Uncovering the World of AI with Michael Kanaan
“Numbers and language and storytelling are inextricably linked. They’re very similar topics— kind of a chicken and the egg problem, which one came first? But I think they come together.” Michael Kanaan, author
Innovation in Gaming with Maria McLane
“A novice or someone in an adjacent field oftentimes has the better perspective because they’re not so immersed in the day to day details and they can look at the bigger picture.” -Maria McLane, innovation project manager at the US Playing Card Company
Innovation Stories with Dan Carruthers and Adam Pleiman of Gwynne Sound
“When we’re creating music and sounds for a brand, we’re trying to strike the balance between what the brand stands for and what is the desired consumer response that we’re trying to get.” Adam Pleiman, Creative Director of Gwynne Sound
Passion Points of Innovation with Melissa Pickering of LEGO
“It is about stirring emotions in your listeners and storytelling is absolutely a powerful way to do that.” – Melissa Pickering, Director at LEGO Education
Impact Stories Through Storytelling with Tisha Livingston
“It’s really important to hone your message and make sure that it speaks to the benefits of your innovation.” -Tisha Livingston is the CEO of Infinite Acres and president at 80 Acres Farms
Rejuvenating Innovation Visionaries with Gary Gray
“Sharing stories of the past and how great products were created helps inspire people to know and believe that they can do it too, that most of our innovations didn’t come from the top down. They came from the bottom up. It’s empowering. It motivates people to come to work because then everybody realizes they can make a difference.” – Gary Gray, vice president of Racing, Technology and Service for Indian Motorcycle Company, Slingshot, Polaris
Inspiring Insight-Driven Innovation with Sue Baggott
“It’s all about being super curious about the people that you’re serving. Deeply understanding their needs, what their current reality is, what the future experience could or could be, and then using that to set your innovation direction or your design direction.” – Sue Baggott, Strategic Innovation Consultant
Celebrating Diversity Through Story with Chelsie Walter of Women of Cincy
“There is power and strength in diversity. Diversity of race and background, age, gender and all these things that people come to the table with as themselves. They bring their whole selves to the table. It’s not just one aspect of them. And we need to figure out, as a city, as a society, as a country: how do we celebrate all the things people are bringing to the table and listen to everybody’s lived experiences? Because that’s how we create better solutions.” -Chelsie Walter, executive director and co-founder of Women of Cincy
Corporate Culture Innovation with Darrin Murriner & Kirsten Moorefield of Cloverleaf
“If we talk about a team experience they’ve had and people tell us their own stories, then we can insert our story within that. That’s when people really understand what we’re doing, why it’s important, and why they need it themselves.” —Kirsten Moorefield, COO & Co-Founder at Cloverleaf
Utilizing Storytelling Rhetoric with Pete Blackshaw of Cintrifuse
“Stories build confidence. Stories drive partnership, stories build trust, and stories entertain.” – Pete Blackshaw, CEO of Cintrifuse
Next Generation Innovation with Richard Zreik of Innovation Girls
“If you think of innovation as 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, we come in very strongly on that 1%. We are telling the story, a story of innovation.” —Richard Zreik, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder at Innovation Girls
Motivating the Innovator with Jim Rekoske of Ecolab
“Storytelling is one of the most under-appreciated aspects of how we have to drive innovations to success. If it’s not commercially successful, the innovation is just an idea. Making ideas commercially successful is really the spirit of innovation, and that innovation doesn’t happen if you can’t convey quickly and easily to those who will use your innovation, what it’s good for, what it works for, what problem it solves, and why it’s the right solution.” – Jim Rekoske, senior vice president of research, development and engineering at Ecolab
