Highlighting the impact of and their passion for logistics, Fisher students, faculty and business leaders from the community united for a series of TED-style talks.

The TEDx Salon event, Connect, was produced in partnership with TEDxOhioStateUniversity and Fisher’s Department of Marketing and Logistics. Connect illustrated, from multiple viewpoints, the dynamic developments in industry and society that can be considered opportunities, threats and challenges to a more connected world.

“The Department of Marketing and Logistics were excited to host a TEDx event that featured our students, faculty and community,” said Tom Goldsby, chair of the department and the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation Professor in Business. “The Connect theme emanated from the recognition of our globally recognized expertise in logistics and supply chain management here at Fisher, along with Columbus’ growing reputation as an epicenter for consumer-centric supply chains.

“We were especially pleased to partner with CBUS Retail, a prominent initiative taking rise in the city that is focused on the immense array of talent directed toward innovation in the retail arena. This was a great opportunity to showcase the study and advancement of these innovations.”

Speakers and topics at Connect included:

• Terry Esper, associate professor of logistics, “The power of logistics”
• Tanner Asadorian, a third-year student studying finance and aviation management, “The billionaire jigsaw puzzle and how Columbus, Ohio, fits”
• Vivian Song, a fourth-year student studying logistics and supply chain management, “Redesigning last-mile delivery”
• Kishore Patel, president and managing member of CyberSWIFT, “Why should we be thankful that location is everybody’s business?”
• Jonathon McKay, founding partner of PATH, “The experience economy: Why you need to think differently about business”

Undergraduate student Aidan Gran served as the event’s emcee.

“It was educational and inspiring to see how individuals from different backgrounds connected with logistics in such a diverse manner,” said Sunny Hasija, a second-year PhD student. “The talks were brief, yet poignant, and left me re-examining and appreciating the myriad ways in which logistics has touched and influenced my daily life.”

Connect drew a standing-room only crowd of Ohio State students, faculty, staff and community members who packed a Pfahl Hall classroom for the first TEDx Salon event featuring a marketing and logistics focus.

“The wide range of topics underscored my belief that logistics is everywhere, and the diverse array of topics showed that the study of logistics can go in many different directions,” said Andrew Zeiser, a second-year PhD student at Fisher. “We’re at a pretty exciting point in the study of logistics, with technology revolutionizing the discipline. The Connect event gave a platform to several examples of ‘ideas worth spreading.’”

All of the Connect presentations