An engaged dialogue drawing on the legacy of Detroit as a city of innovation, learning and re-invention — a collaborative engagement of theory, research and hard-earned business lessons.

How can designers and leaders of disruptive change within traditional organizations enact and sustain change from within — alongside the new global landscape we’re facing? This session will present insights emerging from the challenges and success of design and transformation inside companies, institutions and academia in Detroit and beyond — a new era of spotting and developing talent, culture, trust and building collaborative networks of wisdom.

Sandy Fershee, Global Director, Detroit Lab of D-Ford, Ford Motor Company’s human-centered design group.

Cheryl Heller, Director of Design Integration, Arizona State University — the creator of a transformational collaborative Masters program of design, engineering and business.