2025 SAA and SAF AGM

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Tessa Forshaw (Harvard Presidential Scholar, PhD 2025) and Richard Cox Braden (lecturer at Harvard and Stanford) as they introduce their groundbreaking new book, Innovation-ish: How Anyone Can Create Breakthrough Solutions to Real Problems in the Real World.

This book is written for those who don’t see themselves as “innovators,” yet are solving problems every day. Drawing on years of research and teaching at Harvard and Stanford, the authors share practical, science-backed strategies for approaching creativity and innovation—even for people who don’t identify as “creative.”

Expect actionable insights into how cognitive science can fuel problem-solving, leadership, and adaptability in complex environments.

About the Speakers

• Dr. Tessa Forshaw is a cognitive scientist and co-founder of the Next Level Lab, leading research on creative cognition, learning transfer, and AI.
• Richard Cox Braden has taught at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, Stanford’s d.school, and Harvard Extension. Through his firm People Rocket, he has helped leaders at Airbnb, Deloitte, Google, JP Morgan Chase, and The Federal Reserve inspire creativity and transform organisational culture.

About the Book

Already an Amazon Bestseller in Business Entrepreneurship and nominated for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year, Innovation-ish is being praised as a practical playbook for making innovation accessible to everyone.

“Innovation-ish is an actionable playbook for every aspiring innovator. Its frameworks will help you succeed because they capture how real people solve real problems.”

— Stefanos Zenios, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Stanford Graduate School of Business

“Braden and Forshaw draw on research and real-world experience to equip readers with accessible strategies for learning, leading, and adapting with purpose and vision. They skillfully blend fresh ideas and personal agency into a practical guide, making innovation accessible to everyone from students to policymakers. At a time when educational systems are navigating deep complexity.”

— Nonie K. Lesaux, Dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Get Your Copy in Australia

Innovation-ish: How Anyone Can Create Breakthrough Solutions to Real Problems in the Real World

Host or Publisher Stanford Alumni Organisation