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Developing privacy-preserving identity systems and safe distributed computation, enabling an Internet of Trusted Data. The Trust::Data Consortium addresses the growing tension between societal data proliferation and data security by developing specifications, software, tools and documentation that help organizations adopt a holistic approach to cyber protection. Trust::Data is building new models for digital identity, data provenance, universal access, and secure privacy-preserving transactions to harness the future potential of global data sharing.

 

Knowing how to manage complex undertakings—invention of new science, development of new products, stand up of new systems, operation of sprawling operations—such that new knowledge and skills are developed at incredible speed is a source of sustainable competitive advantage. But how does this advantage translate? We undertake projects, programs, and the like because there is a problem for which no solution exists. It has to be invented, and the faster and easier we discover our way to the right answers, the better for all of our stakeholders. Do that repeatedly and consistently, and competitors cannot keep up. Existing opportunities to build knowledge and skills will be identified during planning, practice, and performance with examples from drug development, software design, social services, and military applications.

 

Jobcase, an MIT CSAIL-affiliated startup, empowers 100 million of the US working class. Applying data analysis and optimized outreach, they connect workers to jobs in trucking, warehouse, customer care, and more. The average worker today holds much anxiety surrounding economic conditions and technological changes, e.g. AI and automation. They need more than just job opportunities, and now seek knowledge and advice from an online community of like-minded workers in our increasing gig economy to succeed. Blue- and pink-collar workers often do not know how to address their concerns within the workplace or how to transition into different positions without having to start from the bottom again. Having tools that can reach workers from the top-down and that allow them to connect with each other is essential to empowering the worker and ultimately fuel an ambitious future workforce.

 

The key to driving innovation lies in inspiring and motivating your workforce. But how does this apply to today as employers must engage an entire lifespan of workers? Each generation holds their own language, expectations, and life challenges, and addressing these individually is expensive and offers no guarantee of success. Instead, we should consider what these groups have in common. This talk introduces us to the greater “Gen S” – that is, Generation Stressed – whose most in-demand commodity is attention. Employees are constantly juggling an ever-increasing volume, velocity, and complexity of issues that vie for their attention and engagement, and employers must actively compete to both gain and sustain their attention. Drawing upon research in psychology, marketing, and cognitive engineering, this talk will describe the dynamics of Gen S and how employers can attain agenda status for employees across the lifespan.

 

Chief Technology Officers represent an increasingly valuable role in the C-suite, given recent technology-sector IPO frequency and valuations. However, CTOs are an amorphous group : they range from product developers (e.g. Bobby Murphy of Snap) to R&D portfolio managers (e.g. Dr. Greg Hyslop of Boeing) to technology evangelists (e.g. Werner Vogels of Amazon). Some CTOs deliver enormous value for their companies based on their decision-making and their presence, while others fade into the background noise of corporate overhead. In the face of long-term technology trends, how will you know if your CTO is contributing to the value of the firm? We will summarize the initial findings MIT CTO Study, an ongoing project to characterize the role and performance of CTOs.

 

Moderator: Sheri Brodeur
Panelists: Andrew Backs (Cofounder & Chief Innovation Strategist, Pilot44 Labs), Jana Eggers (CEO, Nara Logics), Damon Frost (Chief Information Officer, P&G), Charles Purtell (VP, New Ventures, Danaher), Tor Jakob Ramsøy (CEO & Founder, Arundo)

Hear from panelists from both large corporations and startups to discuss the challenges and successes of engaging with the other and working together. Now more than ever, collaborative innovation is essential for growth and combating (or leading) market disruption. Startups allow large companies to develop and test new technologies with less risk and overhead; meanwhile, corporations offer advantages of a large network, greater resources, brand recognition, and market knowledge and experience for startups. Collaborating should be a win-win scenario; however, best practices and approach may not always be obvious (or easy) when crossing lines.

 

Moderator: Michael Schrage
Panelists: Roy Wilsker (Senior Director, IT; Medtronic), Barbara Wixom (Senior Researcher; MIT CISR), Shimir Varia (Global VP, Enterprise Architecture; Anheuser-Busch InBev)

Companies are racing to implement AI to better their businesses; however, most have yet to see results. While your company might have the magic algorithm, there’s a good chance it does not have quality data to yet gain insights. The data most organizations currently have was not gathered or created with machine learning in mind; rather, it was traditionally used for measuring physical and financial assets. But how could these same measures apply in a marketplace where the majority of assets are now intangible? In order for your data (and insights) to have meaning, it must be curated around key knowledge and differentiated from your competitors’ data. When making important decisions, what matters most to your company? How can you capture this knowledge and data to make the best use of it?

 

Professor Sheffi explains why companies are not, in general, making the deep investments in sustainability that are required in order to “move the needle” and why they should not do it. He addresses why consumers are not willing to pay more or sacrifice in the name of environmental sustainability, despite saying so in surveys, and why such behavior may be rational. He also explains how governments contribute to the problem. Professor Sheffi will end with some thoughts and insights about future directions. The presentation and discussion include many examples, and time will be allocated for Q&A and discussion with Professor Sheffi.