May 2015

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 may 2015

According to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) website, 'UNDP assists partners to achieve sustainable, people-centered development through an integrated approach that links policy with planning and programming, for promoting results based management, instating quality safeguards, monitoring and evaluating impact and equally learning from failures and successes.' Innovation is an integral part of the development program and requires investments to fulfil the goals. UNDP has defined nine innovation principles - (1) Design with the User (2) Understand the Existing Ecosystem (3) Design for Scale (4) Build for Sustainability (5) Be Data Driven (6) Use Open Standards, Open Data, Open Source, and Open Innovation (7) Reuse and Improve (8) Do no harm (9) Be Collaborative. In the context of development, innovation means to embrace complexity and accept diversity of solutions, and it implies that breakthroughs can only be created in partnership. As Millennium Development Goals are set to run their course, the agreement is now being sought on new development priorities. The Innovation Facility's 'Year in Review' report identifies six areas where UNDP will seek to innovate in 2015 and beyond - (1) What exactly, is the problem?: Social challenges are becoming increasingly complex. Focus is on understanding the problem based on available data. Big data analysis and embracing ethnographic methods to better understand diverse perspectives of the people affected by development challenges. (2) The best ideas come from surprising people and places: Looking for models and ideas beyond UNDP. Community solutions and open innovation challenges can encourage startups, NGOs and other partners to propose concrete solutions to problems or an opportunity. (3) Test, measure, improve: Test multiple ideas and approaches and select the one that gives better results. (4) Who wants your idea?: Before making investment, seek a clear business plan to identify probable partners (government, private sector or NGO) to bring the idea to scale. (5) Can we create shared value?: For post-2015 agenda large investment by governments alongwith substantial support from private sector are required. Through building local partnerships, opportunities for shared value to be explored. (6) Forget failure - learn!: Learn by testing ideas and failures to improve performance. Innovation involves calculated risks. To get success learn and improve. Read on...

Devex Impact: 6 ways to innovate for development in 2015 and beyond
Author: Benjamin Kumpf

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 may 2015

Staying close to the customer and fulfil his needs and wants has been the mantra of successful brands and businesses. Technology has brought the customer even closer and given brands the opportunity to better understand and analyze the customer behavior and focus strategies to satisfy him/her. Considering the highly competitive and fast paced world of fashion and luxury, established luxury brands need to think like disrupters by putting customers at the center of their strategies. Disrupters focus on 'jobs to be done' in the present. Clayton Christensen's disrupter framework focuses on consumers' social, emotional or functional problem, and turns business into its solution. This framework makes innovation independent of the latest technology or the hottest new gadget and firmly relies on human behavior. Thinking about customers and their behavior patterns provide brands insights into the future. Understanding the next generation of customers and removing friction from their brand experience with a well thought out solution will hold the key for the brand's survival. Following are four ways established luxury brands can succeed by staying close to the customer - (1) Create a seamless path from inspiration to purchase. (2) Make your brand narrative attainable, intuitive and immersive. (3) Evoke in your customers the feeling of belonging and being special. (4) Serve and reward. Read on...

AdAge: Luxury Brands Must Innovate or Die in the Digital Age
Author: Ana Andjelic

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 may 2015

As businesses continue to pile-up huge amount of data there are opportunities for data scientists to provide meaningful insights to help them grow and succeed. Even startups at their early stages have substantial data that can be utilized for business value. Tianhui Michael Li, Data Scientist and Executive Director of The Data Incubator, gives his view on how a skilled data scientist (DS) can be a catalyst of growth for entrepreneurial ventures - (1) Growth Hacking: DS can utilize social data and web analytics to implement low-cost, high impact marketing campaigns. (2) Customer Retention: Bain & Co. found that 5% increase in customer retention increases profits by 125%. DS can analyze customer behavior and target communication for customer engagement, retention and even identify brand advocates to bring new customers. (3) Personalizing Products and Services: DS can utilize sales, marketing and web data to identify customer needs and wants. This will assist in customizing offerings. (4) Marketing Optimization: DS can optimize every aspect of marketing and advertising from ad budget to ad clicks to actual conversions and purchases, and much more. Read on...

