Innovation Today

This is a blog dedicated to innovation and several innovators that I have had the pleasure to meet at the University of South Florida.

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Dr. Paul Sanberg is the Senior vice president of the USF research foundation. He is also a prominent medicine, business, and engineering professor. He is also the founder of the National Academy of Inventors, that has brought inventors together and has created a platform to cultivate innovation. His research has been mostly concentrated on brain functions and stroke research. He has patented ways to prevent neuron decay and applied STEM cells to repair damaged brain tissue. These STEM cells come from umbilical cords and bone marrow. He currently holds 43 US patents and 110 international patents. 

During his talk last Thursday, Dr. Sanberg brought up a theme that we have constantly seen throughout the semester. He mentioned that his main innovations have come from a personal need.  He was already in the neuroscience field but when his father had a stroke it became a turning point in his career. He decided to focus mostly on stroke research and brain regeneration. Through the use of fetal tissue, they were able to regenerate brain areas that had been damaged in stroke sufferers. However, the use of fetal tissue was controversial and condemned by many even though the fetuses used had died of natural causes. So Dr. Sanberg saw himself in a difficult situation. As a great innovator, he thought of possible solutions and used STEMS cells instead. which are able to adopt any kind of tissue around them. This ties to what we learned in “Simple habits for complex times” by Berger & Johnston (2015). To be innovative sometimes it is necessary to think differently and take a completely different approach. 

He is a man who seizes opportunities even in the face of difficulty. He saw a need in the community. He told us that he sees innovation as a way to help the community and a way to create jobs and help form a robust economy. Dr. Sanberg has focused on the large picture. He thought of the human life cost and the monetary cost of stroke. There are 4milliom strokes survivors, out of which 1/3 die. He also recognized that stroke is a leading cause of adult disability in the united states and that there are 750,000 stroke cases peer year. Standard treatments previously utilized were not sufficient and this disease was costing the state 43 billion dollars a year. This reflects one of the characteristics of an innovative leader outline by George (2014). Dr. Sanberg is observant and can see the larger patterns through careful observation of an issue. 

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

The main lesson I learned about Dr. Sandberg is that you can be an innovator but it is still important to take care of yourself and take a break. It made me realize that lately, I am constantly working on school projects and have neglected my hobbies and friendships this semester. From now on, I will try to set aside time to enjoy myself and reconnect with things I like to do such as playing video games, making crafts, and just relaxing. This will actually increase my creativity and perhaps make me a better innovator. 

“Go play, come back and those answers will come to you”

Another lesson is the importance of intellectual property. When thinking of an innovation I will always take into consideration if it has grounds for patent protection. I will also keep an understanding that most patents don't make money and that for it to be approved it must be novel, useful and not have been patented before. Patents provide a great protection and make investors more likely to be interested in your ideas because they don't want competition. In this process, I will also keep in mind the importance of having a strong team. Like he mentioned there is also the probability of just selling your idea to another company. These lessons show three of the characteristics of a great innovative leader (George, 2014). Dr. Sangberg knows how to create networks, he is team builder and is very focused on relationships. This can mostly be seen by his initiative to bring inventors together by the creation of the National Academy of Inventors. 

Questions:

During your talk, you mentioned the importance of keeping your hobbies and pursuing what you like? What other hobbies do you have besides piloting?

You told us that your great innovation came from personal need when your father had a stroke, but you were already in the neuroscience field and this event was a turning point in your career? What made you interested in neuroscience before this happened?

You mentioned that in the innovation process you don't have to do everything alone. Have you had strong teams to aid you in your innovative career? What do you believe makes an innovative team stand out and succeed?

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Victor Poirier is a professor at the Institute for advanced discovery and innovation at USF. He is the former CEO of Thermo Cardiosystems. He is globally acclaimed for the invention of the heart assistant device that can treat heart failure and remain in the patient permanently. He is a recipient fo the Mediterranean institute of cardiology award. He holds 17 US patents and has published over 100 research papers. 

“If I can train myself to be an innovator without knowing it, why can't we train others how to improve their innovative skill?”

Dr. Poirier is a great example of an innovative leader. Throughout his life, he faced many challenges, especially with finishing his education. He told us it took him 9 years to obtain his bachelor's degree but he was hard working and persisted. He also didn't stop there, he advanced even further and went to graduate school on the weekends. He is a great example the power of yet presented by Dr. Dweck in “The power of believing you can improve”. He always kept going despite the challenges and continuously, showed his strong sense of grit.During his career, he also faced many challenges. When he had finally achieved the creation of a working artificial heart powered by nuclear energy, the government passed a ban and now he couldn't market his product. However, this was only a roadblock and didn't let it stop him. Failure was not the end, he kept trying for 50 years until they designed a heart that can be implanted permanently and save many from heart failure. 

Like many other successful innovators, Dr. Poirier is flexible and takes risks. As we learned in “Sowing failure, reaping success” by Slotnik & Schulten (2012), sometimes failure is the best thing that can happen to you. When his thermoniacs career was compromised Dr.Poirier was challenged and had to abandon his old career. Without this “failure” he would have never created his amazing heart invention. He went into the field of medicine with no previous experience, mostly because he was desperate and needed to make money to support his family. To tackle the problem he took a different approach and used his abstract thinking. At the time everyone was replacing the whole heart, but he discovered that this was unnecessary. He analyzed the problem and discovered that 85% of the heart power is produced on the left side. So he decided to create a device that aids only the left side instead of replacing the whole system. Thanks to his resilience, now they hold the only FDA approval for a permanent use. 

