UnlockingInnovation Blog

Leo Burnett - According to Leo Burnett CEO, Andrew Swinand, “a lot of change management is being relentless and repetitive in terms of establishing expectations and changing behavior”. Today’s episode features a fascinating conversation about how the world’s 3rd largest advertising agency continues to out-innovate itself by keeping human problems at the center of their business and why training, incentives and accountability are key in driving innovation.   #UnlockingInnovation is a podcast by EX3 Labs, produced in partnership with 1871 Chicago. Be sure to subscribe to keep up with new episodes as they air.  

Discover Financial Services - On this week’s episode, we talk to Kim Holmes, System Director of Discover Financial Services, about focusing on “the why” in order to deliver true business value,  her commitment to bringing a diversity of thought to the workplace, and why she believes in advocating for others above all else. #UnlockingInnovation is a podcast by EX3 Labs, produced in partnership with 1871 Chicago. Be sure to subscribe to keep up with new episodes as they air.  

Microsoft - You can’t go many places in Chicago without hearing Adam Hecktman’s name mentioned. As Director of Technology and Civic Innovation, Adam’s work with Microsoft drives cities and communities towards a more equitable future. An advocate for the power of public spaces, Adam constantly pushes himself to ensure that civic resources (whether driven by technology or policy) are available to everyone. On this week’s episode, we talk with him about how he’s working to bridge the digital divide, the “innovation engines” that are startups, growing up with Microsoft, and much more. It’s a fascinating look into the past, present, and future of technology and community in Chicago.

 

#UnlockingInnovation is a podcast by EX3 Labs, produced in partnership with 1871 Chicago.

Be sure to subscribe to keep up with new episodes as they air.

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As anyone in a corporate environment knows, making change in a large organization is often tedious. It doesn't have to be, with a shift in mindset. In order to address the challenges and opportunities corporations face in innovation today, BMO teamed up with EX3 Labs to spread awareness of the "startup mindset," warn about the dangers of complacency, and inspire corporate peers to think differently.

"When companies are making a lot of money it's very difficult to say, 'ok, let's do something different'," says Leslie Anderson, Senior Vice President at BMO. Bringing both the startup and corporate perspective to the challenge of innovation, Anderson and EX3 Labs CEO, Adam Wisniewski, teamed up to educate corporations on the meaning and value of adopting a startup mindset.

Why are established, industry-leading corporations turning to startups to fuel innovation? Anderson and Wisniewski both agree that agility is the key. "One of the greatest challenges in corporations is that there's a mindset that there have to be so many checks and balances that... there's a lot of friction associated with movement," says Wisniewski. "An important thing for corporations to embrace is that unless you're willing to change and adapt to the growing needs of consumers and the market, it's going to be a challenge to stay alive."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaV38LMpUUE&t=2s

Cushman & Wakefield - “Tomorrow there will be no such thing as a company that isn’t digital,” says Adam Stanley. As Global CIO & CDO, he’s played a major role in building Cushman & Wakefield into a $7 billion corporation with over 48,000 employees in 70 countries. On today’s episode, we talk with him about the value in startup / corporation partnerships, why he’s glad he jumped into the tech world despite his initial aversion, and his best advice for driving innovation.
 

#UnlockingInnovation is a podcast by EX3 Labs, produced in partnership with 1871 Chicago.

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1871 Chicago - Kicking off #UnlockingInnovation we have 1871 CEO, Betsy Ziegler. We talked with her about the difference between sustaining and disruptive innovation (and why the latter is so critical to staying on top), what motivates her to take big leaps, the “exponential times” we’re living in and how that affects her business, the problem of “innovation theater,” and the advice she gave to Bette Midler! #UnlockingInnovation is a podcast by EX3 Labs, produced in partnership with 1871 Chicago. Be sure to subscribe to keep up with new episodes as they air. [audio mp3="https://ex3labs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Cultivating_Disruptive_Innovation_BetsyZiegler.mp3"][/audio]

Donation of VR Equipment and Experiences Made Possible by Partnership with Alight Solutions and 1871; Donation is the Second of Several That EX3 Labs Plans to Make as Part of its Give Back Mission CHICAGO -- April 4, 2018 —​ Chicago tech startup EX3 Labs, in partnership with Alight Solutions and 1871, announced Wednesday that it will present an Immersive Learning Lab to Walter H. Dyett High School For the Arts. The dedication is the second such donation EX3 Labs has made as part of the company’s Immersive Learning Lab Mission. The company previously donated an Immersive Learning Lab to George M. Pullman Elementary School.

