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The Denver nonprofit that's been known as The Cable Center for more than 20 years will now be referred to as the Syndeo Institute as the organization shifts its focus toward innovation and entrepreneurship in the cable and connectivity industry.
The nonprofit launched its new operating brand Thursday to reflect better reflect its mission of fostering innovation among the cable industry's workforce, said Diane Christman, who took over as president and CEO last year. The word syndeo is Greek for "connect."
Historically, The Cable Center has been known for cataloging the history of the cable and connectivity industry and honoring its past in Colorado. It has helped educate the specific workforce through programming and other means.
"The Cable Center will continue to exist as a place to honor industry achievements and champion the legacy of our original industry innovators through our collection of archives and oral histories," Christman said. "But combined, the Syndeo Institute at The Cable Center enables us to bridge the entrepreneurial foundation to an innovation-focused future."
The nonprofit has been working toward the new brand for years, Christman said. Prior to taking over as CEO, she worked at The Cable Center for 17 years in various roles. When she started, The Cable Center — with its museum and archives of industry artifacts, memorabilia and oral histories — was known primarily for its stewardship of cable history, Christman said.
The shift from honoring the industry's past toward shaping its next generation of leaders began in 2016, and in 2017, Christman and former CEO Jana Henthorn launched the Intrapreneurship Academy to help cable companies and their employees think with innovation in mind.
"In about 2018, we looked at each other and thought, 'We have something really good here,'" Christman said. "We wanted to grow it."
Since its launch, more than 300 people from 40 companies have graduated from the Intrapreneurship Academy. Following the initial success of the program, the nonprofit brought together dozens of industry executives for a focus group, and the result was the Vision 2025 Transformation Plan, a strategic initiative designed to make the nonprofit more dynamic and forward-thinking.
The introduction of the Syndeo Institute on Thursday is a key part of that plan, Christman said. With the launch, the nonprofit plans to grow its workforce development programs to address challenges in the industry, including employee retention and the development of talent pipelines.
The nonprofit's innovation focus is more than just coursework, Christman said. Over the years, the Cable Center has become a "modern hub" for events and discussions with industry leaders, she said.
With the launch of the Syndeo Institute brand, the nonprofit is introducing the Syndeo Institute Symposium, an annual event that will aim to bring cable and connectivity leaders from across the country to Denver. The first iteration of the symposium is likely to be held this fall, and the event will happen on a bigger scale in 2024, Christman said.
"We want to stay fresh, and things are changing so rapidly, as we've learned in the past three years," Christman said. "It's so important to capture different voices and have more contributors to this idea of innovation."
Christman thinks the nonprofit's new brand and focus on innovation fits into Denver's emergence over the last several years as an ecosystem for entrepreneurship, she said.
"Denver itself, we are a hub for innovation and entrepreneurs and future-thinking," Christman said. "I think that the Syndeo Institute is a great complement and partner to that whole renaissance of Denver as an innovation and entrepreneurial market."
