Dana W. Clarke Sr.
Dana W. Clarke, Sr., Dean / Professor of the Department for Structured Innovation and Inventive Problem Solving Sciences
The last 35 years of my career has included a diversity of innovation and project management initiatives ranging from product / process design and development to large-scale, multi-million dollar programs. Projects have covered all stages of the business value chain from vision creation and defining product platforms through the creation and evolution of business models, processes and technological systems.
Core Competency: Systematic and structured approaches to innovation and problem solving.
Strength: Enabling teams in the development and realization of common goals that delivers a high degree of value to an organization and the customers it serves.
- 1967-1973 US Navy, Advanced Electronics, Fire Control Technician AN/SPG-55B radar systems, Viet Nam Veteran
- 1973-1979 General Motors (production worker), Accurate Electronics (tool maker, jobsetter, foreman, product developer), General Industries (industrial engineer: time study, methods improvement), Ohio Screw (tool design).
- 1979-1997 Ridge Tool Company – tool designer, manufacturing engineer, manufacturing engineering manager, staff engineer (trainer, facilitator, competitive intelligence researcher, patent analysis, technology research, internal consultant worked with 12 Emerson Electric companies to assist with facilitation of cost reduction, process improvement, design of experiments, design for manufacture and assembly, value engineering and other problem solving techniques).
- 1996 Completed 250 hours of training and received certification as a TRIZ Specialist; 1st American to be trained and certified by a TRIZ Master.
- 2001 Received certification as a TRIZ Specialist from the International Association of TRIZ; 1st American to receive this level of international recognition.
- 1997-2002 Ideation International Inc. – Director of Training (developed TRIZ, The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, training materials for inventive problem solving through directed evolution of systems, traveled globally speaking, training, facilitating and consulting on the subject of TRIZ).
- 1991-Present Student, trainer, practitioner, facilitator, consultant and researcher of TRIZ (The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) and Structured Innovation, Structured Innovation / TRIZ scientist involved in research, development and advancement of structured approaches to innovation. Trained over 3000 people and developed 70 professional innovators.
- 2002-Present Founded Applied Innovation Alliance – developed a team of trainers, facilitators and consultants working with automotive, defense and other industries.
- 2006-2012 Co-founded Clarke Ventures, Fluid Insights, CNV Genes – companies involved in diagnostic devices research and development.
- 2016-Present Formed a Strategic Alliance between the Applied Innovation Alliance and the Vermilion Institute of Technology to establish and manage as Dean / Professor of the Department of Structured Innovation and Inventive Problem Solving Science; this initiative includes the development of an Innovation Incubator.
On a personal note, Dana Clarke:
- Enjoys writing on subjects that lead to the advancement of structured approaches to innovation
- Enjoys spending time with family
Vision: I will touch as many people with structured innovation as possible; I will multiply myself over and over to enable learning and change the way individuals, teams and organizations grow and profit through structured approaches to innovation.
Educational Model: Hands-on experiential learning with the intent of delivering return on investment during and after all training interactions.
Traits / Characteristics / Beliefs:
- Honesty, integrity
- My energy comes from interacting with motivated teams
- Catalyst for change
- Nothing is impossible