"Most people associate virtual reality with gaming, but it’s playing a more prominent role as a learning mechanism,” said Adam Wisniewski, CEO of EX3 Labs. “Now, students are able to experience educational content in a 3D environment in addition to a textbook or computer screen. I’ve seen firsthand how immersive learning experiences can improve student engagement. Our goal is to help every student within CPS have these types of experiences available to them.”

EX3 Labs is based at 1871, the technology incubator that is home to over 500 tech startups located in The Merchandise Mart. The Immersive Learning Lab donations are made possible by the partnership between EX3 Labs and 1871’s Corporate Innovation Program. The Innovation Program enables companies to engage with and leverage new technologies and develop their own culture of internal innovation. EX3 Labs’ goal is to donate an Immersive Learning Lab to a Chicago Public School for every Innovation Day held in partnership with 1871’s Corporate Innovation Program.

“We’re thrilled to partner with EX3 Labs once again and work alongside Alight Solutions to bring virtual reality technologies to the students of Dyett High School,” said 1871 CEO Howard A. Tullman. “As the Number One incubator in the world, we have a responsibility to provide future generations with the most relevant resources and a first-class education. We’re proud of EX3 Labs’ commitment to our community and honored to take part in this joint effort.”

Headquartered in Lincolnshire, Alight Solutions, a leader in technology-enabled health, wealth, HR and finance solutions, partnered with EX3 Labs on the Immersive Learning Lab as part of its focused innovation efforts and to extend its entrepreneurial culture into the community.

“The pace of change is more rapid now than ever before. To keep up with that evolution and thrive as a community, we have to cultivate an environment of curiosity, learning and innovation, and that starts with ensuring our kids have access to experiences like the Immersive Learning Lab,” said Chris Michalak, CEO of Alight solutions. “We are thrilled to partner with EX3 Labs and 1871 to provide this unique learning environment to the students of Dyett High School.”

Dyett High School is located in the Washington Park neighborhood on Chicago’s south side. The school’s mission is to “change students’ life-trajectories and develop the next generation of innovators, leaders, and problem-solvers by tapping into their creative genius and preparing them for post-secondary experiences.”

"We are extremely excited and grateful to 1871, EX3 Labs, and Alight Solutions for working together to bring this transformational technology to Dyett's students,” said Beulah Mcloyd, Principal at Dyett. “I have seen, firsthand, the impact that innovative tools like these have; increased engagement, retention, and excitement about learning all result from teachers' strategic use of technology in the classroom. This donation is a crucial component that will make this possible."

The Immersive Learning Lab will consist of:
  • 30 Google Expedition devices and VR viewers
  • A teacher’s tablet
  • More than 750 learning expeditions for students to experience in the sciences, art, history andmore
  • 1 Microsoft Mixed Reality headset
  • Mixed Reality learning content

Reporters and videographers ​wishing to attend the event at 10 a.m. at Walter H. Dyett High School (​555 E. 51st St, Chicago) ​and see a demonstration of the technology should RSVP by emailing jason@EX3Labs.com​.

About EX3 Labs

EX3 Labs is an experience design and innovation consulting firm that helps companies create digital solutions that wow customers, empower teams, and help workforces be more productive. The company specializes in emerging technology such as augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things (IoT). For more information, visit ​www.ex3labs.com​ or call (800) 277-1863.

