Profile

Professional summary

Natalie Jenkins has over 15 years of experience in the innovation and creative thinking field. Her focus has been in helping develop the skills needed to expand and sharpen thinking. Natalie closely collaborates with her clients, helping them develop an innovation plan that is in alignment with their strategic goals.

Natalie has nurtured the development of many new products and services in the area of creative thinking and Innovation.

Specialties: Setting up sustainable innovation initiatives that produce positive results, matching clients with the best talent available for their particular needs and environment, building relationships that last.

Engagement overview

New & Improved is an organizational development firm focused solely on helping people engage in the creative collaboration that leads to problem solving and produces innovation. We’ve helped clients consistently achieve growth through innovation since 1989. Our programs build on 20+ years of experience and more than 60 years of research, and are designed to develop groups and individuals who think creatively and work productively together – to create and sustain innovation leadership. In partnership with our clients we use an integrated approach that combines consulting, assessment, training, facilitation and/or coaching. Our carefully crafted innovation and team effectiveness offerings provide new skills, methods, techniques and approaches to the work people do and the challenges they face at work, at home and within their communities. Innovation is all we do.

Clients

Consumer Packaged Goods:
• Cadbury–Schweppes
• Coca–Cola
• Clorox
• Kraft
• Nestlé
• Johnson & Johnson
• Kodak
• Nestle
• Tyson

Consumer Retail/Experience:
• Bath & Body Works
• McDonald’s
• Disney

Financial Services/Consulting:
• American Express
• Deloitte & Touche
• Diners Club
• Charles Schwab
• Ernst & Young
• Federal Reserve Bank
• GE
• Invesco
• Işbank
• Royal Bank of Canada
• UBS

Technology:
• Acme Electronic
• Agilent Technologies
• Compaq
• Scientific Games
• Texas Instruments

Health Care:
• Baxter
• Novartis
• Centocor
• National Alliance for Health Information Technology
• Louisiana Healthcare Collaborative
• Merck
• Novo Nordisk
• Pfizer
• Zimmer
• Schick Technologies

Automotive:
• GM
• Mercedes Benz

Government:
• US Federal Executive Institute
• US AID
• US EPA
• US Navy
• New York State:
 Governor’s Office on Employee Relations
 Division of Budget
 Office of Child & Family Services
 Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services
• Singapore Institute of Management

Conferences Where We Regularly Present:
• Creative Problem Solving Institute
• Mind Camp
• World Grain Summit
• Institute for Food Technology
• American Creativity Conference
• South African Creativity Conference
• Creativity European Association
• Innovation Network Convergence

Other Interesting Folks:
• Wide range of small, family held businesses
• Not-for-profit organizations of every size and type
• Various Universities and Business Schools

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Areas of expertise
Key clients
  • General Motors
  • General Electric
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • Pfizer
Insights

Question: How do we deal with competitors, who are more advanced (funding, experience, design, longer, larger team etc.)

You've got some good tips here to jump start your thinking. Every business is under constant pressure to perform and deliver value.

Reading between the lines a bit it would seem that your number one challenge is business development. The fact that the competition you mentioned has a bigger budget, etc. is really just noise to you since you are targeting a different buyer. It'd be an interesting ... Read more

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