Learning How to Lead Innovation in a Challenging and Unpredictable World

How does an individual develop a mindset and an organizational culture that fosters and nurtures innovation?

How can executives who are trained in problem-solving, data-driven initiatives and a logical, rational approach to their business re-engineer their imaginations to consider such things as future demand that does not yet exist and the impact on stakeholders of innovations – whether in processes or products – that could change the world around them? Dr. Sharon Alvarez, the Thomas W. Olofson Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies, will explore concepts and case histories involving prominent companies, describing the elements comprising successful Innovation Leadership.

About the Presenter
Dr. Sharon Alvarez is the Thomas W. Olofson Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh. She previously served as the Walter Koch Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship at the Daniels College of Business, University of Denver and prior to that as an Associate Professor of entrepreneurship and management, and the Academic Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Max M. Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University. Professor Alvarez is the Past Chair of the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management and was the Denver Program Chair for the 2015 Strategic Management Society meetings as well as Representative at Large for the SMS Entrepreneurship Interest Group. 

She was a Max Planck Scholar at the Max Planck Institute for Entrepreneurship and Economic Systems Research. She has been a visiting professor at Sun-Yet-Sen University in China, at the University of Alberta, and the University of Utah. Her current research includes entrepreneurship theory of opportunities, firm, and market emergence.