Innovation Roundtable: A Collaborative Effort between Ithaca College and the Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research

*Note from Roberts: I was cleaning up my files and realized that I never posted this one from the summer. The event was filled interesting people and big thinkers.

Deborah Brooks, co-founder of MJFF, and Diane Gayeski, Dean of the Park School, led the roundtable.

The Roy H. Park School of Communications held its latest "innovation roundtable" at the headquarters of the Michael J. Fox Foundation on Thursday, August 7th. The topic of the event, "Engaging the New Philanthropist" attracted 30 executives across the field of communications for a thoughtful and wide-ranging discussion.

After a brief welcome by Dean Diane Gayeski '74, industry leaders Deborah Brooks, co-Founder and Executive Vice-Chairman of the Fox Foundation and Henry Berman '74, CEO of Exponent Philanthropy articulated the opportunities and challenges that exist in the dynamic not-for-profit sector.

The opportunity for the leadership team of the Michael J. Fox Foundation to directly interact with those individuals shaping the face of media was really a special moment and served as a model for more collaboration between higher education, non-profits, and industry professionals. "In many respects, the two organizations are quite similar," said Bob Regan, Director of the Park School Executive Masters in Communications Innovation. "Both the MJFF and the Park School are smaller than their peers but have become disruptive forces due to progressive thinking that is mission centered and data driven."

The collaboration fostered at the roundtable is just the beginning in an ongoing dialogue. "I hope that the Fox Foundation can look at the participants as an objective sounding board that are available to the Foundation at any time to offer counsel and strategy in this dynamic media landscape." said Diane Gayeski, Dean of the Park School.