About Us
We formed Innovationship out of a shared passion...
... a passion for helping leaders and individuals cultivate a human-centered culture that encourages creative confidence, tackles complex problems, and uncovers extraordinary—and meaningful—new solutions. With a shared background that began in the the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980s, our process has its roots in our work as pioneers of the original design process at global innovation company IDEO. After two decades of collecting diverse experiences and applications of design thinking around the world, we came together to focus our efforts on how best to guide our clients through the process of discovering and integrating design thinking, with a focus on the personal aspects necessary for creative collaboration and transformative thinking. Since then, we have helped executives, individuals, and teams in startups, multinationals, academic institutions, and nonprofits around the world integrate this unique mindset and process into their organization.
Leon Segal, PhD — FOUNDER
Leon holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology. He founded Innovationship in 2012 after over thirty years in human factors, product innovation, experience design, and executive coaching. He is a pilot, musician, and expert on expansive states of consciousness. His work on empathy and design and his insight that “innovation begins with an eye” are cited in several bestselling books. He has practiced and taught at leading institutions, founded and led a studio for global innovation company IDEO, and has coached and mentored executives and entrepreneurs around the world. His unique life experiences across domains, industries, and cultures—combined with his hands-on style of teaching and mentoring—provide his clients with opportunities to explore, learn, and integrate new perspectives on the art of personal and professional innovation. (LinkedIn)
ANNA GATMON, PhD — co-founder
Anna Gatmon is an author, educator, and coach. With her doctoral specialization in Transformative Learning and Adult Education, she guides individuals and teams through processes of personal growth and discovery. Anna’s diverse background includes a career as an international fashion model, founding an alternative elementary school, coaching individuals and leading workshops in the UK, Israel, and the USA. (LinkedIn)
SCOTT UNDERWOOD — PArTNER
Scott has helped thousands of people around the world learn design thinking since starting his own firm in 2009. Previously, he spent over two decades at IDEO in corporate storytelling, marketing communication, business development, employee experience, and more. As a writer and editor, he has created everything from white papers to websites, and he contributed to a number of books, including The Ten Faces of Innovation and The Art of Innovation, both by Tom Kelley, and Change By Design by Tim Brown. (LinkedIn)
lawrence shubert — PARTNER
Larry is an entrepreneur and a former principal of IDEO. He has over 25 years of innovation and product development experience as a designer, leader, educator and executive in wide range of consumer and commercial markets. Keeping his design skills warm, Larry continues to provide design strategy and development through his own firm, Zip Innovations, consulting on a range of products and services. (LinkedIn)