Powering Innovation With Education

By Kara Miller | Saturday, May 19, 2012

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A student uses a microscope during a science class at the University of Illinois (jeremy.wilburn via Flickr)

Several months ago, when this show had only just begun, we did a segment on the next big thing. The next iPad , the next Facebook, the next Twitter.

But we got a big surprise.

America, our guests said, may not be up to the challenge. It may not be producing the young minds needed to create and staff the companies that will change our world.

Here’s what Joe Kessler, who is president of The Intelligence Group in Los Angeles, said when I asked him how we were doing producing workers for high-tech companies:

Since then, I’ve asked almost everyone who’s walked into this studio whether they’re hiring new employees and what they think of the talent pool.

Almost to a person, they shake their heads. We need more technical people, they say. We have to turn to workers from overseas, but it can be hard to get them visas.

So, today we ask what’s going on. Is our education system failing to train young Americans for the future — a reality that will impact all of us — whether we majored in computer science or English literature?

The Talent Pool: What's the problem?

First, we hear from employers. Are they having trouble filling jobs? And why isn’t this issue a greater part of our national discussion?

Guests:

Michael Greeley, general partner, Flybridge Capital
Paul Clegg, vice president of human resources, talent aquisition, labor relations, Raytheon
Ben Russell, vice president of human resources, Bullhorn

Toward a Solution

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We're joined by a panel of educators hoping to empower the next generation of mathmeticians and scientists.

Guests:

Christopher Doss, teacher, physics, Boston Latin School
Aaron Osowiecki, teacher, physics, Boston Latin School
Arthur C. Heinricher, dean of undergraduate studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Mark Somerville, associate dean; professor of electrical engineering and physics; Olin College

Get Inside the T — Virtually

By Danielle Dreilinger | Tuesday, May 15, 2012

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Inside Harvard Station in Google Maps.

May 15, 2012

BOSTON — Those used to tracking the bus or train on their smartphones now have a new tool to help with the T. Last week, the MBTA announced that Google Maps now offers interior views of 24 stations on Android phones.

"One of our best partners has been Google and obviously they have incredible reach," said Josh Robin, director of innovation at the MBTA. "They approached us about being their first transportation partner" for station maps in the U.S.

Indoor maps were already available for a number of U.S. and Japanese airports and shopping centers. See [potentially not entirely up-to-date] list.

All the MBTA had to do was hand existing CAD drawings over to Google. "They do the cool part," Robin said. Cost to the MBTA: $0.

Don't have an Android phone? This is how the maps work.

So they're cool. But are they useful?

Lessons from the World's Poorest Neighborhoods

By Kara Miller | Friday, May 11, 2012

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Part 2:

In this photo taken in February, Indian squatters sit on rented cots as they wake early in the morning at Park No. 2 near Jama Masjid in New Delhi, India. (AP)

What comes to mind with you think of Indian slums?

For many Americans, it’s the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire.”

But for one scholar, India’s mega’s slums — places so big they could be cities by themselves — represent innovation. Innovation so remarkable that it may have lessons to teach the world.

Guest:

Bhaskar Chakravorti, senior associate dean, Fletcher School at Tufts University

Inner-City Programs For The Next Big Thinkers

By Kara Miller | Friday, May 11, 2012

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In this 1996 photo, Bill Gates visits a Dorchester after-school program after making a $100,000 donation to start an after-school computer club in Boston. (AP)

Innovation is a lofty word. It often gets associated with Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs.

But today we look at the innovative, on-the-ground programs that are helping inner-city students get the connections, resources and knowledge that it takes to be the next great entrepreneur, scientist or thinker.

The four programs we look at today all aim to change kids’ trajectories.

Guests:

Cathy DelVento, Policy Director for the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership; spokesperson, Expanded Learning and Afterschool Project; coordinator, 21st Century Community Learning Center Program
Keith Crawford, M.D., Ph. D., Brigham and Women’s Hospital; instructor, Harvard Medical School; works with Life Science Institute at Roxbury Community College
Lauren Gilbert, vice president, Bell

Women, on Their Future in Business

By Kara Miller | Saturday, May 5, 2012

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From left: Liz Claman, Fox Business Network anchor (courtesy); Marissa Mayer, Google vice president (AP), Jennifer Siebel Newsom, filmmaker (AP)

This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that women may be on track to capture some top positions in American business - at companies like Disney, Wal-Mart, and General Mills. - positions that, historically, have gone to men.

The trailer for Jennifer Siebel Newsom's film, Miss Representation.

One of those women was Marissa Mayer, the 36-year old Vice President of Google, who we interviewed recently on this program.

In a special rewind edition of Innovation Hub, we look back at our discussion with Mayer and hear from two other women in positions of power: Liz Claman, anchor at Fox Business Network, and Jennifer Siebel Newsom, producer, filmmaker, and the Second Lady of California.

Just 3% of Fortune 500 companies are currently run by women, and, women hold fewer than 1 in 5 positions in upper management at these corporations.

Where do women fit in the changing world of business and technology? What do women bring to innovation in these sectors? And why is it that, in this day and age, the balance at the top of these fields is still so unequal?

We get insights from:

Marissa Mayer, vice president of location, local services, Google
Liz Claman, anchor, Fox Business Network
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, filmmaker, Miss Representation

A Look by the Numbers

We ask a research expert to delve into the data. Who is happiest at work? How is balance acheived? Where can improvements be made?

We hear from:

Scott Marden, research director, Captivate Network

Hear the show this weekend, at 7 a.m. Saturday or 10 p.m. Sunday on 89.7 or online.

Keeping a Business Innovative

By Kara Miller | Friday, April 27, 2012

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Part 2:

We talk to two authors who have looked at what it takes to successfully run an innovative business, from start-ups all the way to behemoths like Proctor and Gamble.

How do you keep innovation in the boardroom? (esagor via Flickr)

In a world captivated by the notion of innovation, what can sink a brilliant idea? And how can larger companies tap into the infectious creativity of smaller organizations?

Guests:

Scott Anthony, managing director, head of Asian operations, Innosight; author, The Little Black Book of Innovation
Noah Wasserman, associate professor, Harvard Business School; author, The Founder's; Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup

Each week, Kara Miller talks to Boston's most innovative thinkers, examining new ideas and potential solutions to today’s many challenges. Topics range from education to health care to green energy. Join us on Saturdays at 7 a.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

Kara Miller
As a radio host, Kara Miller has interviewed thinkers from E.J. Dionne to Howard Gardner, Deepak Chopra to Lani Guinier. She is a panelist on WGBH-TV's "Beat the Press," as well as an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Her writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, The National Journal, The Boston Herald, Boston Magazine, and The International Herald Tribune.

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