Entrepreneur: 4 Things a Data Scientist Can Do for Entrepreneurs
Author: Tianhui Michael Li

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 may 2015

The value of big data lies in extracting insights and its meaningful use in solving business problems. In recent times organizations have made big investments in technologies associated with it to store, analyze, report and visualize data. Stuart Frankel, CEO and co-founder of Narrative Science, provide his perspective on why these investments haven't got expected returns, limitations of human-powered data science as it is not a scalable solution, unaffordable data scientists and, opportunities and prospects of scalable automated solutions to analyze and interpret data, and obtain hidden insights for business value. According to him, 'Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to transform data and analysis into relevant plain English communication. AI is shortening employees' data comprehension-to-action time through comprehensive, intuitive narratives.' Following are some examples which he shares regarding use of AI in data analysis - Some mutual funds are using advanced natural language generation (Advanced NLG) platforms, powered by AI, to automatically write fund performance reports in mere seconds; In medical billing, AI scours thousands of billing records across hundreds of hospitals and generates narrative reports that immediately provide the desired analysis; AI solutions are improving customer experience. AI is the first technology to make personalized, "audience of one" communication a reality; Wealth management is beginning to use "Robo-advisors", the automated financial advisor that can offer a low-cost alternative to expensive, human advisor. Moreover AI is being embedded into existing advisory platforms, delivering personalized portfolio reviews and recommendations in natural language to customers. He further explains, 'The commonality across all of these new technologies is that they offer something additional humans cannot provide: the power of scale...In the near-term, the adoption of AI within business intelligence platforms and customer-facing applications will accelerate...The key to all of this is the intersection of AI and advanced natural language generation. We're at the beginning of the next phase of big data, a phase that will have very little to do with data capture and storage and everything to do with making data more useful, more understandable and more impactful.' Read on...

Harvard Business Review: Data Scientists Don't Scale
Author: Stuart Frankel

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 may 2015

Maintaining healthier and longer lives of human beings require efforts at global scale. There is need for cooperation and collaboration among young scientists from around the world. Basic scientific research is one of the critical component that leads to advances and innovations in healthcare. According to Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director of National Institutes of Health (NIH), 'Rigorous, well-designed research is essential not only for the discovery of new ways to detect, treat, and prevent disease, but also for the most efficient development and cost-effective dissemination of such advances to the world's poorest peoples.' He cites examples of research-based technologies that are transforming the healthcare landscape - Point-of-Care diagnostics that include a DNA-amplification test which makes it possible to diagnose tuberculosis and detect drug resistance within 90 minutes; Mobile health technologies are already influencing healthcare in remote and poor regions. For example a quarter-sized, lensless microscope that, when connected to a mobile phone, can beam high-quality images of cells and microbes halfway around the globe to computers that can automatically interpret the images; Bioengineers has designed a 'paper microscope', a low cost use-and-throw device that doesn't need a power supply, to quickly and accurately diagnose malaria and other parasitic diseases in low-resource settings; Disease prevention through next generation of vaccines will only be possible through science-based technology and research; Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are fastest growing cause of deaths and would require creative scientific research to identify and implement the right tools to overcome them in resource poor regions. He further explains, 'Indeed, scientific knowledge does not travel only from developed countries to low-income countries - it is a two-way street from which the entire world stands to benefit. Recently, some of the most innovative and cost-effective advances have arisen from research reflecting the needs and ideas of people in poorer countries.' Read on...