To Dr. Poirier innovation is the creation a new and novel technology. It must also have a significant value. It has to be something that passes the test of time. His innovation also completely changed the way medicine is practiced. It solved a problem and provided an alternative, to dying. 

“Finish what you start. Be passionate about what you are doing. If you don't like what you are doing, you will never succeed” 

He embodies the traits of a truly innovative leader. Dr. Poirier is not afraid of failure, he sees it as a learning experience. He exercises abstract thinking, he thinks outside the box which helps him solve problems in ways others can't. He is also a self-motivator and extremely persistent. He utilizes cross-fertilization, he surrounds himself with people who have different views and ideas. He found ways to continuously be inspired, he cherished solitude and went to the woods to think. Poirier also said that to succeed as an innovator it is also important to have good salesmanship, you are trying to sell your ideas so communication is key. 

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

I think that one of the main lessons I learned from Dr. Poirier is resilience and grit. Even though, he had financial problems and took 9 years to obtain his bachelor's he always found a way.  It shows me that no matter how hard the obstacle there is always a way around it, but there have to be sacrifices. For example how he attended night classes or classes on the weekend. I think that I can use this resilience when I think of all the work I have to do and facing everyday problems. I think I often do this with my studies since I am double majoring and in the honors college. I often have to compromise time with friends and family to complete my work. Hopefully, one day these sacrifices will pay off like they did for Dr. Poirier. Another lesson I learned from his talk is the acceptance of failure. Whenever I fail, I am extremely harsh on myself and feel like giving up. However, from him, I learned that failure is not the end, it's only a roadblock and a chance for learning. Success and innovation can take several years, in Dr. Poirier’s case it took 50 years to develop the artificial heart. So from now on I will try to be less harsh on myself and see failure as a chance for growth. 

Questions:

1. Have you always been a risk taker? You told us in class that before getting involved in the creation of the artificial heart you had never been involved in medicine. was it scary to take such a big career change?

2. Did anything change for you when you figured out that you are an innovator? Did it make you see your inventions in a different light?

3. During your talk, you told us that it took you 9 years to obtain your bachelor's due to financial difficulties and family. What kept you going?

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David Eddy is a professor at the Institue of advanced discovery. He is also a physician, historian, mathematician and health care analyst. He has been revolutionary in the medical field. Thanks to him we now have guidelines, and evidence-based practices in medicine. He is the founder of “Archimes Inc.” a company focused on modeling healthcare practices. He has received over ten national and international awards during his career. 

“Medical decisions are too complex for the unaided human mind”

Dr. Eddy is a great example of how innovation is not a linear process. Underneath all the success there is repeated and harsh failure. He told us he didn't find his passion until he was 45. It’s never too late to make something great.  One of his failure lessons is that he dared to be crap like we learned from  Statell (2016). He wasn't the best at medicine or the best at mathematics and he was okay with that. He recognizes that if he tried to further pursue any of those fields he would have sucked compared to excelling peers. However, by “daring to be crap” he became the best doctor mathematician and developed guidelines that completely revolutionized the medical field. Thanks to him now new medical technologies are being implemented using evidence-based practices, quantitative measures, ways to evaluate the system and cost effectiveness.

Even if he doesn’t think so himself, I believe he is a great example of showing grit. Like we learned in Duckworth’s TED Talk “The power of yet”. Even when presented with hardships, he never gave up. Even when having to change fields, he never abandoned his education. He says he felt like for years he was just trying to “stay afloat”, but to me doing that is showing grit. He never settled for jobs that made him unhappy, so he showed grit to keep his emotional wellbeing. He hung in there until the right combination “clicked”. 

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

Dr. Eddy’s talk really resonated with me, as someone who also struggles with mental illness and concentration issues. He is a role model and like many other inspiring individuals, he has learned to live with the symptoms of his illness, learned to live a meaningful life despite the hardships and has made the world a better place. He is a true example of recovery. It especially reminds me of this quote,  “Psychosocial rehabilitation means that a person who before was afraid to go into a store to order an ice cream soda can now be an ice cream store manager.” - Martha Green, 1994. I think so because he told us how he used to be extremely scared of public speaking but now he gives amazing lectures like he did for us. 

Chronic mental illness could be seen as a failure or a dead end, but it's not. From him, I learned that it is only an obstacle in the road that one can overcome. Everyone doesn't work the same way but doing stuff differently can also lead to success. It’s going to take a lot of effort, personal growth, and perseverance but I am confident that I can, just like him overcome my struggles and make a difference in the world. I also like his way of thinking. He said to hang in there until the right combination clicks, and if you don't love something, leave it. I think that this is something I had to do early in my university career. I started out as a chemical engineering major. I was getting good grades but I felt miserable and trapped. Then I decided to change to the behavioral health field, now every day I wake up and my passion for helping others drives me forward. My illness doesn’t define me and I believe it will actually be a fantastic tool in my field. It will help me better connect with my patients and see the world from their perspective. 

Questions:

1. After enduring many failures, did you ever feel discouraged or like giving up? What kept you going?

2. How did you overcome your ADHD symptoms? Did you try therapy, meditation, or medication? What worked for you?

3. What recommendations would you give other people with mental illness so they can lead successful careers?

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William Cavanaugh is a professor at the Institute for Advanced Discovery and innovation at USF. He attended the US Navy where he became a nuclear marine officer. He has been an amazing leader through his career and has worked in companies such as Arkansas, Louisana, and Missisissipi Power & Light. He has been revolutionary in the nuclear energy field and has changed the way the industry works. Thanks to him, today we have safer nuclear plants with better levels of performance and the institution of a peer review process to ensure safety and implementation of best practices. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to the field, including the Award for Industry Leadership. 

