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“You have to be a bit of a pipe dreamer to be an inventor, but you also need to be skilled and disciplined enough to get the job done. Each person is unique with the skills they bring to invention. Each person gets to do it their own way and I respect that.”
-Dr. Angele Sjong, Xinova Innovator
Which came first, the seed or the sheep? Well, in our case the sheep needs to come first because grass seeds are a potentially lethal problem for them. To keep sheep fleece seedless (say that five times real fast), we are introducing a new category of opportunity: Request for Technology (RFT)! This is our first challenge focusing on existing technology, and there are more to come! Check out the RFT. And while you’re there, check out the new RFI on slimmer, stronger snack packs.
Speaking of introductions… I’m Brad. You’ve been hearing from me for a while though I may not have had the chance to properly say hello. I run our network and automation programs: my amazing team is responsible for a lot of changes to make your involvement in this community as frictionless and valuable as possible. Friction? Well, I’m a materials science nerd and interfaces are irresistible.
I hope you’ve enjoyed our newsletters; that they’ve planted their own seed of invention for you. And I know this is not a group of sheep – your backgrounds and innovative contributions are impressive. Just look at our featured innovator, Angele Sjong, PhD. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her for over eight years and just learned in her profile that her innovation spirit animal is a unique species of anteater. Oh, and Leslie Wainwright recommends innovating like zebras. published in September
I’d love to hear from you and you’ll be hearing more from me soon!
Seedless Sheep – RFT
We are seeking existing technologies that keep grass seeds from infesting sheep fleece and migrating into their tissue like shrapnel, a painful and potentially lethal condition known as Grass Seed Infestation (GSI).
To learn more, sign-up for the webinar on Seedless Sheep!
Slimmer, stronger snack packs – RFI 
Can you think of ways to make snack bags slimmer and more puncture-proof? Trimming down on snack packaging materials would lighten the load on Mother Earth and save millions of dollars. They just can’t get flimsier; more holes in packaging is a no-go.
published in September
To learn more, view our recorded webinar for Slimmer, stronger snack-packs!
Xinova Updates
C-Suite challenged to balance innovation and risk
“The challenges between the C-suite and R&D organization is that the R&D organization wants to innovate, but often the C-suite has created a company through just evolution that is really unable to take those innovations and commercialize them efficiently.”
– Edward Jung, CEO, Xinova
Innovate like Zebras
“As we see the pace of technology change accelerate… your window to get to leadership continues to get smaller and smaller.” published in September
– Leslie Wainwright, innovation advisor, RTI International
Featured Innovators:
Dr. Angela Sjong
Invention, Anteater Style
“Invention isn’t pretty. Invention involves head-banging, head-butting, clawing, bulldozing and inhaling information. I might imagine solutions, then recoil from these outlandish ideas that offend my engineering sensibilities. Two days later I may do it a different way, and solve what wasn’t previously workable. That may become the invention. Far more often though, I biff it. Invention involves a lot of faceplants.” published in September