I am at the helm of the Innovation North ship, ensuring that we keep the North Star in view. I not only lead the Innovation North team, but also the research team. Our ship, though, is not alone. We are part of a fleet of practice partners that are actively working towards a higher value(s) future. My day-to-day work still requires me to fulfill my duties as a professor at the Ivey Business School, but all other parts of my day are dedicated to Innovation North.

I have been researching and teaching sustainability for almost 3 decades. Over that time, it has become evident that the reason businesses find sustainability so elusive is that they seek to find the root of a problem and a single best solution. This is wrong headed, especially at a time when people, ideas, and things are more connected than every before. Problems are complex, and solutions are many. Yet, as a business researcher, I know we do not yet have the tool kit for businesses to design for the system. Current approaches to systems innovation are directed to NGOs or governments. My own journey seeks to make systems thinking accessible to all organizations, including for-profit businesses. I sincerely believe that all organizations can innovate to not only create value for themselves, but prosperity for society. I want to be part of the chorus of people that activate that change.