When Dr. Cavanaugh entered the field he encountered that everyone was following the status quo. Everyone was doing stuff the same way. However, he wanted improvement and many considered him a maverick and difficult. This is a characteristic of a great innovator, “Innovators DNA” by Dryer (2009, he went with what he believed in and tried to change the field, even if others found it unnecessary.  He also considers that the nation should never rely on only one source of energy. It’s a big mistake, and this is a historical lesson that can be learned from the Arab oil embargo when the US had an oil crisis. Dr. Cavannauh encourages us to learn from our mistakes and look at the larger picture like we learn in “Where Good ideas come from” by Johnson (2013).

During his talk, Dr. Cavanaugh told us about the many accidents that have occurred in power plants worldwide. For example, 3-mile island, Chernobyl and the most recent was the Japanese Fukushima incident in 2011. He personally had to face one of these catastrophes in 3-mile island. He had to make the decision of whether to shut off the plant or keep it running. He made the decision that would keep everyone safe, however, the CEO lost his job due to this decision and there were millions of dollars lost. As an innovator like we have learned in class, it's important to follow your instincts and do what’s ethical, this ties to the “Innovators DNA” by Dryer (2009) Additionally, he not only face this catastrophe but as an innovator, he learned from it and saw an opportunity. An opportunity to completely change the field and make nuclear plants safer worldwide. He is a great example of an innovator because he sees opportunities even in harsh times like shown in “Where good ideas come from” by Johnson (2013). He explored the problem in depth and then discovered its causes: design issues, poor emergency response, and training. So he created a response and pushed for better design, and training. I think this connects to “Blueprinting an idea” as well as the motivation module. He saw that his company had a downfall but he didn't see it as an end. As Carol Dweck explained by in her TED Talk “The power of believing that you can improve”. He saw it as “not yet” and decided to improve it as much as possible. 

Once someone asked me “When are we gonna stop changing?” I looked at her and I said “never” 

As a response to all these issues, he proposed having peer reviews of all plants, improving communication, share best practices as experiences. After these changes, plants in America became the best units in the world. However, he told us that improvement is only possible with money and staff. This highlights something we have previously covered in class, the importance of resources. Additionally, he showed us the importance of “culture”. To create innovation is important to have a fluid culture of innovation and free thought. It is necessary to create a professional environment that fosters innovation. He told us that in his company the goal is “ find new and better ways of doing business, adopt best practices and then improve them”. This creates a never-ending culture of change and improvement. He also told us that employees who take risks are not punished, but they are incentivised and recognized. He wants them to avoid complacency. There is no penalty for failure, but instead, it is seen as a good learning experience. This keeps employee morale high and makes them change agents. I believe that by doing this he is encouraging his employees to become great innovators as shown in “5 skills that Innovative leaders have in common”, Graham- Levis (2016).

“You have to continue to believe and never give up”

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

I learned many important lessons from Dr. Cavanaugh. I learned to never accept status quo and follow what I believe is right. If ever encounter myself in an industry that seems stagnant and in need of change I will do my best not to be complacent and foster change and innovation. This has the potential to turn people against me and like he said some people are “gonna have to leave the bus”. It is important to surround yourself with people who support you and are capable of creating change. 

Another important lesson is to work with people smarter than you. It is always important to be humble and recognize that there is always someone that might have more expertise than you and can be a great aid. For example having a mentor has helped many of the innovators we have and has launched them into success. Lastly, the importance of communication. It is crucial to be on board with your team and make sure everyone's voice is being heard. Having healthy relationships within the workplace improves the quality of work and helps the innovation process. 

Questions:

1. In your career have you ever felt discouraged or like giving up? If so, what has kept you going?

2. Nuclear power is controversial and causes a lot of fear in the general population. How do you think this fear can be diminished and how would you better explain it to those that are uninformed?

3. How did you overcome being surrounded by people that refused to adopt change and innovation? Are there any necessary steps to get people on board? 

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Lyle Schwartz is a professor at the institute of Advanced Discovery and Innovation at the University of South Florida. He was one of the founders of NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology, where he worked for over 12 years. He has not only been a leader in materials research but has also helped a role in governmental relationships. During his extensive career, he has received many prestigious awards including the gold Medal Award of the Department of Commerce.

Dr. Schwartz possesses a great characteristic highlighted by Dryer in “The innovators DNA”, he is a great observer and appreciates how fields blend together. This has helped him identify and seize opportunities.   Throughout his life, he has been an interdisciplinary individual. In high school, he was involved in different activities such as science, sports, and the arts. Now he is in materials research, which lays at the intersection of many different fields. These materials are what things are made from and what glues everything together. This field uses engineering knowledge to drive manufacturing forward. Like we had to learn in class, we can seize and find opportunities when we look in the “cracks”. The intersections of fields provide a great opportunity to look at the larger and smaller picture. 

“Collective action can lead to innovation, but requires nurturing and the proper environment”

Another characteristic that he embodies from  “The innovator's DNA” is networking. Dr. Schwartz also really emphasizes the importance of a good team. He believes that collective action is crucial for innovation. It is important to share common facilities and equipment. That way the team strengthens, they get to know each other and can come up with more problems and therefore more solutions. He enjoys working with colleagues, brings them together, seizes opportunities and creates change. 

