Event Archive

Welcome to the Hayden Group Event Archive. Here you will find articles and follow-up discussion from former Synergos Series events and the new Engage: Brand Leadership Series events, sponsored and hosted by The Hayden Group. Hayden Group events offer interesting guests, interesting speakers, business networking and food and wine  – all in an intimate setting. Please join us at an upcoming event. See below for bios of some of our distinguished speakers, and audio archives of some of our events...And check out our Facebook page as well!

Just A Few of Our Distinguished Speakers

Danny Kennedy, co-founder and  President of Sungevity, one of the Solar success stories in Silicon Valley. Danny was the Campaigns Manager for Greenpeace Australia Pacific. In 2001, he ran Greenpeace’s California Clean Energy Campaign, the success of which helped lead to the current California Solar Initiative. Danny was the founder and first Executive Director of Project Underground and serves on several nonprofit boards.

Elton Sherwin, Senior Managing Director at Ridgewood Capital, invests in energy and cleantech companies, and is the author of Addicted to Energy – a letter to a fictional governor describing how to protect the environment and simultaneously grow the economy. A UC Berkeley graduate, Elton holds eight patents and currently serves on the boards of six companies.

Nancy Heinen, chair of the Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2), a partnership for giving that allows donors to pool contributions to cutting-edge non-profits for greater impact. Prior to joining SV2, Nancy was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Apple, Inc., and Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at NeXT Software, Inc. She serves on the Advisory Board of the University of California Berkeley Center for Law, Business and the Economy, and holds an A.B. from UC Berkeley and a J.D. from the UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall).

Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, and an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Stanford. His work has been consistently funded by the National Science Foundation, and he also receives grants from various Silicon Valley and international corporations. Bailenson consults regularly for government agencies including the Army, the Department of Defense, the National Research Council, and the National Institute of Health on policy issues surrounding virtual reality.

Anne Firth Murray, founding President of The Global Fund for Women, Author of Paradigm Found: Leading and Managing for Positive Change and From Outrage to Courage: Women Taking Action for Health and Justice and currently a scholar/activist at the Union Institute as well as Consulting Professor in Human Biology at Stanford,

David Ewing Duncan , award-winning, best-selling author and Chief Correspondent for NPR Talk's Biotech Nation. He is a former special correspondent and producer for ABC Nightline and a correspondent for NOVA's ScienceNOW! David's latest book is,  “When I’m 164,” a fascinating picture of the anti-aging technology available today. He is also the author of "Experimental Man: What One Man’s Body Reveals about His Future, Your Health, and Our Toxic World," 

 

August 2011: Japan After The Earthquake

August 2011: After the Earthquake: Japan and the U.S.

Stanford's Dr. Richard Dasher experienced first hand Japan's news reporting and the reactions of his Japanese friends and colleagues to the earthquake and Tsunami. Here he shares his observations and insights regarding:

•   Japan's recovery
•   The role of social media
•   The future of nuclear power
•   What we can learn from Japan

Richard Dasher from Hayden Group on Vimeo.

July 2011: Waste

July 2011: Waste: Clean Solutions for a Dirty Subject

How are we to dispose of it and what are the most earth-friendly ways to do so? Listen to the panel discussion with Patricia Potter of ECS Refining on recycling electronic materials, Cedric Pitot de La Beaujardiere, Former Co-Chair, Palo Alto Compost Task Force, on anaerobic digestion, and Alex Di Giorgio, energy policy specialist, and Program Manager of A Clean Coalition.

Waste Management from Hayden Group on Vimeo.

June 2011: Bartering

June 2011: Bartering for businesses, individuals and for charity:

Glenn Johnson of Threshold Ventures, Hedi Katz, Founder and CEO of TriBarter, and KP Cote of the 1800JC Project give us perspective on the process and benefits of bartering in this economy and long term. Listen to the panel discussion.

Bartering from Hayden Group on Vimeo.

March 2011 Earth Day Eve

March 2011: Local Water Resources

Tuolom-you, Tuolom-ne: Peter Drekmeier made us aware of how interconnected we all are with the water resources of the Tuolomne River. And the best part—We can conserve and nourish them. We’re already doing it! Thank you Peter. Listen to the full presentation…

Peter Drekmeier from Hayden Group on Vimeo.

April 2011

April 2011: Building a Green Tech Industry in Silicon Valley: Is it Real or Hype?

