World Business Chicago’s Post

Gather  d i f f e r e n t l y  at the upcoming (& revamped!) @seechangesessions flagship this September 17–19 🧘✍️🏹 It’s a refined, focused, and undoubtedly more fun way for you to sharpen your critical thinking, build creative confidence, gather new ideas, and form meaningful connections with a new (and unlikely) crew of innovators. Expect plenty of opportunities to regroup, explore the interconnections between tracks, and actively engage with everyone—this is no passive conference experience! !✨👥💼 Select one of three expertly crafted tracks: placemaking, packaging, or space tech. Each track has a distinct mission related to its topic that you’ll work with a curated group of 50 or fewer expert guides, advisors, facilitators, and contributors (you!) in dynamic, off-the-record experiences. Connect pre-event with your track team to strategize and jumpstart your journey. Throughout the event, you’ll contribute to a group report, solve problems in real-time, and be guided by a dream team of industry leaders and experts. Sessions include design-thinking workshops, labs, shared meals, collaborative creative projects, saunas, and quality time outdoors. To register, head to: https://lnkd.in/gG8NKkn7

We gave these out at NASH's 2024 Superconvening last week. By far, one of the best conference giveaways I've seen (kudos to Jessica Todtman & David Belsky for the great idea). Would love to see your suggestions for what we should name it in the comments - see my idea below. More than being a cool giveaway, it made me think about how Systemness is a plug-and-play concept. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach - it varies across systems, across campuses, and across initiatives. Yet, the building blocks are the same - aligning vision and mission, leadership, resource models, administrative structures, and accountability mechanisms. This idea of "plug and play" resonates with me a lot in this work. Within multi-campus systems, a common pushback against collaboration is that campuses are not all the same. And, they aren't. Yet, too often, systemwide initiatives fail to account for these differences. We create one way for a campus to do the work and then get frustrated when they can't figure out how (or don't want to) fit a square peg into a round whole. This creates an unnecessary power struggle that often is not necessary. Much like how this "systemness dude(t)" provides multiple ways for a device to connect based on the device's design and needs, system-level transformation efforts need to provide flexibility for campuses to engage in ways that fit with their culture, goals, and ways of operating. This does not mean that the end result of the work should not expect institutional change, but that we need to find ways to bring institutions into the work so that they see themselves in it and can easily "plug in." Once that happens, it's much easier to work through the institutional changes that need to occur. Interested in learning more about Systemness? Follow me for more discussions about leading large-scale, multicampus change efforts in higher education. The National Association of Higher Education Systems #highered #highereducationleadership #systemness #multicampussystems #collaboration

As we edge closer to our Spring Town Hall Event on April 11th, the excitement is growing! 🎉 This isn't just another meeting; these are pivotal moments for the entire team to connect, reflect, and accelerate into the future of technology. This Town Hall is our answer to the challenges of flexible working, a reaffirmation of our commitment to staying connected, aligned, and forward-thinking. It’s where we'll share our progress, unveil our next big moves, and celebrate the incredible journey we're on together. From strategic insights to inspiring talks by industry giants, we're setting the stage for a day of engagement, innovation, and celebration. 🚀 As we are growing rapidly, it's a chance to meet our colleagues and connect with new faces. Though this event is for our eyes only, we're excited to share glimpses of our journey and the exceptional team shaping the future of safety and protection. Stay tuned as we'll be shining a light on the remarkable individuals behind the brand very soon! #team #culture #technology #growth #tech #growth #innovation

Midweek motivation to 'Embrace boldness to transform your career' 💥 In the heart of our work week, we must remind ourselves of the power within to shape our professional journeys. Amy Cuddy's insights in "Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges" highlight how adopting powerful postures not only boosts our confidence but also significantly reduces stress. She famously said, "Tiny tweaks can lead to big changes." This is a fantastic tip for any wanting to overcome imposter syndrome or self-doubt, if you practice enough in safe spaces first you can gain self-belief to overcome this common hurdle in career advancement. At advovation, we believe in empowering individuals and teams by fostering an environment of advocacy and innovation. Here's what you can do to embody boldness in your career today: 🙌🏽 Start your day with a power pose: Spend two minutes every morning in a posture of confidence. This simple act can prime your mind for a day of success. 🙌🏽 Voice your ideas: In your next team meeting, find a point you're passionate or confident about on the agenda and be the first to speak up. Sharing your insights encourages a culture of innovation and positions you as a thought leader. 🙌🏽 Embrace feedback: Seek out feedback actively. It’s a golden opportunity for personal and professional growth, enabling you to tackle challenges with confidence. As we're on the theme of being bold, let's also celebrate creativity happening right now at Auckland Design Week, reimagined by Jen Jones and her team. This year's theme, 'Bold & Brave', aligns superbly. If you haven't checked it out, ADW are flipping the traditional - reframing what a design festival can be for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland; with 7-days of tours, workshops, demonstrations, speaker panels, screenings and more. Until Saturday, 16th March, explore how design shapes our world by grabbing your ticket here https://lnkd.in/gBNis3Gr #boldness #confidence #careerdevelopment #advovation #personalbranding #teamdynamics #professionalgrowth #aucklanddesignweek #innovation #leadership

