Innovation Hero

INNOVATION HERO SERIES

What Inspires Our Research Team?

“Dogmas and formulas, these mechanical tools designed for reasonable use—or rather abuse—of his (or her!) natural gifts, are the fetters of an everlasting nonage. The man (or woman!) who casts them off would make an uncertain leap over the narrowest ditch, because he (she) is not used to such free movement. That is why there are only a few men (women) who walk firmly, and who have emerged from nonage by cultivating their own minds.”
– Immanuel Kant, ‘What is enlightenment?’

Outliers represent extremes that stand out from the group. In data collection, outliers generally cause consternation and angst, as they represent errors, uncertainty, and challenges with reproducibility. In society, however, outliers have the potential to inspire because of the way they deviate from the masses and stimulate innovative thinking. The Innovation Hero Series is a study in societal outliers. What sets them apart? What motivates them? What is their philosophy on failure? Sapere aude!

Ibram Xolani Kendi is an American author, professor, anti-racist activist, and historian of race and discriminatory policy in America. Inspired by his books and anti-racist activities, Angelica shined light on the scientific evidence on how anti-racism policies have evolved in Pittsburgh.

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Ilona Maher, also known as ‘The TikTok Rugby’ girl is an American Rugby player. She became known for her recent Tiktok videos about female Rugby players, her struggle with body image and inclusivity in women’s sports. Ilona’s confidence and boldness in the face of social media comments inspired Natalie to share the story with our lab team.

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Richard Williams is a former American tennis coach and the proud father of World Famous tennis players, Serena Williams and Venus Williams. Inspired by the book, ‘Black and White : The way I see it’ written by Richard Williams himself, Gabby shared the financial, societal and racial struggle faced by a father who raised two best athletes of all time.

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Leena Nair is the epitome of elegance, humility, tenacity, and innovation. Known as Unilever’s “first female, first Asian, youngest ever” chief human-resources officer, her career trajectory is nothing less than impressive—she is a great role model to many, especially women. It takes more than just technical experience to transition from leading a consumer goods industry to becoming the CEO of a French luxury fashion company, Chanel. Her story is inspiring and her life mantras are to live by.  My favorite being and the one I’ll definitely stick to, “Lift as you climb. Make it easier for those who come after you.” *Picture by Shinykatie – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113323037

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Dr. Freddie Fu was born in Hong Kong and came from a big family which has had many prominent figures throughout the years. Dr. Fu was actively involved in school sports teams and that’s when he got interested in sports medicine.  In 1970, He came to the U.S to attend Dartmouth College and became a surgical resident under Dr. Albert Ferguson at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Fu shared Dr. Ferguson’s doctrine: ” Do the right thing. Take care of your patients and they will take care of you”.

Dr. Fu improves his field with detailed observation. Dr. Fu did not slow down after earning fame but instead think about how he could make his field of medicine better. He worked to bring in other doctors who could contribute to the advancement of Orthopaedics.

Dr. Fu had a love for his work, patients, students, and fellows. He strived for not only perfect surgeries but also small details. Outside work, he could be your friend. He’d share his favorite meal, stories of his experiences, and treat everyone with respect and honesty. That’s why it comes as no surprise that thousands of people shared their memories with Dr. Fu after his passing. Thank you, Dr. Fu.

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Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809) was an Austrian composer. He was one of the most important figures of the Classical period during the 18th century. Haydn was known as “Father of the Symphony” and “Father of the String Quartet”. He was also the mentor of WA Mozart and Lv Beethoven. From a choirboy to the Kapellmeister (music director) at the Esterházy court, Haydn’s talent for music made him the most celebrated composer of his time. Many of Haydn’s compositions are still well-appreciated today.

