John Kao has been called ‘Mr. Creativity’ by The Economist. As a self-styled 'innovation activist,' John’s greatest pleasure is working with people who are on the hot seat to deliver a meaningful innovation agenda, especially in these disrupted times.

He brings a diverse portfolio of experience to the table, having been: an HBS professor, a trusted advisor, a startup entrepreneur, a Tony-nominated feature film and Broadway producer, a master facilitator, a mentor and more. John also continues to explore the connections between jazz and innovation as a board member of SF Jazz, Yamaha's first "Artist in Innovation," and the author of "Jamming."

He also runs two innovation hubs - in SF and Tucson - where he conducts deep dives on innovation strategy and execution with a wide variety of teams and leaders.