Leading Innovation: Process Is No Substitute - Ryan Jacoby, IDEO
An Investigatio Public Lecture
Abstract
Much of the discussion on innovation has centered on the structures, systems, and tools to instill innovation processes and competencies in organizations. Yet, most such initiatives fail. What gives? Tools and processes are not enough. Innovation is fundamentally a human endeavor, one that must not only be managed, but also led. Luckily these leadership behaviors can be developed. In this talk, Ryan will, through stories, explore common innovation leadership pitfalls and share a model for how to lead innovation.
Speaker
Ryan Jacoby co-leads IDEO's New York location. Prior to his current role he helped pioneer and grow the Business Design discipline for the firm. Ryan is passionate about designing new experiences for users and with an emphasis on Venture Design and Growth and Innovation Strategy. Working across industries such as retail, financial services, healthcare, and consumer goods, Ryan helps clients to uncover and architect new ventures, envision new brand platforms, and design new communications, products and services. Ryan holds a BS in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Stanford University where he focused on design, marketing, and strategy. He is often referred to as the first "graduate" from Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.
About the Investigatio Scholar in Residence Program
Social science and innovation can seem to be two antithetical concepts. Yet, couldn’t they suggest the answer to developing technology with a human scale and connecting the needs of the users, whether individuals or communities? This is what the increasing engagement of anthropologists, social scientists, designers, and artists in collaborations with engineers and scientists in both research and commercial contexts, seems to suggest. Indeed, many corporations and scientific institutions are acknowledging that innovation has as much to do with the intangibles of the human experience as it does with algorithms, chips and design, and therefore requires a deep understanding of the human, social and organizational context.
The Investigatio Scholar-in-Residence Series has been developed by the Department of Technology Management in the spirit of NYU-Poly i2e philosophy to enhance mutual understanding across disciplines and develop a conversation around human-centered innovation through visits from distinguished scholars from a range of disciplines such as management, information systems, anthropology, communication, sociology, design.
A drink reception sponsored by the NYU-Poly Graduate Center will follow the event.