15 Quotes FROM Game Changers, FOR Game Changers … and a Parting Thought

The fourth Cross Industry Innovation Summit, held from Nov. 4-6 at Space Center Houston, brought together top innovation executives from world-leading institutions to discuss innovation and share ideas. Days filled with short talks from a multitude of game changers shared compelling new ways of thinking and problem solving perfect for inspiring NASA Johnson Space Center’s own population of game changers. And, as the center fulfills its historic role in leading human space exploration as we reach again for the Moon, some of the insights shared will help orchestrate our next giant leap—deeper into the cosmos.

Dr. Omar Hatamleh, Executive Chairman, Cross Industry Innovation Summit

1. “Take measured risks; sometimes doing nothing is the bigger risk.”

2. “When strategizing about future markets, don’t anchor yourself in the limitations of present technologies.”

Gray Scott, Futurist and Emerging Technology Expert

3. “Think about the cosmos as an ancient algorithm. As we evolve, new codes emerge. We are a mirror of the computational nature of the cosmos.”

4. “We should expect the future that we reflect. This is a natural process, and we need to look to nature to be our guidepost to innovation.”

Vanessa De Luca, Editor in Chief, Medium/Zora

5. “If you’re a true creator, you think how to adapt the system to your needs, or innovate and change the model altogether.”

6. “We investigate reality. We access what’s working and what isn’t, continually iterate our processes. (We) invite our colleagues to challenge our thinking, offering alternate perspectives. We investigate our failures. What did we learn? What can we do differently next time?”

7. “Thinking big doesn’t necessarily mean that every project has to be big.”

8. “We do a lot to make sure the voices that have been sidelined for far too long get to be amplified.”

Jennifer Stumm, World-Renowned Violist  

9. “We use laws of nature to help us do our job, rather than fight against it. We talk a lot about flow. That flow is so much more about removing obstacles instead of disrupting the course of the river.”

10. “You take STEM … and add art … and you have a power source.”

11. “What would actually happen if we found the greatest talent waiting in the world?”

Javier Soler, CEO, BBVA United States

12. “This creates the end of siloed experiences. We combine our own services with those of other companies to create superior services within our own channels.”

Charlotte Hubbard, Gates Foundation

13. “Technology can change the world; with great power comes great responsibility.”

Steve Rader, Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation

14. “Ninety percent of all scientists that ever lived are alive today.”

15. “Crowds provide lots of shots on a goal to provide the failures necessary for innovation in an affordable way.”

Even as the center is brimming with innovators and change makers, our historic successes have been made possible because we united as a team when taking on the universe. In order to maintain preeminence in space, we cannot do it alone. As Hatamleh said, “By combining our collective intellect, we will be able to influence and solve some of the world’s most challenging technological problems.”