RESEARCH – STRATEGY CONSULTING – DESIGN INNOVATION – EDUCATION
About
My teaching, research and consulting is in strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship with a special interest is design thinking, data science, urban planning and open innovation. I work at the Business School of the University of Technology Sydney where I am Associate Professor and Director Entrepreneurship. I look after the MBA Entrepreneurship and the Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (Hons) degrees. I am also the Founder of U.lab, a platform for innovation projects and research.
I have always been curious about how things work and how to make them better: taking things apart, asking lots of questions, fixing and building stuff in the family workshop. From being fascinated with function and technology, I went on to study context and behaviour to understand the role that humans have in making innovation happen. Collaborative human ingenuity is what interests me most.
I collaborate broadly and have published my work in academic journals and books. I have been granted numerous research and teaching grants as well as honours for my innovative and practice oriented approach including an Australian national recognition with the B/HERT Entrepreneurship Educator of the year award.
I provide insight into emerging trends, alternate perspectives and fresh ideas to a number of private and government organisations including the City of Sydney, Business Events Sydney, Transport for NSW, the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade and many others.
I always enjoy meeting people and making new connections. While I spend the most time in Sydney, I enjoy regular visits to other favourite places including Berlin, Vancouver and New York.
@be_syd
Projects
- Corporate design innovation initiatives – A case study of an ASX listed company and its innovation journey (2017-)
- Sydney School of Entrepreneurship – Academic guidance for a new statewide initiative. Development of courses in collaboration with other partner institutions (2017-2019)
- Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (Hons) – Reimagination of the Honours degree as a pan-university pathway to student entrepreneurship (2017-2019)
- Creating customer-centric organisations: The value of design artefacts – Thesis supervision and research support (2014-2019)
- Engaging SMEs in sustainable urban strategies to build their innovation capacity: comparing two cities (CBSI) – A study and exchange between Sydney and Rotterdam supported by a European Union ERSAMUS+ Mobility grant (2018-2021)
- Organisations in times of disruption: Towards a data-driven framework for sustained competitive advantage – A study of how emerging technologies like AI, blockchain and big data affect strategic decision making and organisational governance (2016-2018)
- MBA in Entrepreneurship – Development and management of an innovative and immersive study experience for budding entrepreneurs and change makers (2015-)
- Innovation and Design Thinking Mindset – A study of behaviours and attitudes that underlie human centred innovation (2015-2018)
- Social Entrepreneurship and Financing Strategy Interventions – A study of the Indo pacific start-up support system and new tools and methods to support aid and development in the region (2016-2017)
- Climate Adapted People Shelter – A design competition and smart open city innovation experiment using an open and human centered approach (2015-2016)
- CityLife UDIA – A study of urban connectivity (2016)
- Innovation Report – A study of Australian boards and executive teams (2015-2016)
- Design Leadership – A global study of design thinking mindset and leadership capabilities (2014-2017)
- Entrepreneurial work spaces – A study of co-working and creative spaces for innovation (2012-2017)
- U.lab – An innovation space and design thinking education and research program (2011-2014)
- Groundbreaker – A study of open innovation and collaborative creativity in partnership with the Australian Design Centre (2012)
- NFC Futures – An industry enabled student project to imagine and prototype new future applications for NFC (2012)
- BikeTank – A series of 13 public workshops for urban design thinking and entrepreneurship (2011-2013)
- Soft Lines – An exhibition of serendipity in spaces of innovation and creativity (2012)
- Creative Minds – A design thinking teaching program for undergraduate students and a video case study (2011-2012)
- Skateistan – A real case teaching student project and case study of a non-for profit skateboarding school in Afghanistan (2010-2011)
- Powerhouse Museum – A real case teaching student project and case study of a major Australian museum (2010)
- Sydney Cove Oyster Bar – A real case teaching student project and case study of am iconic Sydney restaurant (2009)
- Dynamic Innovation Capabilities – An empirical study of service innovation capabilities in Australia (2009)
- StrategyTube – A collection of 13 video case studies of leading Australian corporate strategy managers (2008)
- Modulbox – A real case teaching student project and case study of a innovative German design company (2008)
- Collaboration for New Product Development – An empirical study of new product development capabilities in strategic business alliances (2009)
- Alliance Governance & Leadership – A study of governance and leadership and their performance implications in strategic alliances (2006-2008)
- Transdisciplinary Innovation – A conceptual study of transdiscilplinnary innovation capabilities in Australia (2007)