From Idea to Impact: An Introduction to Design Thinking

Design Thinking is being incorporated into the operations of many of the world’s leading companies, including Apple, Pfizer, Samsung, SAP, and Ikea. Yet this process is not limited to corporations. Many universities, hospitals, governments, startups, museums, and schools integrate Design Thinking into their work. What exactly is Design Thinking and why has it gained widespread adoption across various institutions? What is the relationship between Design Thinking and innovation? If you are curious about integrating this approach into your professional and personal life, our speaker, Dr. Joann Halpern will delve into these questions, introducing you to the Design Thinking process and its practical implementation.

Target audience: Those new to the concept of Design Thinking!

When:        Monday, March 4th, 2024
Time:          8:30AM to 10AM  (Breakfast event!)
Schedule:  8:30AM to 9:00AM Early networking/coffee & light breakfast
9:00AM to 10:AM Presentation
Location:   Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, 100 High Street, Boston, MA 02110
Admission:  Free admission for GABC members | $20 non-members

Presenter

Dr. Joann Halpern, Director Hasso Plattner Institute, New York

Dr. Joann Halpern is the director of the Hasso Plattner Institute, New York (HPI) and an adjunct professor in the Department of Applied Statistics, Social Science, and Humanities at New York University. She is also a design thinking coach and conducts Design Thinking, Designing Your Life, and career development workshops throughout the world. Prior to joining HPI, she was founding director of the German Center for Research and Innovation, which was created as a cornerstone of the German government’s initiative to internationalize science and research. Halpern received her B.A. from Dartmouth College, her M.A. from Harvard University, and her Ph.D. from New York University. Dr. Halpern also co-founded Knowledge Transfer Beyond Boundaries, an NGO with projects in Cameroon, Nigeria, Yemen, and Antigua.

She is a recipient of the Harvard University Award for Distinction in Teaching as well as scholarships and fellowships from the Fulbright Commission, DAAD, Robert Bosch Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Halpern serves on the advisory boards of the Technical University of Dortmund, German Center for Research and Innovation, University Alliance Ruhr, and NYU’s Tandon Institute for Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. Her chapter, with Dr. Cornelia Walther, on “Design Thinking and the UN Sustainable Development Goals” was recently published in Design Thinking and Education (Springer, 2022).