From Idea to MVP: Turning Vision into Reality - Hosted by Stellant
About
Turning a great idea into a minimum viable product (MVP) is an exciting but challenging journey. This panel brings together experienced entrepreneurs, designers, and technologists who have navigated this process to discuss how they translate ideas- whether their own or their clients’- into reality. We'll dive into their stories, how they lay out user journeys and prioritize features, and the challenges they faced.
Topics Covered Will Include:
The most challenging aspects of balancing speed and sustainability in product/MVP launches.
How to decide what features are ‘essential’ versus ‘nice-to-have’ for your MVP or product launch.
Tools and strategies the panelists have found most useful for gathering early customer feedback.
How they think about technical debt and scaling challenges when thinking about a new product launch or MVP.
Product & Client Engagement Manager, Stellant
Priscilla is a technologist with a heart for education. As a Product & Client Engagement Manager at Stellant, she leverages her expertise in technology to build digital tools for clients in Hawaii. She started her tech journey as a software engineer at JP Morgan, followed by a role as a product manager at Sensay, a language-learning startup. She holds a Master’s in Education in Learning Design & Technology from the University of Hawaiʻi- Mānoa and enjoys blending her engineering background with instructional design. Her work is guided by a desire to create products that make a meaningful impact on the users’ lives.
Priscilla is a former instructor and club leader for Girls Who Code. She also enjoys volunteering her time mentoring aspiring technologists at hackathons.
Senior Interaction Designer at Google
Travis Neilson is a Lead UX Designer at YouTube Music with a rich history of engaging with top creatives in the design world. He has hosted Google's design podcast "The Google Method," conducted stage interviews at prominent conferences, led creative workshops, and delivered keynotes in the UX Design and Commercial Art space.
A passionate design educator, Travis has mentored at Google and Savannah College of Art and Design, and previously hosted the popular YouTube channel "DevTips."
Most recently, he shared his insights on UX and AI interaction at the Awwwards Creative Conference in Toronto.
Senior Director of Product at Hospital for Special Surgery
Richard leads digital and data product management at the Hospital for Special Surgery, a New York City based hospital specializing in musculoskeletal care and consistently ranked #1 in the US for orthopedics.
He is passionate about using technology to better the lives of patients and clinicians and is most motivated by learning new things and solving problems collaboratively.
Co-Founder & CEO - Qubedocs
A lifelong entrepreneur and adventurer, Richard Johnson is the Co-Founder of QUBEdocs, a global software company simplifying financial modeling for large enterprises. Over the last five years Richard has helped drive phenomenal growth, from start-up to collaborations with world-renowned brands.
Full Stack Engineer at Redox
Over the past 10 years, Brandon has worked in digital design and development, specializing in front-end, API, fullstack projects, and UI/UX design. At Redox, he is part of a team focused on making healthcare data useful. In his career he has tackled a variety of challenging projects, from static sites to complex single-page apps across industries like medical, travel, and utilities. He is a life-long learner and takes pride in contributing to meaningful technology and wielding it to improve humanity. Brandon enjoys outdoor activities such as trail running, paddling, hiking, and walking his dog, Cooper.
Sam Frentzel-Beyme (Moderator)
Founder & CEO
Stellant | Stellant Studio
Sam is a serial entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Stellant, a Hawaii-based technology company focused on democratizing access to technology to better empower entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits.
His passion for design and innovation led to a patent and exit for his first company Mindjot. He was co-founder of SCANurse, a Tricorder XPRIZE Top 10 finalist, and is founder of Pearly Health, an AI-driven oral health company. He’s also a founding partner of Both&Yes a strategic brand and creative consultancy working with clients such as Google, YouTube, Johnson & Johnson, and Deloitte.
Sam's diverse experience includes time at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan, where he lived for 10 years, and at Google. He holds an MBA from McGill, with additional studies in design at SVA and innovation at MIT. He’s also a certified Human Potential Coach.