Thriving in the IoT Economy: MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge To Host Fireside Chat with Authors of “The Inversion Factor”

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 19, 2017 -- The IoT economy is changing the way companies flourish. The product-first orientation of the past no longer guarantees the success of the future.

MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge hosts The Inversion Factor: How to Thrive in the IoT Economy January 18, 2018.

“The Inversion Factor: How to Thrive in the IoT Economy,” explains why successful companies will have to reimagine how they use modern technology to fill consumer needs. The ‘make a thing to do a thing’ approach of yesterday is outdated. Human needs now reside where real and digital coexist. The highly anticipated book explores how “smart” objects connected by the Internet of Things signal fundamental changes for business.

On Thursday, January 18, the MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF) of Cambridge will host a fireside conversation with a pair of “The Inversion Factor” authors, Linda Bernardi and Sanjay Sarma. Set for the MIT Stata Center in Cambridge’s Kendall Square, the two will offer a blueprint for businesses charting their courses as the world shifts rapidly to an IoT model. Notably, they’ll base their remarks on insights gathered from interviews with leaders of major companies and game-changing startups that include Amazon, Airbnb, Uber, Google, Tesla, and Apple.   

Fundamental to the Inversion Factor concept are the three IOTs:

• The Internet of Things – Devices connected to the internet
• The Intelligence of Things – Devices that host software applications
• The Innovation of Things – Devices that become experiences

“Inversion is a MUST in order to survive for companies of any size,” said author Linda Bernardi. MITEF of Cambridge Executive Director Katja Wald agrees, “Using examples of real-world cases such as Zipcar’s inverted success– reimagining how people interact with vehicles – the authors can help entrepreneurs understand and capitalize on the countless opportunities the tectonic shift to the IoT paradigm represents.”

About the Authors:
Linda Bernardi, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Element AI, and former Chief Innovation Officer with IBM
Sanjay Sarma, Vice President for Open Learning and Fred Fort Flowers (1941) and Daniel Fort Flowers (1941) Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT

Event Details:
The Inversion Factor, How to Thrive in the IoT Economy
Thursday, January 18, 2018
MIT Stata Center, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA
5:30 - 6:00 p.m. - Registration & networking (light refreshments served)
6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Welcome & panel discussion
8:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Beer, wine & networking
Registration and more information is available online.
The first 50 people who register will receive a copy of the book.

The evening is made possible by sponsors CHEN PR, Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds, Morse Barnes-Brown Pendleton, Withum Audit Tax Advisory and Wolf Greenfield.

About the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge
The MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge is the founding chapter and one of 27 worldwide chapters comprising the MIT Enterprise Forum, Inc. Offering more than 40 programs and events annually that inspire innovation, MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge initiatives facilitate critical one-on-one mentoring while providing team services that increase the skills and expertise necessary for entrepreneurs to succeed.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/73f0f703-341c-4627-8dbf-3ed705f0fe68

MITEF CONTACT:
Katja Wald
MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge
617-253-8238
[email protected]

MEDIA CONTACT:
Gabrielle Kondracki
CHEN PR for MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge
781-672-3113
[email protected]