Ideas Challenge Presentations

Bonnie McLoud & Alan Colyer - Gensler

• 1st largest architect firm 
• Architecture from the inside out 
• 43 locations 
• 20 practice areas 
• 2,235 Clients in 2012 
• Diversity helped them stay successful in 2008 downturn 
• Hospitality and entertainment got hit bad 
•  Education continued to have projects 
• Offices in 12 countries 
• 152 languages spoken by employees 
•  Refer to themselves as a design company, not technically an architecture firm 
• All projects are done sustainably 
• Follow the clients – never open an office without a client in place 
• Gensler Exchange – internship programs 
• Companies responsibility to make sure their employees are equipped with the tools to be successful globally 
• Cross cultural management 
• Research the taboos 
• Avoid humor; it rarely translates 
• Avoid slang and jargon 
• Err on the side of formality 
•  Be mindful of the love/hate relationship with the US 
• South and Central America 
• Build relationships; it’s who you know 
• Respect individual and country 
• Show local commitment 
• Never speak ill of local business 
• Speak their language 
•  Middle East: been one of the most successful 
• Emphasize size, reach and blue chip client list 
• The color red is not liked 
•  Asia 
• Find the cheapest solution or merely “scare” the front runner 
• Build bilingual marketing into design collateral but avoid a complete translation 
• Europe 
• Understand the “being the biggest” is a turn-off 
•  Emphasize our breadth of expertise: it’s a turn-on 
•  Advice for working abroad 
• Don’t presume the client understands English 
• 3 work days = 5 days due to travel 
• Use local partners to minimize language and travel issues 
• Insist on a retainer prior to project initiation 
• Know that design competitions are a gamble 
• Familiarize yourself with cultural nuances 
• Social protocols 
•  Dining habits 
• Proper clothing/attire 
• Tone down your voice 
• Successful because of listening to the client and be a part of their team 
• 22. 90% of profit is delivered to the employees

Kirk Koburn - Houston Angel Investors - Surge

• Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered: if you get greedy you get slaughtered
•  CEO of Serge
• Never give anyone the “table for one” when you leave a company
• Money won’t solve your problems
• Challenge: be the best at whatever you do
• Surge

• Solve the world’s energy problems using software
•  Energy is out greatest challenge and our largest opportunity
• World is growing by 9 Billion people and double use of energy of 100 billion barrels
• Decentralization
• Software is revolutionizing every industry but energy
• Google owns the world
• Top 3 accelerator in the world
• What matters: find a job you have passion for…your major doesn’t matter
• From the skill comes passion and out of passion comes creativity

•  Even heroes have to fight dragons…figure out your calling cause it will make it easier
• Hire, fire, manage, and reward based on your core values
• Culture

• Know thyself
• Entrepreneurs first
•  Inclusiveness
• Unconventional: beer in the office, water balloon fights
• Passion creates hustle
• Integrity
• Surround yourself with people who believe in what you are doing
•  7 key areas to be successful in

• Spiritual
• Career
• Financial
• Relationships
• Physical
• Social
• Personal development
• To much is given, much is expected
• Outsource everything you are not good at

Elevator Pitch Presentations 2

• Group - 13
• Pocket lined with mobile-cloth. Keeps phone clean while you wear it.
• Hair-brush you can peel to clean
• Smart Remote - Built in helper to help turn things on/off
• Group 16
• The Great Divider - cereal divider
• Limit amount of money you can spend at certain stores
• Ring that goes around drinking glass. adds flavors
• Group 4
• Pandora-like music app. Target culture over genre.
• Barcode scanner - Pulls up expiration dates, recipies, etc
• Hand-warmer wrap to put around handle bars, gold clubs, umbrellas, etc
• Group 5
• one piece of clothing for any weather
• games built into handles on bus
• app to play mood music
• Group 2
• keyboard bodyheat -> charger
• station with iron/steamer in airports for business men/wemen
• website that will scan notes to flashcards
• Group 20

• Group 8
• Quick Cast - Plaster-like powder to form a quick arm cast
• Aquavest - Filla  vest with water. Kills bacteria
• Heated Trash Compactor-  Turns trash into fake particle board.
• Group 17
• Multi-untensil - like the multicolored pen things
• Business App - Virtual business card saver - Bump to swap info, etc
• Consolidates Monthly payments into one big payment. Add donation support
• Group 3
• Vita-Bottle  - Water bottle that cleans/provides vitamins
• Breathalyzer Bracelet -
• App that analyzes tastes to tell which foods you would like abroad
• Group 10
• Baby Mop Onesie -Baby crawls around and cleans
• Phone case card dispenser
• Shoes with interchangable soles

Elevator Pitch Presentations

• Group 22
• Displayport to all adapter
• Gutting abandoned buildings for??
• Restraunt app - take pic, pull up menu, order, pay
• Group 7
• Parking garage app - light up floor and tell you where. pay per space
• Product to prevent sex trafficking. Belt with built in GPS.
• Testing kits for foodborn illnesses
• Group 14
• Door knock unlocker
• Dashcam app for phones
• Body temp bracelet - controls AC/Heating in hosue
• Group 9
• Silent lawn-mower
• Shoe skins- go over shoes, make like brand new. Replacable instead or replacing shoe
• Chair with kickstand so it wont fall backwards
• Group 11
• Pill to reacclimate to different altitudes.
• Automated Washer/Dryer.
• Edible food staples. Keep food together.
• Group 23
• App to track keys
• Cuzi with brethalizer (?)
• Shock ring - wake you up.
• Group 12
• Bluetooth measuing cup - changes with phone
• Fire alarm app -
• Mail scanner - Notifies you if important mail shows up
• Group 15
• Holographic teaching helmet - teaches you langauges
• automatic washer-hair-dryer hat.
• Automatic food seasoner
• Group - 18
• Burn-proof oven
• Toilet - Generates electricity, poop makes fertilizer.
• Learning Apps - Like Duo-Lingo for all subjects