Dan Rockwell, Big Kitty Labs

Dan Rockwell is CEO and co-founder of Big Kitty Labs, a rapid prototyping digital agency based in Columbus, Ohio. The company was founded in 2009 after a series of events that led him to realize that building things should be easier, and that prototypes provide a ready foundation. Building Big Kitty was an act largely for himself and his partner Tushar Kulkarni to invent concepts, play with technologies and do everything that most people weren’t doing – building things fast. Big Kitty serves startups in the region looking for rapid innovation. Previously, Dan worked as program manager of the Software Prototyping Center at The Ohio State University’s Technology Commercialization Office. There he helped take numerous university ideas to market, launching several startups. Dan is an advocate for the innovation scene in Columbus. He helped form many tech-related events such as Ignite Columbus, Wakeup Startup, and is a speaker for Startup Weekend and Give Back Hack across the state. He’s known for his loud laughs, ample mentoring time, futuristic thinking and belief that anyone can change what happens next. Key Topics: how rapid prototyping can help manufacturers, how to get a product to market faster, how to make the leap into digital.