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Judith “Judy” Heumann is a life-long disability rights activist. She developed tetraplegia after contracting polio at 18 months of age and has used a wheelchair for mobility for most of her life. In 1970 she fought the NYC Board of Education in federal court to obtain her teaching certification. Since then, she has worked to ensure equal protections for individuals with disabilities, held high ranking positions within the Clinton and Obama administrations, and has continuously advocated for children and adults with disabilities around the world.

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JK Rowling, the creator of the most famous and successful piece of literature in “Harry Potter”, became the first billionaire author within 7 years after her first book and 9 years removed from when she was faced with the most traumatizing day of her life. Most people know the story that she created but not many know the story behind the story. Jumping from local café to café until she got kicked out, Rowling lived off food stamps while carrying around a suitcase with half containing her clothes and the other half full of papers with stories of “Harry Potter”. More than just a children’s book, she tackles complex issues such as classism, racism, and deep-rooted prejudice all while managing to juggle a cast of characters and creatures set in a magical fictional world.

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In 1881, a senseless act of violence severely wounded the newly elected President James Garfield. But he survived. While Garfield was fighting for his life, his team of doctors were fighting against medical progress and the blossoming idea of “Listerism” – aseptic surgical technique. The little-known yet fascinating saga of Garfield’s fight for life has numerous twists, and hopefully reveals some compelling and cautionary insights about our egos

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In 19^th century, women’s social role was to be a wife and mother, keeper of the household, guardian of purity. A woman recorded these sweet moments using her brushes. She decided to make her mark in a profession traditionally dominated by men. She left her home and country to seek the best education she could find. She followed her dream and made it her reality. She is the first American Impressionist artist – Mary Cassatt.

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China’s Father of Hybrid Rice – Yuan Longping

Yuan Longping (1930~2021) was a Chinese agronomist, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the “father of hybrid rice”. He was one of the pioneers that saved China’s agriculture. Yuan grew up in a rich family, but the war and famine taught him the urgency of improving farming techniques. As a “rebellious” scientist, Yuan insisted on practicing hybridization, which was not accepted by Chinese scientists at that time (the 1960s), but Yuan succeeded after years of experiments. Yuan devoted almost his whole life in the paddy field. In 2004, he was awarded the World Food Prize.

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Satoru Iwata, the fourth president and chief executive officer of Nintendo, was a major contributor in broadening the video games by focusing on novel and entertaining games. His humorous and unconventional ideas led development of the user-friendly consoles such as the Nintendo DS and Wii, helping the company achieve financial success.

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James Brindley is one of the infamous engineers to construct the Bridgewater canal, the first British canal of the modern era. He is known for his ingenuity and creativity, proposing the idea for an aqueduct (the Barton Aqueduct) to a parliamentary committee using a large round of cheese as a model. Despite no formal education, Brindley went on to build over 360 miles of canals before his untimely death at the age of 56. Today, there is a statue of him at the basin of the Coventry Canal in England, one of the many canals he built.

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Despite receiving the latest medical treatments for years, Dr. Terry Wahls’ multiple sclerosis symptoms continued to progress. Using her medical know-how, she read the latest research and developed a holistic plan comprised a nutrient-rich diet, nutrition supplements, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and exercise to reverse her symptoms. The Wahls Protocol, as it is now known, has been shown through clinical trials to arrest or reverse symptoms in persons with an array of neurological conditions.

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Prince Zuko is a fictional character from the kids’ cartoon show, Avatar the Last Airbender. Born into a royal family, Zuko was expelled from the Fire Nation. To please his father and regain his honor, Zuko decides to capture Aang, the avatar. In the process, he commits mistakes, learns from experiences, and rediscovers himself. Zuko as a character inspires us to start from the basics, accept our flaws and follow our instincts to attain success.

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Into The Kelp Forest – Craig Foster

Craig Foster is a South African filmmaker and cinematographer. He is known for his documentary film “My Octopus Teacher”, which gained numerous awards including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2021. The film presented the mysterious life of an octopus in the kelp forest. It is also a love story between human and nature, and the physical and mental transformation of Craig himself. With a pure heart to save the ocean, Craig became the co-founder of the Sea Change Project, which is a nonprofit that publicizes the protection of South Africa’s kelp forest.

