12 Geniuses Podcast

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Lessons Learned from Season Two of 12 Geniuses Feb 01, 2020

Show notes

Podcast host Don MacPherson wraps up Season Two of the show by sharing five lessons learned about creativity and innovation. The lessons include:

To be your most creative, you have to be creative for yourself

It’s important to be frugal when you embark on an innovative pursuit

There is no creative magic. You have to show up and put in the work

Most of the guests interviewed had found their calling in their work

Beware the false fail. Many people chasing an innovation quit too early when they reach a false fail

Season Three of 12 Geniuses debuts February 11, 2020!

Building the Leaders of Tomorrow | Shakeel Nelson Dec 16, 2019

Show notes

Shakeel Nelson and the Inner City Ducks are using sports in very innovative ways to reach young people and ensure they are on the right path in life. They provide mentoring, a safe space to play and learn, discipline, and exposure to new experiences for the young people in his community. The players have participated in tournaments in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Chicago, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. Eating in restaurants, staying in hotels, and seeing new places expands their sense of what is possible in their lives and teaches them life skills they will apply in adulthood.

In this interview, Shakeel shares his personal experience growing up without a father and candidly shares the challenges he faced. Shakeel explains his inspiration for creating the Inner City Ducks and how he sees the organization and its players growing in the years to come. Shakeel also tells us about the creative ways he is introducing his kids to new experiences and teaching them life skills while developing athletes hungry for success.

At the young age of 25, Shakeel volunteers four days a week to support the youth of his community as a coach, role model, and mentor through the Inner City Ducks. Shakeel’s vision for the organization is to serve 150+ boys and girls and to provide a community center where the kids can go after school to play, study, work out, and receive mentoring.

The Making of the “Miracle on Ice” | Hockey Great Lou Nanne Dec 09, 2019

Show notes

In arguably the greatest upset in sports history, the 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team defeated the Soviet Union and then went on to clinch the gold medal against Finland. The sports world was shocked and the “Miracle on Ice” was complete.
In this interview, Lou Nanne, a key influencer of the team, takes us back nearly 40 years and tells the story of the 1980 “Miracle” team, his involvement in securing Herb Brooks as head coach, and how the team was best prepared to face the international competition through innovative practice routines and training methods.
Lou Nanne has been a leading figure in the hockey community for decades. Lou was captain of the 1968 United States Olympic Hockey Team. Later he played, coached, and served as general manager for the Minnesota North Stars. Lou is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame. He has also been awarded the Lester Patrick trophy for his impact on the sport of hockey.

Kindness and Empathy in Berlin 30 Years After the Wall Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

Following pressures from international powers in the 1980s, the deconstruction of the Berlin Wall began. This month, the world celebrated the 30th anniversary of the wall’s demise. The fall of the wall symbolizes a series of events that led to freedoms and opportunities for hundreds of millions of people around the world.

For a year, I knew I wanted to join the celebration in Berlin and I wanted to share the celebration with my three-year-old daughter. Together we spent a week in Germany. I was certain I would come home with a story about how Berlin and the demise of its wall was a microcosm of the world today. It turns out the story is a lot more complicated than I expected.

Flying back to the United States, my daughter slept next to me as I jotted down three lessons I took away from the trip. It’s these three lessons I want to share with you today in this bonus podcast episode.

Safi Bahcall | Nurturing Crazy Ideas That Change the World Nov 12, 2019

Show notes

A lifelong innovator and expert on innovative practices, Safi Bahcall shares his process for nurturing “Loonshots” - the crazy ideas that disrupt industries, cure diseases, and change the world.

In this interview, Safi dives into how good ideas are often killed by great teams and how we can develop the skills to nurture and encourage “Loonshots.” Safi also discusses company culture and organizational structure, why companies need to separate their innovators from executors, the importance of getting incentives right, and why “failing fast” is not the best path toward innovation.

Safi worked for three years as a consultant for McKinsey before co-founding a biotechnology company that developed new drugs for treating cancer. Safi regularly speaks with senior executives about how to implement the ideas in his bestselling book “Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries.”

