Maven and Convetit Partner to Deliver Ebola Thought Leader ThinkTank

Partnership Unites Thought Leaders to Share Perspectives on Ebola Crisis and Generate Solutions.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 4, 2014

Maven, the world’s first knowledge discovery platform, and virtual ThinkTank generator Convetit today announced the first project of their strategic partnership, which brought together leading experts from across the globe to discuss topics related to the Ebola outbreak. The joint collaboration allowed a carefully selected group to contribute their expertise to a moderated discussion on emergency preparedness, epidemiology, infectious disease management, hospital operations, and the training of health organization professionals. The five-day virtual symposium generated extensive insights from qualified experts, which the organizers hope may be used to combat misinformation circulating about the epidemic.

“Maven’s knowledge community is designed to foster immediate and powerful connections, which pairs perfectly with Convetit’s asynchronous collaboration platform,” said Maven co-founder and CEO Wyatt Nordstrom. “The caliber of active participants we were able to collect, as well as the quality of the insights provided, yielded a very successful pilot ThinkTank. Looking ahead, we hope to develop more focused discussions that will lead to even deeper brainstorming and advancement.”

Convetit engaged Maven’s Global Knowledge Marketplace to source 25 thought leaders from around the world in the areas of virology, public health, and disaster response. The virtual discussion was co-facilitated by Randy Roberson, a Senior Disaster Management, Risk Reduction, and Telemedicine Specialist and Dr. Stephen Morse, Professor of Epidemiology at Colombia University. Contributing participants included:

• Dr. Jennifer Hanrahan, Chairperson of Infection Control Committee at MetroHealth Medical Center
• Dr. Kehinde Akeem Adegoke, Head Medical Microbiology Unit at the Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital
• Dr. Steven Oscherwitz, Infectious Disease Consultant with Southern Arizona Infectious Disease Specialists
• Dr. Roy McGroarty, CEO of McGroarty International Health Consultants Inc.
• Michael Whitt, Professor and Chair at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center

The discussion commenced around a set of predetermined topics and questions, but quickly evolved as the participants highlighted new issues of relevance. Key areas of focus included Hospital & Clinic Preparedness, Detection, Treatment, & Containment, and the role of Governments, NGO’s, and the Private Sector. Participants shared their experiences, best practices, and resources in an effort to rapidly exchange relevant knowledge among key stakeholders dedicated to managing the outbreak.

Among the insights generated, participants most unanimously agreed that:

• The U.S. needs unified leadership and a central voice of accountability
• A new era of contagion is presenting an opportunity for innovation and systems change, particularly through new technology
• Leadership must focus the fight against ebola at the source in Africa to effectively contain the disease

The full Ebola ThinkTank, including summaries and infographics outlining key insights, may be found here. Organizations and members of the media interested in utilizing the content should contact Maven or Convetit for publishing details.

“With time being of the essence on a topic such as the Ebola crisis, generating such volumes of quality content over the span of just five days was a remarkable feat,” said Convetit Founder, Tom O’Malley. “We were especially impressed by the insights generated from this pilot ThinkTank and are encouraged to use our platforms to generate a continued dialogue in the near future.”

About Maven
Maven makes you smarter. Maven has built the fastest and easiest way to connect and consult with knowledgeable people all over the world. Created by three technology industry veterans who were tired of making critical business decisions with imperfect expertise (knowing somebody out there could help them if they could just find them quickly and consult with them), Maven delivers expertise on demand to professionals in every industry and powers knowledge networks for some of the world’s largest companies.

About Convetit
Convetit’s virtual ThinkTanks combine the best science of professional facilitation, with the convenience and ease-of-use of email, enabling professionals to curate highly customized online events and facilitate meetings on behalf of themselves, their organizations, or their clients.