Tony Fadell — the founder and former CEO of Nest, creator of the Nest learning thermostat and one of the creators of the iPod and iPhone — will challenge Innovation Project 2017 (http://www.innovationproject.com) delegates, to think differently about the potential that “connected devices” and “internet of things” offer to payments and commerce innovators.
His opening fireside chat with PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster will share insights drawn from his experiences with Apple and Nest to refocus the conversations about connected devices and Internet of things to how the potential to connect any device to the internet and capture data can become a commerce enabler. Fadell and Webster will be joined by Visa EVP, Jim McCarthy, to discuss the role of the payments network in igniting and scaling those opportunities.
Innovation Project convenes on March 15-16. This is the fifth annual Innovation Project, an event that gathers the most influential players in payments, commerce, and retail for two days of closed door, off-the-record conversations on the campus of Harvard University. After a 2016 that saw a number of strategic moves made by many of the largest players in the payments and commerce space, this year’s theme will focus on the impact of these big bets on their future and the future of the industry.
A hallmark of the Innovation Project is also the mix of perceptions and insights that surface when industry leaders and public intellectuals meet on stage. Conversations like the one with Fadell will help stretch the way attendees think about many topics – including the role of connected devices and commerce in disrupting – and enhancing – commerce and payments as it now exists.
