Stanford University

Tina Wells, founder and CEO of Buzz Marketing Group, answers questions on trend-spotting, ethics in marketing and new approaches to audience engagement. Wells also tells the story of her journey from school-age entrepreneur to leading a firm that helps companies create ways for consumers to express their true experiences with brands.

Jennifer Carolan, managing director of the NewSchools Seed Fund, talks about the opportunities for technology companies interested in contributing to the changing landscape of education. In conversation with Stanford Engineering Consulting Associate Professor Steve Blank, Carolan discusses common mistakes of ed-tech founders and the need for engineers and consumer technologists in creating innovation in education.

Lew Cirne, founder and CEO of New Relic, discusses his experiences as a serial entrepreneur, in conversation with Stanford Engineering Professor Tom Byers. Cirne talks about finding one's strengths as a leader, the challenge of discovering a company's second act, and why the best engineers must possess real empathy for the users of their products.

Nest Co-Founder Matt Rogers explains why careers can be made on taking on the challenges and projects unloved by others. Rogers discusses what he learned working at Apple on the original iPod and iPhone, the importance of not chasing the money when raising capital, and how he and Nest Co-Founder Tony Fadell went about building an innovative consumer electronics company.

Tina Seelig, professor of the practice in Stanford's School of Engineering, describes how imagination leads to entrepreneurship, charting the course from rough ideas to polished ventures. Introducing a new framework called the "Inventure Cycle," Seelig captures the attitudes and actions necessary to foster innovation and bring breakthrough ideas to the world.

Author and leadership educator Liz Wiseman shares why cultivating a "rookie mindset" is an advantage in a rapidly changing world. Wiseman presents insights from her books, "Rookie Smarts" and "Multipliers," including frameworks and techniques for how entrepreneurs, leaders and employees can embrace a life of constant learning and build a passion for multiplying the genius of those around them.

Kevin and Julia Hartz discuss what it really takes to be a thriving startup organism in challenging ecosystems. As well as sharing insights from the early founding days of Eventbrite, the husband and wife co-founders explain the importance of continual focus on cultivating talent, maintaining sustainable advantages, and driving relentless evolution inside a company.

Serial entrepreneur and investor Chinedu Echeruo shares lessons from starting multiple companies, including HopStop, which was acquired by Apple in 2013. Echeruo discusses the beneficial attributes of founders, learning from his missteps, and why he sees creativity as a tool for unleashing value for the world.

Mike Rothenberg, founder and CEO of Rothenberg Ventures, describes the entrepreneurial approach he took in starting his firm and how failures along the way were actually opportunities to reset. He also explains the business concept of red versus blue ocean, where the latter represents an uncharted market that entrepreneurs should swim toward at all costs.