Chris Flink

As a founding faculty member of the "d.school" (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design) and part of its early leadership team, I currently contribute as an Adjunct Professor co-teaching the Design Capstone course ("Advanced Design" 161 a/b) while supporting the d.school's strategic leadership and its capital campaign. I was previously appointed a Consulting Associate Professor in Engineering (1999-2017), a Lecturer in Marketing at the Graduate School of Business (2011-16), and a faculty Resident Fellow (2013-17). Courses taught include: "Advanced Product Design" (ME 216B), "Human Values in Design" (ME 313), "Brands, Experience & Social Technology" (MKTG 353), "Designing Empathy-based Organizations" (GSBGEN 555), "Social Brands" and "Building Innovative Brands" (MKTG 541 & 552, with Jennifer Aaker). I served proudly as the faculty Resident Fellow for a vibrant innovation-themed undergraduate dorm of more than 130 upperclass students (each year) as they built community and fueled their creative confidence.

JAZZ invests in companies that unlock human potential. We seek breakthroughs at the convergence of technology, science, and humanity — improving how we live, work, and experience the world. JAZZ targets early and growth stage companies in enterprise, wellness, healthcare, and consumer markets. Contributing alongside an impressive cohort of experienced operators, technologists, scientists, and entrepreneurs, as a Venture Partner at JAZZ, I offer expertise in the design and development of compelling products, services and communications, and in the leadership of high-performing interdisciplinary teams. I advise JAZZ's portfolio companies on human-centered design, inspire them to create engaging user experiences, and help craft narratives that resonate with the stakeholders that matter most to their success.

As the Executive Director and CEO, I provided steady leadership for all aspects of the extraordinarily innovative, multifaceted institution. The Exploratorium achieves unparalleled impact as the top-rated museum in San Francisco, a STEM teacher professional development resource for California, and partner for co-creating uniquely engaging learning experiences around the world. My responsibilities included strategic direction setting, extensive fundraising ($175M), guiding organizational change, and oversight of complex operations and financials ($55M/yr operating budget). The Exploratorium, which marked its 50th Anniversary in 2019 with a surge of creative output, was among the first hands-on museums and served as inspiration for similar learning institutions around the world. The New York Times has described the Exploratorium as one of the “10 Coolest Museums in the World” (2018) and as "the most important science museum to have opened since the mid-20th century." It is, however, much more than a museum; it is an R&D center; a public learning laboratory; a designer of inquiry-based learning experiences specializing in the playful exploration of science, art and human perception. The Exploratorium has been highlighted in the book "Forces For Good" as one of the 12 most effective non-profits in the United States.

Over nearly two decades, I thrived in a variety of key leadership roles from co-heading the firm’s global Consumer Experience Design practice to co-founding and managing its New York office while catalyzing change across offices in the eastern United States. I last co-led a Bay Area studio focused on helping clients build creative culture, capabilities, and the internal systems required to sustain innovation and launch new ventures. In addition to operating responsibilities, I played pivotal roles during key inflection points in IDEO’s storied evolution, such as participating in a landmark Nightline episode, leading an internal strategy project to envision the company’s own future (“IDEO 2.0”), overseeing talent acquisition, and guiding several of the firm’s most important client relationships as IDEO expanded in scale and influence. I was the youngest original Partner and stood as the board-appointed 'emergency successor to the CEO' for a decade. Clients served included: Apple, Target, P&G, Pepsi, Palm, Handspring, OXO, Motorola, JetBlue, Bridgewater and many more. IDEO is an award-winning global design firm that takes a human-centered, design-based approach to helping organizations innovate and grow. IDEO identifies new ways to serve and support people by uncovering latent needs, behaviors, and desires. IDEO envisions new companies and brands, and designs the products, services, spaces, and interactive experiences that bring them to life.

As I've built exceptional consulting relationships with top executives throughout my career, I've also been invited to serve on respected Advisory Boards for companies such as DocuSign, JetBlue, Target Corporation, PG&E (ongoing), as well as for a smattering of early-stage companies and investors.

Fiserv is a FORTUNE 500 company with a Market Cap close to $100 billion that was recognized as one of the FORTUNE 'World's Most Admired Companies' in 2014, '15, '16, and Forbes 'America's Best Employers' in 2015. If you're a mobile banking user or pay your bills online – if you interact with a financial institution at all – chances are you're more familiar with Fiserv than you realize. Fiserv, Inc. (FIS) is a leading global technology provider serving the financial services industry, driving innovation in payments, processing services, risk and compliance, customer and channel management, and business insights and optimization. As a board member and adviser to the CEO, I provided critical insights on growth-driving capabilities and emerging technologies while also serving on the Governance Committee.

E*TRADE was a leading financial services company and true pioneer in the online brokerage industry. The E*TRADE Financial family of companies provided financial services including online brokerage and related banking products and services to retail investors (NASDAQ: ETFC). It was an S&P 500 company with more than 4,500 employees before it was acquired by Morgan Stanley for $13 billion in 2020.

Invented, designed, engineered, patented and successfully licensed new product innovations.

Awarded the Chilton Memorial Prize for 'Excellence in Product Design', as top student in my major.

The Stanford MSx Program is an accelerated (12-month), full-time Masters of Science degree program for experienced leaders. I was fully-sponsored.