Lessons in Innovation

In her keynote on entrepreneurship, Sue Abu-Hakima explores the question of whether an entrepreneur is the heretic or hero of innovation. The speaker references the sexism she experienced not only as a female innovator, but specifically in the tech industry.

The bulk of her keynote on entrepreneurship discusses a startup business case and two companies in an effort "to show the scars we bear." She breaks the example down into several steps. Abu-Hakima encourages entrepreneurs to set a vision, look at their market, build a great product as fast as they can, form a team and boards, establish business model, get financing and strategize an exit for team and investors in that order.

The keynote on entrepreneurship defines heretics as non-conformists who think outside the box. She encourages entrepreneurs to persist or else innovation dies, and singles out women to fight hard. She closes by listing stupid and great reasons to begin a startup.