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Richard Florida Joins BIF Research Advisory Council |
 Richard Florida has been appointed to our Research Advisory Council. Best known for his landmark 2002 book, The Rise of the Creative Class, Florida introduced the concept of the “creative class” as an economic tour de force which can reshape how companies, communities and people prosper in uncertain times. His research has provided a unique, data-driven approach to informing the social, economic and demographic factors that drive our 21st century world economy. We are thrilled to welcome Richard to the BIF community. Read more
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BIF-4 Videos Available On-line |
 Ready for a re-charge? All of the videos from the BIF-4 Summit are now available on-line. This year’s slate of storytellers was one of the best yet, featuring stories from across industries and disciplines that, despite their diversity, reveal a common message about the challenges and rewards of innovation. Watch now |
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Nursing Home of the Future Completes First Phase |
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 With the current elder care system in peril and millions of babyboomers on their way to old age, the pressure is on to fundamentally redesign our country’s approach to elder care. BIF's Nursing Home of the Future initiative set out earlier this year to build a platform where partners can design and test new ideas for improving elder care in a working nursing home / assisted living facility.The team recently completed the first phase of project activity, creating a detailed description of the current experience of nursing home and assisted-living residents that illuminates the day-to-day dynamics of elder life and reveals areas of the experience ripe for redesign. Read more
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A Thousand Words: NHoF Photography from Stephanie Ewens |
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 Work in the NHoF lab required an intimate, informal, and sensitive observational approach. Photography has played an important role in activating the lab and opened up a powerful channel of communication with NHoF lab partners and the BIF community. Led by NHoF team member Stephanie Ewens, phase I of the NHoF lab included the creation of a body of photographic work that captures not only the experiences of everyday life in elder care, but the spirit and personalities of the people living there. Read more
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Want to learn about innovation? Head to Toronto |
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Chris Flanagan recently hit the road with BIF chief catalyst Saul Kaplan to visit the University of Toronto and spend some quality time with Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School, Richard Florida of Rise of the Creative Class fame, and Heather Fraser who directs a unique program on campus called “DesignWorks.” Take home message from the visit? Toronto is on to something special. Read more |
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BIF-4 Wrap-Up: People & Stories Take Center Stage |
Alas, our dinner party has come to a close. But this week, we certainly caught a glimpse of author William Gibson’s famous line: "The future is already here, it's just unevenly distributed." For two days, despite all the economic turmoil going on outside, the future seemed apparent and vividly bright with hope. It wasn’t just the stories or the emotive storytellers—it was the purposeful random collisions among BIF-4 participants that produced the magic. Read more
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Capturing the Experience: Voices at the BIF-4 Summit |
 Many brilliant voices came together last week at the BIF-4 Summit to share ideas, stories and visions about collaborative innovation and a better way of delivering value. Also in attendance were several thoughtful and provocative writers who helped capture the experience. Head here for a roundup of all the great blogs
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