Large, global software companies have opportunities to reduce environmental impacts and improve society -- as do other sectors of companies. For example, software and other types of companies can reduce energy, water, and material consumption in theirs and their stakeholders' facilities and operations, and contribute to educational, health, self-sufficiency, and other societal initiatives. But software companies have additional sustainability opportunities that extend well beyond the potential influence of other industry sectors. Software innovators are "social engineers" with tremendous influence to foster or compromise healthy societies. In this lecture, Presidio Graduate School Provost Dr. Dariush Rafinejad, a published expert in sustainable innovation and energy, will demonstrate to Adobe's employees and friends that sustainable innovation hinges on both how to design products and what products to design. Adobe has hired many Presidio Graduate School alumni; come for a taste of the sustainable "systems thinking" education they received.

Presenter Bio

Dariush Rafinejad, Presidio Graduate School

Dr. Rafinejad has had over 30 years of experience as a senior executive in high-tech industries in Silicon Valley. He was a Corporate Vice President at both Applied Materials and Lam Research, both multi-billion dollar semiconductor equipment companies. Prior to PGS, he was Associate Professor, Consulting at Stanford University. He has also served as adjunct faculty at Haas Business School at Berkeley and Dean of Management at Menlo College in Atherton, California. Dr. Rafinejad is the founding CEO of Blue Dome Consulting serving high tech companies in the U.S. and China to develop product innovation and organizational leadership capability. He has authored several publications including two books on product innovation. His recent book was published in 2017 and is titled: Sustainable Product Innovation – Entrepreneurship for Human Well-Being.