Innovation Accelerator Office Hours
October 7, 2024Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
We are starting to hear of some interests percolating about the Innovation Accelerator (IA)—which is very exciting. Please refer to my earlier email (below) for the details of this initiative. This spreadsheet lists the preliminary ideas we know of so far; please add your info just so we have a pulse on what’s happening and can help connect people with similar interests.
Here are some office hours opened for further discussion as you develop your IA ideas:
Tue Oct 8, 3:30–4:30 p.m. – Tom Donnelly (Sprague 403)
Wed Oct 9, 1:30–2:30 p.m. – Tom Donnelly (Sprague 403)
Th Oct 10, 9–10 a.m. – Harriet Nembhard (Shan 2400)
Th Oct 10, 3:30–4:30 p.m. – Harriet Nembhard (Shan 2400)
Fr Oct 11, 1–2 p.m. – Harriet Nembhard (Shan 2400)
Mon Oct 14, 10–11 a.m. – Harriet Nembhard, Tom Donnelly, Cindy Martinez (Zoom)
Th Oct 17, 3–4 p.m. – Harriet Nembhard, Tom Donnelly (Shan 2400)
Fr Oct 18, 1–2 p.m. – Harriet Nembhard (Shan 2400)
Mon Oct 21, 10–11 a.m. – Tom Donnelly, Cindy Martinez, Kim Stafford (Zoom)
There are two points that have been mentioned in response to questions that may be broadly helpful:
At the Saddle Rock Trustee Retreat on Nov. 1–3, we hope we can show up with a “fist full of bold ideas”—i.e., the two-page IA proposals due Oct. 25. The trustees will be asked to critique the proposals and opine on how they foresee the ideas as essential to driving our strategic plan forward.
The Innovation Accelerator Summit (a date for April 2025 is TBD) will be a chance to engage external stakeholders who may continue to be along for the ride as selected projects are developed. For example, we plan to invite foundation leaders, venture capital experts, fundraising experts, and academic leaders from other institutions. Their input will be expected to help shape our decision making and path forward on funded IA proposals.
Lastly, I’d like to remind you to please take a look at the revision of the Strategic Plan and email any comments to Tim Hussey (thussey@hmc.edu). We hope to have a nearly final version ready by the time we head to Saddle Rock.
Kind regards,
Harriet