Keynote Speakers// OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

The Blind Bartender’s Problem: A game that I would like to see  implemented

Abstract

The Blind Bartender’s Problem is a two player game involving four glasses and a tray. I will discuss this problem and its generalization to several glasses. Also I will introduce a different version involving boxer gloves. This is joint work with Chris Skinner.

Bio

Richard Ehrenborg received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Stockholm and his Ph.D. in Mathematics at MIT under the direction of Gian-Carlo Rota. He held a post-doc position at the Université du Québec à Montréal and was an H.C. Wang Assistant Professor at Cornell University. Since the beginning of the millennium he has been a professor at the University of Kentucky.  He has twice been a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, most recently in 2010–2011. His Andrew Wiles number is two (more about that in the talk).

URL: Link

Solve for Stupid, and Build A Great Company in the Process

Tendai Charasika
Director, Kentucky Innovation Network
GLI’s EnterpriseCorp

Abstract

It is Tendai Charasika’s intent to provide practical guidance and anecdotes of what it takes to build game-related (and general business) companies in today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving technology landscape. The basic premise that Tendai will build upon is that the best ideas and best companies find opportunities in the the every day stupid problems that we as humans encounter but don’t solve. If stupid is defined by doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results, then some of the best companies founded today, have been founded by those entrepreneurs who have solved for stupid and generated valuable and great companies in the process. Tendai’s talk will not only include anecdotal stories as examples, both locally and nationally, but will highlight some of the key ingredients and best practices in today’s entrepreneurial startup landscape. As the Executive Director of GLI’s EnterpriseCorp, Tendai has worked with hundreds of early-stage startup companies and has coached and guided many of them towards validating their business opportunities, garnering first customers, and raising capital.

URL: Link

Biography

In his position with the Kentucky Innovation Network (GLI’s EnterpriseCorp), Tendai is focused on the development and acceleration of early-stage startup companies. His responsibilities range from helping entrepreneurs assess their market opportunities to assisting startups through the various phases of the customer development methodology and raising early-stage venture funding. Previously, Tendai worked intrapreneurially to build the sustainability division within Summit Energy, a company acquired by Schneider Electric for $268 million in 2011. A practitioner and evangelist of using “lean startup principals” to uncover venture opportunities, Tendai has spoken on the topic as a featured speaker at Eric Ries’ annual Lean Startup Conference 2012 in San Francisco, Code PaLOUsa Conference 2013 in Louisville, and is a 2013 graduate of Steve Blank’s Lean Launchpad Educators Program held at UC-Berkeley. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Entrepreneurship, both from the University of Louisville. In addition to being an entrepreneur himself, Tendai is a business coach for the Nucleus Lean Startup Training Program, and the Chair of the Presentation Committee for Venture Connectors while volunteering his time as a mentor at Louisville’s West End School.