He not only looks at the small pieces (materials), he also looks at the larger picture and identifies were funding and influence comes from. That's why he decided to work for the government. Dr. Schwartz recognized that they play a big role not only in the manufacturing of materials but also influence education, access to technology, provide subsidies, regulations, and intellectual property. 

“Change in almost anything opens the door to innovation, but you must be looking to see the change coming and be prepared to take action when it does”

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

I learned a lot from Dr. Schwartz that I believe will apply to my personal and professional life. I tend to like working on my own, and when in groups I like to do my part and just put it together with everyone else’s parts. However, from his talk, I learned to value the worth of collective action more. From now on I will try to value my team more and get together to come up with possible problems and solutions. Also, I never really considered how valuable government aid can be. He helped me look at the larger picture and question where a lot of the technology and influence is coming from. 

Questions:

What do you think is the future direction for material research?

How did you become interested in materials and their importance in the production of goods?

What defines you as a leader? What was your path into leadership like?

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“I give a dam”

Selim Chacour is a professor at the Institute of Advanced Discovery and Innovation at the University of South Florida. He is also the founder of the American Hydro Corporation, which became the leader seller of turbines in North America. During his career, he has made many improvements to existing turbines. He has helped increase efficiency and better ways to produce hydraulic energy. He also helped develop programs that allow testing designs in a virtual environment, instead of physically. He currently holds 8 US patents and has received the  National Hydropower Association's Henwood Award. This award is considered the highest achievement in his field.

“Find what you like in life, and go for it”

His inventions have had an impact worldwide. They are used in one of the largest dams in Egypt known as the Aswan High. They are used as well here in the United States. We currently have his turbines in the Hoover Dam. His invention has increased efficiency, and more production of energy at lower costs. I consider his product to be a disruptive innovation. I think so, because like we learned in class from Christensen in “What is a disruptive innovation?”. A disruptive discovery doesn't necessarily need to be a new product. It can be an improvement of something already created that changes the market. Up until his discovery, the turbine market was stagnant and stuck in old and inefficient ways. However, Dr. Selim refused to just sit and watch. He created turbines that were more cost efficient and changed the way they previously worked. This also ties to Kander’s TED talk “Our approach to innovation is dead wrong”. Most people get stuck on the drawing board and plan for years, but by the time they reach the market they don't know if their innovation will be. He got to action and started creating and testing as soon as possible. He even created the virtual turbine tester mentioned above, so turbines could be tested even without being physically made. 

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

The main lesson I learned from Dr. Chacour is perseverance. It is often hard to go against the crowd and to make a change when others want to just follow the old ways. It’s hard to challenge the “it’s always been done this way and it works. Why change it?”. However, it is important to know that innovation can sometimes be a lonely path. You have to follow your passions and let them draw you forward. I think I will utilize this lesson in my life. For example, sometimes I come up with ideas that others might consider crazy. Then I become discouraged and think they might be stupid and not worth pursuing. Next time I will try to explore my ideas more and see where they take me. 

Questions:

1. Even when people were stuck wanting to do stuff the same way, you persisted. What was your inspiration? What kept you going?

2. How did you become interested in working with turbines? Did you feel drawn to create clean energy from hydraulics or was it something completely different?

3. What has been the biggest challenge in your career? How do you think it helped shape you as an innovator?

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Donald Keck is a prominent physicist and engineer. He is a professor at the Institute for Advanced Discovery & Innovation at USF. He has a PhD in physics from Michigan State University. He currently holds 37 patents and has published over 150 papers on optical fibers. He worked at Corning Inc and made many collaborations to the invention of fiber optics. This technology came to substitute copper wire as the main component of phone networks. It even set the way for the invention of the internet. His invention has shaped the way we interact with the world and communicate today. 

Dr. Keck told us that growing up he wasn’t top of his class. He went to the University of Michigan and started as an electrical engineering major. He then found a passion and acquired a PhD in Physics. 

He was a disruptive innovator because he created a technology that disrupted the market. At the time AT&T had a monopoly over the telecommunications business, but his invention completely changed the market and gave way to new competitors. It also helped lower communication prices and got the attention of non-consumers. It completely changed the way the telecommunications business was carried. At the time any calls needed to be transferred by an operator, making people have to wait hours during holidays or times with heavy calling. 

Dr. Keck integrated innovation with history. He showed us, like we had previously learned in class, that innovation has to happen at the right time. He showed us that it is important to study history to find unsuccessful inventions that might be applicable today. For example, the laser was not successful at first but is now used in fiber optics. To improve their glass they also used a previously unsuccessful innovation,  flame hydrolysis.

He showed us that sometimes it is important to break a problem into smaller pieces, people in the business that do this are the most likely to advance their careers. This is part of “Blueprinting an idea”. By breaking the larger idea it is easier to break down the idea and eleminate all the “noise”, to identify the most important issue. 

“To be happy and successful at life, you need to be good at something, have a dream and have whom to share it”

He taught us that innovation is not an overnight process. It took them over 40 years to create and improve fiber optics into what they are today. He told us that there were many trials involved. First, they had to find a glass good enough to send messages over long distances. Then another challenge was that the material was too brittle and would break easily. Over many trials, they were able to create a material that is even stronger than steel. 

