Bozeman Magazine

Global marketing agencies R/GA and Havas and the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter will visit the Montana State University campus and co-present a talk, “The Power of Data, Design and Dreams or why successful teams need the brain of a math quant, the heart of an artist, and the mindset of a dreamer to fund an idea today,” from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30, in Jabs Hall room 111. The talk is free and open to the public and will be followed by a question and answer session. During the talk, the speakers will discuss how changes in technology, data and culture require teams to continually evolve and learn new skills. They will include a variety of examples on how these trends are merging together to create tomorrow’s companies. Company representatives who will be participating in the event include Jon Leland, senior director of strategy and insights at Kickstarter; Michael Piccuirro, senior technical director at R/GA’s Prototype Studio; and Marc Maleh, global director at Havas. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Kickstarter helps companies around the world get funded through its online platform focused on creativity. With a mission of helping to bring creative projects to life, Kickstarter has received nearly $2 billion in pledges from more than 9.4 million backers to fund approximately 257,000 creative ventures, including films, music, stage shows, comics, journalism, video games, technology and food-related projects. R/GA works with Fortune 500 companies to help them navigate how consumers interact with brands in the digital world across a variety of devices, screens and experiences in the connected age. This visit marks the fourth consecutive year that MSU has hosted R/GA. Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups. Founded in Paris in 1835, the group now employs approximately 20,000 people in more than 100 countries. Its clients include IBM, Dos Equis, TD Ameritrade and Hershey’s. Havas aims to create meaningful connections between people and brands through creativity, media and innovation. This will be the agency’s first visit to MSU.