The Innovation Group
Experts in Innovation Training Services and Products

Leaders

Meet the leaders of The Innovation Group:

Elaine Dundon, MBA

Short Bio:
Elaine Dundon, Ph.D. , is founder of The Innovation Group and a recognized thought leader in the field of Innovation Management. She is the author of the international best-selling book, The Seeds of Innovation, which has been translated to meet the growing demand in the Chinese and Russian markets, as well as has just been published by Prentice-Hall of India for that country's expanding market. Elaine's in-depth research in the emerging field of Innovation Management is supplemented by over 20 years of practical experience in business planning and marketing, including brand management at Procter & Gamble. She has now founded The OPA Way!® whose mission is to help people live and work with Meaning (see: www.theopaway.com).

Long Bio:
Elaine Dundon, Ph.D. , is founder of The Innovation Group and a recognized thought leader in the field of Innovation Management. Elaine is the author of the international best-selling book, The Seeds of Innovation, which was named by The Globe and Mail as one of the "top 10 business reads of the year" and has appeared on numerous top ten best-selling lists since its initial release. The Seeds of Innovation has been translated to meet the growing demand in the Chinese and Russian markets, as well as has just been published by Prentice-Hall of India for that country's expanding market.

As a recognized thought leader in the field of Innovation Management, Elaine was adjunct professor of the first of its kind integrated course on Innovation Management in North America at the University of Toronto, and her work has been featured in numerous publications around the world, including The Futurist, Global CEO India, Executive Excellence, Productivity Digest, Leadership Excellence, HR Innovator, among others.

Elaine's in-depth research in the emerging field of Innovation Management is supplemented by over 20 years of practical experience in business planning and marketing, including brand management at Procter & Gamble. Throughout the years, Elaine has advised some of the world’s best organizations such as ADP, American Society for Quality, Astra-Zeneca, Cargill, Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Citigroup, Four Seasons Hotels, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Mars, Mayo Clinic, Ontario Public Service Canada, Penn State University, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, The Conference Board, among others…

Elaine's work has now expanded to include the important element of "Meaning" within the business context. She has founded The OPA Way!® whose mission is to help people live and work with Meaning (see: www.theopaway.com). Her new interest is in Greek philosophy and its application to our current lifestyles, including the emerging topic of meaning and well-being. One of Elaine’s favorite quotes is from the Greek philosopher Socrates: “the unexamined life is not worth living.”

Contact Information:
(elaine@seedsofinnovation.com)
(elaine@theopaway.com)
(Tel: 505.988.5881)

Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.

Sample Video Clip

Short Bio:
Alex Pattakos, Ph.D., affectionately nicknamed "Dr. Meaning," is widely respected as a pioneer in transformational thinking. Alex is passionate about helping people realize their highest potential and find deeper, authentic meaning in their life and work. He is the author of the international best-selling book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, which is based on the wisdom of his mentor, the world-renown psychiatrist, Dr. Viktor Frankl (author of the classic best-seller, Man's Search for Meaning), and includes a Foreword by Dr. Stephen Covey (author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). Prisoners of Our Thoughts is already available in 15 languages, with more on the way, and is the basis of a feature-length documentary film that is in pre-production. A revised paperback edition was released in 2008, with a new subtitle, "Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work." This paperback edition includes a new chapter on how readers of the hardcover edition have put the seven principles into action in their everyday lives, in their work, and even in extreme situations such as in Indonesia after the tsunami (where several aid agencies adopted the book as part of their training and relief programs) and in post-Katrina New Orleans. The new edition of Prisoners of Our Thoughts also has been released as an Audiobook, both as a 4-CD Set and in digital download format! The latter version means that it can be obtained from both iTunes and Audible.com, so that you can listen to it on your computer, iPod, or other MP3 player. Here is the direct link to Audible.com: (Prisoners of Our Thoughts Digital Download)

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER! Prisoners of Our Thoughts, a national Top-10 bestseller in Spain (Spanish title: En Busca del Sentido), will be released in a revised edition in early 2009!

Long Bio:
Alex Pattakos, Ph.D., affectionately nicknamed "Dr. Meaning," is widely respected as a pioneer in transformational thinking. In addition to being a principal of The Innovation Group, he is the founder of the Center for Meaning, both based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Alex is passionate about helping people realize their highest potential and find deeper, authentic meaning in their life and work. He is the author of the international best-selling book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, which is based on the wisdom of his mentor, the world-renown psychiatrist, Dr. Viktor Frankl (author of the classic best-seller, Man's Search for Meaning), and includes a Foreword by Dr. Stephen Covey (author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). Prisoners of Our Thoughts is already available in 15 languages and is the basis of a feature-length documentary film that is in pre-production. A revised paperback edition was released in 2008, with a new subtitle, "Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work." This paperback edition includes a new chapter on how readers of the hardcover edition have put the seven principles into action in their everyday lives, in their work, and even in extreme situations such as in Indonesia after the tsunami (where several aid agencies adopted the book as part of their training and relief programs) and in post-Katrina New Orleans. The new edition of Prisoners of Our Thoughts also has been released as an Audiobook, both as a 4-CD Set and in digital download format! The latter version means that it can be obtained from both iTunes and Audible.com, so that you can listen to it on your computer, iPod, or other MP3 player. Here is the direct link to Audible.com: (Prisoners of Our Thoughts Digital Download)

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER! Prisoners of Our Thoughts, a national Top-10 bestseller in Spain (Spanish title: En Busca del Sentido, will be released in a revised edition in early 2009!

Alex proudly describes himself as a "pracademic," that is, someone who seeks to bridge the worlds of the practitioner and academic by linking practice and theory. He is a former therapist and mental health administrator, political campaign organizer, and full-time professor of public and business administration. He's worked closely with several Presidential administrations on social and economic policy matters, and served as an adviser to the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He was also one of the initial faculty evaluators for the Innovations In American Government Awards Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and has been a faculty member at The Brookings Institution. He is a past president of Renaissance Business Associates (RBA), an international, nonprofit association of people committed to elevating the human spirit in the workplace.

Dr. Pattakos understands the challenges facing people in today's uncertain times. Through his work with Fortune 500 companies, public and nonprofit organizations, public speaking, and university teaching, Alex has helped people at all levels build their capacities for organizational and personal transformation, as well as innovate with meaning. In addition to public speaking and working with clients around the world, Alex co-designed and co-taught (with Elaine Dundon) the first of its kind course on Innovation Management at the University of Toronto. As "Dr. Meaning," Alex is committed to ensuring that organizations in all industries and sectors focus on "Innovating with Meaning®" by designing innovation systems, processes, products, and policies that make a positive difference and are truly "meaningful."

Dr. Pattakos was a guest on The Gill Deacon Show, a day-time talk show televised nationally across Canada on CBC Television in front of a live audience from Toronto, Canada, on November 10, 2006. Alex discussed the search for meaning at work and in everyday life. You can watch his interview on The Gill Deacon Show ("streaming on the Web" for both PC and Mac) via his virtual office in the Global Dialogue Center: Pattakos Television Interview.

Contact Information:
(alex@prisonersofourthoughts.com)
(alex@seedsofinnovation.com)
(Tel: 505.988.5235)

The Team:
The Innovation Group's team consists of highly motivated and talented senior consultants and facilitators who specialize in our unique approach to "Innovating with Meaning®." Their expertise covers a broad range of industry sectors.