The First Disruptive Innovation Festival - Brought to you Online

LONDON, June 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

The Disruptive Innovation Festival, launched today by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, is a four-week online festival bringing together thought-leaders, entrepreneurs, businesses, makers, learners and doers to catalyse system-level change for a future economy.

Offering a mix of online and global real world events, the DIF will explore ideas such as business innovation, remaking the city, sharing economy, systems thinking and 21st century science. Participants from all over the world can attend sessions running across multiple formats and time-zones and are able to apply to host their own session as part of the 'Open Mic' programme during the Festival.

The first Disruptive Innovation Festival will run from 20 October to 14 November 2014 and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation can already announce a number of its main speakers:

Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally recognised leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources

William McDonough, Co-author and co-founder of the Cradle to Cradle design philosophy, and widely recognised designer, architect, and business consultant

Ellen MacArthur, Founder of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, working with global business and education to accelerate the transition to a circular economy

Janine Benyus, a biologist, innovation consultant, and author of 6 books including Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature

Dave Ward, Development CTO and Chief Architect at Cisco systems with a focus on developing the Internet of Things

Mark Miodownik, Engineer & Materials Scientist, Professor of Materials and Society at UCL & Director of the Institute of Making

Eben Bayer, CEO & co-founder of Ecovative, a disruptive biomaterials company growing future materials and products

The Festival is partnering with some of the most influential organisations working in design, innovation and business who will showcase their latest developments, while addressing the overall theme 
 - 'The economy is changing. What should I know, experience and do?' The Festival offers over 350 hours of new thinking and insight facilitated in multiple languages.

Anyone can contribute to the Festival by applying to run an Open Mic session, a crowd-sourced event created by those who want to share their ideas on the DIF stage. These sessions can be created specifically for the Festival website or filmed as part of a live event already taking place. The final Open Mic hosts will be chosen by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation based on their potential to address the question: The economy is changing. What do I need to know, experience & do?

If you wish to find out more, receive regular updates on the DIF programme of speakers and contributors, apply to run an Open Mic session or register for your free festival pass, visit http://www.thinkdif.co

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