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

Dr. Donald Keck taught me a great lesson, patience. Often we have been told that we should start working and applying an innovation before its too late, but what happens after has been kind of fuzzy. Through him, I learned that innovation can take decades, in his case over 40 years, but persistence is important. It is important to innovate the innovation. He created the fiber optics but they continuously improved it until it reached what it is today. I will apply this into my life and try to be more persistent in my career. If an idea isn’t as successful at first I will keep on improving until I can hopefully make an amazing break through.

He said that he grew up in a time where if you didn't have something, you made it. I think that I can use this to explore the needs in my life. Then if there is something I need I can try to create it instead of settle without a solution. 

Questions:

1. You taught us that innovation is a long process that can take years. During this process did you ever feel discouraged, if so what helped you push forward?

2. The fiber optics was created to improve telephone technologies, when did you realize there was more potential than that? Like when did you realize this technology could be used to develop the internet?

3. You said that all waves in the history of invention have broken. What do you predict the next wave will be? How is it going to change the way humanity interacts with the world?

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Richard Gitlin is a distinguished professor at the University of South Florida. He is currently the chair of the department of Electrical Engineering. He has published more than 100 publications, has over 60 patents and 3 award-winning publications. He worked for Bell Labs for over 32 years and created many groundbreaking innovations, including DSL and many other networking communications technologies.Many of his inventions are crucial to the way we communicate today, including 4G and LTE technologies. Thanks to him we can now utilize fast internet speed on our mobile devices.He now focuses on the intersections between medicine and communications. 

Dr. Gitlin is currently working on a technology to optimize robotic surgery which can reduce surgical risk, human error, recovery times. This technology would make surgery safer, faster and less invasive. The idea came to him after he had robotic surgery himself. I believe this is a great example of “Blue Printing an Idea” and “Where Good Ideas come from”. He sought the idea from an “everywhere” in this case from a challenge he had to face in his life. He also went for the intersections. He saw potential in uniting his area of expertise with the medical field. He also assessed what is important to the target consumer. In this case making their surgery safer, less invasive and shorter recovery. Lastly, after putting all his ideas together he made a comprehensive plan and meet with people to bring his idea to life. In ““Where good Ideas come from” , Steven Johnson taught us that “innovation thrives on reinventing and reusing the old”. This is true for Dr. Gitlin’s innovation, he used surgery, a procedure that has been performed for thousands of years. He then “reused the old” and merged it with new technologies to improve robotic surgery. 

Richard Giltin is a representation of the “qualities of a great innovator”. He is humble. He has expanded his horizons and has taken risks by expanding out of his field of expertise. He thinks out of the box and has a fresh perspective which has helped him innovate. He has respect for his team and other innovators even if they disagree with him. He shows the ability to listen and contribute. He showed us that innovation is a team sport and one can’t innovate alone.  Also, his passion is contagious and rubs off to those around him. To me, it was clear he is trying to make a difference and make people’s lives better through his inventions.

“Innovation comes from looking at problems or situations from a fresh perspective that suggest unorthodox solutions and their implementation”

Like we had previously learned in class he taught us the relationship between invention and innovation. An invention can just be a great idea that just lays in paper or in a shelf doing nothing. However, an innovation is putting that idea to work in a meaningful way. Sometimes this can even change the way we interact and see the world. It changes the way we do things. Something different was that he told us the tools that aid innovation. Those tools are science, engineering, technology, design, curiosity, and fearlessness. All these fields can come together and when mixed with curiosity and fearlessness can lead to amazing innovation.

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

He truly motivated me to overcome my fears and don’t let them hold me back. One of my greatest challenges is public speaking because I am very shy. From his talk, I learned that he faced the same challenges but he pushed himself and now he is able to give great talks like the one he gave us last Thursday. I will continue to push myself and become better every day until I can overcome my fear. Through defeating my fear of public speaking I will improve myself as an innovator, be heard and further advance in my career.

He also said that as a student he never thought he could be an innovator. He also talked about the importance of sticking to your ideas even if others don't agree with your methods. Sometimes unorthodox methods can lead to great innovation. So from here on, I will try to believe in my ideas more even if they seem out of place and not like what others are doing. 

Lastly, he told us that luck favors the prepared, and I believe this to be true. I will continue to prepare myself as much as possible within my field and always be a step ahead. That way I can face all challenges throw my way and be prepared for what’s to come. 

Questions:

1. In class, we learned that most innovations come out of personal need, during your talk you mentioned that after having automated surgery you became interested in that field. Are there any other personal needs or experiences that have led you to innovate?

2. You mentioned that you are working on the development of a device similar to a Holter monitor that can work 24/7. How would it be different from current 24/7 monitoring devices and what benefits could it bring to consumers? What is your target market for such product?

3. I am in the psychology and behavioral health field, do you see any opportunities for innovation in these fields? What do you think are some needed changes?

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Connect:

Shyam Mohapatra is a professor in the USF College of Medicine. He works in the departments of internal medicine, pediatrics, occupational health and pharmaceutical science. He is currently part of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. He currently has over 20 US patents and has worked to develop technologies to combat asthma, immunology, infectious diseases, nanotechnology, and most recently cancer treatment. 

