GREG HICKS

Defense Business Communications Lead at US Air Force

Greg has spent 30 years driving innovation for companies big and small, scaling and stable, across technology, retail, hospitality, and healthcare, with experience in nearly every business function including sales, marketing, supply chain, IT, operations, and product development.

He has been coaching corporate innovation program leaders in healthcare, finance, technology, and education for the past 10 years. He has also been advising for-profit and non-for-profit startups, helping with all aspects of the startup experience with an emphasis on strategy, product, marketing, and sales.

As a global expert in crowdsourcing, open innovation, and corporate innovation systems, he has directly managed or supervised over 500 crowdsourcing campaigns with communities smaller than 50 users and exceeding 600,000. His crowdsourcing and corporate innovation work includes UnitedHealth Group (Optum, UnitedHealthcare), Amil (Brazil), CME Group (Chicago Mercantile Exchange), Minnetonka Public Schools, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical, University Hospitals Health System, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Penn State University, University of Connecticut, University of Minnesota, Boston College, Dartmouth College, U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Air Force (AFWERX Challenge, AFWERX Prime, and Airmen Powered by Innovation).