Vox: Why the world needs more scientists
Author: Francis S. Collins

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 may 2015

According to a recent report by US Department of Agriculture, nearly 58000 high-skill agriculture-related jobs, requiring at least a bachelor's degree, are expected to open up between 2015 and 2020. But the report estimates that during the same time period fewer than 36000 qualified grads in related fields of study will enter the workforce. US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack comments, 'Not only will those who study agriculture be likely to get well-paying jobs upon graduation, they will also have the satisfaction of working in a field that addresses some of the world's most pressing challenges. These jobs will only become more important as we continue to develop solutions to feed more than 9 billion people by 2050.' 46% of the jobs in agriculture will have management and business orientation. Moreover 27% of the new high-skills jobs will require a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) education. As per the data mentioned in the report for 2012-13 school year, female graduates outnumbered men in agriculture and life sciences, forestry and veterinary programs in US. This shows that women are better prepared for employment in agriculture sector which is becoming more high-tech and high-growth. In a 2014 interview with US News, Claudia Ringler, the deputy director of the International Food Policy Research Institute's environment and production technology division, said 'Improved land management strategies are very important - that includes no-till, precision agriculture and integrated soil fertility management. You need a mix of technologies and approaches.' Read on...

US News & World Report: STEM Skills a Necessity for 27 Percent of New Agriculture Jobs
Author: Andrew Soergel

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 may 2015

According to a survey by Talent Q (part of Hay Group), 9 in 10 employers believe that graduates with soft skills will become increasingly important as globalization speeds up. The majority of employers surveyed by the Hay Group in 2014 believe that entry-level graduates aren't prepared for the working world and 80% of them were struggling to find graduates with the soft skills they need. Lucy Beaumont, solutions director at Talent Q, says 'Despite what many employers think, our research demonstrates that today's graduates have just as much potential to succeed as any other generation, both in terms of cognitive ability and soft skills. It's up to the business to ensure that this potential is realized by recruiting and developing graduates in the correct way. This means focusing on hard and soft skills and looking for potential rather than relying on experience.' According to Penna's research 'Challenging misconceptions about Gen Y employees', there is a distinct mismatch between the career aspirations and expectations of 18 to 24 year olds and employers' views on this age group. Although this group showed a strong sense of loyalty too, but it was significantly underestimated by their employers. Read on...

Forbes: Graduates With Soft Skills Will Become Increasingly Important
Author: Karen Higginbottom

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 may 2015

Value of data lies with how it can be utilized for better and improved decision-making and subsequent beneficial actions. Governments collect and hold substantial amount of valuable data on variety of parameters. Open data movement intends to give wider digital access to public data to increase government transparency, efficiency and accountability. A report by McKinsey Global Institute estimates global economic value of open data at US$ 3 trillion. Open Data Research Network, funded by Canada's International Development Research Centre and led by World Wide Web Foundation, is exploring the emerging impacts of open data in developing countries and how it can help address specific challenges. In Chennai (India) researchers found that existing municipal data on the urban poor is unreliable. Lack of data on the number and location of public toilets, hinder public sanitation investments to reach vulnerable communities. Local officials with the help of researchers significantly improved their procurement processes by creating and connecting different open databases. Another case study in India focused on the extractive energy sector, where no publicly available data has hindered regulatory enforcement in the production of coal, oil and natural gas. In Phillippines, researchers looked at how business, media, civil society and other groups benefit from national open data policy introduced in 2011 that required local governments to disclose financial and procurement related data on their websites. This project identified where local governments can be more accountable. Read on...

