Luminaries Speaker Series
The Augeo Luminaries Speaker Series showcases prominent global leaders at the forefront of disruptive innovation in a broad range of industry, nonprofit and public sector fields. Distinguished authors, executives, entrepreneurs, investors and changemakers share their experiences from leading disruptive change – and their lessons for creatively driving innovation in any organization. Jointly developed by Augeo and the Carlson School, these events are designed to inspire and engage insightful debate among students, faculty and alumni of the University of Minnesota
Marc Lore
Serial Entrepreneur / Moonshot Seeker / Mission Driven DadÂ
Marc Lore is Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Wonder Group, a company that's reinventing the at-home dining experience. Wonder is led by a team of proven entrepreneurs, some of the world's greatest chefs and culinary experts, talented innovators from every area of the business, and backed by top-tier venture capitalists. Lore is best known for having founded and sold Jet.com to WalMart in 2016 for $3.3 billion, after which he served as CEO of eCommerce at WalMart until 2021. He is also the newest NBA owner having purchased the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx in Spring 2021 with this friend and business partner, Alex Rodriguez.
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Tom Friedman
How I see the future, around the world, across America and down Main Street
Minnesota native Tom Friedman has chronicled many disruptive forces during his 40 years as a journalist; from economic globalization to climate change, and now the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tom recently sat down with his life-long friend Ken Greer, Augeo CMO, to explore some of these big issues he's covered over four decades of reporting and column writing. Learn from his insights on disruptive thinking, radical entrepreneurship and the innovation surge taking place in local communities everywhere. See the future through the unique lens of Tom Friedman – around the globe, across America, and down main street.
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Antonio Gracias
Disruptive Innovation: Lessons from Global Leaders
Antonio Gracias, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Valor Equity Partners, shares insights as an early investor in PayPal, Uber, Tesla, and SpaceX. Leading Valor Equity Partners, he partners with transformative entrepreneurs worldwide. Antonio's portfolio includes serving as Lead Independent Director for Tesla Motors and being involved in several Valor portfolio companies. With operational expertise, Antonio supports companies as they scale. He is also actively engaged in philanthropy and holds degrees from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and the University of Chicago Law School.
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Hany Nada
Disruptive Innovation: Lessons from Global Leaders
Hany Nada, co-founder of GGV Capital, shares insights as an early investor in Alibaba and global tech startups. Partnering with disruptive entrepreneurs in the US and China, he builds companies for success in today's global marketplace. Hany's extensive investment portfolio includes Heptagon, Tudou, athenahealth, Glu Mobile, and more. With a background as a top-ranked research analyst at Piper Jaffray, he brings expertise in Internet software and infrastructure. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Hany Nada is a visionary in the world of venture capital.
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