The Blog

Remember that time you won the gold metal for your Pine Wood Derby race in grade school? You were lauded with smiles and high fives and an iridescent memento that you planted on your parent’s mantle for all to see. It was a good day. No. It was a great day. So you do remember that? Awesome. Because nobody else does. It’s time to step up and claim your place in a new battleground. It’s time time to be excellent in trades that don’t involve plastic wheels and aluminum brads. It’s time to be a leader of men. It’s time to join the The 2012 – 2013 Executive Team of Innovation Fisher.

Innovation Fisher is looking for successors to the following positions:

• President
• VP of Marketing
• VP of External Relations
• VP of Corporate Development
• VP of Innovate Columbus
• VP of Event Planning

Not only would you be able to lead the next generation of Fisher Students into the glorious ecstasy of Innovation, but you would also join the hippest student group on the block. Directions can be found below. If you have questions regarding any specific position, please connect with the current Executive Team Member via this list.

We are excited to announce another innovation internship available exclusively for IF members!  We have been working with Alliance Data, a leading provider of loyalty marketing solutions derived from transaction-rich data, to offer our members the opportunity to apply for the Retail Marketing Innovation Internship.

This is an extremely exciting opportunity to gain experience on an established innovation team, at a company that is working on cutting-edge innovations in the retail environment.  This position will also afford the ability to directly support future business strategy by building a portfolio of ideas/opportunities.  On top of that, this position offers a very high level of visibility within the company, including the opportunity to work directly with Alliance’s newly appointed VP of Innovation.

To be considered for the opportunity, please submit your resume to FisherConnect job ID 19498 and also apply for the posting online under the “Careers” section at www.alliancedata.com (search keywords for “innovation” if you are unable to find the internship posting). The deadline to apply is noon Wednesday, April 4 (please note, this deadline has been extended from Friday, March 30).

If you have any questions about the position feel free to contact Walt Valo or Marcus Hitt.

Knowledge, Skills and Ability

Knowledge of marketing research, trending analysis, quantitative and qualitative measurements, and application to business solutions. Knowledge of directed and sustainable innovation models and application to drive business growth. Ability to accurately interpret market trends and consumer insights into actionable business ideas that drive growth. Strong analytical and quantitative skills. Strong Microsoft Office skills. Ability to meet established deadlines. Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously. Strong ability to communicate in both written and verbal form. Ability to identify and resolve problems. Ability to interact with all levels of management and various individuals across the company.

Minimum Qualifications:
Education: Undergraduate degree; actively pursuing MBA (Innovation program preferred)
Experience: Structural industry analysis
Desirable: Knowledge of Retail Credit Card Industry, including client and consumer driven needs; entrepreneurial and product development experience

Oftentimes we use Innovation as a metaphor. We use innovation as a way to forge pathways, connect circuits and peel back new horizons of progress that lead us to a better tomorrow. We use Innovation as a way to touch the sky of the future. Earlier this month we decided to get as literal as humanly possible and we simply touched the sky, as metaphorless as one can get.

For its 2012 Winter Social, Innovation Fisher ventured to the marvelous indoor trampoline park SkyZone, a giant chasm of anti-gravity bounding and leaping. Innovation Fisher Members (as well as friends from our AMP sister organization) engaged in all manner of vertical hijinks including trampoline dodge ball, foam-pit spelunking and good old fashioned jumping. Fitness and fun embraced in myriad ways.

IF Member Kaila Walker gushed “this is the most fun I’ve ever had. And I mean ever. That time I ate a gallon of Jeni’s Roxbury Road and discovered Game of Thrones doesn’t even hold a candle to the manic elation I felt this evening.”  Likewise, future IF Exec Member Holli Jacobs exclaimed “I jumped until I could jump no more! But I still wanted to! It was quite the quandary!” Not all members were quite as ecstatic, such as VP of Marketing Sean Edgar who required ten applications of Bengay to ease his aching ham strings. Then again, Sean Edgar is almost 30 and out of shape.

Check out pictures below for Innovation Fisher’s trip to SkyZone!

For this year’s Taste of Innovation, a slew of the tastiest restauranteurs in Columbus were kind enough to donate their delicacies and services to Innovation Fisher on February 9th. Betty’s, Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace, The Jury Room, Piada and Tip Top Kitchen provided a feast of entrees and small plates to the event. The Cheesy Truck donated a VIP Pass that  gave a very, very lucky winner (who may or may not be one very, very lucky IF member Neal Wagner) a VIP Pass for half off all items on the menu. And yes, that totally includes the cavier masterpiece, the Jackie O. Due Amici also pitched in a gift certificate. So a special thanks to all the very, very generous donators (we’re looking at you Liz Lessner and Kevin Crowley) who made this another top-notch event.

The night was punctuated with a Keynote from Kevin Malhame, the founder of such luminary dining destinations as Northstar Cafe and Third & Hollywood. With an emphasis on local, organic food and inspired management, Kevin delivered an intriguing look at how he combined social responsibility and culinary excellence into a Columbus institution. See his speech below.

A sampling of the entrees on hand at The 2012 Taste of Innovation

IF President Scott Gallaway lays the law on Zero Waste

Piada brought its savory Italian Street Food  a plenty

IF Professor Michael Bills with VP of Corporate Development Marcus Hitt and his lovely wife Becky

Piada Manager (and Fisher MBA Candidate) Kevin Crowley with Northstar Cafe Founder Kevin Malhame