Events
Twice a year, the Connected Commons hosts a Summit profiling the latest in social network science thinking and application of the ideas for a series of engaging discussions. In addition, the Commons Spotlight Series runs regular webinars to showcase the work of thought leaders and innovative case studies via webinars open to all. Lastly, quarterly online courses are available to teach you the core skills for organizational network analyses.
Events in February 2019–January 2020
- - Network Analysis for Business Performance: Managing an ONA for Business Impact
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Network Analysis for Business Performance: Managing an ONA for Business Impact
REGISTER HERE FOR SESSION OR SERIES
featuring Jean Singer and Peter Gray
The first webinar in the Network Analysis for Business Performance series provides a complete overview of how to conduct a successful ONA, focusing on how to align your network analysis with business goals. It takes you through a four-stage model, illustrated with case studies and success factors derived from more than two decades of collective ONA experience. It is useful for both non-technical professionals who will be overseeing ONA projects and for analytics professionals who need to ensure the business impact of their studies.
- - Network Analysis for Business Performance: Collecting Network Data
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Network Analysis for Business Performance: Collecting Network Data
REGISTER HERE FOR SESSION OR SERIES
featuring Andrew Parker
This second session in the Network Analysis for Business Performance series provides a detailed description of how to collect organizational network data. Included are ways to structure the network survey around core questions, the key details and parameters that the survey designer needs to consider, options for survey formats, and a wide variety of sample survey questions. The webinar is supplemented by sample surveys and a checklist of survey design and launch items.
- - Network Analysis for Business Performance: Network Visualization and Measurement Using UCINET and NetDraw
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Network Analysis for Business Performance: Network Visualization and Measurement Using UCINET and NetDraw
REGISTER HERE FOR SESSION OR SERIES
featuring Andrew Parker
The third webinar in the “Network Analysis for Business Performance” series starts with instruction on how to use the software package NetDraw to generate network visualizations. It demonstrates how visualizations can be informative in key business contexts such as building collaboration across business units or facilitating post-merger integration, then goes into hands-on instruction on how to generate visualizations in NetDraw. It also covers how to generate network metrics, providing foundational knowledge on basic network analysis terms and measures, and step-by-step instruction on how to generate analytics in the UciNet software package. The session provides learners with practice sets that they can use to experiment with NetDraw and Ucinet on their own.
- - Network Analysis for Business Performance: Predictive Analytics with Network Data
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Network Analysis for Business Performance: Predictive Analytics with Network Data
REGISTER HERE FOR SESSION OR SERIES
featuring Inga Carboni, William & Mary School of Business
The fourth webinar in the “Network Analysis for Business Performance” series explores specific ways that predictive analytics can increase the impact of organizational network data on business results, including employee engagement, innovation, turnover, and the management of diversity and inclusion. Practical examples are provided to demonstrate how network data can be used to test ideas and generate actionable findings. The session provides learners with step-by-step instruction on how to conduct two of the most common types of inferential tests, as well as an overview of advanced predictive tools in Ucinet.
- - Network Analysis for Business Performance: Analyzing Technology-Mediated Networks Using NodeXL
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Network Analysis for Business Performance: Analyzing Technology-Mediated Networks Using NodeXL
REGISTER HERE FOR SESSION OR SERIES
featuring Sal Parise
The final webinar in the Network Analysis for Business Performance series explains the importance of technology mediated networks in a workplace that is defined by both face-to-face and digital interactions, and provides instruction on how to study digital networks using the software package NodeXL. Case studies from major corporations are shared, illustrating analyses of email, Twitter, and Facebook networks, and showing the contributions these analyses make to brand advocacy, building product engagement, and to building more innovative personal networks.
- - Network Analysis for Business Performance: Panel Discussion - Your Questions Answered about Implementing ONA
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Network Analysis for Business Performance: Panel Discussion - Your Questions Answered about Implementing ONA
REGISTER HERE FOR SESSION OR SERIES
featuring Rob Cross, Inga Carboni, Jean Singer, Sal Parise and Peter Gray
In this unique module of the Network Analysis for Business Performance series, we bring together four top ONA experts to share their experiences and answer some of the more challenging questions about how to implement ONA. Learners benefit from the variety of opinions and the group dialogue on topics such as communicating about ONA, measuring business impact, and making complex ONA findings easily consumable, as well as the opportunity to pose questions how best to implement ONA in their own organizations.

Spring Summit — Cambridge
May 8 & 9
Host: The Broad Institute
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Join us this May for our Spring Summit at the Broad Institute as we explore one of the leading biomedical research centers and learn about an emerging talent ecosystem that in many ways reflects the network centric nature of talent and innovation of the future. This special experience will engage scientific thought leaders, panels, case/discussion based break outs and a tour of this world class facility, as well as the space where the Human Genome Project was completed – all more broadly situated in the heart of the Kendall Square Innovation hub. Register today!

Fall Summit — Williamsburg
October 8 & 9
Host: The College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia
Please save the date for our Fall summit that will be held in Williamsburg, VA at The College of William & Mary.
2018 Member Summits

Spring Summit — Boston
May 15 & 16
Host: Babson College
Wellesley, Massachusetts
On May 15 and 16, people from approximately one hundred thought-leading organizations convened at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts for the spring Connected Commons Summit. It was kicked off with a fascinating field trip to the MIT Media Lab, and then alternated between presentations from thought leaders and discussions with member panels.
Fall Summit — San Francisco
October 9 & 10
Host: Workday
Pleasanton, California
The October 9th and 10th Fall Summit, hosted by Workday in Pleasanton, CA, focused on "Creating the Agile Organization.” The first half-day of the summit, opened to all, featured perspectives from four top thought leaders, and the second day was an applied working session, for members only, to co-create new network-based solutions.
2017 Member Summits

Spring Summit — Detroit
May 9 & 10
Host: General Motors
Detroit, Michigan
On May 15 and 16, people from approximately one hundred thought-leading organizations convened at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts for the spring Connected Commons Summit. It was kicked off with a fascinating field trip to the MIT Media Lab, and then alternated between presentations from thought leaders and member panel discussions.

Fall Summit — Seattle
October 10 & 11
Host: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Seattle, Washington
The October 10th and 11th Summit was hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle. The highlight of the first day was an amazing set of meetings on optimizing the potential of talent at Amazon. Day 2 was kicked off by Dr. Christakis discussing Social Networks for Good, followed by compelling member panels and case studies.
2015 & 2016 Member Summits

2015 Summit — Charlottesville
September 9 & 10
Host: University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
On September 9th and 10th, over 100 organizations attended the inaugural Connected Commons Summit hosted at the University of Virginia. It was a stimulating event that mixed real world applications of network thinking along a number of core dimensions. Presenters and discussion leaders included: Ron Burt, John Boudreau, Rob Cross, Andy Hargadon and Tammy Erikson.

2016 Summit — Boston
December 12 & 13
Host: Babson College
Wellesley, Massachusetts
The 2016 Connected Commons Summit was held at Babson College in beautiful Wellesley, Massachusetts. The summit was the capstone of an incredible year of breakthrough research, capability-building webinars and exciting press coverage. Presenters and discussion leaders included: Rob Cross, Tom Davenport, David Rock, Brian Kropp, Jay Rao and Keith Rollag.