The Innovation Learning Curve

Here’s an upcoming event at Stanford on innovation in the civic sector:

Johanna Mair and Christian Seelos, with Kevin Starr and Jim Fruchterman

Are funders and social sector organizations overrating the value of innovation social change projects? Can social sector organizations make innovation more productive? How is innovation linked to the long-term value creation logic of an organization?

At the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, Christian Seelos and Johanna Mair engage in research on productive innovation in social sector organizations.

The duo are known for challenging status quo assumptions about innovation. During this evening conversation, they will share insights on how to diagnose and overcome innovation pathologies – organizational and external factors that make innovation unproductive. Based on their research that builds on unique decade-long relationships with leading social sector organization such as Aravind Eye Care Hospital, BRAC, Gram Vikas, and Waste Concern, the researchers will propose an “innovation learning curve” – the ability to create more value more productively from new ideas. They will introduce various innovation archetypes to illustrate how organizations effectively balance innovation and scaling over time and how this delicate balance defines their organizational trajectories.

via The Innovation Learning Curve | Philanthropy and Civil Society.