A Diverse Gathering of Leaders Unite to Spark Innovation
HEALDSBURG, CA – Announced today is the inaugural Harvest Summit, an invitationonly gathering for innovators, influencers and tastemakers joined by awardwinning chefs, winemakers, and artisans to think, talk and celebrate the art, science and social impact of innovation.
A select group of leaders outstanding in their fields will converge on Friday, November 4, 201 6 at a private wine country estate in Sonoma County, CA, prior to the national election, to share transferable insights, solve vexing problems and accelerate the pace of change.
Executives and innovators from Autodesk, Dell, Google, Microsoft, NBC, Stanford and more will be there along with venture capitalists, serial entrepreneurs, top chefs, food industry experts and environmental leaders shaping the innovation agenda.
“We recognize a great need for leaders to get out of their silos and learn from each other,” said Jessica Kilcullen, Cofounder and Chief Harvester. “It’s in the unexpected pairing of perspectives where the greatest insights are discovered. We also believe in the importance of facetoface conversations, unscripted dialogues and the psychological benefits associated with being outside – fresh air leads to fresh perspectives.”
Agenda
Harvest Summit is designed to foster new collaborations and spark deeper conversations while allowing brands, tech innovators and thought leaders to share transferable insights. The agenda includes highly interactive small group discussions on everything from innovation acceleration to mindfulness to the future of food to IoT, virtual reality and more. The Summit will also include an innovation discovery zone to showcase new products and progressive inventions. Validating the curated experience are notable media partners Innovation Leader, Dwell, Sunset, Sonoma Magazine and LA Business Journal.
Speakers
“We face immense challenges in business and our world,” said Ivy Ross, Vice President, Google, and Head of Project Aura. “Gathering with dynamic thinkers across tech, media, entertainment and food gives me a unique opportunity to not only share my perspectives but learn and move toward solutions to solve some of our problems. I also love that we’ll be doing this outside at a unique place.”
“The idea that Harvest Summit will spark real, substantive conversations with smart people, and that we’ll share useful insights about our work, got my attention,” said Bill O’Connor, Innovation Strategist at Autodesk. “Innovation has become a giant buzzword, but the goal here is to go beyond the warm and fuzzy anecdotes and vague generalities that dominate the current innovation dialogue, and focus instead on sharing and hearing real ways to think about, and actually do, innovative work. I’m bringing my own work to the summit, to learn, to consult, to connect, and explore – rather than just enduring another standard conference with minimal learning and maximum tote bags and artisanal swag. Engaging with leaders from divergent fields can expose my blind spots and help me see things differently. I think that has the potential to be transformative.”
One Day – Friday, November 4
Harvest Summit is one day by design. “We should all be so blessed to take a day out of our lives to enjoy a beautiful county like Sonoma and interact with extraordinary entrepreneurs, artists and leaders,” said Elizabeth Gore, EntrepreneurInResidence, Dell, Entrepreneur Magazine’s Woman to Watch and selfproclaimed First Lady of Sonoma County.
Private Estate
The oneday gathering will be hosted at a modern, private estate in the heart of Sonoma County’s wine country. Worldclass food and wine will not only serve as the backdrop, but will play an integral part of the experience. “The food and beverage experience at business and innovation conferences shouldn’t be limited to rubber chicken lunch,” said Kilcullen. “We’re showcasing culinary innovations to enhance the experience.”
Key Participants
Technology Leaders
- Ivy Ross, Vice President, Google, Head of Project Aura
- Ilan Spillinger, Corporate Vice President of HoloLens and Silicon, Microsoft
- Robert Scoble, EntrepreneurInResidence, UploadVR
- Elizabeth Gore, EntrepreneurInResidence, Dell
- Bill O’Connor, Innovation Strategist, Autodesk
Media and Thought Leaders
- Scott Kirsner, Editor, Innovation Leader
- Wallace J Nichols, Marine Biologist and author of New York Times bestseller, Blue Mind
- Claire DiazOrtiz, Influencer and Author, Twitter for Good
- Val Wright, Innovation Expert, Inc. columnist and Author, Thoughtfully Ruthless
- Michael Perman, Principal Innovation Consultant, C’est What?
