Leading Design Thinking in the Workplace and the Classroom:
A Conference for Design Thinking Lovers, Skeptics, Revolutionaries, and Curious Bystanders
Virtual: February 17, 2023, with preconference on February 16:
Join us for a free webinar with our Keynotes on February 1 :
Come hone your skills, learn new approaches–and discuss big-picture questions about design, power, equity, and joy
Learn more about the conference theme here. Conference logistics are here. Meet our graphic facilitator, Sam Bradd
Pre-Conference Panel Discussion February 16th, 4-6pm PST
Ask the Experts: Design Thinkers answer your most pressing questions.
David Dunne
David is Professor and Director of MBA Programs at the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business. He is an accomplished educator who teaches strategy, innovation and marketing worldwide.
Pre-Conference Panel Discussion February 16th, 4-6pm PST
Ask the Experts: Design Thinkers answer your most pressing questions.
Andrea Guertin
Andrea is a senior leadership team member at Bridgeable, a service design consultancy that uses human-centered design tools and tactics to transform healthcare.
Pre-Conference Panel Discussion February 16th, 4-6pm PST
Ask the Experts: Design Thinkers answer your most pressing questions.
Natlie Foley
Natalie has 20 years of experience leading teams in designing & launching new products, programs and strategies across the private, public & not-for-profit sectors.
Pre-Conference Panel Discussion February 16th, 4-6pm PST
Ask the Experts: Design Thinkers answer your most pressing questions.
Dr. James Simak
Dr. James Simak is the Director of the Center for Organizational Research and Executive Education (CORE) and an Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business & Technology.
Keynotes
Dr. Pierce Otlhogile-Gordon
Shepherd for Equity Innovation to shape our collective future
Keynote: Practicing Just Transformation: Building Equity into Design
Dr. Pierce Otlhogile-Gordon is an innovation catalyst, researcher, facilitator, and evaluator, impassioned by the space between transformation and liberation.
Maryam Mohiuddin Ahmed
Founding Director, Social Innovation Lab (Pakistan); Senior Fellow, Social Innovation Canada
Keynote: Decoloniality in Design: From “Human” to “Humility-centered” frameworks
Maryam Mohiuddin Ahmed is currently a Senior Fellow at Social Innovation Canada supporting their Financialization of Housing Lab, a Senior Consultant at the Center for Social Innovation, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Foresight Canada, and pursuing a Doctoral degree in Sustainability Management at the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment.
Dr. Jaspal S. Sandhu
Executive Vice President, Hopelab; Professor of Practice, University of California, Berkeley
Keynote: Trust in Design: Why Relationships Matter for Impact
Jaspal Sandhu is Executive Vice President at Hopelab, a social innovation lab and impact investor at the intersection of tech and youth mental health. He also teaches interdisciplinary design and entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, where he served as the Fung Fellowship’s faculty lead from 2016-2021.
Featured Presentations
Dr. Jannick Friis Christensen
Postdoctoral Researcher at Copenhagen Business School
Workshop: Engaging in Norm-Critical Design Thinking
Jannick Friis Christensen, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Copenhagen Business School and Theme Lead for gender and sexuality in the CBS Diversity and Difference Business-in-Society Research Platform.
Chrystia Chudczak
Founder & CEO of DECIDIUM
Discussion: Reimagining Ukraine Through Design
Chrystia Chudczak is the founder & CEO of DECIDIUM, a global design studio based in Ottawa, Canada. www.decidium.ca Chrystia is inspired by the power of design to change the human experience for good.
Tabea Berg
Faculty at Royal Roads University & Doctoral Researcher (Athabasca)
Discussion: The Vulnerability of Design Thinking: Helping Novices Feel Safe and Free to “Get Out of the Box”
Tabea Berg is an Associate Faculty member and Team Coach at Royal Roads University. She has been designing and facilitating design thinking experiences, most often in post-secondary education, for over six years. She has worked in post-secondary education for over 13 years as an administrator, course designer, instructor, facilitator, and team coach. Her industry experience includes a range of creative projects as an executive, writer, and communications and marketing consultant.
Katherine Ziff
Faculty at Mount Royal University & Doctoral Researcher (Royal Roads)
Tips & Tools: Teams, Tools, and Trust in Facilitating Design Thinking
Katherine Ziff has many years’ of experience facilitating design thinking activities and leading teams of design thinking practitioners in science centres and children’s museums in the United States and Canada. She has also taught design thinking courses in the Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation programs at Mount Royal University and brought design thinking practices to libraries, community groups, and innovative teams in municipal government. Her research applies a new materialist lens to understanding the factors that contribute to the function (and dysfunction) of design teams.
Dr. Angèle Beausoleil
Professor of Business Design and Innovation & Academic Director of the Business Design Initiative, Rotman School of Management
Workshop: Teaching and Measuring Innovation Literacy Through Design
Dr. Angèle Beausoleil is the professor of Business Design and Innovation, and academic director of the Business Design Initiative, at the Rotman School of Management. She completed her PhD in design-mediated innovation at the University of British Columbia, after spending 25 years designing services, products and innovation processes inside large and small organizations.
