About this episode

Michelle Lee discusses the importance of play as a business strategy and shares insights on creativity and leadership.

How IDEO uses play to solve real business problems. In this interview, Ekaterina sits down with Michelle Lee, IDEO Partner and Executive Managing Director of IDEO San Francisco. Michelle Lee began her career as an aerospace engineer, working on satellites, wondering why it took so long to launch one. A friend's room full of toys changed everything. What followed was a winding path through the toy industry: an internship at IDEO in 2004, a startup she spun out and left, and a return to lead the Play Lab. Over two decades, she brought over 250 products to market with Hasbro, Mattel, and Sesame Workshop, and today, she is Partner and Executive Managing Director of IDEO's San Francisco studio.In a recent conversation with Future London Academy, Michelle shared what she's learned about creativity, leadership, ambiguity, and why play is one of the most underestimated tools in business. What you'll learn: ► Why play is a serious business tool, not a frivolous one ► How to design a non-linear career by following curiosity rather than chasing titles ► How to move from individual contributor into leadership without losing the craft ► Why clients are partners, not customers, and how…

People in this episode

Host: Ekaterina

Guest: Michelle Lee

Topics covered

• play in business
• creativity
• leadership
• design
• non-linear careers
• trust in client relationships
• ROI of design

Keywords

• business strategy
• play
• creativity
• leadership
• design
• non-linear career
• trust
• ROI
• AI

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: IDEO, Future London Academy, Hasbro, Mattel, Sesame Workshop

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