**Location:** Inspire Auditorium
**Date & Time:** Thu 20, 16:00 – 17:30

MICHAEL EDSON

Michael Edson is the Director of Web and New Media Strategy at the Smithsonian Institution, an organization spanning 28 museums and research centers, a zoo, and 6,000 employees active in over 100 countries. In addition to developing the Smithsonian’s first [Web and New Media Strategy](http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/home) and its multi-award winning [Web and New Media Strategy Wiki](http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/home), Michael helped create the Smithsonian’s first blog, [Eye Level](http://eyelevel.si.edu/), and the first Alternative Reality Game to take place in a museum, [Ghosts of a Chance](http://www.ghostsofachance.com/). Michael is also the driving force behind the [Smithsonian Commons concept](http://www.si.edu/commons/prototype) which aims to make hundreds of millions of resources freely available for users to build upon. Michael is an [O’Reilly Foo Camp](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_Camp) veteran and was named a [Tech Titan 2011: person to watch](http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/19189.html) by Washingtonian magazine.

HARRY VERWAYEN

Harry Verwayen is the Business Development Director at [Europeana](http://www.europeana.eu), Europe’s biggest cultural heritage data portal.