Phys.org: Strengthening governance through open data
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 19 may 2015

Today's architects require knowledge and expertise of architecture-focused technology tools and softwares to stay ahead of the curve. Moreover they have to continue to upgrade and update their skills through variety of courses and tutorials available through traditional educational institutions, corporate training programs, paid online courses and free tutorials on internet. ArchDaily has compiled a categorised list of online tutorial websites that offer learning of architectural softwares - (1) General Purpose Tutorial Sites: Lynda.com (Online courses and video tutorials site); Visualizing Architecture (Alex Hogrefe has created a comprehensive list of tutorials for creating compelling images. Most techniques can be achieved using SketchUp and Photoshop); Ronen Bekerman's Blog (Provides case studies. Showcases their own work, explaining how they created a single render from the modeling stage to post-production). (2) Pre-Production (Modeling, Drawing and BIM): Autodesk's Youtube Channel; Bond-Bryan BIM Blog by Rob Jackson; Nick Senske on Youtube; Jose Sanchez's tutorials at Plethora Project on Unity3D game engine, Autodesk's Maya software, C#, Python and Javascript and also Rhino and Grasshopper; NYCCTfab on Vimeo (Tutorials by New York City College of Technology's Department of Architectural Technology Fabrication Lab, on Revit, Rhino and Grasshopper). (3) Production (Rendering and other forms of image creation): Simply Rhino Webinars; V-Ray Website. (4) Post-Production (Adobe Photoshop and other image manipulation software): Vyonix Tutorials; ARQUI9 Visualisation on Youtube. Read on...

ArchDaily: Architecture Software Tutorials - Which Are The Best Out There?
Author: Rory Stott

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 18 may 2015

In the Wikipedia article on 'Mentorship', Prof. Barry Bozeman and Prof. Mary K. Feeney, who are currently at Arizona State University, in their paper 'Toward a useful theory of mentoring: A conceptual analysis and critique' define 'Mentoring' as 'A process for the informal transmission of knowledge, social capital, and the psychosocial support perceived by the recipient as relevant to work, career, or professional development; mentoring entails informal communication, usually face-to-face and during a sustained period of time, between a person who is perceived to have greater relevant knowledge, wisdom, or experience (the mentor) and a person who is perceived to have less (the protégé).' Entrepreneurs often need mentors at various stages of their venture's development. Sramana Mitra, Founder of One Million by One Million, suggests the following points regarding a good mentor - (1) Has superior knowledge and network in the industry that entrepreneur is venturing. (2) Is willing to tell what the entrepreneur 'need' to hear and not what he/she 'want' to hear. (3) Looks out for entrepreneur's best interest (4) Connects dots whenever possible to get entrepreneur further and grow. (5) Gives knowledge, advice, introductions without wasting anybody's time. (6) Pushes entrepreneur to do more, do better. (7) Will not sit next to entrepreneur and hold hand. (8) Is busy, active, in-demand. (9) Helps entrepreneur learn, become self-sufficient. Read on...

Huffington Post: An Entrepreneurs' Guide to Good Mentoring
Author: Sramana Mitra

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 15 may 2015

Chairman of a nonprofit board has a leadership position and the board's success depends on the capabilities and skills that he/she demonstrates while providing guidance and direction in critical areas. Jay Love, co-founder and CEO of Bloomerang, provides a selective list of 8 attributes of the chairman that have the largest impact on the success of the nonprofit board - (1) Personal Commitment to the Nonprofit (2) Exude Enthusiasm (3) Ability to See the Big Picture (4) Is Not 'Over' Committed (5) Relationship Magician (6) Results Oriented (7) Huge Rolodex: Knows Most People and the Right People (8) Existing Mutual Respect with the CEO/Executive Director. Read on...

Business 2 Community: 8 Attributes Of An Outstanding Nonprofit Board Chairman
Author: Jay Love

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 14 may 2015

Pervasion of technology in every aspect of society is leading to ease of access and instant availability of products and services to customers. There are multiple vendors vying for consumer's attention. This highly competitive environment makes the marketers job more relevant and challenging. They need to equip themselves with the right skills, tools and strategies to reach out effectively to their target audience. Christian Eriksen, Regional Director of Marketing and Solutions at SimCorp Asia, provide four tips to marketing professionals for efficiency, effective communication, partnerships and growth - (1) Buyer Personas: Know who you are selling to. (2) Buyer's Journey: Know where your buyers are at in the buying process. (3) Invest in Technology: Automation in marketing is key. (4) Partner with the Right People: Those who understand your brand and market. Read on...

