Directories, Cookies, Design, Detergent, Antarctica, and Ideas Generation!

Free coffee and cookies after, eight of us participants from MicroSkills Language Program soaked in several lifetimes of experiences shared by Toronto entrepreneurs in a wide variety of businesses. Pictured at break time below are Alvaro, Max, Nelly, Irene, Artur, and Ammar (not pictured: George Siu).

Keynote speaker Idris Mootee blew business stereotypes away with his PowerPoint presentation on "Strategic Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership for Radical Times."

Some of the examples of radical innovation that peppered his speech included:

• Latvia's issuing of organ donor certificates to 3rd-time speeding offenders
• Le Whif inhalable "chocolates"
• Shelves for Life transformer caskets
• mould-themed pilfer-resistant sandwich bags
• wheel-shaped water cans
• Twitter-enabled hydro meters
• pink-coloured penitentiaries in South Carolina

The Panel Session that followed offered other ideas, including:

• partnering with direct competitors to survive and succeed (Yellowpages.ca)
• leaf-shaped tea cookies and bartering of products/services (Tea Aura)
• investing in emergent competitors (Umbra)
• product/service differentiation (Soak Wash)
• think tank pizza parties, mistake celebrations, lifelong giftable travel deposits (Gap Adventures)

What are the takeways from the rest of the MicroSkills participants? Well, we're all ears!