SPEAKER ALERT! Looking forward to seeing friends and colleagues at IDA's Annual Conference in Seattle next week (link below)! In case you’re interested, I’ll be speaking on “BEYOND THE POP-UP - ADDRESSING LARGE RETAIL VACANCIES", a session on Thursday morning (Sept 24th, 8:30 am, 5th Floor, Quinault Room). I initially proposed this topic because so much of the great work being done to backfill empty storefronts in the post-pandemic Downtown has been focused on pop-up businesses in tiny floorplates, without addressing the growing number of larger, 5K+ sq ft boxes once filled with major footfall generators – from the massive brand flagships along the nation’s top-tier shopping streets (which I have discussed extensively in my recent articles) to the large-format drug stores and full-service bank branches in Downtowns big and small across all of North America. What are the prospects and solutions for those critical anchor spaces? I’ll be identifying the retail brands and operators that are still interested in them, as well as the growing crop of experiential and “eater-tainment” concepts that have been expanding in urban cores. I’ll also be delving into other kinds of tenancies that have emerged, like ones in “meds and eds” as well as arts and culture. Finally, I’ll be exploring the role of the Downtown organization in promoting, sponsoring and managing different kinds of entrepreneurial platforms in such spaces, thereby teeing up the presentations of the session’s three other superb panelists: Cassie Hoeprich, a past and present client at San Francisco’s Mid-Market Business Association & Foundation and now, Downtown Houston+; Sean Webster, Manager of Level Up Downtown at the Downtown Boston BID; and Dillon Goodson, Co-Founder of Public Sphere Projects, with whom I’m presently working in Downtown Allentown. So, put it on your conference calendar – I hope to see you there! #retailcontrarian #retail #retailleasing #retailrealestate #retailproperty #retailtrends #retaildevelopment #retailmarket #retailbroker #retailspace #retailindustry #retailers #downtown #mainstreet #mainstreets #citycenter #citycentre #highstreet #urbanretail #icsc #commercialrealestate #ida #iedc #uli #icma #planning #marketanalysis #siteselection #futureofretail #urbandevelopment #jll #zoning #retailvacancy #vacantstorefronts #emptystorefronts #citymanager #cnu #businessimprovementdistrict #wwd #retailbrew #storefront #downtownrevitalization #nyt #bof #wsj #urbanregeneration #planetizen #economicdevelopment #storefronts #atcm #shopping #urbanist #bloomberg #bia #businessimprovementarea #downtownseattle #flagships #brandflagships #chaindrugstores #bankbranches #entrepreneurs #experiential #eatertainment #medsandeds #smallbusinesses #indies Jon Scholes Kevin V. Nguyen Michael Edwards Kimberly Bares Bryan McArdle Scott Rowitz Emmanuel Rey, MBA Ashwin Kutty Merike Treier Tiffini Connell Noah Buhayar Tanja Carter Teri Smith Theresa Barreras Don Blakeney

We’ve seen tectonic shifts in tech and business over the last few years. Now… it’s time to step back for a pulse check: Do you think the old tricks are still working? That’s the question we’ll be tackling at this year’s invitation-only L Suite Executive Offsite. Hosted by co-chairs Eric Whitaker, CLO at 10x Genomics, and Stephanie Adamson King, CLO at Playco, and designed for the most experienced GCs and CLOs in our community, the 2024 Executive Offsite is focused on the theme “Rethink: New Frameworks for Old Challenges.” Seasoned GCs and CLOs from leading tech companies will come together for an action-packed three days at The 1 Hotel Toronto, September 23-25. To kick off this Offsite, event sponsor Cooley LLP is hosting scenic co-working at the 1 Hotel’s Rooftop Lounge! Attendees will have the opportunity to make new connections, catch up with old friends, or just catch up on their emails, all above the Toronto skyline. Shoutout to our event sponsors, Cooley LLP, Fenwick & West, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. We’re excited to partner with you on this one-of-a-kind experience for tech's leading CLOs and GCs. Learn more about The L Suite Executive Offsite: https://lnkd.in/gwdbSkjX We’d love to hear from our members – Where have you seen the biggest tech and business shifts? And what new frameworks are you developing in response? Let us know in the comments. #thelsuite #gc #clo #toronto 

