1. On Thursday, November 17, 2016 The World of Business Ideas (#WOBINYC), held its annual conference at
Lincoln Center’s Koch Theater. Described as a “hub” for innovative thinking, business strategy and the
necessary inspiration to ​get the job done​ , #WOBINY featured a brilliant lineup of renowned business
professionals across the areas of marketing, mental wellness, engineering, law and activism.
Eric Ries
Entrepreneur and coveted business consultant, Eric Ries inaugurated the #WOBINYC stage by addressing
the definition of a startup. “ A startup is an experiment,” boasted Ries. “ We can build anything!”
Ries’ presentation hones in on the key elements of a well-oiled operation-- one that doesn’t waste people’s
time and allows your team to build faster, measure faster and learn faster. His advice: Build a minimum
viable product and measure consumer behavior ​now,​ conduct experiments that will lead to the improvement
of the product and finally pivot or persevere. Ask yourself: is our strategy taking us to our destination? “If not,
time to pivot.
Finally, Ries encourages company leaders to consider a profound change in the way they build and execute
strategies. The ability to reframe a forecast that hasn't come true as an opportunity allows for innovation and
creativity to occur. “If we can’t look inside as leaders and figure out how we can change behavior,
innovation won’t happen.”
Vijay Govindarajan
The next speaker to command the #WOBINYC stage was celebrated thinker and teacher Vijay
Govindarajan, who guided audience members through business strategies intended to jumpstart innovation
while simultaneously addressing present challenges.
Citing his recent publication ​The Three Box Solution: A Strategy for Leading Innovation,​ the acclaimed
professor urged leaders to retreat from business models of the past in order to unleash your team’s future
potential. “If you want to change the rules of the game, you have to change the past .
The acclaimed professor reminded business leaders that the purpose is not to achieve the dream but the
journey itself.

2. JB Straubel
The second session of #WOBINYC entitled a ​Practical Approach to Innovation,
was led by Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Tesla Motors, JB Straubel.
Straubel’s work at Tesla, an automotive company that specializes in electric cars and their energy producing
components, is rooted in energy conservation and environmental sustainability. In particular, he took an
interest in energy producers like batteries.
The young innovator stresses to experimentation as a key component to a successful product. In his mission
to eliminate 100% of fossil fuel energy use, Straubel reveals the various stages of trial and error necessary
to complete any one of his projects, crediting his triumph to a one piece of advice “throw away the rule
book”.
Malala Yousafzai
In one of the most anticipated presentations of the day, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Malala Yousafzai
shared the driving forces behind her humanitarian and activist efforts before weighing in on the outcome of
the United States presidential election and immigration reform.
Addressing the #WOBINYC audience via video conference, 19 year old Malala captivated #WOBINYC
participants with her personal story of survival and her mission to bring global awareness to communities
where young girls are not permitted to receive an education. Warning a generation of uneducated youth is a
generation lost.
Through Malala’s work as an advocate for human rights, she’s been able to engage a myriad world leaders
and activists who champion her messages of equality. However, she fears the current state of politics,
specifically in the United States, has instead let more disconnect. “Whatever the result of the election, it's
important to unite, expressed Malala. Our biggest enemy is hatred.”
Martin Lindstrom
“Polling is dead!” shouted marketing wizard Martin Lindstrom as he took his post on the #WOBINYC stage.
The influencer’s presentation offered stimulating yet unconventional ways of problem solving along with
action plans intended to reframe or do away with antiquated business practices.
At the crux of Lindstrom's session was small data. Through experience sharing, Lindstrom communicated
the importance acquiring and analyzing information that deeply examines the your consumer-- I mean
deeply. Through a series of experiments held during the U.S. race to the White House, Lindstrom and his
team devised methods outside of surveys or boring questionnaires to gage people’s voting tendencies. In
this case, Lindstrom literally moved into the subject’s home. The great innovator left no stone unturned and
ultimately drew accurate conclusions about the direction voters were leaning in based on the most intimate
details of their habitat and day to day practices.

3. Human connectivity and a deep understanding of your consumer makes for a strong foundation. Lindstrom
teaches us that, “it’s all in the details”, and no question is too outrageous to consider when connecting to
your client.
Amy Cuddy
Social psychologist, Amy Cuddy closes the day with a revealing presentation on body language and the
messages we send through our posture.
Cuddy begins with the concept of winning and losing, expressing the difference between the two when acted
out but people of a different gender, socioeconomic background or even geographic location. One of the
most concerning realities is how prone girls, as young as twelve, are to shifting their body language to
appear more non-threatening or submissive. “Women are less likely to use expressive body language,” said
Cuddy, “Let’s teach our daughters to expand, take up space and share their ideas.”
Cuddy is an adamant believer in the idea that our bodies change our minds and our minds change our
behavior. For instance, performing what Cuddy calls a “power pose” before a job interview, may increase
your chance at getting hired. She argues that remembering this simple exercise will allow you to
communicate more harmoniously and exude more confidence.
Whether you’re an industry leader or trying out for 5th grade soccer team, consider what your saying when
you don’t use words. Our movement and appearance reveal our innermost fears and more importantly our
deepest strengths.
Hundreds of attendees from around the world had the opportunity to listen network and engage directly with
a number of companies including lead sponsor Teleperfs the role that society has played in forming how
often women ormance upon arrival to the theatre’s atrium. The Teleperformance booth in particular served
as a meeting hub where guests could relax and recharge from the day’s activities, connect with a key
member of the Teleperformance team or meet distinct presenters such as acclaimed professor and lecturer
Vijay Govindarajan during a post-lunch book signing and photo-op.
The first day of the conference also consisted of lecturers such as Consultant, David Ries and Marketing
Wizard Martin Lindstrom who offered stimulating yet unconventional ways of problem solving along with
action plans intended to reframe or do away with antiquated business practices. While presenters like Nobel
Prize Laureate, Malala Yousafzai shared the driving forces behind her humanitarian and activist efforts
before weighing in on the outcome of the United States presidential election and immigration reform.