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About Me

Tom is a business and design strategy consultant, innovation thought leader, teacher, speaker and facilitator in the world of design thinking and human centered design. He is the founder of "eleven consulting group" which helps companies grow and sustain success through innovation using a diverse team of full-time senior professionals in the behavioral sciences, design, business, brand, organization/corporate culture and communications.

Tom’s work is focused on identifying, developing and bringing "next" to life with a deep respect for the business, cultural and marketplace ecosystems in which "next" thrives.

Tom was an associate partner at IDEO for 12 years, co-leading the Chicago office, helping to shape and guide innovation/design initiatives for clients including Motorola, Chrysler, 3M, Tetra Pak, Scandinavian Airlines System, Starbucks, Kraft, Nestle, NAVTEQ, Whirlpool, P&G, Lilly, McDonalds, AMEX, American Greetings, Grainger, Walgreens, AT&T, Sony, Bayer, and others.

Current collaborations include Children’s Memorial Hospital, Jones Lang LaSalle, Sodexo, Baker Hostetler, Kraft, Lookingglass Theatre, Business Genome Project and JDL/Here, among others.

Tom is an active lecturer at Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management & McCormick School of Engineering.

Tom was chairperson of the 2012 Edison Awards and founded Edison Universe, a NFP dedicated to education. He serves on the board of Children’s Memorial Hospital Foundation.

In Feb/2012 at TED in Long Beach, Tom delivered a talk about the universality of human connection as expressed by Shakespeare and Star Trek. In Oct/2012 Tom hosted the Edison Talks at Chicago Ideas Week.

Tom has a multi-disciplined background that includes Aerospace Engineering at Purdue University, a Bachelor of Science in Social Psychology from Boston University, a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design, and Marketing Management at Stanford University.

Tom resides in Northbrook, Illinois with his wife, daughters and dog.

Location:
United States, Northbrook, IL
Current organization:
Eleven Consulting Group
Past organizations:
Chicago Ideas Week, Advisory Board
Current role:
Partner, Eleven Consulting Group
Gender:
Male
Areas of expertise:
Innovation and Change, Innovation Management, Marketing Management, Business Development, Relationship Management, Architecture, Writing, Consulting, Photography, Teaching
I am:
Architect, Business mentor, Connector, Designer, Engineer, Idea generator, Marketer, Producer, Promoter, Writer/Editor
Associations:
IDSA , Industrial Designers Society of America, SMPS, Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves, IDEO Alumni, TEDxMidwest, !mpact Conference, Chicago Ideas Week
Languages:
English, Japanese, Klingon
My website links:
TED Blog, Eleven
Universities:
Stanford University, Boston University, Rhode Island School of Design RISD
TED conferences attended:
TED2014, TED2013, TED2012, TED2011, TED2010, TED2009, TED2008
Member Picture Member Picture Member Picture Member Picture Member Picture

TEDCRED 200+ TED Attendee

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Design, business DNA, relationships, politics, education, gravity, pancakes, small children, puppies, world peace, my lawn, my family, health and wellness, ice skating and socks

An idea worth spreading

The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of the conversation you have with yourself AND the comfort of your socks.

Talk to me about

Gravity, Time Travel, Lost, Making Socks, Dairy Free Living, Breaking Bad, Battlestar Gallactica, Bill Maher, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Pancakes, World Peace, Ending Terrorism, Using Your Turn Signal

People don't know that I'm good at

Pitching low and inside fastballs, speed climbing stairs, dash board drums, making dairy free pancakes, lawn care, construction, listening.

My TED Story

Astronaut Candidate>Aerospace>Photography>Astronomy>Psychology>Fine Arts>Architecture>Real Estate>Japan>Communications/Mkt Consulting>IDEO>TED>Eleven

Comments

  • TEDCred score: +250.00 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

  • A comment on Conversation: What if we redefined the TED gift bag?

    Mar 4 2013: I'm purposefully defining this challenge WITH constraints and conditions. Yes, TED could abandon the bag, but I'm interested in helping TED redefine the bag. Yes, TED could NOT give out anything or make it purely about charity, but I'm interested in opportunities where there's value all around.

  • A comment on Conversation: What if we redefined the TED gift bag?

    Mar 3 2013: TEDs sponsors and patrons make what they do possible with great integrity and transparency. There's absolutely no reason to feel badly about gift bags. They are an opportunity and a benefit. As a designer, I want to reframe and rethink the "institution" not criticize or invalidate it.

  • A comment on Conversation: What if we redefined the TED gift bag?

    Mar 2 2013: I think there's a bigger opportunity...that's what I'm searching for anyway.

  • A comment on Conversation: What if we redefined the TED gift bag?

    Mar 2 2013: Yes, there's always the possibility of passing things on to others....but I'm looking for the bigger opportunities (new ways of thinking about the "giftbag") at the intersection of:

    the enormous influencing capacity of the attendees
    the need for sponsors (aka gift bag content contributors) for exposure
    social impact
    value to attendees

  • A comment on Conversation: What if we redefined the TED gift bag?

    Mar 2 2013: It's been typical conference SWAG (stuff we all get), filled with gift cards, gadgets, etc.In the past, we've gotten iPhones, Google phones, bluetooth devices, note books, water bottles, t-shirts, etc. More recently, some of the big "sponsors" have been Icebreaker, WorldWildlife Fund, Jawbone, etc. Central to the whole thing is the gift bag (in the past messenger style or more recently duffles and this year a back pack that NO ONE likes). I have a closet filled with these and use only one of about 10 I've received.

    The quality and value seems to drop every year and the marketing increases. There has been an increase in social impact "gifts" (pay it forward kind of things)

  • A comment on Conversation: Would you like to try to balance the budget?

    Jan 26 2013: Take a close look at this. http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/EW5IdwltaAc?rel=0

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