Millennial Entrepreneurs Converge in Boston to Reinvent the 'City on a Hill'

by Sarah Murry, HP Newsroom

The past is —quite literally—all around you in Boston. At about 90 square miles, it’s among the oldest and most storied cities in the U.S.

This week, amid the towering brick buildings and stately monuments, an ambitious young cohort of entrepreneurs is set to shape the future of the city.

HP is a platinum sponsor of the third-annual Forbes Under 30 Summit, a gathering of some of the brightest minds in technology, business and game-changers from a variety of industries taking place from October 17 – 19.

With four days of celebrity appearances, panels, pitch contests, philanthropy, music and food festivals, the Under 30 Summit is a big draw for networking, collaboration and recruiting.

This year--with the help of HP--attendees will aim to leave Boston better than they found it. HP is looking to harness some of that millennial brainpower to talk about the challenges and opportunities of one of the so-called “megatrends” that is set to shape the next 30 years: Rapid urbanization. By 2023, some 5 billion people will live in cities, a figure that will have global implications on businesses, societies, economies, cultures and our personal lives

"It’s an exciting time to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and inspire future generations to literally 'reinvent the city'. We are thrilled to work with Forbes and this group of future world leaders in the ongoing quest to find the universal truth about technology and engineering amazing experiences that shape everyday lives."  ~ Shane Wall, Chief Technology Officer at HP Inc. and Global Head of HP Labs

It’s an exciting time to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and Wall will lead a discussion at Emerson College on how HP sees technology as a key player in “Reinventing the City.”

He’ll be joined on stage by Ian Cinnamon, 2015 30 Under 30 honoree, entrepreneur and technology advisor, who will address the importance of mentorship and the disruptive change that drones will bring to urban areas, commerce and infrastructure.  

Wall, who penned the foreword to Cinnamon’s upcoming book on DIY drones, will lead a lively “fireside chat” where they will build a working drone on stage. 

“Whether it be true artificial intelligence, autonomous drones revolutionizing our supply chain or humans colonizing Mars, the next several years are destined to be ripe with innovation,” Cinnamon said. “The opportunity to work closely with HP’s Shane Wall and fellow 30 Under 30 honorees is unmatched. Together, we’ll shape how these advancing technologies will make our companies, cities and society a better place.”

The world is looking to the next generation of entrepreneurs and thought leaders bring solutions to the challenges that modern cities will face. After all, it is these next-generation millennials that will be living and working in these expanding urban centers.

Attendees in Boston will have the opportunity to contribute creative solutions to rapid urbanization challenges at HP stations located at the Under 30 Village in City Hall Plaza and the summit’s stages at Faneuil Hall, Harvard Business School, Northeastern University and Emerson College.  

HP will be bringing its technology to the forefront to promote real-time, interactive crowdsourcing to answer some of the biggest problems faced by the city of Boston—issues spanning public transportation, education, snow removal and public safety. Attendees will also be able to vote on their favorite submissions.

The best ideas will be put into action at the Hack-A-Thon for Good, hosted by Jon Gottfried, co-founder of MLH, and HP, on October 19, dubbed “Service Day” at the Summit. On hand to mentor and guide hack-a-thon will be HP’s own Nate Hurst, Chief Sustainability and Social Impact Officer, and Giulia Pastorella, UK Government Relations Manager and 2015 Europe Forbes Under 30 honoree.

To sweeten the pot, HP is holding a “Reinvent the City” Folio Giveaway on @HP and HP Facebook. Questions related to education, healthcare, business and infrastructure will be posed starting today through 10/21. Two  winners  who answer the questions will be selected at random to receive an HP EliteBook Folio. Official contest details below.   

The Summit isn’t only about tackling tough problems – it’s also about camaraderie and fun.

It draws a cast of celebrity speakers and guests, which this year include Jessica Alba, Chrissy Teigen, Ashton Kutcher, Maria Sharapova, Michael Phelps, and more. Attendees will hear from founders and executives of some today’s most innovative companies, including Foursquare, Wayfair, Rent the Runway, Kiip, ClassPass, theSkimm, WeWork, among many others. The city of Boston will represent with Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, and of course, legendary Jim Koch, the founder of the homegrown Sam Adams Brewing Co.

Follow the Summit activities on Twitter at @ForbesUnder30 and @HP_Newsroom, and use the hashtags #HPReinvent and #under30summit.

Contest Rules

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Sweepstakes begins 10/12/16 at 8:00:00 a.m. PDT and ends 10/21/16 at 11:59:59 p.m. PDT. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C who are 18+ at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules for details on entry methods, prizes and odds. SPONSOR: HP, Inc., 1501 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1185.

This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.