W. Ethan Eagle

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Wayne State University

Professor W. Ethan Eagle is a faculty member of Mechanical Engineering at Wayne State University. He brings experience with DOE Lab-Corps and NSF I-Corps programs for training scientists how to teach technology commercialization from both national lab and university settings. Rather than experiencing the ‘commuting’ through a polluted, noisy, disconnected urban landscape, he envisions that the next generation of mobility can create a connected, restorative, and entertaining ride. He

believes achieving this vision requires accelerating new ideas into prototypes that can rapidly provide feedback and design iteration. He supports the Lear Innovation Ecosystem by actively recruiting a pipeline of national and international talent straight to the heart of Detroit. He received his doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan.

One of the most valuable training programs I have participated in. They not only teach you a good process for developing innovation projects and how to get the support needed to have success, but also teach you tools that can be used in any project. You will learn tactics to successfully communicate with all of the different personality types.
- Joe Kankal, Ammara Designs
Innovation is often misunderstood. It can be thought of as 'play' at work. It can be demanded irrationally with unrealistic expectations. The tools taught through the Innovatrium lead to intelligent insights and practical steps for finding creative breakthroughs where organizations often suffer paralyzing blind-spots.
- John Kuzava, Xperience
My biggest take-away from the CPI course is that true, lasting innovation requires all types of personalities, not just the creative go-getters we think of when we picture an innovator! Any innovation that reaches a certain level of success will have a team of creative, collaborative, control-orientated and competitive roles, fulfilled to the level necessary for that organization and product's needs. Jeff and the Innovatrium team have changed my thinking around what is possible in my organization and in my career. Thank you!
- Anonymous
Due in part to this CPI program, I am redefining the business model for my small start up company to take advantage of our forward position in an expanding market and am also leveraging the skills developed within this program to lead a strategic planning and visionary effort within my primary organization.
- Josh Schaidle, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
I am excited to explore making a start up company. I envision a day when I see other people using my product.
- Victoria Hicks, Meritor
The Innovatrium's CPI Program helped me to make a long lasting change in myself and my career. I happily recommend the program to anyone who is looking to improve their ability to innovate, be it by changing their perspective or helping them find the tools that they need to succeed. The CPI leaders, Jeff DeGraff and Bill Lloyd, are best in class educators and mentors who have decades of experience innovating and helping innovate. Let them be your guides and they will not let you down.
- Michael Skrzynski, Stryker
The Innovatrium program structure helped me to create an innovation practice through its unique instructional approach: prework, in-person session, biweekly breakout sessions for the following three months with opportunities for 1on1 coaching and a Project presentation after four months with excellent personal feedback. Jeff and team's approach uses clearly articulated principals and well-designed tools which support very rich application to many different types of projects, as we witnessed within our class in addition to the breadth of examples Jeff shared in person.
- Barb Termaat, Cisco

Instructor

W. Ethan Eagle

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Wayne State University

Staney DeGraff

Jim Fish

Jeff DeGraff

John DeGraff

W. Ethan Eagle

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Instructor

W. Ethan Eagle

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Wayne State University