He has many traits of a great innovator that were outlined in “The innovators DNA” by Dryer and he also harbors “The habits of mind” presented by Costa and Kallick. Dr. Mohapatra seizes opportunities where others don’t. He has created products that helped specific markets that had been previously unaddressed, for example, patients suffering from specific cancers. The creation of nanotechnology that can target specific cells can be extremely promising for millions of people suffering from cancer. I hope one day this technology can replace chemotherapy and other more invasive options. Often these therapies target all cells, including the good ones making people lose their hair and compromising their immune systems. By using his technology cancer patients might have better chances of survival and a less traumatic recovery process. He is not afraid of taking risks and venturing into new fields. He began his career a physician and then he saw the need and felt compelled to help others. He saw the larger picture, and that way became the amazing researcher that he is today. 

Dr. Mohapatra, like many other prominent innovators, understands the value of education. While being in the field of nanotechnology, he found that many his staff was not sufficiently trained or educated. He then took this matter into his own hands and became a professor. This is a great example of turning a problem into an opportunity for growth and change. 

“My passion for academia is based on my personal belief that each student has the potential to bring something unique and special to the world.I believe in no student left behind”.

His many discoveries can also be tied to “Where Good Ideas Come From” by Steven Johnson.  For example: “Innovation and evolution thrive in large networks” and “Lucky connections between ideas drive innovation”. He took two networks that he was interested in and brought them together to create an amazing technology. He combined his medical experience with his research in nanotechnology to create the cancer treatment that can target specific cells.

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

During his talk, Dr. Mohapatra inspired me to keep pursuing my dreams and to keep helping others. I am currently studying to become a clinical psychologist and even though my contributions might not be as large scale as his, I plan to help make the world better one person at a time. Perhaps one day just like him I might stumble upon an idea that can help the larger population. I think that some stuff I will implement in my life is to learn how to keep some of my most important ideas a secret and understand their value. These will be my trade secrets. Also, make sure to file confidentiality agreements. Lastly, if I ever get to file a patent now thanks to him I know more about that process and that such patent does not last forever. 

Just like him I also value the important of education and hope to one day spread more awareness about mental illnesses. I think that they have a lot of stigmas attached to them and it’s important to teach the general population that they can be as debilitating as physical illnesses. This will help grow understanding and compassion for those that hold a mostly invisible battle every day. 

Questions:

You mentioned you got a medical degree but then decided to do research. When did you realize that you could make a larger impact and what inspired you to do so? 

During your talk, you were really adamant about the importance of trade secrets. What bad experiences within the field made you so passionate about this subject?

In the video you showed us in class, it was shown that your wife is your partner for your research. Do you think she has significantly helped you advance your career? Do you enjoy working together as a couple in the field? 

Do you think growing up in India has shaped how you are as a researcher? Is there anything you think constantly impacts your life and how you view the world?

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Dr. Michael Fountain is a superb example of what an innovator should be. He is the founding director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of South Florida. He is extremely interdisciplinary and has worked in a variety of fields including business, entrepreneurship, technology, medicine, nanoparticle technology and even psychiatry. 

During his talk, similar to what we learned at the beginning of the semester he taught us the difference between invention, innovation, and creativity. Additionally, he told us how they can all work together to create great products and quality research. An invention is a new idea but it doesn't necessarily get executed, its an idea on paper or without a clear use. Innovation is using that idea and adding purpose to it, and implementing it. According to Dr. Fountain, creativity is also important to seize opportunities and see them where others don’t.

“I love research, but research with a purpose” 

Like we learned a couple of weeks back, he is a clear reflection of the characteristics found in successful innovators. He told us that to be a great innovator one must learn how to manage risk, seize opportunities, and create value. He also mentioned the importance of having a good team and that having a team from many different backgrounds enriches the work and brings in a new perspective. I really liked how he values other cultures and how different thought is beneficial for a change. This brings me to think that he understands that innovation is global and in an ever expanding globalization we can’t afford to be left behind. Another important thing is to be comfortable dealing with change and learning how to adapt. 

Dr. Fountain showed us his idea of implementing ICE TEE. This construct adds communication, different background, a collective greater than the individual, a cross-campus approach from people from many different fields. This approach shows sympathy and the important of working with a strong team.

TEE: Training and Experiential Oriented Education for students. 

The TEE is what works best for each student. It can be different learning styles, different locations, and flexibility. It also includes being exposed in an enriching learning environment and interacting with professionals. Even though Dr. Fountain is a great expert himself, he is humble and always accepts help from his peers. He told us that there is always someone who knows more than him and he gladly seeks their help and input. Having a mentor is a key to success according to him. The TEE also includes different levels of learning which are: peer to peer, teacher to student and professional to the student. 

The ICE is the different fields and their intersections. To innovate it is necessary to have ICE from many different backgrounds. For example Healthcare, science, software, agriculture, and renewable energy. 

The ICEE TEE is only the beginning, then it is necessary to apply all these ideas to the real world and find purpose. To be a successful entrepreneur it is necessary to go for the gaps when you seize opportunities. It is necessary to think about unmet needs, translation, value, and sustainability. Also, it is important to create a brand that stands out. Something that can be easily remembered, and attract as well as retains customers. Also, constant improvement is always necessary to not get pushed out of the market. 

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

I am grateful to Dr. Fountain for teaching many lessons that I plan to apply to my own life. For example, I will start by trying to engage in all levels of learning. Currently, I engage in peer to peer learning, and professional to the student. However, I feel like I should get better at interacting with my teachers and seeking further knowledge from them, beyond of what is taught in class. 

