Certified Professional Innovator
Certificate Program

Certified Professional Innovator Program (Online w/ coaching)
How to Make Innovation Happen in Your Organization

This program includes a series of 14 educational videos that can be complemented with a more rigorous certification program. The Certified Professional Innovator (CPI) program is intended to develop the competency of high potential leaders in the theory and practice of innovation. The program is rooted on the principle that innovation can only be learned by doing and through many short bursts of experimentation.

The program is designed to inject the innovators’ mindset and the best practices of innovators in the participants and foster innovation skills by jumpstarting real innovation projects. Leaders receive coaching while creating prototypes or proof of concepts for their projects and learn how to move their projects through their organization in real time. Therefore, their skills are developed through doing real work, facing real challenges, and navigating real environments. Leaders will receive certificates from the University of Michigan College of Engineering.

The certification is comprised of a 12-week curriculum with specific syllabus and assignments for each week, including videos, workbook assignments, and reports. During the program, participants, functioning as a cohort, communicate and collaborate with each other and faculty through a series of webinars and discussions. The program culminates in project pitches.

The cost for the 12 week certification is 1K for UM alumni and 3K for non-alumni and includes:

Innovation Leadership Assessment

14 instructional videos and self-paced modules about the fundamental innovation principles, method, and process

A CPI workbook for the 14 video modules

12 week program

Bi-weekly group coaching and teleconference for 90 days after the boot camp to build on momentum, keep participants focused and projects moving along, and help participants develop a proof of concept/prototype

Project review teleconference where participants present a venture capital committee style short pitch summarizing their innovation project, its progress, key insights, and future plans

Each segment of the program is designed to engage leaders in action based learning experiences and to develop real expertise in innovation. In this rigorous, multi-media program, you will explore and master research-proven and real world-tested methods in a minimal amount of time.

The online course can be further supplemented with personal, in-country coaching and seminars by Jeff DeGraff to get your organization’s innovation journey kick-started. This cost will vary with location and timing, and ranges from US $20,000 to 50,000 and regular business expenses (travel + materials).

Also available is an optional 2-day in-person jump-start program.

Please contact Staney DeGraff (staneyd@innovatrium.org) for more information or to register.

Or learn more below

Printable Program Detail Sheet
Program Format

Program Format

In this unique program, participants will complete distance learning assignments and collaborate with peers in online communities of practice. Throughout the program you will develop, refine, and implement a customized plan to bring about a significant innovation initiative at your organization. Participants will spend an average of three hours per week on program activities when not on site.

Who Should Attend

Who Should Attend

Proven leaders looking to define the next chapter for their organization and their career

Professionals such as doctors, scientists, and engineers who see opportunities in their profession and want the business savvy to take good ideas to commercial reality

Managers who are yearning for the credibility and toolkit to channel their expertise toward more creative, value creating, and game-changing business pursuits

Key Program Elements

Key Program Elements

Selecting and assessing high potential innovation leaders

Diagnosing an organization’s innovation culture and competency

Developing an innovation strategy

Building a high performing innovation team

Launching innovation projects and teams

Jumpstarting processes

Gaining buy-in for solutions

Synchronizing growth opportunities and organizational practices

Action-Based Components

Action-Based Components

The Innovation leadership assessment will help you identify areas in need of innovation and the capabilities you have to bring about change.

You will bring a formidable challenge or ambitious opportunity from your organization and work closely with faculty and peers to develop a comprehensive plan to realize change. You will have the support and input of faculty and peers as you begin to implement your plan and emerge fully prepared to carry out the initiative over time to great effect.

Program Details

Program Details

12 Week Curriculum

Complete online innovation leadership assessment

Watch all 14 videos and complete downloadable modules

Identify suitable innovation focused project or initiative

Develop a challenge statement for an innovation focused project or initiative

Curriculum Content

The Fundamentals of Innovation

Overview of the Innovation Genome

Syncing up the generative forces at all three levels: Strategy, Organizational Culture and Competencies, and Leadership

Diagnosing your innovation leadership style

Current and desired states for program participants

Identify innovation themes and hotspots

Innovation Processes and Measurement

Effective use of divergent and convergent processes

How to Get Buy-in

Eliciting sponsors and getting resources to push innovation through

Collaborative Innovation

Finding new sources of innovation in a changing world

Setting High-Quality Targets

Developing a viable strategy for innovation

Creating a shared vision

Enlisting Deep and Diverse Domain Experts

Identifying and enrolling innovation team members

Building a high-performing innovation team

Taking Multiple Shots on Goal

Jumpstarting processes and innovation solution selection techniques

Gaining buy-in for solutions

Learning from Experience and Experiments

After action reviews

Socializing and institutionalizing innovation projects and initiatives

Action Planning

Develop action plans for the next 3 months

Launch project and teams

Coaching

The 12 week program comes with bi-weekly group teleconference so that faculty and colleagues can provide guidance and feedback on innovation projects and initiatives.

Final Project Review (Video conference at the end of the 12 week program)

This is a venture capital committee style short pitch summarizing your innovation project or initiative, its progress, key insights and future plans.  The criteria for these innovation solutions are as follows:

Does it provide a viable solution to the challenge?

Is it feasible given the capabilities and resources of the organization?

Does it provide a creative and unique approach to the challenge?

All work will be due at the time of your final presentation.

Certification

Certification

Pending a satisfactory faculty review, a Certified Professional Innovator certificate will be issued by the University of Michigan College of Engineering. 

Required Materials

Required Materials

Making Stone Soup: How to Jumpstart Innovation Teams by Jeff DeGraff

The Certified Professional Innovator: How to Create Innovation in Organizations by Jeff DeGraff

Cost, Payment,
and Cancellation Policies

Cost, Payment,
Cancellation Policies

Please read and agree to the following terms and conditions before registering for the program.

Cost

Public CPI Program:

$3,000 per person
$4,000 per person (if registering a non-US entity)

Discount rates:

2-4 people – no discount
5-10 people – 5% discount
11-25 people – 10% discount
26-49 people – 15% discount
50+ people – 25% discount

Interested in a custom offering?

Please contact Staney DeGraff (staneyd@innovatrium.org).

Special Offer: U of M Alumni, Faculty, Staff, and Students

A special rate of $1,000 has been negotiated for University of Michigan alumni, faculty and students.

Please contact Staney DeGraff (staneyd@innovatrium.org).

Payment

The University of Michigan only accepts credit cards and must receive payment for courses at the time of registration.

Shortly after registration, you will receive and email confirmation including directions, recommended lodging and program details from coe-alumni@umich.edu

Cancellation Policies

Participant Cancellation

Cancellations must be received 18 or more days prior to the start of the program. Cancellations received 0–17 days prior to the start of the program will incur a 100% cancellation fee. All cancellations must be sent via email to staneyd@innovatrium.org. No shows will be charged the full program fee.

Substitutes for registrations can be accommodated with a one-week advance email to staneyd@innovatrium.org.

In-Person Program Cancellation

The University of Michigan reserves the right to amend its program(s) as necessary. In the event of a program cancellation, the University of Michigan is not responsible for costs incurred by registrants (i.e. non-refundable airfare, hotel charges, etc.). The University of Michigan recommends that refundable airline tickets be purchased in case of cancellation.