SECON 2019

One of the cool perks of my job is the ability to go to conferences. I haven't used it very often, but that perk allows me to stay abreast of all the cool technological and business innovations happening in the field. It's a win-win since (1) it helps me conduct better research for the team and (2) it allows me to nerd out in ways that I probably would not be able to afford on my own.

Last weekend, I checked out the 2019 Social Enterprise Conference (SECON19) at the Harvard Business School, featuring Anand Giridharadas. You might recognize him as the author of Winners Take All, The True American, and India Calling. (It was my first time hearing him speak, and I was absolutely amazed -- and somewhat stunned -- at all of the facts he regularly dropped about the system behind American wealth.)

The conference was filled with all types of relevant topics, from workshops on entrepreneurship, capital building, and impact to several panels on creating innovative cities and inclusive tech. It was a great experience to be around like-minded people; some were as far down as Tennessee and Florida while others came from further out in Michigan and California. It was well attended, and I hope to keep up-to-date with all of the conferences happening around Boston.

I'm constantly amazed at how much this city has in terms of groups and activities interested in design, startup culture, etc. Coming from DC, where design thinking and (social) innovation hasn't fully taken off, it is a welcome change. However, there is almost something every week, and it's almost overwhelming to keep on top of everything. Nonetheless, it is a small fee to pay in order to access to these great opportunities.

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