Thomas Stat

Architect, Artist, Brainstormer, Business mentor, Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Connector, Consultant, Designer, Educator/Teacher, Engineer, Entrepreneur, Filmmaker, Foodie, Idea generator, Inventor, Investor, Jewish, Producer, Writer/Editor

Tom directs Design Labs at Gensler, focused on leveraging the power of design and amplifying impact for the largest design firm in the world (6500 people in 50 offices globally). To describe the range of Gensler's work, last year, Gensler designed the second tallest building in the world (Shanghai Tower), a concept drone port for Uber Elevate and a wine brand/label. Before joining Gensler, Tom was an associate partner at IDEO for 12 years, where he co-led the Chicago office, and was a member of the firm's global leadership team. His educational background includes Aerospace Engineering at Purdue University, Social Psychology at Boston University, Architecture and Fine Arts at The Rhode Island School of Design, and Marketing and Business administration at Stanford. Tom is a devout design thinker and dedicated innovation strategist with an extensive experience working with companies and focusing on disruptive and transformational innovation. From product development and service design, branding and communication, business management and modeling, and environment and experience design, Tom has worked in a wide range of industries with a diversity of companies and organizations including 3M, AT&T, Eli Lilly, Procter & Gamble, Chrysler, American Express, Johnson & Johnson, Sodexo, Sony, The University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Beyond Gensler and IDEO, Tom has worked at a number of global design firms including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Murphy Jahn, The Environments Group, and Perkins & Will. Tom has also helped start up 4 separate companies and holds 12 patents in his name. Tom is active speaker and teacher on design thinking and is a TED devotee and supporter. He resides in Chicago, lived for two years in Japan and has traveled extensively throughout Asia, Europe and the U.S.

Design, business DNA and operating systems, relationship development, psychological safety, politics, education, gravity, waffles, small children, gene editing, puppies, world peace, my family, health and wellness, and socks

The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of the conversations you have with yourself AND the comfort of your socks. The single most destructive and counter-productive behavioral model in the world is the paradigm of a zero sum game. In every aspect of life (with the exception of the fictional reality of sports) we need not have a winner and a loser.

Architecture, Business Development, Consulting, Design Research, Design Thinking, Innovation, Innovation and Change, Innovation Management, Marketing Management, Photography, Relationship Management, Story Telling and Communications, Teaching, Writing

My path to TED: Astronaut Candidate > Aerospace > Photography > Astronomy > Psychology > Fine Arts > Architecture > Real Estate > Japan > Strategic Consulting > IDEO > TED > Eleven Consulting Group > Gensler The overriding story: Curiosity + Empathy + Optimism + Design = TED

Pitching low and inside fastballs, speed climbing stairs, dash board drums, making dairy free waffles, IT support, fixing anything, listening.