Gordon Alexander
CTO for Co-Creation, Kyndryl Canada
Presentation: A Technologist’s View of Design Thinking in the Real World
Gordon Alexander is CTO for Kyndryl Vital (Co-Creation) at Kyndryl Canada. He has over 35 years of experience in the IT industry, specializing in the design and deployment of mission-critical systems. He is a Certified IT Architect, Design Thinking Coach, and throughout his career has developed IT solutions for clients across multiple industries.
Natalie Foley
Director of Advisory Services at Opportunity@Work
Presentation: How to Design & Execute an Experiment on Any Idea
Natalie has 20 years of experience leading teams in designing & launching new products, programs and strategies across the private, public & not-for-profit sectors. At Peer Insight, she served as CEO & led partnerships that contributed to dozens of new business ventures with clients like Nike, Kimberly-Clark, AARP, Canon, the Good Samaritan Society and ArcBest, several of which have become multi-million-dollar revenue streams.
Dr. Liz Chen
Design Thinking Lead at The University at North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Presentation: How to Design & Execute an Experiment on Any Idea
Liz earned her MPH and PhD in the Department of Health Behavior at UNC-CH and was formally trained in human-centered design by IDEO in San Francisco. She teaches a popular semester-long course titled Design Thinking for the Public Good and enjoys working with others to integrate design thinking into teaching, research, and practice. She was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Social Entrepreneurs in 2018.
Glenda Tarnowski
Growth and Innovation Lead at the University of Alberta, Faculty of Medicine
Discussion: Challenges, Pitfalls, and Possibilities! Learning through Co-Creation: Shifting Healthcare Culture toward Partnership with Family Caregivers using a Design-Thinking Approach.
Glenda is the Growth and Innovation Lead for Caregiver-Centered Care Education in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta. She is a passionate leader and enjoys collaborating with others in the integration of a design-thinking approach to solve complex systems issues and scale innovation for positive impact.
Rhonda Webster
Founder and CEO of Suite 101
Tips & Tools: Design Thinking Mindset
Rhonda is a serial entrepreneur, trusted advisor, and mentor serving clients for the past 25 years. She has had the privilege of working with other entrepreneurs in launching, expanding, and improving their social and business ventures.
Dr. James Simak
Director of the Center for Organizational Research and Executive Education (CORE); Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business & Technology.
Presentation: Design Thinking Competition: The Innovator’s Voice
James brings more than 25 years of experience in software ventures, business development, and product development. He is an entrepreneurial leader and expert in startups, corporate innovation, and strategic growth Initiatives.
Dr. Bidyanand Jha
Dean of Career Development & Strategic Affairs; Professor of Marketing at SOIL, Institute of Management
Presentation: Unleashing the potential of design thinking and innovation for a sustainable ecosystem
Professor Bidyanand Jha is a student of marketing and has rich experience of teaching, research, and consultancy. He is a Ph.D. in social media marketing and has been discussing courses such as Strategic Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Sales Management, Digital Marketing, Consumer Analytics, and Social Media Analytics.
Sameer Singh
Social Innovator and Steward at Edmonton Shift Lab
Presentation: Exploring Wâhkôhtowin: Prototyping an Indigenous/historical boardgame for the education market
Sameer Singh is a social innovator and steward at the Edmonton Shift Lab. Previously, he has melded journalism and design thinking with public engagement at EndPovertyEdmonton, the Government of Alberta, and Strathcona County.
Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse
Executive Director of the Yellowhead Indigenous Education Foundation
Presentation: Exploring Wâhkôhtowin: Prototyping an Indigenous/historical boardgame for the education market
Jodi Calahoo-Stonehouse is a Cree and Mohawk woman from the Samson Cree First Nation in Alberta. Jodi is the Executive Director of the Yellowhead Indigenous Education Foundation. Prior to that, she spent many years at the University of Alberta, serving in faculty development, advancement, recruitment, community relations, and as reconciliation advisor.
Lindsay Smith
Instructor in Social Innovation, Community Development, and Indigenous Social Entrepreneurship at RRC Polytech
Tips & Tools: Level up your brainstorming with the 6 3 5 Method
An instructor at Red River College Polytechnique in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Lindsay brings industry knowledge from working with those experiencing homeless, international development, and community education.
Brooke Foti Gemmell
Design Technologist at UConn’s Greenhouse Studios,
Tips & Tools: A Visual Designer’s Mini-Guide to Virtual & Hybrid White-boarding
Trained as a designer & creative generalist, Brooke believes that her greater calling is in the development of the people around her and is wholly energized by the successes of her mentees and peers alike. She holds an M.A. in Digital Media & Design and a B.F.A in Studio Arts.