Michael Tchong

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• How trends can help you gain a competitive advantage.
• How to develop the right mindset to create disruptive innovation.
• How to leverage innovative digital tools to competitive benefit.

In 2002, an American named Nick Woodman needed to record his Australian surfing adventure. Not able to find the right tool, he created the innovative GoPro action camera. Today, the company generates more than $1.5 billion in annual revenues, while GoPro is the No. 1 selling digicam on Amazon.com.

In this eye-opening roller coaster ride through the landscape of now, Michael shows when innovation took over the executive suite; why it has become key to corporate value; and how innovation can contribute to the bottomline.

In this interactive talk, Michael, who is an adjunct professor of innovation at the University of San Francisco and UC Berkeley, will help unlock your creativity and “innovation quotient” (IQ) with off-the-shelf tools and techniques — mandatory expertise in a world that increasingly demands breakthrough solutions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• How Ubertrends are reshaping society and changing the way we work.

• How to develop the right mindset to create teleworking breakthroughs.

• How to leverage innovative collaborative tools to competitive benefit.

Businesses know that innovation keeps them on the cutting edge of everything from technology to lifestyle to marketing to productivity increases. Why has innovation become mission critical? As Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates puts it, “innovation fundamentally shifts the trajectory of development.”

In this eye-opening roller coaster ride through the landscape of now, Michael shows how much we’ve come to rely on technology; how tech tools allow us to work effectively from anywhere, creating a new class of workers called digital nomads; and how the control mobile apps provide is the driving force behind major changes in business habits.

Attendees will also learn how leading-edge collaborative platforms, like Asana and Slack, are revolutionizing how businesses manage tasks remotely; how co-working spaces have become the offices of the future; plus a review of case studies and the most innovative digital and social media tools that can be used to build a remote workforce ethic.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• How Ubertrends are reshaping society and changing the way we work.
• How to develop the right mindset to create strategic breakthroughs.
• How to leverage innovative tools to build influence and diplomacy.

Businesses know that innovation keeps them on the cutting edge of everything from technology to lifestyle to marketing to productivity increases. Why has innovation become mission critical? As Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates puts it, “innovation fundamentally shifts the trajectory of development.”

In this eye-opening roller coaster ride through the landscape of now, Michael shows how much we’ve come to rely on technology; how new tools allow us to work more effectively; how digital media and analytics allow us to take more risk while boosting rewards; and how the control mobile apps provide is reshaping business processes.

Attendees will also learn how leading-edge collaborative platforms are revolutionizing how strategic thinking is being boasted by innovation insights; how social media are encouraging better communication and listening.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Critical trends that are reshaping the American gender landscape
• Why the internet helps propel the power of women
• What can be learned from the fact that corporate boards with female members outperform men-only boards

In 2011, American women surpassed men for the first time in gaining advanced college degrees as well as bachelor’s degrees, part of an Ubertrend that points to a future where women will set society’s agenda.

Not only are they exceeding men in education but they dominate today’s biggest water cooler conversation, social media. U.S. women out-engage their male counterparts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Twitter.

As a result, women are ascending rapidly in all walks of life. More than half of all middle management jobs in America are now held by women. Women account for a third of the nation’s lawyers and doctors, a major shift from a generation ago. And women now make up 20% of U.S. Senate and 19% of the House, both Washington records. America now even employs women in military combat roles. Their purchase influence at home and work has reached a staggering $7 trillion.

These societal factors are behind the growing influence of women in business and politics, which is transforming world culture. Come hear what to expect in the very near future.

Workshop Objectives

The innovation workshop’s overall objective is to help attendees spot emerging trends, grasp major market forces that offer opportunities to create disruptive innovations and create innovation practices that lead to breakthroughs within their organization.

Workshop Outline

• Ubertrends – Each workshop starts with a 45-minute overview of “Ubertrends” – massive waves with broad implications on today’s business and consumer lifestyles. This core workshop concept explains the driving forces behind market phenomena and how the future is unfolding. The workshop covers four ubertrends that help audiences navigate today’s fast-flowing stream of anthropological data to identify innovation opportunities of true merit.

• Thought Starters – At the end of each Ubertrend exploration, “Thought Starters”  are presented that encapsulate key repercussions of each Ubertrend plus suggested action items. These Thought Starters are followed by examples of innovative products and services that harness each Ubertrend.

• Case study – This 20-minute portion of the the workshop presents innovation research and successful case studies.

• Challenge – Students will then be asked to pair up in groups of four or five participants. Each group will be asked to complete a 60-minute innovation challenge in that one day might become a real product.

• Challenge debrief – A 25-minute challenge debrief analyzes and rates each challenge idea.

The Innovation Unpacked Workshop is designed to help participants by:

• Turning attendees into expert analysts to leverage emerging trends.
• Identify and categorize innovations to better seize future opportunities.
• Fuse the emotional and rational brain to help foster creativity.