Powered by innovation thought leaders

C-suite advisor on Innovation Strategy, Leadership & Culture

Favorite Innovation Quote: "Without commitment, you'll never start. But more importantly, without consistency, you'll never finish." Denzel Washington.

Biography: Cris is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs and governments on innovation strategy, leadership and culture. With 25+ years as a CEO, entrepreneur, and board advisor, Cris delivers measurable results in building innovation capabilities and cultures. He’s a pioneer in measuring corporate innovation maturity and brings battle-tested insights from leading his own multi award-winning consultancy and advising global institutions on how to build innovation-led cultures. He’s the co-author of Amazon bestseller "Building a Culture of Innovation" (CMI Management Gold Award), an internationally recognized keynote speaker, a board advisor at The Global Innovation Institute, and a Senior Fellow at The Conference Board.

Founder and Partner, Alliance Practice

Favorite Innovation Quote: “Innovation is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.”

Dr. Albert Szent-Gy  

Biography: A nonprofit leader and strategist with over four decades of experience in health equity, trauma-informed care, and corporate social responsibility. He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Alliance Practice Ltd., advising mission-driven organizations on strategy, governance, and systems change. Currently Chair of the Board at ZERO Prostate Cancer, Tom also serves on the board of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and leads efforts to scale trauma healing through innovative technologies.  

Business and Leadership Consultant and Coach, Adaptive Leaders

Favorite Innovation Quote: "Innovation is about adding value, while remaining curious, courageous and caring."

Biography: With over 25 years of experience as a leadership consultant and coach, Ann has a remarkable talent for guiding leaders through uncertainty, fostering innovation, and driving meaningful results. Her expertise in leadership development, cultural intelligence, and systemic transformation is invaluable as she empowers leaders to thrive in complex environments. She has collaborated with global NGOs and multinational organizations, designing impactful initiatives that align diverse voices and inspire action. When not travelling to work with clients around the globe, Ann is based in Toronto, Canada.

Deputy Secretary General, WEA

Favorite Innovation Quote: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Leonardo da Vinci

Biography: As an entrepreneur and strategist, Samuel has been instrumental in co-founding 16 diverse companies. Currently, he serves as the Deputy Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance. Samuel is a certified expert practitioner in the Economics of Mutuality. He serves on several boards and offers professional services in Executive and Team Performance Coaching and serves as a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator. His academic studies include the University of Toronto, Dallas Theological Seminary, MIT, and Oxford. In his leisure time, he enjoys reading, walking, and rowing.

Executive/leader Coach, Robert D. Hodge & Associates

Favorite Innovation Quote: "Making the best better."  4H motto

Biography: Robert coaches leaders and emerging leaders to identify who they are, what they want to be, and how to get there as humans and leaders.   With a background in systems, strategic planning and projects, he has been a coach for twenty-five years, serving Fortune 500 leaders to Executive Directors and boards of small to medium sized nonprofits.  He specializes in developing technical professionals that manage things to become leaders of people. Robert works best with curious, true learners, and those who want to apply Sunday’s lessons to Monday’s innovative work. 

Chief Growth Officer, Knowledge Platform

Favorite Innovation Quote: "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" Robert Browning

Biography: Wambura Kimunyu is a seasoned business leader and entrepreneur with extensive experience across sub-Saharan Africa. She has led technology and publishing businesses spanning 16 African countries and been responsible for setting up operations ground up in 5 different countries, leading early stage ventures to meaningful growth and scale. Wambura is a systems level thinker who loves an opportunity to bring order and structure to chaos and complexity, to see the potential of what a thing could be and to work to make it so, operating nimbly between the domains of strategy, planning and execution. Wambura has an MBA from Strathmore Business School and an Ed.M for the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a 2023 Foundry Fellow of the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship. 

Co-Founder of Human Innovation Institute

Favorite Innovation Quote: “Innovation is the specific instrument of human evolution -  the act that endows resources with new meaning.” Inspired by Peter Drucker

Biography: For over 25 years, I’ve worked at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and strategy - founding or co-founding eight ventures and advising some of the world’s most forward-thinking corporate leaders and senior executives. 

As Co-Founder of the Human Innovation Institute, my focus is on unlocking the potential of individuals, teams, organizations, and systems to meet this moment of accelerating complexity. The Institute exists to unleash human ingenuity and build the capabilities required for a future defined by adaptability, agency, creativity, and imagination. Through an ecosystem of applied research, capability advancement, and real-world experimentation, we equip people with the mindsets, tools, and frameworks needed to lead in uncertainty and shape what comes next.

Innovation Services, Chick-fil-A, Inc. & Chief Curiosity Officer, Living Stones Solutions

Favorite Innovation Quote: "In the beginning God (Elohim) created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1v.1 (AMP)

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"So, God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1v.27 (AMP) (Imago Dei)

Biography: Patrick's purpose is to unlock the potential found in people to utilize their God given gifts and God ordained experiences to be a spiritual, living stone established to glorify Him and contribute to the good of his/her neighbor. He currently does this by developing, coaching, and equiping Staff and the (franchise) Operators across the Chick-fil-A network to be innovation practitioners and guiding faith-focused teams and leaders through explorative cultivation experiences at Living Stones Solutions. In prior roles, he developed pathways for collective impact in the U.S. and global nonprofit sector, cultivated discipleship practices and missions mobilization efforts across Central America, shepherded the development of young adults in the Southeastern United States, and championed university advancement and alumni relations for two large state university institutions. His focus: people over products and profit.

Principal, TJS Innovation Consulting

Favorite Innovation Quote: "Creativity is thinking up new things.  Innovation is doing new things." Theodore Levitt

Biography: Tim is an experienced innovator and product development leader with a proven track record of driving global success.  He is adept at navigating diverse markets and cultures, bringing a unique blend of strategic vision and hands-on execution to deliver cutting-edge solutions. Tim's passion lies in cultivating innovation ecosystems, fostering crossfunctional collaboration, and steering products from concept to market. Utilizing a solid background in navigating complex international landscapes, he thrives on identifying emerging trends and translating them into impactful products.

Founder, Steddom Advisors

Favorite Innovation Quote: "Much of what feels like mastery in adult life is actually the avoidance of a challenge."  Adam Gopnik

Biography: Steve Steddom serves as a non-profit management consultant. Previously, he led the Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust for 18 years, as Executive Director. He has also held various marketing and account management roles with Westlaw-Thomson Reuters. He holds a PhD from Middlesex University, London, as well as an MBA. His research interest centered on the intersection of faith and philanthropy for the millennial generation of the evangelical church in America; looking specifically at the formational characteristics and motivations that have shaped their perception, and practice of philanthropy.