"WIKINOMICS" How mass collaboration Changes Everything
Don Tapscott to speak at the University of Akron January 10th – Free admission

Don Tapscott, internationally renowned expert on the strategic value and impact of information technology, and author of “Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything,” will speak at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall at The University of Akron on Thursday, Jan. 10.

Tapscott’s presentation, which is free and open to the public, is a “special edition” in the university’s Forum Series and is sponsored by the Office of the President, Luis M. Proenza. A public reception will follow the talk, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

“We are most fortunate that Don Tapscott accepted our invitation to speak on campus — he is truly a visionary on how business will be conducted in the future,” Proenza says. “We are looking forward to a spirited discussion that will be of tremendous interest to all.”

Based on the largest investigation of strategic information technology in business ever conducted, “Wikinomics” explains how businesses can tap the full potential of the emerging networked economy and its self-organized, mass-participatory communities. The author says mass collaboration, a new way of organizing, will eventually displace traditional corporate structures as the economy’s primary engine of wealth creation.

“Wikinomics” is his most recent book and an international best seller. It has been translated into 19 languages and has appeared on the New York Times and BusinessWeek best- seller lists. An adjunct professor of management at the University of Toronto, Tapscott has written or co-authored 11 books on technology and business.

Tapscott is chief executive of New Paradigm, an international think tank based in Toronto. Founded in 1993, New Paradigm produces groundbreaking research focused on the role of technology in productivity and business design, effectiveness and competitiveness.

He is one of the world's most sought-after speakers, keynoting more than 1,000 conferences, executive planning sessions and other gatherings since New Paradigm was founded in 1993. He has presented to more than half of the CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies and has shared the stage with President Bill Clinton, CEOs Sam Palmisano of IBM and Steve Balmer of Microsoft and leaders such as Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum and Linus Torvalds of Linux.

Tapscott is a fellow of the World Economic Forum and a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business 2.0, The Financial Times and USA Today. He has been Interviewed and quoted widely in broadcast media including CNN, NBC, CBS, National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corp.

The University of Akron Forum Series is in its 12th year. The lectureship brings distinguished writers, politicians and other international figures to the UA campus and the people of Northeast Ohio.

Other 2008 speakers in the series are David M. Walker, U.S. comptroller general, Jan. 29; Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and motivational speaker, “The Art of Possibility,” Feb. 5; Paul Rusesabagina, Rwandan hotel manager on whom the main character in the movie "Hotel Rwanda" is based, Feb. 12; Ann Curry, news anchor, NBC’s “Today” show, March 10; Nikki Giovanni, author, poet, essayist and professor, April 10; and Martin Sheen, actor, activist and humanitarian, April 21.

Admission is $8, $6 for University of Akron Faculty/Staff and Seniors, $4 for University of Akron students with valid ID. Tapscott, Zander and Sheen events are FREE. For more information on the forum series click here.
The University of Akron is the public research university for Northern Ohio. It is the only public university in Ohio with a science and engineering program ranked in the top five nationally by U.S. News & World Report. Serving 24,700 students, the university offers approximately 300 associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and law degree programs and 100 certificate programs at sites in Summit, Wayne, Medina and Holmes counties.