With Two VCs and an Entrepreneur: Elton Sherwin, Senior Managing Director at Ridgewood Capital, Jon Baer of Threshold Ventures, Jennifer Thomson, General Manager of Thomson Vineyards. Our moderator was sustainability expert Shannon McElyea. A few years ago everyone thought that Silicon Valley would be the center of Green Tech. Is it? Will it be? Listen to to what the folks on the front lines had to say…

April Synergos from Hayden Group on Vimeo.

January 2011

January 2011: Clifford Nass, The Man Who Lied to His Laptop:

Clifford Nass shared some wonderful stories about technology and our relationship to it – and how that can make our human relationships better. Thank you Cliff—we needed that! Listen to the full talk here…

Clifford Nass from Hayden Group on Vimeo.
 

November 2010

November 2010: Clark Kepler, The Kepler’s Story and the value in buying local:

How did Kepler’s survive in the world of big brands and the challenges of bookselling with the e-book revolution? And what is the value to all of us in buying local?  Listen to the full discussion here...

Clark Kepler from Hayden Group on Vimeo.
 

February 2011: Wellness on the Go

Our February 2011 event was really informative—What was your favorite “Wellness On The Go” tip?

We were not able to tape this session. Many thanks to our wonderful trio of panelists—Shirley Chen, Doc (Jan) Gurley, and Jane Ding. They brought great insight into immunity building, boosting circulation and being prepared for just about anything when you travel . My personal favorite was the sugar and salt combo for boosting electrolytes to fend off a greater health problem. I will not travel again without 4 packs of Sugar and 1 pack of Salt! For those who attended – what will you be sure to have on hand?

Idea # 11: Strategic Marketing in a Down Market

For our May 2009 Synergos Event, The Hayden Group conducted a workshop on "Successful Marketing in a Down Market."  In our workshop we talked about the strategy of creating marketing messages that empathize with the consumer in a tough economy.  read more

10 Strategic Marketing Ideas for a Down Market

What should we do about marketing in this horrendous economy?  Should we spend as little money as possible?  Just hunker down in our proverbial storm cellar until the tornado passes?  And when we do spend marketing dollars, how should we spend them when everyone in the marketplace is hurting?  What are the purchasing drivers, if any, in this market? 

These questions are front and center in the minds of Hayden Group Partners, Ellen and Victoria, and in the minds of their clients.  So we recently surveyed some of our clients, partners and trusted colleagues.  Here are their strategic marketing ideas for a down market:    

read more

Synergos Earth Day Eve: Sustainability

Moderator Chris Wark began our Synergos Earth Day Eve event with a definition of sustainability. The term "sustainability," as commonly used today, was originally established in 1987 by the UN World Commission on Environment and Development as activity that "meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." In other words, sustainability is the idea that our great, great grandchildren should not be burdened by today’s decisions and actions.

Then each of our panelists spoke for 10 minutes.   read more

Dear Microsoft

Did any of you get the Microsoft free standing insert in the 1/12 Wall Street Journal?  It's very clever—too clever for it's own good.  By the way, I am not talking about a Microsoft email hoax some folks have mentioned to me.  I'm talking about an honest-to-goodness printed letter slipped in the fold of my Wall Street Journal.  read more

Sneaky sales techniques

I just fell for one.

"HI, it's John Merrill from Pioneer. I contacted you earlier. I was wondering if you remember me."

I fell hook, line and sinker—felt all guilty for not remembering poor John Merrill.

Turns out he is selling gold. I then made a suggestion for where John Merrill might want to put his gold.

No I did not really make such a suggestion but I felt like it.

What sneaky sales techniques have you fallen for?

Gifts that really DO make a difference

By Ellen Rudy

On December 18th, The Hayden Group, in lieu of our traditional Holiday party, brought Synergos invitees together to volunteer at The Family Giving Tree . This amazing organization connects needy children with gift givers who actually match the child’s wish with the gift (when was the last time you got something you really wanted?). At FGT, volunteers sort, wrap and crate up thousands of gifts. But it’s not the thousands—Barbies, basketballs, sweaters, DVDs-- that make such an impression. Each gift has the child’s name and age and what he or she asked for. With every gift you tag, or wrap, or sort, you feel a personal connection to the child at the other end, as well as to the very generous people who made that child’s wish come true. A truly moving experience. Despite these terrible economic times, thousands of children WILL have a Merry Christmas. I am still smiling as I write this…..

We hope to go back next year (one of our guests has already been back 2 times!)—and hope that even more of you can join us. It really IS better to give than to receive.

