Inspiration and Innovation in High Demand at SPIN66

Whether you’re bringing a new product to market or injecting innovation into an existing organization, the SPIN66 Innovation Summit is for you. Scheduled for May 7 and 8 at the eFactory small business incubator in downtown Springfield, SPIN66 is the region’s premier conference on innovation and entrepreneurship.

The event is hosted by Mercy Research & Development (R&D), and combines inspiring speakers, great networking opportunities and an investment pitch competition - all in a fun, vibrant atmosphere.

Now in its second year, Mercy R&D is capitalizing on the success of the inaugural SPIN66 to put together a day-and-a-half celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship for Southwest Missouri.

“SPIN66 brings together the resources of established businesses with the energy and enthusiasm of startups to promote a culture of innovation,” said Jim Michels, tech entrepreneur, consultant and founder of the Creative Foundry in downtown Springfield. “Until SPIN66 I really had no idea of the scope and depth of the talent and resources in Southwest Missouri. I was pleasantly surprised.”

SPIN66 begins at 3 p.m. on May 7 with a series of educational seminars on topics relevant to entrepreneurs and start-ups. The day concludes with the SPIN66 kickoff party. On May 8, the program includes presentations from entrepreneurs Diana Kander, senior fellow with the Kauffman Foundation, and Jeff Amerine, founder of Startup Junkie Consulting and adviser to Innovate Arkansas.

That same day, the Pitch Pit competition will highlight some of Springfield’s most exciting ventures as they compete for $7,000 in cash and business services. A new aspect of this year’s event is the Ignite session. Presenters will have 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. The result will be enlightening but rapid-fire talks. The conference will conclude with food and drinks during the SPIN66 happy hour, where attendees can connect with presenters, sponsors and other entrepreneurs.

Tickets are available online at spin66.org for $80 for full event, or $65 for the Friday portion of the conference only. SPIN66 is held at the eFactory, 405 N. Jefferson Ave. in Springfield. For more information, contact event organizer Cody Stringer at codystringermercyrnd [dot] com. RSVP on Facebook.

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