Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and New Thinking

Dr. Shawn Clark is a Clinical Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and director of the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship at The Pennsylvania State University’s Smeal College of Business. Dr. Clark has consulted with and helped manage projects for such reputable organizations such as IBM, Lockheed Martin, Oracle, Ford Motor Company, Disney, U.S. Marine Corps, NSA, Chubb Insurance, Providence Gas, Brooklyn Union, and many others. Dr. Clark earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration at Penn State, and his Masters of Organizational Behavior and Bachelors of Science degrees at Brigham Young University. He is published in several top ten academic journals. His publication record includes over 30 articles and books related to business management and information technology.

Does beef need to come from a cow? Is a car something you drive, or something you wear? Can a cat be both dead and alive? Can a house be built using a very large printer? These are the kinds of out-of-the-box questions and new thinking that drive invention, market disruption, and innovation in business and science. Innovation requires thinking and acting in new and different ways, which implies that we, as human beings, as entrepreneurs, must change how we process information and think about the world around us. New thinking is at the heart of ideation, and ideation is the foundation of creativity and innovation. In many cases, our current modes of thinking are not sufficient to address the challenges, problems, and business opportunities that we encounter. Likewise, current modes of thinking may inhibit our ability to identify new ideas and business opportunities. Dr. Shawn Clark will discuss the role of cognition, decision making, and social interaction in fostering innovative outcomes in business. Unique and interesting tips for thinking critically and creatively to foster innovation will be explored.