Driverless cars are the next big thing – or are they? As is the case with any transformative technology, the road to consumer acceptance is paved with difficult challenges—some of which are being tackled right now at U-M.

Surprisingly, transforming a start-up via mergers and acquisitions (M&A) presents some of those very same challenges, says Ask.com CEO Doug Leeds, who has spent over $500 million acquiring companies in just the last few years. Leeds will highlight how the issues facing the designers of the city of tomorrow can prepare entrepreneurs to make their start-ups successful acquisitions today.

Doug Leeds was appointed chief executive officer of Ask.com in 2009. Prior to his current role, he was the president and chief executive of Dictionary.com. Before this, he spent five years at Yahoo! (and Overture Services), as Vice President of Global Product Justice, and held senior positions at mobile ISP OmniSky and mobile carrier Vodafone.