actionable and equitable innovation
The word innovation is everywhere it seems, but true innovation is rare. It’s difficult to change our ways of working and thinking—as organizations, as people. So how do you do it?
At Orange Sparkle Ball, we believe that innovation is about making change. It’s about learning to negotiate with uncertainty and try new things. It’s a process and a mindset all rolled into one.
We know anyone can be an innovator and we’re committed to making innovation accessible. Now more than ever, we need folks to engage and take action. Our Immersive Innovation Labs gather attendees who have problems to solve and facilitate applied learning by taking them through a structured problem solving process. Participants leave the immersive experience with a pilot design and a pitch deck to gain acceptance to run their pilots. Possibly more importantly, they leave the immersive experience with an innovation skillset and a cohort of innovation peers.
“What I’ve gained from this experience I’ll be able to carry forward into other aspects of my career - it’s exceeded my expectations. ”
Our Immersive Innovation Labs can be used to focus on many types of problems, from business pain points, social service challenges, to problems that participants are trying to solve in their communities. We find that cohorts in which we include a range of problems help participants frame the problem-solving methodology they are learning more broadly.
HOW DO IMMERSIVE INNOVATION LABS WORK?
Immersive Innovation is made up of 3 components:
Learning Content
Coaching
Evaluation
“Going into this I thought of innovation as a thing, and it is a thing. But I’ve really learned that it’s a process and it’s a process that needs to be leaned into… it’s really a state of being… It’s one thing to say it, but another to experience it.”
What’s the value of immersive innovation labs?
Developing your organization:
Immersive Innovation Lab participants build innovation capacity in their organizations by running the pilots they designed at their organizations or in their communities. They leave the Immersive Innovation Lab equipped to implement immediately.
“Being equipped with the toolkit and the pitch deck, I feel like the summit has given me the confidence to walk into spaces and say “I know what you need” and at the end of the day make the business better.”
developing your career:
Attendees scored 30 to 45% higher when measuring their knowledge in applied innovation before and after taking part in our program. This experience is like no other as a career development milestone.
Anecdotally, we have seen participants move into innovation functions in their organizations, as well as go on to win hack-a-thons and continue to participate in further innovation activities.
“Something that I gained from this summit… was my own career development. This summit has shaped how I see public health and my role in that. I’m truly more invested in public health than I ever was before and I attribute that to this summit.”
How can I learn more or participate?
Read our publication in the Harvard Public Health Review:
Immersive Innovation Labs: A Novel Approach to Solving Public Health Challenges
Berra L, Becker S, Kennedy M. Innovation immersion labs: a novel approach to solving public health challenges. HPHR. 2022;54.