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Chloe Kim, with the unwavering support of her father, has changed the face of women’s halfpipe snowboarding. At the young age of 20, she has become one of the best athletes in the world, but none of her success would be possible without the sacrifices her father has made for her to live out her dreams. This inspiring “innovation duo” reminds us of how important the people in our networks truly are.

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Fan, Jinshi is one of the pioneers of Mogao Grottoes heritage conservation. She served as the director of the Dunhuang Research Academy for over five decades. She has authored and published many papers on the Grottoes of Dunhuang and brought a brand-new technology – “Digital Dunhuang” to life which more effectively protected and managed vulnerable historical sites and gave visitors an immersive view to appreciate the history and arts. She has been honored as “The Daughter of Dunhuang”. Fan could not have been successful without her father’s influence, her teachers’ restrictive requirements, and her husband and families’ sacrifice. Fan endured extreme loneliness to follow her obsession to preserve the Mogao Grottes. She is a person with a noble mind and grateful heart.

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In 1849 Harriet Tubman defied all odds and escaped slavery, obtaining her freedom. Then she went back – again, and again, and again. Leading seventy slaves to freedom over 11 dangerous years, Tubman paired a courageous spirit with the ability to share her vision of freedom with those who could not picture it themselves. Her first priority was always others.

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Homma’s humble and visionary attitude towards developing probabilistic models to perform rice trades in the 1700s has changed how the stock-market runs today. He is often called the grandfather of candlestick charts that are widely applied in options trading–a method that can make millions of dollars in a fraction of a second.

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Jeff Bezos’ visionary aptitude has changed many aspects of everyday life. The most obvious is his role in creating and growing the world’s #1 e-commerce site—Amazon.com. But Bezos continues to innovate in a variety of ways, including aerospace travel, climate change, and much more.

