On December 6 in Palo Alto, California, the Financial Times, in partnership with Stanford Graduate School of Business, hosted its inaugural Financing Innovation conference. Chaired by Richard Waters, West Coast Editor of the FT, the conference gathered investors and corporate leaders to discuss the latest advances, arising investment opportunities, and the impact on business strategies in this rapidly changing landscape.

Innovation has long been central to US economic success, and in his opening remarks, Richard Waters noted, “The innovation coming out of the Valley right now has got the world’s attention, not just the East Coast’s.”

From angels and venture capital to financing the green economy, and of course new social and mobile trends, featured speakers including Steve Jurvetson, Managing Director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Drew Houston, Founder and CEO of Dropbox, and Ian Patrick Sobieski, Managing Director of Band of Angels, among others, delved deep into new and old trends that define the way the Silicon Valley does business.

During the closing fireside conversation, Drew Houston described his company’s philosophy in a nutshell, “We want to take everyday things that you do and make them easier.” Now that’s innovation at its finest.