The innovator in my life I chose to interview is my Dad. He is an entrepreneur and commercial real estate developer. I began my interview by asking him what being an innovator means to him. He explained he sees an innovator as someone who isn't afraid to try and try again when facing a complex problems with new ideas and new perspectives. His entrepreneur background lends well to being a seasoned innovator. In his life he has started so many businesses, some fail and some become wildly successful. An innovator is someone who is able to evaluate what has already been set in place and being able to disrupt it in creative ways to further the success of the project. The hardest and most exciting part of being an innovator is that with wicked problems that we've defined this semester, is that there is no definitive fix or clear answer. That is something that excited and inspires my Dad. To me, that is what makes a true innovator. He gets excited in the face of adversity and difficulty. When a problem is hard you have to make an even better solution, he told me.
As I was discussing the hardships that wicked problems bring, we discussed the importance of collaboration in innovation. He explained to me, that true innovation happens somewhere between collaboration and creativity. Collaborating with others gives your ideas flesh. No idea just revolves around one group of people with one way of thinking. Truly innovative ideas encompass the large population and take into account every person and perspective. Collaboration creates a space where innovation can bloom. This way of thinking reminded me of our visit to the Livewell Collaborative. I learned how they used creativity and collaboration to solve real world problems for a diverse group of people. Their solutions encompassed all kinds of people and problems. I asked my Dad what is a dream project he wants to accomplish, his answer surprised me. It wasn't business or accomplishment driven at all. My dad has kept Honey Bee hives for many years. It has been an uphill battle, like most beekeepers, he lost all of his hives to the Hive Beetle. He was disappointed and felt like he was doing more harm than good to the struggling species. He stopped keeping bees for over a year. He told me that his dream is to fight for the honey bee and native bees in creating a Bee Sanctuary. he dreams of having acres and acres of native flowers, shrubs, trees, and wildlife. He wants to take as much stress away from the bee populations as possible so they can fight off parasites with there natural and instinctual adaptation that has allowed these species to prevail for thousands of years. My Dad inspires and motivates me in so many aspects of life. He has taught me that you can innovate in business, family, nature and every other aspect of our lives. There is always an opportunity to be better and to bring better solutions to those around you.
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