A recent Verdantix webinar, 'The Future Of Real Estate & Facilities: Reimagining Higher Education And Offices For 2050' explores the evolution of office environments, from solitary workspaces to collaborative hubs that foster company culture and enhance employee experiences. Gain access to the webinar recording: https://lnkd.in/ec2SKE3D #Offices #Webinar #FacilitiesManagement

On the back of sharing about the new site I'm elaborating here on the 'About' section and my story... https://lnkd.in/dWKB9ZjA The original peer space - 'Executive Peer Spaces' was born in Sofia in mid- 2018. We'd tried a few dinner space experiments through the middle part of the year and branded up to 'Exec Peer Spaces' by September. The dinners ran for people in the international business community in Sofia with a check-in and speaker rounds through to the end of 2019. In Spring 2020 we switched to an online format with virtual peer spaces and a recurring weekly varied format space running through to early 2021, when Sally Wood ACMA CGMA joined us and we incorporated in the UK. We then ran a year of filmed 'virtual speaker teas', and through much of 2022-23 regrouped and reassessed our focus and direction. A year ago it still wasn't really clear whether we'd be back to in-person events 'ever', but with the help of Ben Bryant - my original creative / brand and design partner from exec peer space in 2018, who joined the now UK team through mid-2023 - we started revamping our site and realised we needed to get back to in-person events again, which we did in November 2023, after a 4 year gap. We've engaged 100+ over 3 'Good Vibrations' signature speaker dinners in Farnham and 5 'Adventurous Conversations' dinners working with Dave Nyss, FRSA of Real Learning in Haslemere and London, since then. You will be hearing more very soon about 'Dugout Dinners - London' which start next month, which will feel something like coming back full circle to a capital city speaker dinner for the international business community, 6 years since the first at the other end of Europe. Which is exciting! As for me, the talk I've started wheeling out is evolving but is essentially about 'the power of welcoming spaces'. I went on an expat adventure in 2006 with my young family, an epic joyride for a few years, like fun in the sun, building a well backed, new business. But it was going a bit pear shaped by 2009-10 on the back of the global recession of that time, and I eventually made an attempt to return to the UK, which proved very difficult. Eventually I came across a welcoming dinner space that helped me feel like I belonged back on the island like nothing else seemed to at the time, and later an amazing village welcoming experience on a retreat, that, instead of treating 'village returners' like aliens, made a big positive point of making them feel welcome on their return. When we think of 'returns' or arrivals to communities it could be from many things, of course. So I'm now championing welcoming spaces at The Peer Space and am pretty touched by how many people have already come up to me to say how much the talk resonated with them in some way, after just one outing with it! :)

If you're looking for a better and different in-person tech event, you should definitely check out what Nicole and I are hosting on July 18. The topic is AI and marketing but the real focus is purposeful networking and connections. We have about 15 tickets left. Registration link in the comments. #ai #marketing #inpersonevents #networking

Last year, I had the incredible opportunity to attend both SF and NY Tech Week. These experiences were invaluable in expanding my network and learning from some of the best minds in the industry. However, this year, I decided to take a different approach and moved to Chicago, choosing to sit out of NY Tech Week. Why the change? 🤔 One major lesson I learned from these events is that follow-ups are crucial. It's not just about attending the events; it's about what happens afterward. Despite the vast number of people and companies at these tech weeks, I found that meaningful, productive connections were often elusive. Here’s what I realized: 1, Quality over Quantity: The sheer scale of these events can make it challenging to have deep, meaningful conversations. It's easy to get lost in the crowd. 2, Relevance: Not every event or conversation aligns with my specific goals and interests. Finding the right people to talk to can be like finding a needle in a haystack. 3, Focus: Too many events and sessions can dilute my focus. I found myself spread too thin, unable to dive deep into the areas that truly mattered to me. This year, I’m focusing on more targeted events and connections, where I can engage more deeply and follow up more effectively. Sometimes, stepping back from the big events can provide clarity and lead to more impactful interactions. I hope people are making the most out of NY Tech week this time, while I will be focusing more on setting goals and curating my existing connections