Jenn Gustetic
My Words to the Class of 2023: Invest in ...

This May I will be delivering the undergraduate commencement speech for Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida, my undergraduate alma mater of nearly 20 years ago. The commencement will be live streamed starting at 2 PM on Friday May 5.

Today, the college has more than 10,000 enrolled students, curriculum that spans 10 departments, 15 degree programs and more than 20 centers and institutes.

To say that this is an incredible honor to me is an understatement; I was floored by the invitation and, recognizing the responsibility that comes with such an invitation, have put significant thought into my remarks to the graduates, family and faculty that will be in attendance. I focus on two primary themes: the importance of meaningful relationships, and the opportunity before you to change the possible, both on and off this planet.

I am posting my remarks here for posterity’s sake and to allow them to be shared or commented on after the event itself. Congrats to the new graduates, and Go Gators!!

My Words to the Class of 2023: Invest in Relationships to Change the Possible
Emerging Technologies, Automation, Culture and Organizational Development, Design Thinking, Future of Work
Jenn Gustetic
Outcomes from Harvard Kennedy School ...

As my 2018-19 DigitalHKS fellowship with the Harvard Kennedy School focused on the Future of Work comes to a formal close this week I wanted to take a moment to share a consolidated list of the resulting products publicly released to date.

Outcomes from Harvard Kennedy School Fellowship, 2018-2019
Jenn Gustetic
A Q&A on the Future of Work

In late November 2018, I delivered the opening keynote at the Future of Work 2018 Conference hosted by the University of Melbourne Center for Workplace Leadership[1], where I described how to keep people at the center of the future of work discussion. After my talk (which I will post after a public link is available), I was interviewed for a short video segment to share the highlights. In preparing for the interview, I found the questions to explore a thoughtful, comprehensive look at the scope of the discussion on the future of work, and thus I wanted to share my answers. 

I am interested in your reactions. Do you agree with my thoughts? Disagree? Why?

A Q&A on the Future of Work
Future of Work, Technology Policy, Innovation, Design Thinking, Automation, Emerging Technologies
Jenn Gustetic
Visualizing Jobs of the Future: Putting People ...

It is clear there is not a consensus on what the overall job loss or creation impact of emerging technologies could be with wide ranging estimates of across sectors. Further, while predictions for job loss like these abound, there are far fewer organizations working on envisioning the future of work and the jobs of the future that will employ the workforce of the future as current jobs are changed by automation and other emerging technologies. 

This is where I’ve focused my research with my digitalHKS research fellowship. Since January 2018 I’ve been collaborating with Bill Eggers and Amrita Datar from the Deloitte Center for Government insights to humanize the future of work and visualize the impact of technology on jobs to empower organizations, employees, and individuals to create a more positive future. 

Visualizing Jobs of the Future: Putting People at the Center in the Future of Work

design thinking

Book Summary: The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs

Book Summary: The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs

Written in 1961 (and still relevant today), “The Death & Life of Great American Cities” is a classic book that brilliantly attacked conventional design, planning, construction, policy & finance approaches & suggests an alternate diversity & vitality-based approach for city making & inclusive economic development. I am officially a Jane Jacobs fan girl. This post includes my long summary in the following major categories:

  • Lively, productive cities are processes of organized complexity—where citizens are experts to engage

  • Diverse cities are generative engines for the economy, ideas & upward mobility

  • Cities must enable multiuse; zoning for single use is death

  • Streets & sidewalks are the fundamental unit of tolerance, city safety, public life & child rearing

  • Old & new buildings are needed for diversity of enterprises & population

  • To grow the middle class cities must value residents before they are middle class, investing in low income areas

  • Convert the cataclysmic uses of money into constructive forces

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Eight Common Challenges to Scaling Innovation

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Eight Common Challenges to Scaling Innovation

Implementing an innovative approach within the federal government takes relentlessness, stamina, and strategy. It can be incredibly lonely. You are often your own best champion. It can feel impossible-- like being the underdog trying to win a sporting match. But after all the frustrations and setbacks, when you win that first match it is also overwhelmingly satisfying.

But for the change agents in government, winning the first match is not enough. To make innovative approaches more routine, winning one match is just the beginning. The scaling challenge begins when you try to win over and over—and when you try to get more people to join your team.