My name is Mike Thomas, and I am currently the Chief Innovation Officer at Upstream 360… a unique agency in Cincinnati, Ohio that helps teams around the globe to “Make the Unreal, Real”  Prior to my time at Upstream, I spent over 17 years in the “Innovation Business” at Procter & Gamble.

I decided to start this blog for 3 reasons… 1) I love to write and this blog was the impetus to get started on my first published book, “Agents of Change”. 2) Through my work I have had the opportunity and good fortune to travel the world and to acquire insights, ideas, and experiences across North America, Europe, India, China, and Brazil, and am anxious to share what I have learned.  3) I enjoy gaining even more connections from around the globe and learning from other innovators… we have a unique opportunity to make a profound difference in the world and I hope to share with and learn from as many amazing people as I can.

Why “Innovation on Purpose” as a theme?  As Innovators, we are tasked with the most amazing missions on the planet. Whether we are searching for the elusive cure to a devastating illness, are making technological advances to improve how the world learns and communicates, or are formulating better consumer products and services to improve day-to-day life, we are all on a mission to leave the world better than when we started.  I believe that Innovators are not just those individuals who have innovation on their business cards or who have labels like “The Creatives.” Innovation can happen in any role, at any level by the people who are empowered to take risks, who choose to fearlessly solve the unsolvable problems, and who seek a purpose-driven adventure to change the world.

I currently reside in Cincinnati with my wife and 3 amazing kids.  I don’t know where this blog ultimately will go or what impact it might or might not have… but either way I am excited to throw my ideas and insights out into the cyber-universe and see what happens next!

God Bless and May the Force be with You,

MT