Applied Introduction to Design Thinking and Innovation

Dr. Tessa Forshaw is the co-founder of the Next Level Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she is also a Postdoctoral Fellow. Prior to this, she was a lecturer at the Stanford University d.school and has worked at IDEO and Accenture. She is the co-author of Innovation-ish (Wiley, 2025) and the recipient of two Core 77 Design Awards and a Fast Company Design Award.

Rich Braden is the co-author of the highly anticipated book, Innovation(ish), a guide that democratizes innovation by blending cognitive science insights with practical tools. As the founder of People Rocket, a strategic innovation firm, Braden is on a mission to enroll everyone to design a better world and a better future. His team integrates design and innovation to achieve sustainable success while embedding responsible artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to amplify people and productivity. Braden's impact is evident in his collaborations with a roster of clients including Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Starbucks, the United Nations, Red Cross, Mozilla, the Australian Government, New Profit, and The Heinz Foundation. With over 15 years of academic experience, Braden has served as a lecturer at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and instructor at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) and Harvard Extension School. He has also been a guest lecturer at international institutions like London Business School and Aalto University. His teachings extend to other global platforms, solidifying his reputation as a thought leader in design and innovation.