Yale Announces Inaugural YES Innovation Summit

The first annual Yale Entrepreneurial Society (YES) Innovation Summit will bring together over 35 of the world’s foremost authorities in the fields of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, nanocomputing, bioterrorism, intellectual property, environmental regulation and education the weekend of April 19-20 at Yale University.

The Summit, in partnership with Yale University, the Yale School of Management and the State of Connecticut, features panels, workshops and lectures by pioneers and innovators in their respective fields. Registration and schedule information can be found at www.innovation-summit.com. Registration is free for all Yale students until the event, and is $35 at the door for the public.

The Summit provides an opportunity to interact with entrepreneurs, academicians and senior executives. John Pepper, chairman of Proctor & Gamble; Bob Buderi, editor-at-large, MIT Technology Review; Tom Okarma, founder and CEO of Geron; Anthony Perkins, chairman and founder of Red Herring Communications; and Bill Drayton, founder and CEO of Ashoka, are the keynote speakers.

“The Innovation Summit will cutting-edge technologies and developments in areas that will be of critical importance in coming decades,” said Oleg Elkhunovich ‘02, YES vice president of events, adding that the Summit will focus on new information. “Caesar Anquillare, who will be sitting on the ‘Bioterrorism and Responses to Biological Threat’ panel, had to get special permission from the British government to present the newly declassified information on bioterrorism he will be sharing.”

The Summit is an opportunity for Yale students and faculty to share ideas with each other and with entrepreneurs from across the country about such issues as stem cell research, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, bioterrorism, environmental regulation and education.

The Summit will conclude with a gala ceremony celebrating the third annual Y50K Entrepreneurship Competition, Yale’s annual business plan competition awarding $50,000 to Yale’s hottest start-ups of 2002. The Y50K serves as the launching pad for companies that will revitalize the community and develop the next generation of business leaders.

A non-profit organization dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship in the Yale community, the Yale Entrepreneurial Society was founded in 1999 by two undergraduate students looking for an outlet to express their entrepreneurial spirit. Today, with over 1,000 members, YES is Yale’s largest student-run organization. Connecting undergraduates, graduate and professional students, faculty and alumni, YES supports Yale-led entrepreneurial activities in New Haven and throughout the country.

Questions may be directed to Amy K. Jain, vice president of public relations, by e-mail at amy.jain@yale.edu. Additional information is also available on the YES web site, www.yes.yale.edu.