IdeaConnection :: Interviews with Corporate Innovators

Generation 3 Innovation: The Open Collaborative Network

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:32:35 -0800

"Transforming the firm's innovation approach in R&D from a closed to an open one promises huge benefits such as increased agility and effectiveness, lowered risk and revenue growth through new products." "How to make Open Innovation work for your R&D," page 4

Choose A Design

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:47:32 -0700

"Choosa is one of the biggest graphic design contest marketplaces. The idea is really simple; on our website a company can start a contest for any sort of graphic design he needs and our design community will start uploading designs. Crowdsourcing designs as we call it."

The Hunt – An Innovator’s Perspective

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:28:11 -0700

"It is not uncommon that the most strategic inventions evolve based on the entrance of a new material or technology being available that, if combined with an existing product, improves the utility." Fred Thomas

An Open Source Business Model

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:12:33 -0800

"We all know that statements of Corporate values and most CEO statements are… platitudes because the leadership teams don't try to live up to and honour the values, i.e. 'lead'…

Spend a Little, Learn a Lot, Change Direction

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:25:23 -0700

If you've bought flower seeds at Lowes, eaten a mini watermelon, or teed up on a weed-free golf course, you've probably benefited from Syngenta's work.

Daring to Disrupt Centuries-Old Tradition

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:42:55 -0700

Looking at it one way, Romi Haan simply invented a mop. If you look more deeply, though, you’ll see that Haan’s initial invention carved out a new product category in the marketplace, revolutionized the way South Korean women manage their homes, and helped break down gender bias in the South Korean business world.

The Great Disruption

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:08:30 -0800

Times are tough. Innovation is a corporate necessity for survival. In The Silver Lining Scott Anthony makes the case that today's turbulent times make mastering innovation a competitive necessity.

Co-design of Products and Services

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:54:21 -0700

"Take one action now to improve your services."

Justin Jarvinen Lets the Music Play

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:23:32 -0700

Say you want to reward customers who buy one of your products, by allowing them to download or stream a song through your web site.

Unconventional Wisdom

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:17:07 -0700

Why do so many companies misstep even when led by hard-working, smart and serious people who expend large amounts of time and effort trying to do the right thing? In What Were They Thinking? Jeffrey Pfeffer provides engaging answers for business leaders.

Push Beyond Barriers Like an Endurance Athlete

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:41:31 -0700

Steve Owens and his team coach endurance athletes – cyclists, triathletes, and runners from all over the world. His innovative, state-of-the-art training equipment measures athletes' heart rate, power output, and energy expenditures, as well as a score of bike computations, such as speed and distance. His team then creates customized training programs.

Let the Music Play

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:54:08 -0700

When Tim Westergren started the Music Genome Project in 2000, the goal was to analyze the musical details of thousands of songs by studying them one at a time. The result was Pandora, free Internet radio that plays music specifically suited to your taste, without commercial interruption. Start by picking a band or better yet, a particular song you adore, and it scans a massive trove of music to play other tunes you'll like. The company continues to grow like a weed, with practically every metric doubling year over year.

For Innovation to Stick, It's Got to Come From the Top

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:41:38 -0700

Futurist Lisa Bodell believes anyone can innovate. Step one: Use the diagnostic tool on her firm's website to see how well you're doing in each of these four key capabilities: strategy, ideas, process, and climate. Step two: Tap into a slew of tools and practices from futurethink, designed to prop up your innovation efforts. Before you know it, you'll have more than a single innovative project in the works. You'll know how to sustain innovation within your organization.

A Prescription for Health-Care Industry: Value Innovation

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:47:26 -0700

The health-care system – plagued by skyrocketing costs, lack of access, and disparity of quality care – is one industry that could benefit from a dose of innovation. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is among the more forward-thinking players in the field today. The health insurance company has already been honored by Harvard Medical School researchers for its efforts toward tackling the epidemic of obesity, and it continues to push for change through initiatives such as ePrescribe.

A Disruptive Player Who’s Changing the Ad Game

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:41:14 -0800

During Brad Brinegar's tenure, McKinney has had one of the best new-business records in the advertising agency industry, attracting such marquee brands as Sony Electronics and Virgin Mobile USA. Advertising Age, citing the agency's forward-looking business model as a paradigm for the world ahead, recently ranked McKinney one of the nine best agencies in the country. Before coming to McKinney in 2002, Brinegar served as CEO of Leo Burnett USA, the world's second largest advertising agency office.

Tom Szaky Believes It’s All Garbage

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 08:30:55 -0800

Most of the things in your room right now will eventually become garbage. That simple concept drove Tom Szaky to launch Terracycle, a company that turns tossed-out Caprisun juice packets into backpacks and used newspaper into pencils.

Innovative Hits, Not Home Runs

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:22:23 -0800

To stay competitive, Joe Colopy of Bronto Software, an e-mail marketing service provider, must keep innovating – or meet the same fate as his company's namesake.

Solving 'The Riddle' of Innovation

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 08:34:28 -0800

In addition to teaching innovation at Northwestern University, Andrew Razeghi works as an adviser to organizations on innovation and growth. In both roles, he helps tackle complex problems like, "How can a particular country reposition itself to appeal to changing tourism trends?" or "How can a global food manufacturer navigate the challenges and opportunities of obesity?" While the problems he sorts out may appear to be vastly different, he says, the principles that drive successful innovation are much the same.

Breakthrough Solutions for One of Earth's Biggest Challenges

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:30:43 -0800

Even as Richard Fuller was running Great Forest Inc., one of the top sustainability consulting companies in the U.S., he wondered what sort of tangible environmental impact his work made: Was it reducing the amount of deforestation? Was it aiding biodiversity? Was it reducing the level of pollution that causes health problems?

The Best New Ideas show "Evidence of Tinkering"

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:29:02 -0800

Guido Jouret believes that innovative ideas with the greatest chance of success show "evidence of tinkering," that is, "people are trying to use whatever means they have at hand, barbed wire, bubble gum, sticky tape," to make the idea work. Those are the ideas that are worth the investment of time and money necessary to bring it to market, and those are the ideas that get his attention.