This July, Kerstin had the unique opportunity to attend the prestigious Innovative Technology Leader course at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business in Silicon Valley. This remarkable experience was made possible through a scholarship awarded by the CSIRO ON Program and Stanford Australia Foundation in 2020. Kerstin extends her deepest gratitude to ON advisors David Burt, Ian Brown, David Ireland, Kate Milton, and Emily Chang, as well as to Aaron Bilstrom from the Stanford Australasian Association. Special thanks also go to Louise Brown, CEO of HydGene Renewables, for her support and for encouraging Kerstin to explore her passion for the commercialization and industrialization of scientific innovations.
The Stanford experience was transformative in many ways. The course director, Baba Shiv, guided the group through a rich curriculum that explored not only technology but also leadership, business strategy, customer engagement, and design thinking. Kerstin particularly appreciated the deep dive into the science of decision-making, which emerged as one of the most memorable and impactful aspects of the course. Another valuable takeaway was the role of meditation in enhancing resilience and leadership, offering insights into the positive effects of mindfulness on decision-making abilities.
Despite the incredible learning opportunities, Kerstin was surprised by the lack of diversity among course participants, with women notably underrepresented. She believes that more scholarships and opportunities are needed to empower female leaders to attend such life-changing programs.
Her key lesson from this experience? The power of relationships. "People invest in people," Kerstin notes. "Building relationships lies at the heart of every decision. I look forward to continuing to grow from the connections and insights gained at Stanford."
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