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When I sat down to think of my “Innovator Hero”, I could not find just one person who perfectly embodies all the qualities of an innovator. Rather, I found many common attributes in my many heroes – divergent thinking, passion, excellence, tenacity, resilience, and most importantly, disruption. So, as a visual learner, I found the best way to portray these specific qualities of innovation was through the eyes of artists. Artists teach by expressing themselves tangibly – on canvas, in stone, through sound…
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Nature is the best innovator mankind can learn from. With billions of years of trial and error, nature has experience solving all kinds of problems. Biomimicry is a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges. In this presentation, I gave examples of bio-inspired products and technology that humans have developed and emphasize the importance of staying curious! More resources on biomimicry can be found at : https://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/
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BTS, a k-pop group, is my innovator because their music transcended language barriers, healed people, had socially conscious messages, and broke stereotypes within the music industry. These hardworking 20-something artists, actively work with UNICEF on their ‘love yourself’ campaign that is designed to help today’s struggling youth. Their mission is simple yet strong: “Music & Artist for Healing”.
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Francis Collins:MD/PhD, head of the Human Genome Project, Director of the NIH during the COVID Crisis – the achievements of Francis Collins speak for themselves. But the man behind the resume is even more impressive. Collins embraces critics, befriends foes, and fights for what is right while maintaining both scientific and moral integrity grounded in his faith. And, he plays the piano.
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Since her rise to fame as a teenager, Beyoncé has used her platform over the past 20 years to advocate women empowerment, challenge music industry norms, “bridge the gap” across races, and promote higher education through a variety of youth scholarships and educational programs.
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Following his notoriety as a 7-time Mr. Olympia, Arnold Schwarzenegger went on to become an international move star making over 70 movies which grossed more than $3 billion worldwide as well as being a philanthropist, activist, and politician (“The Governator”) among others. It was his vision and innovative spirit that brought him the success he would ultimately experience.
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Gilbert du Motier, better known as the Marquis de Lafayette, spent his entire life fighting for liberty, equality, and fraternity during the American and French Revolutions, and onward. Lafayette survived a tumultuous period relying on humility, quick-thinking, integrity, and compromise. Often loved, often reviled, he persevered often at great personal cost, all the while holding the bigger picture in mind.
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Tim Duncan is famous not only for his talent on the basketball court, but also for his humble attitude and willingness to give back to the community that raised him. He is dedicated to philanthropy, sports programs for underprivileged children, and a wide range of scientific research. He uses his fame and public platform to constantly give back to those in need, a truly inspiring act of selflessness.
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During his medical residency at the age of 36, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with metastatic stage IV lung cancer. Despite the fact that he knew his life won’t be very long but at the same time not knowing if it will be a month or a few years, he decided to finish his residency and kept writing a book named “When Breath Becomes Air,” which is a memoir about his life and illness published after his death, until the very end of his life. His story shows us his dedication, moral, and flexibility in his untraditional career path to find an answer to his life-long philosophical question.
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Wan Laiming was the founder of the Chinese animation industry, the producer of Asia’s first feature-length animated film “Princess Iron Fan (1941)”. His masterpiece “Havoc in Heaven (1964)” brought him international fame and inspired generations of animators. With a pure heart of making his favorite characters alive on the screen, Wan kept going, even the war could not stop him.
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Kotaro Ould Maeno is an entomologist, commonly known as “Dr. Grasshopper”. He has been engaging in the development of pest control technology for grasshopper outbreaks in Mauritania of Africa. He was awarded the local middle name “Ould” by Mauritania. His research story in Mauritania highlights an importance of serendipity.
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He has inspired me personally a lot so I chose him for this series.. He was great team player, always stayed focused, achieved his goals and never let any failures affect him. He is widely regarded as the greatest batsman in the history of cricket with highest runs in international cricket. He is also considered as the most prolific batsman of all the time and often referred to as master blaster. He started playing international cricket at the age of 16 and played for a long career of 24 years. He was captain of Indian cricket team who led the team with his great leadership skills and team spirit. He is also called as the God of Cricket and Master Blaster by his fans worldwide.
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Dr. Ge Li is the founder of WuXi AppTec, one of the largest contract research organizations across the world that triggered the revolution of pharmaceutical industry in China. Not only his belief and passion of doing what he believes but also team-working and sharing make Dr. Li a great innovator and true pioneer.
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Albert-Laszlo Barabasi is known for his contribution to network science and complex systems. I admired his resilience, confidence in his ideas own ideas and the trust he had in his students. I was drawn by his extremely well-written book, ‘Network Science’. His passion for physics, charismatic public speaking skills and his tenacity made a tremendous impact on me.
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Subhas Chandra bose was an outstanding leader of the Indian National Movement which played a pivotal role in abolishing British rule from India. His unflagging zeal to see Free India and defiant patriotism made him a hero in India.
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When I sat down to think of my “Innovator Hero”, I could not find just one person who perfectly embodies all the qualities of an innovator. Rather, I found many common attributes in my many heroes – divergent thinking, passion, excellence, tenacity, resilience, and most importantly, disruption. So, as a visual learner, I found the best way to portray these specific qualities of innovation was through the eyes of artists. Artists teach by expressing themselves tangibly – on canvas, in stone, through sound…
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I chose to present on Ellis S. Chesbrough because his remarkable idea and its successful execution truly represent innovation. When Chicago’s location, topography, and population boom brought about devastating public health and safety issues in the 1800s, Chesbrough stepped in to develop and carry out his solution: to literally lift the city. How was this seemingly impossible feat accomplished? Let’s explore.
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The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a U.S. Department of Defense agency whose mission is to innovate on behalf of the military. Though not always recognized by the public for its creations, DARPA is the source of many of the products and technologies the entire world’s population uses today, including the internet, robotics, and global positioning system (GPS) devices to name a few.
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