Hagos Mehreteab - Since co-founding yOOnew, Hagos has worked to develop the company's brand and "live" proof of concept. In addition to working on research and development, Hagos leads yOOnew's business development efforts. A graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management, Hagos was recently nominated to serve on the MIT Corporation's Board of Trustees.Prior to MIT, Hagos co-founded World2Nite Promotions, a marketing firm specializing in national grassroots marketing and event promotions. Some of his clients included Verizon Wireless, Universal Pictures, and Microsoft. In 1998 he launched LA2Nite.com, one of Los Angeles' most popular online guides to nightlife and entertainment. Hagos holds a BSE in Computer Science Engineering from Princeton University.
Dave Scarborough - Executive Vice President, Ticketmaster
MODERATOR
Dr. Kim Blair is the director of MIT’s Center for Sports Innovation. Enabling innovation at the intersection of technology and sports, Dr. Blair brings over a decade of experience utilizing advanced technologies to enhance all aspects of the sporting experience. As the founder of the consultancy Sports Innovation Group LLC, and the Founding Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Sports Innovation, Dr. Blair leads the development of new products as well as technologies for sport performance analyses from early formulation of product concepts to final prototype design and testing. Many projects are award winning, including MIT departmental awards, conference best paper awards, and international ispo Academic Challenge design awards. Dr. Blair’s work enjoys extensive media coverage, including features in Forbes, The Boston Globe, Outside Magazine, and GQ, and programs by CNN, The Discovery Channel, NPR, and local network affiliates.
Dr. Blair provides a wide variety of consulting services to the sports industry, including leading product development projects, conducting performance testing of existing and prototype products, and creating innovative concepts aimed at enhancing the experience for sports spectators. As a member of the board of advisors for emerging companies, Dr. Blair provides expertise on business and strategic planning, technology assessment and development, strategic alliances, and raising capital. He also serves as an expert witness in patent infringement cases.
A recognized expert in innovation and sport technology, Dr. Blair has spoken at the Lemelson Foundation, the Boston Museum of Science, IDEAS Boston 2004, The International Congress on Technological and Social Innovation in Sport (Spain), The University of London, Loughborough University (UK), the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association International Business Intelligence Series and Sport + Technology Convergence conference, and the MIT Center for Innovation and Product Development. Dr. Blair is a technical advisor for the United States Olympic Committee, and a member of the Golf Digest Academic Advisory Panel.
Dr. Blair’s background includes lecturing in the MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department, as lead instructor for a capstone experimental projects course, co-developer of a junior level advanced dynamics course, and instructor in a graduate structural dynamics and vibrations course. Previously, Dr. Blair was a senior scientist and management team member at an organization applying aerospace analysis techniques to the fields of biomechanics and computational chemistry. He also served as an aerospace engineer at the NASA Johnson Space Center.
His professional affiliations include the International Sports Engineering Association, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He has served as a reviewer for the Journal of Sound and Vibration, the AIAA Journal of Aircraft and the Journal of Sports Engineering.
An accomplished athlete, Dr. Blair puts sports products to use, having competed in more than 75 triathlons, including the US National Championships, World Championship Qualifier, and the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. He is the past president and member of the board of directors of Team Psycho, a New England-based elite triathlon club composed of top age group and professional triathletes.
Born and raised in Nebraska, Dr. Blair earned a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nebraska. At Purdue University, he earned an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics. In 2005, The University of Nebraska awarded him an Alumni Achievement Award.
