January 2012
1 post
Taking Ownership as a Consultant
Venture capital firms invest money in companies they believe have potential for success, and in return get a share in the future profits. Consulting firms invest their time and energy in making companies successful, and in return get a fixed payment. It occurred to me over the summer while working at a VC firm that consulting firms have missed an opportunity. If consulting firms were to invest...
December 2011
1 post
Painting the White Spaces
Taking in some art at Boston’s MFA the other day, the description for this Franz Kline painting caught my eye. In response to comparisons to calligraphy, Kline decidedly differentiates his work, “Calligraphy is writing, and I’m not writing. I paint the white as well as the black, and the white is just as important.” Often times white spaces are less intentional. The white...
August 2011
1 post
Innovation in Enforcement Needed to Match...
The inadequate response to the sudden outbreaks of looting and rioting last week in Britain made me think law enforcement is in desperate need of innovation. Much has been said of technology’s role in accelerating civil disorder. Troublemakers embraced innovation, with rioters spreading messages like wildfire with social media. As many have pointed out, this technology can be used for noble...
June 2011
4 posts
Different Environments Breed Different Innovations...
On Thursday, I attended the Boston Microfinance Club’s event on technology and microfinance. This event had a tone of humility, similar to the “Beyond the Hype” microfinance event. While some progress has been made, there is still a long road ahead in using technology to its potential for microfinance.
I was particularly struck by two compelling stories of innovation from the...
Beyond the Initial Hype: The Future of...
I’ve been following microfinance for some time, as I’m fascinated by the great potential for improving lives by simply extending the innovation of financing to millions more. If you don’t know how microfinance works, see this explanatory video we created at Continuum while working with the Grameen Foundation and the Center for Creative Leadership. I’ve had the amazing...
A Graphic Designer's "Design Thinking"
Bruce Nussbaum, one of the most vocal advocates for the design thinking movement in the business world, has now called Design Thinking a failed experiment. As someone who’s worked in the design thinking industry, I came into it with my own expectations, and then learned how it is practiced. You can see my understanding of how state-of-the-art design thinking is practiced here. After four...
Introducing Myself, and Why You Should Follow Your...
I am an innovation strategist. I bring a multidisciplinary background to help companies find the right strategies for growth.
Designer
How did I come to this specialty? Originally from Minnesota, I headed to New York City to launch my design career in the mecca for this field. I was privileged to work with some of the world’s greatest and most famous designers, including Milton Glaser...