Also, I plan to incorporate invention, innovation, and creativity. In the future, I plan to specialize in those with mental health disorders especially chronic psychopathology and children with autism. So perhaps think of an invention that can help people with schizophrenia and create alternatives to address medication non-adherence which is a big problem for those with this disorder. Then be innovative and put it into action and do research with a purpose. Lastly, use creativity to identify the non-consumers or those who are not currently receiving quality treatment. When I think of this I believe that homeless people with schizophrenia are currently largely ignored. This might not be the most profitable population, but it would improve their quality of life and bring about social change. 

Additionally, to accomplish the above plan I will try to implement the ICE TEE into my life. 

Questions:

1. In class, it was mentioned that doctor Fountain worked in the field of psychiatry. He told he was working on technologies to make psychoactive drugs cross the blood-brain barrier faster for dementia. Did you succeed in making this possible? Do you see yourself working on psychiatric disasters in the future? If so, which ones?

2. I am in the field of psychology. How do you think entrepreneurship and innovation can be applied to my field? Do you consider the implementation of integrated treatment as a great innovation for mental health? 

3. In your career was it ever hard to balance work and family? What times and what obstacles were the hardest for you?

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Dr. Dean Martin is a prominent Emeritus professor at the University of South Florida in the department of Chemistry. Even beyond retirement, he works with the university to conduct research on the red tide. This dangerous algal overgrowth causes the death of thousands of marine animals every year makes water undrinkable and causes disease in humans. Annually, the government spends millions trying to fight this phenomenon. It also reduces tourism, therefore damaging the economy. 

He harbors many habits of mind that have made him such a successful innovator and a role model young innovators. However, I thought his life was particularly interesting and that he deviates from most innovators. All the speaker we have previously had in class have been deeply passionate about their careers for years, but I consider that Dean Martin has seized opportunities even if he was not initially particularly interested but then he made the best of it. 

“Plans always don’t go as expected, life changes and you have to adapt to it.”

Visionary: He has found success through sacrifice and has made the best out of unexpected situations in his life. 

Empathetic: He deeply appreciates his team and all their collaborations. Also, his work helps thousands and animals and people by protecting them from the red tide and its dangerous consequences. 

Models Learning: During class, I asked him what keeps him passionate and motivated in his research. His answer was something I completely didn't expect and I felt let down at first. He told me money to fund more research and the education of his graduate students were his main motivation. However, after googling him I learned that he is a great investor in our university and highly encourages learning.Even after retirement, he keeps teaching, researching and helping our education system. He told me that “ Money is the capacity to bring about a change.” and now i understand what he meant. 

Open risk taker: In his life, he has been a person who seizes opportunities, even if they are not what he is most interested in. He has gone with the flow and lets life give his path. Fro example, at first he wanted to study engineering but then plans changed and he became a chemist 

Team Builder: During his talk, he repeatedly talked about the importance of helping others and being empathetic to those you work with. H also said that it is important to help others even if we don't have the authority to do so. Sometimes it is necessary to make the right decision even if others might disagree with it. 

Focused on Relationships: He cherishes the relationships with his team and mostly his family relationships. He told us that no matter how hard he worked, he would always make it home in time for dinner. He is a great example of a family man and has a model marriage that has lasted over 60 years. 

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

Through his talk, I learned many important life lessons. I learned that sometimes life will not go the way you plan it to, but what is most important then is the ability to adapt. Take what you got and make the most out of it. Challenges are not just roadblocks, they are opportunities for change and innovation. 

He also showed me that it is not necessary to sacrifice family time to be successful. The family is important and that completely resonates with me because I am someone who puts family above all and I hate putting work over my loved ones. 

Finally, one important thing he talked about is the importance of empathy. It is one of the main focuses in my career and I agree that in life we have to be empathetic to those around us and help as much as we can.

Questions:

1. How do you think your family focus has shaped who you are? Was there ever a time when work and innovation made it harder to prioritize family?

2.  You mentioned that many of the jobs you have taken were offered to you, but were not necessarily the things you were most interested in. To the younger generation, would you recommend seizing opportunities or following their passion? 

3. Through your research, you mentioned that you found an organism that kills the red tide, but there were concerns that it would make the neurotoxins be released. What do you think could be done to ease people’s concerns and better their understanding of the red tide and it’s hazardous potentials?

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Richard Berman is an innovator who has worked in many different fields such as public health, policy, the environment, civil rights, animal rights, and even finances. My first impression of him was that he is someone who does things his own way, he is not afraid of what others think or of breaking the norm. He had a unique style and his talk was expontaneous instead of pre-rehearsed.He defies the literature and makes leadership his own personal experience. Berman is a great example of how leaders come in all shapes and sizes, even if he does not share this belief.

He is an innovative leader. However, during his talk, he not only showed the good side of being a leader but the many obstacles, hardships, and sacrifices necessary to achieve success. The passion in the field you love will drive you forward and overcome all the obstacles in the road to success, even if sometimes you have to make your own road. 

Richard Berman shows many characteristics of a great innovator and cultivates many key habits of mind. He is willing to learn stuff he doesn’t know, and has taken many jobs he knew nothing about and made the best of it. Most importantly even though many of his projects have “failed”, he has learned from them and remarked the importance of always learning from your mistakes. 

He is also a great example of showing grit. Even after many people thought his ideas were crazy, he kept moving forward. He expressed that as the middle child he always felt like he had to try hard to stand out and he did. He has helped many people with his attempts to end the war, help the homeless and create health care reforms.

