C. Josh Abend:

Josh is one of the few grey-haired Silicon Valley entrepreneurs around here; small kids sometimes ask if he is Albert Einstein and he always replies…Yes . Abend has a DaVinci appetite for innovative interests and a diverse range of innovation experience. He has taught creative problem solving at several product design colleges including CEF Buffalo.

* Apprenticeship at age 15, to design icon Norman Bel Geddes, considered the father of modern Industrial Design.

*He has been a car designer at GM in Detroit.

*A Human factors design/engineer on team of Polaris nuclear submarine, control station for the US Navy. Appointed in ’82 by President Regan to Whitehouse counsel on US productivity.

* Held office as national Vice President of IDSA.* One of first three world class designers to rise to level of a corporate, vice president.

*Was VP of product design for 5 divisions of a Fortune 500 company.

*Served as a PDMA officer in it’s national formation.

*Founder of INNOVATION AMERICA Inc.’79 *Director of the Innovation Management Center for SRI International.

*Holds a US patent for “Innovation Engines” which is an enterprise innovation software System.

*Is completing a book titled 101 Models of Innovation practice.

*Presently focused on C-level Innovation management via Innovation Masters® LLC. Still an avid skier and yacht racer. Served in US army 1253rd combat engineer battalion. Architectural graduate of historic Cooper Union NYC. and Mech Engr. Stanford University. Josh has 2 adult children and lives in Menlo Park, California.

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3/7/12 Innovation in American Politics

Is the internet destroying the current leadership models? How is innovation affecting politics? And what effect do politics have on innovation? The disconnect between the innovation community and policy makers is a serious issue. Most would agree that our livelihoods depend on a healthy, dynamic and innovative economy. What opportunities are there for the innovation community to inform the political process?

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