TechShop is America's 1st Nationwide Open-Access Public Workshop -- Techshop Detroit Grand Opening Panel

METRO DETROIT GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION PANELS

SATURDAY MAY 5

11:30AM - PANEL #1: Social Entrepreneurship: Small Business Is Good for Big Business. Venkatesh Prasad, group and senior technical leader with Ford Research and Innovation, known as the "What's Next" guy, will moderate a discussion about the ways in which the innovations of small businesses, driven largely by the Maker Movement, can benefit big businesses.

The panel discussion will focus on how big and small business can bring their strengths and lessons-learned together to further innovation. With crowdsourcing bringing people together and rapid prototyping now cheaper and more accessible than ever, small startups can take products to market without starting in the red. Entrepreneurs can adopt the mantra, “Iterate fast and release often.” Small companies have long taken lessons from larger successful ones, but here we will look at what both can gain from the Maker Movement to further innovation and new Intellectual Property.

Moderator: Venkatesh Prasad, Senior Leader, Open Innovation, Ford Research and Innovation

Panelists:
Eric Stief, Senior Vice President, AutoHarvest Foundation
Derrin Leppek, Entrepreneurial Champion,Tech Town
Jerry Paffendorf, Artist, Futurist, Entrepreneur
David Talbott, Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office

2PM - PANEL #2: Putting the D in DIY. The second panel of the day will explore how Detroit is getting back on the map using creative force. This conversation will highlight some of the exciting new initiatives and practices in the metro area that are reinvigorating Michigan's industry and culture. The group, comprised of entrepreneurs, representatives of non-profits and other well-known locals who are passionate about ensuring makers in Michigan have the support they need to succeed, will also discuss the role entrepreneurs play in the current economy and how policies are supporting the Maker Movement in Detroit.

Moderator: Dustin Block

Panelists:
Jeff Sturges, Founder, The Mount Elliot Makerspace (MEM)
Simón Perazza, Director of Strategic Communications, ArtServe Michigan
Matt Oehrlein, i3Detroit

Aaron Young, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

4PM - Autodesk New Products Demonstration: This dynamic synopsis of the Autodesk offerings within TechShop will provide exciting information on the breadth of Autodesk products and leading insight into future software offerings from the leaders in innovation technology.

SUNDAY MAY 6

11AM - PANEL #3: How to Create a Maker Movement. Do It Yourself. MAKE Magazine founder Dale Dougherty will join a panel of makers and others who are defining the Maker Movement right here, right now.

In this session our panel will review the basics of what makes a "maker" and some of the common goals, hopes and dreams of community members that drive them to continue innovating—from simple customizations to the reshaping of industries. Has the Maker Movement has gone prime time? We will put the question to the panelists as well as explore how policy can help or hinder what the movement is trying to accomplish. Participants include TechShop founder Jim Newton and other innovators who continue to push the boundaries of where the Maker Movement can take us.

Moderator: Dale Dougherty, Editor and Publisher, MAKE Magazine

Panelists:
Jim Newton, Chairman and Founder, TechShop, Inc.
Jesse Harrington Au, Maker Advocate, Autodesk
Ted Hall, Founder, ShopBot Tools, Inc.

Mitzi Montoya, Vice Provost/Dean and Professor, College of Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University