John Kao is known as an authority on the intersecting subjects of corporate innovation and transformation, digital media, design strategy and the future of business. He has made a career out of helping organizations go from “getting” the importance of innovation to “getting innovation done.” In addition to his other accomplishments, John is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, private investor, Tony-nominated producer, and business pioneer. For 14 years, he taught at Harvard Business School where he developed courses, lectures and executive seminars. He was also a visiting professor at the MIT Media Lab. From 1997-2001, he was founder and CEO of The Idea Factory, known for its innovation advisory work. He is on the boards of Lion Digital Pictures, NeoSpine, Inc., and is an honorary Vice President of Arts & Business, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Art. John’s experience in the design field is multifaceted and he takes up the challenge of reinventing the relationship between design and business. John has collaborated with a variety of world renowned designers, including David Rockwell, Nigel Holmes, and David Carson and his unique approach to innovation is strongly influenced by the disciplines of design. John’s original speeches are famous for entertaining audiences and for their practical and original frameworks for action. John has also been known to illustrate the fundamentals of innovation by playing jazz piano in a way that provides musical examples of the innovation process at work.