Innovator, inventor, disruptor and designer to speak at SLCC’s 2019 commencement

Disruptive innovation expert Luke Williams will be the keynote speaker at Salt Lake Community College’s 2019 Commencement, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., May 3, at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.

Williams is a leading global expert in disruptive innovation.  As a consultant, educator and speaker, he has worked internationally with industry leaders such as American Express, GE, Sony, Crocs, Virgin, Disney and Hewlett-Packard to develop new products, services and brands. He is also the author of Disrupt: Think the Unthinkable to Spark Transformation in Your Business. Williams is an inventor and holds more than 30 patents and has designed over 100 products.

He is executive director of the W.R. Berkley Innovation Lab and Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the New York University Stern School of Business. He was previously an adjunct professor and is also a fellow at frog design, a global design firm founded in 1969.

An in-demand speaker worldwide, in 2013 Williams addressed the United Nations General Assembly, where he spoke about the future of entrepreneurship, as well as the World Innovation Forum in New York and the World Business Forum in Milan. He has also been featured in many prestigious news outlets, including Bloomberg BusinessweekFast Company and National Public Radio.

“We are looking forward to hearing what Luke Williams has to say about the world of work, business and industry,” said Dr. Deneece G. Huftalin, president of SLCC. “This is an opportunity for our students to build on what they have already learned at the college and go out and make an impact in our world.”