Building Backwards To Tech: Three Robot Startup Stories

As technologists, we often spend too much time inventing point solutions, and not enough time thinking about how to turn what we invent into practical, deployable, systems-level solutions that solve real problems and create real impact. In this talk, we will share stories of startups that failed by fixating on tech, and startups that are making a difference by building backwards from the impact they know they can have. You will come away with insights that will help you reframe your approach to research and development, so you can develop cutting edge technologies that matter.

We will have time at the end for an AMA (ask me anything) session where we can discuss anything from corporate innovation to career options for technologists in a variety of professional settings.

*The name of the talk is inspired by the book, “Building Backwards To Biotech” by Stephanie A. Wisner.

About Elaine Chen

Elaine is the Cummings Family Professor of the Practice in Entrepreneurship and the Director of the award-winning Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts University. She is also the Founder and Managing Director of ConceptSpring, a corporate innovation and entrepreneurship consulting company.

Elaine has served at the VP level at six companies, including Rethink Robotics, Zeo, Zeemote and SensAble Technologies. She has brought numerous hardware and software products to market and holds 22 patents.  Elaine has been teaching startup and corporate entrepreneurship in higher education since 2011 at MIT and Tufts University. At ConceptSpring, Elaine leverages her rich entrepreneurial experience to help clients make their organizations more entrepreneurial via innovation consulting services and custom training programs.

Elaine holds a BS and an MS in mechanical engineering from MIT.

This event is hosted by Derby Entrepreneurship Center. Learn more at https://derbyecenter.tufts.edu