Idea Crossing

Winning Tips: how to win the Innovation Challenge

Learn how the 2006 Most Innovative MBA Team in the World, McGill University, won the Innovation Challenge.

Crowdcasting & Innovation Competitions

If you are interested in open innovation, crowdsourcing or crowdcasting next practices listen to this short podcast.

How to Consistently Innovate: An Interview

Who:
Anil Rathi, Founder of the Innovation Challenge and Idea Crossing interviews Vanderbilt University's Alejandro Corpeno(Honduras) and Michael Monteforte (USA), two of the members of the 2005 Most Innovative MBA Team in the World and 2004 Runner-Up.

What:
They detail their 4-step innovation process for consistently generating innovative, feasible and compelling concepts. The team shared their tips and strategies for team collaboration, idea generation, evaluation and selection.

Why you should listen:
During the 20 minute podcast you'll leave with helpful and easy tips to apply and share with your Innovation Challenge team, classmates, business colleagues and friends.

I've already tried a few tips and not only is it very effective but also fun! Thank you Michael and Alejandro for your contribution and congratulations on an impressive winning streak.

                                                                                                                        

The Most Innovative MBA Team in the World's
4-Step Innovation Challenge Process

Step 1: Deconstruct Your Innovation Challenge Question-extract keywords to focus the ideation process.

Step 2: Engage all team members to contribute their ideas

Step 3: Narrow Ideas- be critical and use performance metrics/scorecard to apply defined criteria

Step 4: Present the idea in a compelling way-storyboard your concept and use visuals or graphics to illustrate your vision.

Divergent Thinking: Look Beyond the Obvious

Date: November 30th, 2005

Host: Anil Rathi, President & Founder of Idea Crossing and Founder of the Innovation Challenge

Guest: Derrick Palmer, Co-Founder and Principal of Innovation Point.

Topic: Divergent Thinking, Looking Beyond the Obvious.  How to drive breakthrough innovation using non-traditional methods such as Idea Competitions and Thought Leaders Panels.

Click the links above to download the whitepapers.

Running Time: ~22 minutes

Finalists Announced w/Guest Frans Johansson

Interview #8

Top 10 Innovation Challenge Finalists  &  Top 100 Rankings

Host: Anil K. Rathi
Founder, Innovation Challenge®
President & Founder, Idea Crossing

Guest: Frans Johansson
Author, The Medici Effect: Breakthrough Insights at the Intersection of Ideas, Concepts and Cultures.
Harvard Business School Press 2004

The Medici Effect was rated the Top 10 business books in 2004 by Amazon.com                                                                                          

Anil and Frans announce the Top 10 Innovation Challenge Finalists.  Frans discusses the explosion of interest in innovation by global corporations, organizations and individuals.  He gives other examples individuals who have used cross-pollination to create breakthough ideas.  Lastly, his Top 3 recommendations for any innovator are to:

1) Be Curious
2) Be Prepared for Failure
3) Have Courage (the risks are smaller than you think!)

Frans is our keynote speaker at the Innovation Challenge Hilton Awards Dinner at Thunderbird in Glendale, AZ on November 19th.

How to Present Your Idea to an Audience

Interview #7

Host: Anil K. Rathi, Founder, Idea Crossing, the creators of the Innovation Challenge®
Guest: Timo Off, a German creativity coach and trainer. Read Timo's Blog Kreatorik

Timo gives us practical tips for presenting an idea.  First, he discusses his B.I.L.D. process for developing new ideas. "Bild" is the German word for  "picture."

Second, he outlines a 4-step methodology for preparing your presentation. 

1) Develop the plain idea
2) Focus on one idea
3) Communicate the energy/passion
4) Turn negative objections into positive reactions

What are the innovations?

Interview #6

Host: Anil Rathi, Founder of the Innovation Challenge®

Guest: Dr. Jack Vinson Ph.D., Dr. Jack Vinson Ph.D., principal of Knowledge Jolt, a knowledge management consultancy.

Dr. Vinson has been a judge of the Innovation Challenge for two years in a row. He shares his insights on the ideas created in this year's competition. We discuss the common global trends and ideas internet savvy participants discussed in their submissions...the cross-pollination of the networked world with traditional service offerings.

Insights from the Judging Panel

Interview #5

Host: Anil K. Rathi
Guest: Bob Okabe, Managing Director for Chicago-based RPX Group and 2005 Innovation Challenge judge

For the second consecutive year, Bob Okabe, has been a judge for the Innovation Challenge.  In this interview he shares his thoughts on the quality, similarities and differences of submissions.  Using his expertise in the area of innovation commericialization, Bob offers listeners insight that the next-generation of business leaders will demand personalized customer experiences for years to come!

What Not to Say in a Business Plan

Interview #4
An Interview with Barry Moltz, author of "You Need To Be Crazy: The Truth About Starting and Growing Your Own Business." Barry discusses pitching ideas in both an entrepreneurial and an intrapreneurial environment. Read the full article in Angel Investor News.

Barry has been a final round judge for the 2nd year at the Innovation Challenge and continues to support its mission for grassroots innovation.

The Art of Laughter in Global Innovation & Virtual Teams

Interview #3

Anil Rathi talks with Sushi Bhatia, author of "Just Say Yes To Laughing Your Way To Fitness With Yoga And Meditation And That's No Joke," President of JMD Manufacturing , and the inventor of the Glue Stic talks about the use of laughter in virtual team idea generation . Sushil has been featured on Good Morning America and multiple talk shows around the world.