CMO Innovation: Four tips for marketing professionals
Author: Christian Eriksen

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 13 may 2015

Adam Smith believed in laissez-faire world and his theory of 'invisible hand' of free markets has been a defining element of the capitalist economies. It explains that when markets are left alone, they allocate resources better and efficiently. This evolved into an economic school of thought that unregulated markets are inherently stable. According to Friedrich von Hayek, a free-market economist, the best way for an economy to recover after a slump was for it to be left alone. Deregulation was the main mantra in the global economy throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Alan Greenspan, chairman of the US Federal Reserve (1987-2006), has been instrumental in this shift. Subitha Subramanian, chief economist at Sarasin & Partners, explains the reshaping of the free markets and the rise of the 'visible hand' in global economy in recent years. According to her, 'In 2007, the sharp collapse in asset prices and economic growth prompted a sea change in the attitude towards laissez-faire economics. Only expensive government interventions seemed capable of arresting the economy's plunge.' Works of economist John Meynard Keynes on the Great Depression is finding new relevance to understand volatility of markets. She further explains, 'The biggest distortion facing financial markets today comes from the repression of interest rates by the world's central bankers...Currency markets, too, are being subjected to large distortions owing to central banks introducing activist policies at different paces. In a laissez-faire world, wealth creation is a reward for risk taking and innovation. In a world of financial repression, it is linked to central bank policies pushing up asset prices, which disproportionately benefits the older and wealthier segments of society.' Rising inequality, shifting of tax systems away from economic activity towards wealth and assets, instability of credit-based financial system, shifting of geopolitical landscape away from US leadership and governance, and rise of regionalization and localizaiton, are all contributing to the reshaping of global economy by deliberate interference of policy makers who are seeking growth and stability. Read on...

The Financial Times: The rise of the visible hand in economic policy
Author: Subitha Subramaniam

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 09 may 2015

Digital revolution is affecting and impacting every aspect of human lives. Education is one sphere where the transformation is beginning to happen and schools are applying technology-enabled learning methodologies. But to truly accomplish what technology promises in education, the strategies have to go beyond just providing technology devices and softwares to students. It must try to provide students with enhanced learning capabilities and equip them with skills for success. Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education, provides his views and ideas on how educational technology and innovation will bring the changes in the learning environment of the future. According to him, 'Innovation in education isn't about the latest gadget or app, or about how adept a student is at using a smartphone to consume the latest Internet meme. It's about how technological tools can empower students to become who they want to be, and who we need them to be - the kind of children and young people who ask - What can I improve? How can I help? What can I build?' He provides following suggestions regarding what technology can do in education - (1) We must make education technology more equitable. (2) Teachers and students must be empowered as creators, not just consumers. (3) We must make teaching more sustainable. He further explains, 'Everyone has an essential role to play in elevating and supporting the teaching profession. Teachers must be willing to explore new ways of supporting and challenging themselves and their students. Students must assume more responsibility for their own learning. Principals must create school climates that honor innovation and experimentation. Elected officials and policymakers must be willing to incentivize policies and programs that lift up the profession - through more resources, support, and funding.' Read on...