About 1871

1871 is the home of over 500 high-growth technology startups and more than 1,500 members supported by an entire ecosystem focused on accelerating their growth and creating jobs in the Chicagoland area. Visit ​www.1871.com​ for more information. Located in a 150,000 square-foot space over three floors in The Merchandise Mart, 1871 has more than 600 current mentors available to its members, as well as more than 80 partner corporations, universities, education programs, accelerators, venture funds and other organizations that make its extensive matrix of resources possible. For more on our partners, visit ​www.1871.com/about/partners​, or become a partner by reaching out to contact@1871.com​.

About Alight Solutions

As the leading provider of benefits administration and cloud-based HR and financial solutions, we enhance work and life through our service, technology and data. Our dedicated colleagues across 14 global centers deliver an unrivaled consumer experience for our clients and their people. We are Alight. Reimagining how people and organizations thrive.

Follow Alight on Twitter Follow Alight on LinkedIn

EX3 Labs and Cushman and Wakefield, under the leadership of CIO Adam Stanley, partnered to explore how XR technologies could impact commercial real estate. The partnership, featured in a CIO.com article about Stanley’s work, enables Cushman & Wakefield to build use-cases for mixed, virtual and augmented reality leveraging EX3 Labs' deep technical expertise, thought leadership and development capabilities. 

Among the ideas explored was a mixed reality app, powered by the Microsoft HoloLens, that would enhance commercial building inspections and facilities management. EX3 Labs also designed and launched a mobile app for Cushman & Wakefield’s quarterly publication, The Occupier Edge, which turned the contents of the pages into augmented reality graphs, charts, and videos. Available in the app store, this project helped turn the reader’s experience into an engaging, multisensory one and allowed for an interactive element that conveyed more information than what was just on the printed page.

“We are constantly preaching disruption and the fact that we would rather be leaders in disruption than followers,” Stanley says of his partnership strategy.

Read the full feature on CIO.com.

CHICAGO -- Mixed Reality Monday is an Executive Lunch & Learn event focused on giving business leaders from a wide variety of industries a glimpse into the next set of technologies shaping the future of their businesses. Events will demonstrate how mixed and augmented reality are changing the way organizations operate, engage with customers, and train and develop their workforce. 

The event series aims to bring together business leaders from several industries and sectors to have hands-on engagement with technology, discuss the latest innovations and network with peers. Rich, multi-sensory experiences will provide attendees with interactive demonstrations on how the Microsoft HoloLens uses holographic technology to deliver state-of-the-art experiences, a chance to get hands-on with mobile augmented reality technology, and learn how mixed/ augmented reality can transform the workplace, enhance customer experiences, and develop talent. 

Mixed Reality Monday, which is being held 1871 Chicago - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago IL, 60654, will begin starting Monday, October 2, 2017, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. where the featured industry will be Transportation and run through November. The remaining schedule is as follows:

October 9 - Energy

October 16 - Consumer Packaged Goods

October 23 - Insurance

October 30 - Retail/E-Commerce

November 6 - Pharmaceutical

November 13 - Education

November 20 - Financial Services

November 27 - Real Estate

Tickets available through Eventbrite

Chicago tech startup EX3 Labs, in partnership with Conagra Brands and 1871, is pleased to announce the donation of the Immersive Learning Lab to George M. Pullman Elementary School. The dedication is the first in EX3 Labs’ Immersive Learning Lab (ILL) Mission.

“We are extremely excited, and also honored, to receive this gift of technology, said Donnell Rader, Interim Principal at Pullman Elementary School. “Part of what we aim to do as educators is stretch the minds of all of our students. The exposure to the Immersive Learning Lab will do just that. Today Pullman, tomorrow the world!”

The Immersive Learning Lab includes a Google Expedition Kit that allows students to take field trips across the globe, visit the world’s oceans, learn about new careers, and more, all with the help of virtual reality technology.

The Google Expedition Kit consists of:

  • 20 Student Devices
  • 20 VR Viewers
  • 1 Teacher Tablet
  • Over 600 Expeditions for Students to experience