Food and Beverage Innovators
- Douglas Keane, Michelin star Chef, proprietor, Two Birds One Stone
- Dustin Valette, Chef/Proprietor, Valette
- Jesse Katz, AwardWinning Winemaker, Devil Proof
Sports and Entertainment Influencers
- Kevin Nicholas, Modern Mentalist
- Bruce Flohr, Red Light Management
- Chip Bowers, CMO, Golden State Warriors
What People Are Saying
Scott Kirsner, Editor, Innovation Leader
“I’m looking forward to the interactivity and originality of the Harvest Summit,” said Scott Kirsner, Founder and Editor of Innovation Leader. “The creators are planning something that will be unlike other events — a way to get people out of their silos and out of their comfort zones, talking about real challenges and the need to innovate.”
Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor of Organizational Behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business
“Organizational innovation is only as strong as the culture that fosters it and the leaders who shape it,” said Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. “As we come together in the spirit of innovation at Harvest Summit, I look forward to hearing from diverse leaders who are creating environments where employees are supported and encouraged to think differently. Tech leaders can learn from creative artists, investors can learn from winemakers. Transformative management can happen across all disciplines, from startups to public enterprises.”
Amanda Dameron, EditorinChief, Dwell
“Design innovation is reflected in the places we work, play and live,” said Amanda Dameron, Editor in Chief of Dwell. “The value in forums like Harvest Summit is to hear from leading minds how they think about design innovation and imagine the future.”
Chef Douglas Keane
“The future of food is just as important as the future of technological innovation. Bringing the two together is genius,” said renowned chef Douglas Keane. “Innovation in local and urban farming, sourcing, packaging, delivery, preparation, cookware – everything – is important and will shape our future. And most importantly, we have to make sure our food tastes good, too.”
Jesse Katz, Founder and winemaker, Devil Proof Vineyards, Aperture Cellars, and Photogenic Wine Co.
“I have traveled the world and learned from the best in my craft,” said Jesse Katz, awardwinning winemaker of Devil Proof and former Forbes 30 Under 30 Award Winner. “To have this Summit in my own backyard is exciting and valuable for our community. I am constantly looking for ways to improve and innovate in the vineyard and cellar, and in the creative ways in which I bring my wine to market. This has been imperative to my craft, and gives me a competitive advantage in a sea of consumer choice. I also believe great wine helps bring people together. I’m looking forward to the Innovation Happy Hour and the opportunity to make new connections with others that share my passion for improvements and innovation in all industries.”
Bruce Flohr, Red Light Management
“I’m always game to learn from others,” said Bruce Flohr, Red Light Management. “We consider ourselves to be one of the most innovative artist management companies in the industry and we have to continually learn and adapt our business in order to stay ahead. Sonoma County is also where I grew up so I’m proud to help shape an innovative gathering there.”
Why Sonoma County
Sonoma County is not only home to award winning wines and culinary artisans it is also poised to become the nation’s first sustainable winegrowing region, earning the Sonoma County Winegrowers California’s highest environmental honor – the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA). Sonoma Countyis also home to world class chefs and farmers defining farmtotable. “Sonoma County hit all the right notes for us,” said Kilcullen, who is also a Sonoma County grape grower. “It represents innovation in agriculture, food, wine and sustainable living. The private estate owners themselves are innovators from Silicon Valley and their approach to the land, their exceptionally designed structures, with everything from state of the art technology to living roofs, exemplifies design living and innovation, bringing the concept of a modern farm to a whole new level.”
Participating Wineries, Brew Masters and Spirit Companies
Instead of food and wine quietly complementing an event, the vision is for the unique food, wine, craft brew and fresh spirits of Sonoma County and its creators to be showcased and integrated into the Harvest Summit experience throughout the day. For a full list of participating companies and how to get involved visit www.harvestsummit.com.
Mindful Impact – Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators
Harvest Summit is proud to share a portion of profits with the CTE Foundation, an organization that supports forward advances in social change and makes a significant impact in shaping future generations of innovators. The CTE Foundation is an independent, nonprofit that brings private and public funding together to seed the development of career and technical education programs for youth.
To view the full list of speakers, partners, Harvest Council members and to learn about how individuals and companies can nominate to attend, visit www.harvestsummit.com. Join Harvest Summit on Social: Facebook www.facebook.com/HarvestSummitSonoma/, Twitter www.twitter.com/HarvestSummit, Instagram www.instagram.com/harvestsummit/ and LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/harvestsummit.
About Harvest Summit:
Harvest Summit is an invitationonly gathering of innovators, influencers, and tastemakers joined by awardwinning
chefs, winemakers and artisans to think, talk and celebrate the art, science and social impact of innovation. For
more information visit www.harvestsummit.com.
