The Feast: Social Innovation Week

New York- Every year since 2008, The Feast Conference has brought together change agents and social entrepreneurs in one place to discuss the future. This year, the conference will take place from October 3rd to 5th and, for the first time, will expand to include several public events collectively known as Social Innovation Week. In addition to the annual Feast Conference, the inaugural launch of Social Innovation Week will consist of The Feast Worldwide and close out Social Innovation Week with The Feast Pavilion on October 6th. The Feast Conference Scheduled speakers for this year's Feast Conference are:

• Neil Blumenthal, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Warby Parker
• Scott Heiferman, CEO & Co-Founder, Meetup
• Gillian Ferrabee, Creative Director, Cirque du Soleil
• James Adams, Deputy Chief Technologist, NASA
• Bre Pettis, CEO, Makerbot
• Beth Comstock, Chief Marketing Officer Senior Vice President, GE
• Arcade Fire, Grammy Award-Winning Band

The Feast Worldwide On October 5th at 7 pm, everyone from around the globe is invited to host a dinner to discuss the social challenges that we face. The goal is that by the end of dinner, each group of diners will be committed to a common project and will post their idea online for all to see. The host and guests can identify their own unique opportunity for change, or select from the 4 official challenges designed by The Feast partners:

Data Challenge: Presented by John Sherry, Director of Business Innovation Research at Intel

• Specific Challenge: Design a tool that utilizes the data that is being or could be created in the public and private realms to help improve the lives of one of the following people: 1) elderly person in the city, 2) young mom of 2 kids with a low income in the city

Open Design Challenge: Presented by Beth Comstock, CMO at GE

• Specific Challenge: Use the open tools available today (or even create your own!) to empower a new group of people to make something that improves their physical environment.

Health Challenge: Presented by Arcade Fire on behalf of Partners In Health 

• Specific Challenge: PIH does whatever it takes to provide high quality care to millions of the world’s poor. Creatively inspire your community to back PIH as if they were caring for a member of your own family. Design enduring systems of financial support that can continue year after year.

Poverty Challenge Presented by Mark Bezos, Senior Vice President at Robin Hood.

• Specific Challenge: Re-brand poverty to engage New Yorkers in opportunities to take action.

The Feast Pavilion For those without a ticket to the Feast Conference, check out The Feast Pavilion which is open to the public. The Feast Pavilion opens for one day on October 6th at the conclusion of Social Innovation Week. It will take place in the Lower East Side at warehouse space where artists will exhibit installations inspired by innovations for social good. There will also be food, music and activities. Be sure to check the events calendar on the home page for event listings as they are updated periodically. The official hashtag for events is #TheFeast so keep a lookout on Twitter as more developments come in. We will also be covering some of the events on the Webserves blog, facebook and on twitter! -Valerie @vcorvington