Lessons learned from innovators at the first day of BIF-5 Summit

by Erica Driver.

A challenge after a day at the Business Innovation Factory Summit (BIF-5) is synthesizing all the stories I’ve heard. Today, nineteen people each took the stage at the Trinity Repertory theater in Providence, Rhode Island, for 5 to 15 minutes to tell stories about innovation. They work in a wide variety of industries and have various job functions. Some are entrepreneurs and others work for Fortune 500 companies. I discovered that next-generation car maker Local Motors, which is built on an open innovation model, is in my own back yard. Carne Ross, former British diplomat and founder of Independent Diplomat, shared some of his experiences in Iraq and Kosovo, and on the UN Security Council. Greg Matthews of Humana talked about his team’s efforts to help transform a health insurance company from being in the business of sickness and death to being in the business of life and happiness.

The common thread that connects today’s speakers is that they pursue change; all are innovators in their domains. Themes that are valuable to Immersive Internet adopters and technology marketers flowed through today’s stories:

• Games and play are elements of learning and work. Greg Matthews of Humana said, “Everybody likes to play games.” The innovation team he’s on at Humana develops games designed to help people stay fit. Max Geiger, co-host and simulation consultant for the Deadliest Warrior TV show, said, “What we do is play. Play with science. Play is a real-world version of simulation.” Bruce Nussbaum, professor of innovation and design at The New School and contributing editor for BusinessWeek referenced John Seely Brown, saying, “Tinkering is back. Creating things, doing things is back.” Don Tapscott, author of about 10 books including Grown Up Digital and Wikinomics, said that in a $4M study he undertook, he found that between the ages of 8 and 18 years, the human brain develops differently based on the kinds of activity in which kids are involved. Kids who exercise their minds, including through multiplayer video games, develop critical thinking and leadership capabilities.
• People who serve as bridges play an important role in innovation. Paola Antonelli, senior curator of architecture and design at MOMA, said, “In the future, some curators will sift through information to make it accessible to people.” These curators are the bridge between people and the information they want and need. Saul Kaplan, founder and chief catalyst of Business Innovation Factory (BIF), took it further and said, “The next hot job will be curating.” Ethan Zuckerman said, “When you’re encountering other cultures, find the people who are bridge figures.” He found that people who seek out bridge figures often then become bridge figures themselves.
• Innovators lean on mentors and role models. Innovators take comfort in, and try to emulate, the bravery and wisdom of those who came before them. Several presenters mentioned family members. Both Sarah Endline, mastermind and chief rioter of Sweet Riot, and Jay Rogers , president, CEO and co-founder of Local Motors, named their grandfathers as great influences in their lives. Don Tapscott said he turns to kids — including his own. Melissa Withers, executive director of BIF, named BIF founder Saul Kaplan as one of her great role models — along with her husband, and along with Michael Samuelson, president and CEO of The Health and Wellness Institute.
• Innovators are determined to overcome adversity. Many of today’s speakers told personal stories of overcoming adversity, whether personal illness or the doubts of others. Jay Rogers of Local Motors said, “I become deaf . . . I have trouble hearing when people say it’s improbable.” Michael Samuelson talked about the difficulty facing breast cancer, as a man, and his fight to overcome it. He also made the point that he ignores people who tell him he’s being unrealistic. Gina Malone, futurist with Hasbro, kept working through treatments for metastasized breast cancer, pouring her energy into helping kids with AIDS in Zambia. Melissa Withers of BIF shared a hilarious story about her husband’s discovery of something not funny at all: the fact that he had testicular cancer.

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