Disruptors

The Creativity Economy Part 2: From the Classroom to the Boardroom

Episode Summary

Can it be taught or is it something you have to be born with? How can students maintain it while transitioning to the more highly-constrained corporate world? And how do some of Canada’s most successful companies harness and foster it? Those are just a few of the questions that will be answered, as Disruptors, an RBC podcast, continues its special series on creativity. On this episode, host John Stackhouse is again joined by co-host Trinh Theresa Do for a series of conversations with some truly iconic Canadian organizations. They’ll explore the importance of ‘integrative thinking’ with the help of Josie Fung, the executive director of I-Think at the Rotman School of Business. They’ll discuss how creativity is at the root of Canada’s incredible contributions to the world of animation, with the president of Sheridan College, Janet Morrison. They’ll talk to Tom Waller from Lululemon and Brittany Forsyth* from Shopify, to learn how the two companies hire and retain creatives -- and foster environments in which creative types can flourish. They’ll also speak with Julien Laferrière from video-game giant Ubisoft Montreal, and hear from Richard Florida, the noted urban studies theorist behind the 2002 book “The Rise of the Creative Class.” If you haven’t heard it already, be sure to listen back to the first episode in this two-part series for a more foundational discussion about creativity, featuring a compelling line-up of experts from organizations including Cirque du Soleil, the Creative Destruction Lab, Acumen Law, OCAD University and the Metalworks Institute.

Episode Notes

To learn more about the companies and institutions who participated in this podcast, visit their websites: I-Think, Sheridan College, Shopify, Lululemon, and Ubisoft Montreal. Richard Florida can be contacted through the strategy firm he founded, the Creative Class Group, and you can also follow him on Twitter; @Richard_Florida. Click the following link to listen to the first episode in this series; The Creativity Economy Part 1: A (New) Power Skill for the 2020s. John also referenced a previous Disruptors episode about gaming and esports, which you can find HERE. You can access RBC’s full research hub on creativity at RBC.com/thoughtleadership.

*Brittany Forsyth has announced she will be stepping down from her role at Shopify effective June, 2021.