“To create a change you need a target that is significantly larger. You have to be comfortable with failure, be comfortable with being different and like it”

Berman described leaders as people who are constantly driven by their passions. He also believes that not everyone is meant to be a leader, other people that help on the sidelines help the leader and to keep them grounded. To be a leader he thinks you have to be upfront and that this is the only type of leader. However, he also believes that the leader wouldn’t succeed without the people around him. 

He shows the 5 characteristics present in innovative leaders. He manages risks and seizes opportunities by venturing into new fields that he sees as promising and that will potentially help others. He demonstrates curiosity by constantly looking for ways to help others and the community. He leads courageously even if he encounters resistance in his team, he always pushes them forward. Lastly, he maintains a strategic perspective, whenever he feels like there is no further progress he can make in a program he moves on and helps others.

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

To better my life as an innovator, I plan to adopt some of his leadership skills. I plan to do so by taking risks within my field (Psychology/Behavioral health) and seizing opportunities, by furthering my education so I can help as many people as possible. I will let my passion for helping others to draw me forward, advance in my career and help many in the road of recovery.So that one day I can serve people with mental health disorders, learning disabilities or autism. 

Additionally, I will need to analyze and understand the trade-offs that might be needed to be successful in my professional life. Whenever possible I will try to maintain a balance in my “4 legged stool” of money,  family,  time for myself, and be making a difference. 

Questions:

What steps do you believe would be necessary in order to make the US have universal health care and provide assistance to anyone in need? How would you recommend to obtain funding for such program?

It is currently illegal to feed the homeless in Tampa. However, it has been argued that this might be because there is no way of ensuring the quality of the food that is served to them. Would you consider that institutions ran privately or by the government should be assigned to feed the homeless every day and have strict regulations to make sure they are providing quality nourishment? If so, what kind of regulations would you suggest?

During your talk, you mentioned the many sacrifices and hardships that come with being an innovative leader. What recommendations would you make to the emerging innovative leaders in this regard?

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 YogI Goswami, Ph.D is a prominent innovator, who has 18 US patents and is currently working at the University of South Florida. He has a mechanical engineering background and works in the fields of solar energy, water disinfection, and indoor air quality. Currently, he is working on a project called Molekule, the first ever molecular air purifier, which consists of a device that can get rid of microorganisms and allergens present in indoor air instead of trapping them. His product is completely different from all present in the market today and has a promising future for those living with asthma, allergies and breathing difficulties.

As a great innovator, he harbors the eight characteristics of an innovative leader. This had aided him to transform problems into opportunity and better the lives of his loved ones and soon many others.

Visionary: When Dr. Goswami was presented with the great challenge of his son having constant asthma attacks he viewed it as an opportunity for change. As a result, he has created new indoor air quality systems that have greatly improved his son’s lives and will soon be available to help many others.

Empathetic: He presents great empathy and is constantly striving to improve the lives of those he loves and others. Through Molekule, he aims to help hose living with asthma, allergies and breathing difficulties. In a recent beta test of Molekule, within 4 weeks all allergy symptoms were reduced to zero in all subjects.

Models Learning: He is always willing to learn from others. As a graduate professor, he was always helpful to his graduate students and eager to learn from them. At the heart of his teachings is a growth mindset that harbors persistence, and failure as a learning tool. 

Open risk taker: He started the company not knowing if it would create any profit or if it had a bright future. However, now there are about 3,000 pre-orders on the product and thousands of people on the waiting list. 

Networked:  During his presentation mentioned that engineers can make the product work but it is necessary to work in conjunction with other departments to make the product less noisy and more visually appealing.

Observant: Dr. Goswami has started most of his innovative initiatives by watching the world around him and creating solutions for problems rooted in personal need that had been largely unaddressed. His passion began in 1972 as PhD student. During that year, the oil embargo took place and oil producing countries in the middle east decided not to sell oil to western countries, therefore they had to rely on the oil we produce within the United States. At that moment he began to question the reliability of oil use and realized how unsustainable it is, then he began to work on solar power initiatives. 

Team Builder: He is not afraid to venture into fields that he is not an expert in. He values the help from experts in other fields of study and constantly networks with them to work on diverse projects.

Focused on Relationships: Dr. Yogi Goswami values the meaning of family and work relationships. He constantly works with his family and team to boost the company and create improvements. He is also constantly making relationships between the fields he is interested in and expanding his reach. Beginning with solar power, he then continued into using that solar power to clean water sources and lastly, by using UV light to improve indoor air quality. 

“ The only source of energy that is sustainable is something that doesn’t come from the earth, solar energy, everything from this earth is exhaustible”

How to learn from this innovator and improve yourself as an innovative thinker:

He is a great example of the importance of not letting challenges set us back, but instead use them as opportunities to improve our lives and the lives of those we love. 

It is always important to push your boundaries and venture out of your comfort zone. Taking risks is sometimes how a great company might be born. I am personally trying to apply this into my own life. I tend to be extremely introverted but my passion for helping others is driving me forward and making me push out of my comfort zone. I am in the psychology and behavioral healthcare field and I hope to one day serve people with mental health disorders, learning disabilities or autism. 

Never be afraid to ask for help. Even experts like Dr. Goswami treasure working with others and obtained help from other professionals that have more experience in certain fields. 

Questions:

Do you plan to expand to other nations and bring clean air solutions to struggling countries? 

What is current cost of the device? Is there plans to create an initiative to lower costs and make Molekule accessible to people respiratory conditions and low resources?

Is there a way to apply this technology to the outdoors and improve serious pollution problems?