Monday, September 10th

Session 1: Expanding & Enhancing Your Electronic Footprint

8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.   Guest Speaker, Damien Smith, Boston Community Manager and Marketing Director for Yelp.com

Damien Smith leads the charge on a variety of marketing and education efforts to foster and support passionate local communities of consumers and business owners throughout Massachusetts.  In this session you will learn how YELP has helped organizations understand and utilize technology more effectively. how to expand and better utilize your company’s presence on the Internet.

Damien Smith is the Boston Community Manager and Marketing Director for Yelp.com. He leads the charge on a variety of marketing and education efforts to foster and support passionate local communities of consumers and business owners throughout Massachusetts.

Prior to joining Yelp, Damien served as a client advisor for Gartner Inc. where he helped organizations understand and utilize technology more effectively. He was also a TV journalist for the PBS affiliate in North Central Florida and served as producer and host for All Things Considered on WUFT-FM.

Yelp is the fun and easy way to find and talk about great (and not so great) local businesses

9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.  Guest Speaker, Scott W. Gonnello is the founder of Gonnello SEO

Scott W. Gonnello is the founder of Gonnello SEO, a Search Engine Optimization and Search Marketing firm that specializes in industry specific SEO Web Development and Optimization Services. Scott’s work helps companies cut their marketing budgets while increasing their sales and market share.

Scott is one of the best SEO consultants in America and works with clients from around the globe. His expertise in Optimization combined with his expertise in Web Development creates the most effective SEO Websites online today. His constant research and development on a global level assures his client’s that they get the most up to date information and services in this ever-changing search engine industry.

Scott is an Author and Speaker who travels around the world presenting to the business community. His refreshing and fun approach to SEO and Search Marketing makes it all very realistic and easy to understand. Scott offers simple solutions in a complex internet world to help make SEO a reality not a mystery.

Session 2: Health Care Panel

Sarah Iselin, President, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Sarah Iselin is the president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, one of largest private health philanthropies in Massachusetts, focused on improving access to health care and health coverage.

Sarah came to the Foundation after serving as the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy where she managed and monitored critical phases of the implementation of the state’s landmark 2006 health care reform law, including the formation of the Health Safety Net, and the Fair Share, Free Rider, and Health Insurance Responsibility Disclosure requirements for employers. She also co-chaired the Special Commission on the Health Care Payment System which recommended a major overhaul in the way physicians and hospitals are paid.

Prior to her appointment as Commissioner, Sarah worked on the development of statewide quality and safety initiatives for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. From 2001 to 2005, Sarah was the director of policy and research for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, where she played a key role in developing the Foundation’s Roadmap to Coverage initiative, which provided the framework for the state’s 2006 health reform law.

Sarah earned a master’s degree in health policy and management from the Harvard School of Public Health and her undergraduate degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Guest Speaker State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez

Representative Jeffrey Sanchez is the newly named House Chair for the Joint Committee on Public Health.  This committee is charged with reviewing a broad spectrum health policy issues, including health care quality, safety, and transparency; health care technology; professional scope of practice and workforce issues, chronic conditions and disease treatment and prevention; food and drug safety; and environmental health.  Under his leadership, the Joint Committee on Public Health is committed to seeking the nexus of health care in the traditional setting and the promotion of public health in the community setting with the goal of improving overall wellness and achieving sustainable reductions in heath care spending.

Keynote Speaker

Richard Sweeney, co-founder, Keurig

Hear firsthand about the amazing success of this Massachusetts based company.  Keurig’s journey from an idea in a sail boat to becoming a multimillion dollar business is exciting.  Learn how they did it and what makes Keurig a force in the market place.

Richard (Dick) Sweeney was a co-founder of Keurig in 1993 and joined the company full time as one of its first employees in 1996. At Keurig, Dick is responsible for Manufacturing, Quality Control, and Field Service. Dick brought to Keurig more than 25 years of experience in manufacturing, product development and consulting behind industrial and consumer appliances. Prior to Keurig, he was VP, Manufacturing for Canrad-Hanovia, a manufacturer of scientific and UV lighting. Dick also served as VP, Operations for V-M Industries, a consumer appliances manufacturer and importer. Dick has developed several US and International Keurig brewer and packaging patents. Dick received his BS from New Jersey Institute of Technology and his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Session 3: Branding Big

In this session hear from industry giants about how they BRAND their businesses in the market place.  Representatives from The Gillette Co.and Wal-Mart will be on hand to share their corporate philosophy and answer questionsabout how large businesses develop and maintain their brand.