As one of the world’s leading animation companies, Pixar approaches corporate innovation with techniques that help students think creatively, effectively aiding their future careers. The Turner School of Entrepreneurship hosted a roundtable discussion addressing corporate innovation with the Living Learning Community using Pixar as an example.
Marcos Hashimoto, the managing director of the Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and assistant professor Brent Wiley welcomed students to learn about Pixar’s strategies from firsthand experiences on Monday.
Hashimoto shared that he has been assisting with proposals, mainly in Brazil, to help business owners implement an innovative culture among their employees.
He said “The Pixar Way” is an excellent example of an innovative company that fights hard to go against corporate rules as the company grows in the field.
“This company is widely known and one of the best examples of building a culture toward innovation,” Hashimoto said. “Their example can be applied to all organizations, and students with a career goal should know the good (and the bad) things that happen in organizations that favor or threaten a culture toward innovation and how to overcome these barriers.”
Wiley spoke to students about the book, animation and innovation because he has experience researching areas involving Pixar’s Renderman Specification and is interested in entrepreneurship.
Wiley explained how business case studies involving animation are hard to come by, offered his viewpoints, gave advice to those interested in learning more about innovation and animation and listened to the student’s questions and comments.
“Investigate the majors offered by the interactive media department,” Wiley said. “If you are specifically interested in animation, please consider the animation major. Schedule a visit with myself, professor Aria Dines or professor Scott Cavanah. We would love to talk about what our program has to offer.”
Blake Niewinksi, a sophomore game art major, both hosted and participated in the discussion. As a part of the All Living Learning Community program, he delegated the questions students asked.
“I learned that it takes more than just yourself to achieve goals. For students within the creative field, they have to learn how to work with others well and bounce ideas off of each other if they wish to rise above their peers,” Niewinksi said.
For more information about The Turner School of Entrepreneurship, visit Bradley’s website.