Following a Creative Passion - An Interview with Filmmaker Patrick Riley Nov 04, 2019

Show notes

A veteran technology entrepreneur, producer, and musician, Patrick Riley shares his experience of being a life-long creative while working as an executive for a software company.

In this interview, Patrick discusses the making of his new film Tuscaloosa, including collaborating with the cast and crew, solving for unexpected problems, and the complexity of creating an accurate depiction of 1970s Alabama. Patrick offers advice for creatives and provides examples for how to nurture your creativity while working in a professional career. Patrick also explains the innovations developing in the film industry and their impact on the way we consume, create, and find films.

As a technology entrepreneur, Patrick co-founded and was CEO of Modern Survey. Over the course of his career, Patrick has directed and produced dozens of music videos, documentaries, and short films.

The Spiritual Creative | Hip-Hop Legend Brother Ali Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

One of the most respected independent voices in music, Brother Ali shares candid anecdotes about his creative process and describes the importance of spirituality in creating meaningful art.

In this interview, Brother Ali discusses what the touring lifestyle is like, how he grounds himself while traveling, and the importance of Islam in his life and in his creative pursuits. Ali describes his process for creating songs and albums, how he pushes himself to get out of his creative comfort zone, and the collaboration process with other artists and producers. Later in the interview, Ali dives deep into the role music and art has on informing the human experience and expression.

Over the last two decades, Brother Ali has earned critical acclaim for his deeply personal, socially conscious, and inspiring brand of hip-hop.

Mehrdad Mahoutian | A Concrete Innovation for Climate Change Oct 21, 2019

Show notes

An innovator in the field of carbon dioxide capture and building materials, Mehrdad Mahoutian discusses his journey to discovering a new process for creating concrete and his quest to use waste materials to create high-value products. More than 5% of global CO2 emissions comes from the production of concrete. The impact of this is so high that for every ton of concrete made, a ton of carbon is released into our air. Mehrdad’s innovative concrete-making process solves this problem and more, while making a stronger, cheaper, and carbon-negative construction material. As we tackle climate change, we will need thousands of innovations like Carbicrete to stop global warming.

In this interview, Mehrdad describes the problem cement and the resulting CO2 creates for our environment and shares how he came up with a carbon-negative process to create cement-free concrete. He also shares the failure along his innovative journey and how he came to see his new process as a viable product for mass production. Mehrdad also discusses the barriers to industry-wide adoption of the new process and how governments are responding to Carbicrete. Finally, Mehrdad explains the potential for the emerging market of CO2 based products and the integral role consumers and organizations will play in reducing our carbon emissions.

Mehrdad Mahoutian is CTO and Co-Founder of Carbicrete, a company that has developed a concrete-making process that is cement-free and carbon-negative.

Ben Waber | MIT, AI, & the Power of People Analytics Oct 14, 2019

Show notes

An innovative leader in the field of people analytics, Ben Waber discusses the creative ways companies can unleash the full potential of their employees. Through data, companies can devise new management techniques, adjust the physical environment, and even re-design the employee experience to improve performance at all levels. Companies already have mountains of data available to them through ID badge scans, emails, meeting assignments and much more. Driven by a passion to help companies interpret this data, Ben Waber has created a company that uses AI to simplify the numbers and help leaders make better decisions.

In this interview, Ben talks about the creative environment at MIT. He explains how analytics can be used to inform company-wide decisions, understand how teams are working together, and improve individual career development. Ben also describes how the data can help us better understand bias and influence decision making. Finally, Ben talks about the future implementation of the technology and the ethical questions it may raise about employee and user privacy.

Ben Waber is President and Co-Founder of Humanyze, a behavior analytics company. For over 15 years, Ben has studied, researched, and implemented new technology to better understand human behavior.

Third Quarter Review Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

What did you accomplish in the third quarter of 2019? How do you plan to finish out this decade? What are your goals for 2020? In this special episode, Don and Devon talk about what they’re paying attention to, where Don traveled, what they’ve learned, and what they have planned for the show. Devon McGrath, Assistant Producer of 12 Geniuses talks with Don about recording the Leadership Moments, lessons from parenthood, remarkable travel moments, and what guests they have planned for Seasons Two and Three.

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