment to these values is demonstrated through his work leading organizations such as Ohio LinuxFest, LOPSA, and Toastmasters, of which he is currently District 40 Division B Director.
The culmination of this work was the founding of Tech Community Coalition in 2016, a non-profit organization whose mission is to enable the greater tech community.
After building security and privacy capabilities for numerous organizations across industries at companies such as CoverMyMeds and Bold Penguin, Warner founded the cybersecurity strategy firmGamma Force. Through Gamma Force, Warner serves as a virtual CISO for clients that include Deep Lens and Smart Columbus and advises startups to help them them through concept and growth phases.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Event Schedule:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Warner
1:00 pm – Wrap & Even More Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

AI and The Future of Programming - 2025 Edition
2025-11-19 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH 43054
Wednesday 11/19/25, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Chris Slee, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:00 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
AI coding tools have gone from “interesting demos” to actually useful in the past year. But this isn’t just about new frameworks. It’s about a fundamental shift in how software gets built and who can build it.
In this TIGER Talk, tech leader Christopher Slee will explore what AI can actually do for developers right now, the new agentic frameworks being used in production, and why the craft of software development has genuinely changed—not in some distant future, but today.
This isn’t hype—it’s a clear-eyed look at what works, what doesn’t, and what it means for how you build products.
You’ll leave with:

An understanding of what AI can actually do for you right now (and what it’s still really bad at)
A realistic view of whether you need a full dev team or can build your MVP yourself
Insight into how development workflows are changing in practice

If you’re a founder trying to figure out how much you can reasonably do yourself, a developer curious about these tools, or someone tired of “vibe programming” your ideas into existence and want to know what’s actually possible—this talk is for you.
***************
From our featured speaker, Christopher Slee:
Hi I’m Chris, the Principal Technologist at Transform Labs (formerly AWH) and the CTO of IncludeHealth, a healthcare start-up changing the face of Virtual Physical Therapy.
When I speak about technology, I like to keep it accurate and relatable. I share stories and insights that matter to tech enthusiasts and anyone interested in how technology intersects with our daily lives and work. It’s about making sense of tech and making it understandable.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Chris
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

Trust by Design: The Leadership Blueprint for High-Performance Teams
2025-12-12 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH 43054
Friday 12/12/25, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Dr. Kallol Biswas, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:00 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
When teams lose momentum, most leaders add more process. But performance rarely breaks because of system …. it breaks because of trust.
In this TIGER Talk, Dr. Kallol Biswas reveals why trust is the hidden design variable behind every high-performing culture. Through real stories from the FDA, biotech, and the boardroom, Kallol will show how to make trust measurable and actionable using the ALIGN™ Framework. Align is a practical model for diagnosing misalignment and rebuilding belief.
Attendees will leave with clear strategies and one practical action they can apply immediately to restore alignment, connection, and performance within their teams.
***************
Dr. Kallol Biswas is a scientist turned executive with over 20 years leading scientific, regulatory, and innovation teams. Kallol helps organizations rebuild alignment, trust, and execution. Over a 20+ year career spanning Eli Lilly, FDA, Charles River Laboratories, and NAMSA, he has led global teams and driven performance through people-first leadership and scientific rigor.
Known for his engaging “Bill Nye meets Simon Sinek” style, Kallol blends data-driven insight with human-centered leadership to inspire practical change.
Kallol’s work bridges science, people, and performance, helping leaders move from misalignment to momentum.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Kallol
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

INVINCIBLE 2026: Three Shifts You Can’t Afford to Ignore
2026-01-16 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
Our 1st TIGER Talk of 2026
7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH 43054
Friday 1/16/26, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:00 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Ready to make 2026 your most strategic year yet?
Join Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva for this TIGER Talk, a fast-paced, highly interactive briefing on the trends redefining how we live, work, and grow.
Building on insights from a turbulent 2025, Nadya will reveal:
– What’s truly driving the shifts ahead
– What last year taught us about resilience and reinvention
– How to stay disruption-ready in 2026
– The three trends every leader needs to master — now
If you’ve joined Nadya’s past TIGER Talks, you know: this session is engaging, practical, deeply researched — and one you don’t want to miss.
***************
Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva is the founder and Chief Reinvention Officer of the Reinvention Academy and co-founder of the Reinvention Summit.
Known as “The Reinvention Guru,” Dr. Nadya is a scientist, business theorist, fractional mining executive, serial entrepreneur, and award-winning author specializing in resilience and reinvention.
She has helped global leaders and Fortune 500 companies—including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coca-Cola, IBM, Cisco, L’Oréal, Henkel, and Knauf Insulation—reinvent their business models, leadership, and culture.
A four-time TEDx speaker and author of The Chief Reinvention Officer Handbook: How to Thrive in Chaos, her work has reached over one million people and has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes, where she is a regular contributor.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing
11:15 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Dr. Nadya
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ

The Founder’s Bottleneck: Why Growth Stalls When Everything Depends on You
2026-01-23 11:00 - 13:00 | INNOVATE NEW ALBANY – NEW LOCATION, 7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH, 43054, United States
7775 Walton Pkwy, Suite 100, New Albany, OH 43054
Friday 1/23/26, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Be ready to interact with our featured speaker, Natalie Hoop, and your fellow participants.
Please arrive at 11:00 am. Eat. Mingle. Make new friends.
Every founder hits a point where growth slows, not because the market shrank, but because they became the system. When every decision, deal, or fire still runs through you, it’s not a revenue problem it’s an operational one.
This TIGER Talk will help founders recognize when their business is scaling them instead of scaling up and shows how to build the systems, roles, and rhythms that let the company grow beyond their personal capacity.
Key Takeaways:
The 3 early warning signs your business is scaling you instead of scaling up
How to separate people problems from process problems (and fix the right one first)
A 90-day playbook to reclaim time, margin, and momentum—without losing visibility or control
****************
Natalie Hoop is a Fractional Strategic Operations Partner who helps founders turn growth chaos into scalable systems. With 15+ years of experience leading operations, revenue, and delivery across SaaS, DTC, and manufacturing companies, she’s known for helping startups strengthen foundations, improve margins, and scale sustainably.
Her operational rebuilds have driven +238% sales growth in 30 days, +68-point margin gains in four months, and 3x team capacity improvements—by aligning people, process, and data into a clear, repeatable system.
Through her work with both early-stage and growth-stage founders, Natalie’s become an expert in diagnosing the hidden operational bottlenecks that stall revenue and burn out teams. She also coaches fractional leaders through The Fractional Launch Lab, helping them build businesses that last instead of just survive.
Natalie’s mission is simple: to help leaders stop being the system and start building one.
***************
Like all TIGER Events, this talk is FREE.
Timeline:
11:00 am – Coffee, Snacks, & Socializing
11:30 am – Lunch & More Socializing
11:50 am – Introduce yourself to our crowd (your “15 Seconds of Fame”)
12:05 pm – Hand-off to Natalie
1:00 pm – Wrap & Resume Socializing

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Company*Consent to Use My Image & Voice*By registering for & participating in this event, I am consenting to the recording of my image and/or voice. I am also authorizing Innovate New Albany to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing my image and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.

I AGREE

Δ