"I had such a great time Thursday,,that I showed up Friday at 10:00 and left around 1:30 barely stopping to catch my breath and loved every minute. They are truly a well-oiled machine as far as volunteers go--Friday morning they had about 200-300 volunteers from about 20 different companies (and that was just one of four shifts that day)! Again, thanks for letting us know of and be part of such a great organization."

gregory case
gregory case photography
www.gregorycase.com

Holiday Job Hunting: a gift for you

Here are the top seven myths about job hunting:
1. It’s a waste of time to look for a job between Thanksgiving and New Years!
2. If a company isn’t hiring or a job is not posted there is no job.
3. The Internet is the best place to get an interview/job.
4. The most qualified job seekers get the best jobs.
5. It’s not what you know but “who you know.”
6. Lowering your salary will get you a job.
7. Qualified job seekers should not have to sell themselves.

Are you looking for a job? Are you looking for a better job? Are you afraid you may need to look for a job soon? Here’s a secret. The holiday season is actually a good time to look for a job. First, there is less competition because other folks give up during the holiday. Many hiring budgets become available in January. If you are not on the playing field by then, you are not in the game.

My friend and colleague, Rebecca Kieler is starting an intensive three-week Holiday Job Hunting Boot Camp. Each week includes one hour-long tele-class, one hour-long tele-networking group session, and 30 minutes of individual consulting. Cost: $297. That’s about what you’d pay for an interview suit and a haircut—assuming, you get the interview.

The group starts December 1 and she has four slots left. Details of her program follow.

read more

The death of common sense in an automated world

My son’s birthday is this week. He is in summer school and the class will have a traditional pizza and cup cake celebration in honor of his birthday.

I have business meetings tomorrow so I arrange to have the pizzas delivered. What pizza place do you use, I ask my son’s teacher? Round Table she says. read more

Marketing in a recession

Move to a position of POWER.

We are in a "recession," or whatever. Feels like a recession to me so let's go with that.

What are you going to do about marketing? Ride it out? Take down your sails. Turn off the motor. Ride the waves. Batten down the hatches and hide in the cabin until the storm passes? Give up control?

read more

Event Archive

Welcome to the Hayden Group Event Archive. Here you will find articles and follow-up discussion from former Synergos Series events and the new Engage: Brand Leadership Series events, sponsored and hosted by The Hayden Group. Hayden Group events offer interesting guests, interesting speakers, business networking and food and wine  – all in an intimate setting. Please join us at an upcoming event. See below for bios of some of our distinguished speakers, and audio archives of some of our events...And check out our Facebook page as well!

Just A Few of Our Distinguished Speakers

Danny Kennedy, co-founder and  President of Sungevity, one of the Solar success stories in Silicon Valley. Danny was the Campaigns Manager for Greenpeace Australia Pacific. In 2001, he ran Greenpeace’s California Clean Energy Campaign, the success of which helped lead to the current California Solar Initiative. Danny was the founder and first Executive Director of Project Underground and serves on several nonprofit boards.

Elton Sherwin, Senior Managing Director at Ridgewood Capital, invests in energy and cleantech companies, and is the author of Addicted to Energy – a letter to a fictional governor describing how to protect the environment and simultaneously grow the economy. A UC Berkeley graduate, Elton holds eight patents and currently serves on the boards of six companies.

Nancy Heinen, chair of the Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2), a partnership for giving that allows donors to pool contributions to cutting-edge non-profits for greater impact. Prior to joining SV2, Nancy was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Apple, Inc., and Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at NeXT Software, Inc. She serves on the Advisory Board of the University of California Berkeley Center for Law, Business and the Economy, and holds an A.B. from UC Berkeley and a J.D. from the UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall).

Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, and an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Stanford. His work has been consistently funded by the National Science Foundation, and he also receives grants from various Silicon Valley and international corporations. Bailenson consults regularly for government agencies including the Army, the Department of Defense, the National Research Council, and the National Institute of Health on policy issues surrounding virtual reality.

Anne Firth Murray, founding President of The Global Fund for Women, Author of Paradigm Found: Leading and Managing for Positive Change and From Outrage to Courage: Women Taking Action for Health and Justice and currently a scholar/activist at the Union Institute as well as Consulting Professor in Human Biology at Stanford,

David Ewing Duncan , award-winning, best-selling author and Chief Correspondent for NPR Talk's Biotech Nation. He is a former special correspondent and producer for ABC Nightline and a correspondent for NOVA's ScienceNOW! David's latest book is,  “When I’m 164,” a fascinating picture of the anti-aging technology available today. He is also the author of "Experimental Man: What One Man’s Body Reveals about His Future, Your Health, and Our Toxic World,"