Leading the Charge

At Boston University Questrom School of Business, we’re bold. We’ve been innovating for more than 100 years and, as we enter our second century, the Business Education Jam is the perfect opportunity to keep our momentum going.

We’re placing ourselves on the world stage with this event, and you’re at the forefront. You, your knowledge, your expertise, and your participation will drive discussion among the other Jam participants and, in turn, lead to an innovative future for business education.

We can’t be complacent. Through the Jam, we can close the gap between academia and industry so that we are effectively and efficiently educating the next generation of leaders. SMG is a launching pad for those who will go on to transform and develop business.

For this to be a successful Jam, we need at least 5,000 participants. You’re connected to the people who can make this event transformative. As early partners in the Jam, you have the chance to connect with your fellow researchers and scholars and bring them onboard for a brainstorm that will unite academia with industry in unprecedented ways.

When the Jam ends, the conversation doesn’t. You’ll come away with new ideas, concepts, and research that you can take away and use however you see fit. This event is SMG’s chance to impact the world in a massive way.

What’s a Jam?

Pioneered by innovative technology at IBM, a Jam is a large-scale, collaborative online event that fosters creativity, innovation, and thought exploration. A variety of socially driven tools will prompt conversation through polls, word clouds, and real-time collaborations and chats with featured guests. An extensive set of analytic tools will visualize themes and highlight synergies.

Since 2001, IBM has used jams to involve its more than 300,000 employees around the world in far-reaching exploration and problem-solving. ValuesJam in 2003 gave IBM’s workforce the opportunity to redefine the core IBM values for the first time in nearly 100 years. During IBM’s 2006 Innovation JamTM – the largest IBM online brainstorming session ever held – IBM brought together more than 150,000 people from 104 countries and 67 companies. As a result, 10 new IBM businesses were launched with seed investment totaling $100 million.

Jams are not restricted to business. Their methods, tools and technology can also be applied to social issues. In 2005, over three days, the Government of Canada, UN-HABITAT and IBM hosted Habitat Jam. Tens of thousands of participants – from urban specialists, to government leaders, to residents from cities around the world – discussed issues of urban sustainability. Their ideas shaped the agenda for the UN World Urban Forum, held in June 2006. People from 158 countries registered for the jam and shared their ideas for action to improve the environment, health, safety and quality of life in the world’s burgeoning cities.

Jam Background & Examples

Below are links to articles and videos that provide more information about the history of the Jam platform and outcomes from other notable Jams.

  • Smarter Planet University Jam

    Nearly 2000 students from 40 countries jam on what will make a ‘smarter planet’. Read more about the process and the findings.

  • IBM’s InnovationJam 2008 website

    InnovationJam 2008 had a simple mission: tap the collaborative insight of leading thinkers from thousands of companies to help advance the vision of IBM’s recently released CEO Study, “The Enterprise of the Future”—based on interviews with more than 1,100 CEOs—to reality. Learn more Jam themes and findings.

Inside the Jam Platform

In May 2013 the University of Southern Australia held UniJam to develop the School’s strategic goals. Watch a short tutorial on how to participate and get the most out of the Jam platform.

Overview of Jamming

Liam Cleaver, Director, IBM Jam Program Office, discusses Jams and how they can transform an enterprise.

Example of a Jam

Learn about CovJam and the process of developing a Jam that has the potential to become a blueprint for cities around the world.

Guiding the Discussion

Jam hosts and facilitators guide participants to build on each other’s ideas – supporting a meaningful exchange of perspectives by a focused audience around a shared topic. VIP guests drive interest and real-world relevancy to the discussion.

Jam Hosts
Visible and public persona in the Jam. Senior leaders (or recognized subject matter experts) who are naturally connected with the discussion forum and their respective topics. Actively participate in the discussions both pre-scheduled time slots and ad hoc. Drive participation around desired topics and to explore key ideas.

VIP Guests
Recognized, and notable role leaders in the subject-matter whose participation will drive interest and quality of discussion.  Asked to participate at certain time slots for specific discussion forums to contribute to the discussion and to help elaborate on a pre-defined subject. Jammers are alerted to a VIPs’ posting via a “Jam alert” on the homepage.

Facilitators
Are on-line for dedicated shifts and actively facilitate their assigned Discussion Forum.  They read posts, ask participants in follow-up questions, and promote fresh content, and are responsible for keeping the discussion going. They are excellent at synthesizing information and looking for trends.

Chat Hosts
Senior leaders and/or subject matter experts who lead a scheduled real-time, limited seating “Chat” during the Jam on a particular topic related to a discussion forum.  Chat Hosts are only identified in the Chat as a “Chat Host”.