Medium: What Can Technology Do for Tomorrow's Children?
Author: Arne Duncan

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 06 may 2015

According to Modern Healthcare Magazine, although healthcare workforce in US is dominated by women, but they don't hold top leadership positions - 78% of all healthcare and social assistance workers are women, and 77% of hospital employees are women. In 2014, of the 5767 hospitals and health systems in the United States, only 1508 (26%) are led by women CEOs. Modern Healthcare Magazine recently compiled a list of top 25 women in US healthcare selected from about 200 who were nominated - (1) Leah Binder, President of Leapfrog Group (2) Maureen Bisognano, President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (3) Marna Borgstrom, CEO of the Yale New Haven Health System (4) Deborah Bowen, President and CEO of the American College of Healthcare Executives (5) Mary Brainerd, President and CEO of HealthPartners (6) Ruth Brinkley, CEO of KentuckyOne Health (7) Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Health and Human Services Secretary (8) Debra Cafaro, CEO of Ventas (9) Christine Cassel, MD, President and CEO of the National Quality Forum (10) Pamela Cipriano, President of the American Nurses AssociationRead (11) Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (12) Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (13) Susan DeVore, president and CEO of Premier (14) Tejal Gandhi, MD, MPH, President and CEO of the National Patient Safety Foundation (15) Patricia Hemingway Hall, President and CEO of Health Care Service Corp (16) Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (17) Sister Carol Keehan, President and CEO of the Catholic Health Association (18) Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA, President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (19) Donna Lynne, responsible for Kaiser Permanente's Pacific Northwest and Hawaii regions (20) Patricia Maryland, President of healthcare operations and COO at Ascension Health (21) Elizabeth Nabel, MD, President of Brigham and Women's Hospital (22) Debra Osteen, Senior Vice President at Universal Health Services (23) Nancy Schlichting, CEO of the Henry Ford Health System (24) Lynn Simon, MD, MBA, President of Clinical Services and Chief Quality Officer at Community Health Systems (25) Penny Wheeler, MD, CEO of Allina Health. Read on...

Medscape: America's Top 25 Women in Healthcare
Author: Megan Brooks

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 05 may 2015

Big data has potential to transform how healthcare is delivered. But considering the huge volume and complexity of data, it is difficult to analyze with the usual data processing tools. In healthcare, big data is multi-structured and multi-sourced (Claims data; Clinical data; Status data). Specialized tools and softwares have to be used to make this big data actionable. Actionable data is standardized, predictive, preventive, timely, and comprehensive. Actionable data, which is ready for advanced analytics, can provide an organization with insights that improve patient care, reduce risk and strengthen the bottom line. Optum infographic shows how to make big data actionable and get value. Read on...

Forbes: Infographic - How To Make Big Data Actionable For Better Health Care Insight And Value
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 02 may 2015

Seven design experts and judges of the 2015 Innovation by Design Awards define what an innovative design means to them - (1) Richard Florida, founder of the Creative Class Group: Innovative design is strikingly elegant but simple and intuitive to use. (2) Mark Rolston, founder of argodesign: By its very nature it should surprise us. It exposes the intrinsic power of technology. It reminds us of the profound nature of invention...should make life more beautiful. (3) Bradford Shellhammer, founder of Bezar: Did this design change the world and change it for the better...I am much more interested in the problem design solves. (4) Andrew Dent, vice president of library and materials research at Material ConneXion: How is it solving the problem it was designed for? What new approaches have been taken in this solution? Is it really offering an improvement over other designs or is it just 'new'?...I always initially zone in on the materials choices. I feel that there needs to be at minimum an 'appropriateness' when selecting them. (5) Bobby Martin Jr., co-founder of Original Champions of Design: Innovation comes from pushing beyond the expected... Innovative design is thoughtful, appropriate and ambitious. Innovative design is risky, so not everyone can be an innovator. (6) Dan Gardner, co-founder and executive creative director at Code and Theory: Is the design timeless? Does the design demonstrate new thinking and/or solve a problem in a new way? Does it have broader impact and application beyond the specific instance of the design? Does the design affect behavior in a meaningful way? (7) Stuart Karten, founder of Karten Design: Innovative design is new and different. It introduces aesthetics that haven't been seen before...the product must be meaningful. It must respond creatively to a real market need...when 'inventive' tech-driven products have functionality that is driven by people and connects to human needs that innovation occurs. Read on...

Fast Company: What Is Innovative Design? 7 Designers And Thinkers Weigh In
Author: Suzanne LaBarre