Smart people connecting at the Hub

Guest speaker, Franklin Pieterse, Founder and Chief Executive of FuTioN. Jimmy Mazibuko of Nzima-ICT (left) receives his prize of three months of strategy mentorship worth almost R9 000 from Dale Pudney of Venture Concepts Strategy Consulting. Seen at the event were Martin Yuill of The Innovation Hub (left) with Prialoshni Chetty and Franklin Pieterse of FuTioN. Pub@Hub events bring together leading lights of the local high-tech and knowledge intensive communities. They provide a place for creative, innovative and entrepreneurial souls to hobnob with both local and international industry leaders and tech sector movers and shakers. The events provide a focal point for the commercialisation of new technologies, the seeding of high-growth companies, and speeding up the flow of cutting-edge ideas about markets, products, services, processes, and new technologies among members of the INNOV8 community.

Enthusiastic and animated members of The Innovation Hub's INNOV8 networked high-tech community congregated in November for yet another lively Pub@Hub business networking evening.

The featured 'pub talker' at this particular event was Innovator, Facilitator and Visionary, as well as Founder and Chief Executive of Future Perfecting Strategy Solutions (FuTioN), Franklin Pieterse.

We were thrilled to have been able to use this particular Pub@Hub event to announce that FuTioN has joined The Innovation Hub as its latest Knowledge Partner, and as such, now forms part of a select group of companies and individuals who generously support the efforts of innovators and entrepreneurs. In the New Year we will circulate information about the Seven (Se7en) Days programme, a joint initiative between the Hub and FuTioN.

Seven Days is intended as a series of highly interactive seminars aimed primarily at sharing insight into the key business management and strategic decision-making principles that innovators and entrepreneurs need to either launch, or accelerate, their businesses into the future. The seminars will be designed to assist members of the INNOV8 community to boldly charter new business opportunities and to truly realise the potential of their ventures.

Our appreciation, and that of all members of the INNOV8 community, is extended to FuTioN for their generosity and willingness to join forces in adding further value to members of what is undoubtedly the country's foremost hi-tech and "knowledge intensive" community.

And then, an equally big thank you to our generous sponsors for the evening:

To our Pub@Hub sponsor, Studio M, an innovative design house with the creative vision and experience in graphic design, copywriting, photography, advertising, new media and video to turn strategies into business success. Specialists in developing targeted branding, marketing, creative and media strategies, Studio M excels in capturing the imagination of consumers and creating top-of-mind brand presence using a range of media - indoor and outdoor; radio, television and cinema; multi-media; exhibition materials; packaging and corporate identities. Through a range of creative and strategic services, Studio M develops brands that move products. Already working alongside a range of technology start-ups, they can do much to assist others in their various endeavours, and I encourage you to give them a ring to discuss what they can do for you.

And to our prize sponsor for the evening, Dale Pudney of Venture Concepts Strategy Consulting, who has just launched a strategy mentorship package for entrepreneurial businesses. At Venture Concepts, Dale's focus is on business model analysis, design and development. He helps his clients profitably manage growth, and typically uses subsidies to make fees more affordable. The Strategy Mentorship product that Dale has launched was developed to solve the problem that most innovative companies (especially technical & ICT innovators) tend to be very internally focussed and lack the strategic and market skills to turn a good product into a profitable product. The mentorship is designed to be a partnership: in terms of which the partners each do what they do best - the innovators focus on the product (or service), while Venture Concepts focuses on building a profitable company. The prize that Dale offered is three months of strategy mentorship worth almost R9 000.

On behalf of the entire Hub community, a warm thank you to both of these generous sponsors.

Congratulations also go to:

Those INNOV8 members who were awarded their Blue Labels - the highest form of recognition for support of, and commitment to, the INNOV8 community initiative; as well as for their ongoing active participation in various community events. I look forward to more earning your "colours" over time!

And to the latest winner of the Pub Award - Paul Abrahams, CEO of EgoliBio, who received (an invaluable) Innovation Hub-branded prize for having had his photograph in "Engineering News" more times this year than any other community member! Paul follows on the heels of our first such winner, Derrick Hurlin, who previously won a branded Hub golf shirt for being "the oldest living member of the INNOV8 community"!

The feedback from those who regularly attend Pub evenings is that Pub@Hub events continue to provide tremendous value to members of the INNOV8 community; with most believing that they benefit tremendously from the opportunity to business network with other like-minded members of the community.

More importantly, they provide a place where eager-to-do-business high-tech role-players from both big companies and small start-ups can interact with venture capitalists and leaders in the local knowledge economy industries.

If you are yourself interested in becoming part of the INNOV8 community and its associated activities and events, or have colleagues or business associates who might benefit from an invitation to such business networking occasions, click here!

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