Small State. Big Ideas. Enormous opportunity.

October 15-16, I will be headed to the Ocean State to cover The Business Innovation Factory's  annual Collaboration Innovation Summit for Creativity Central and Innovator's Digest. 

This year's summit will co-hosted by BusinessWeek Assistant Managing Editor Bruce Nussbaum and Fast Company co-founder Bill Taylor.  The event will feature two dozen big name innovators over two days with each taking 15 minutes to share a personal story about how they turned an idea into an innovation.  

If you're looking for a creative spark.  A catalyst for innovation. And a diverse community of people who value innovation, then pack your bags for Providence, R.I.

Here's a list of the innovators appearing at the conference.

John Abele, Leader of the Grunion expedition and founder of Boston Scientific Corporation.

Dave Berry, principal at Flagship Ventures and MIT Technology Review’s 2007 Innovator of the Year for his work developing renewable petroleum from microbes.

Ruby Bridges, educator and activist and first African American child to desegregate an elementary school.

Deborah Brooks , co-founder of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA.

Joseph F. Coughlin, founder of the MIT AgeLab.

Marc Ecko, who heads a global lifestyle and entertainment empire.

Jason Fried, founder and CEO of 37signals.

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com.

Jeffrey Hollender , president and chief inspired protagonist of Seventh Generation.

Joshua Klein, technology principle at Frog Design.

David Kusek , Vice President, Berklee Media, Berklee College of Music.

Cat Laine, Deputy Director of the Appropriate Infrastructure Group, helps developing countries get affordable access to energy, sanitation and clean water.

Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of Acumen Fund, uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve problems of global poverty.

Lewis Gordon Pugh , explorer, environmentalist and first person to undertake a long distance swim at the North Pole.

Richard Satava , visionary surgeon who co-developed the first surgical robot.

Clay Shirky, writer on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies.

John Wolpert, former head of IBM’s Extreme Blue business innovation incubator.   

Richard Saul Wurman , Author and information architect now is working on “19.20.21”—an attempt to standardize information about 19 cities that will reach 20 million inhabitants in the 21st century.

David R. Yaun , VP of Corporate Communications for IBM and director of IBM’s innovation and technology leadership programs.

I extend an invitation to my readers to attend.  The attendee list is limited to 350 and last year's summit was sold out. 

More information can be found at http://www.businessinnovationfactory.com/bif-4/ and registration by August 15th will give you a special discount.  Or you can click directly on the Business Innovation Factory link at left.

Marty Baker