Cultivating The Innovator Mindset: A Lifelong Journey

In her talk “Cultivating the Innovator Mindset: A Lifelong Journey” at the Hybrid Innovation Symposium, Betti Marenko explores the intertwined nature of creativity, design, and innovation within conditions of uncertainty. She distinguishes creativity as the capacity to generate new and valuable ideas, and innovation as the process of realizing these ideas into impactful outcomes. Arguing that innovation thrives not through rigid methods but within dynamic “problem spaces,” Marenko emphasizes that uncertainty is not an obstacle to overcome but a vital material to work with. Through this lens, Hybrid Innovation becomes a container for experimenting with uncertainty, encouraging open-ended inquiry, problem-finding, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Central to this framework is lifelong learning—the continuous, self-motivated pursuit of knowledge and adaptability that equips individuals to navigate accelerating change. Marenko highlights “learning to learn” as a critical skill, fostering resilience, agility, and creativity in the face of global complexity. She concludes by redefining cultivation—through patience, care, and attentiveness—as essential to nurturing the innovator’s mindset. Rather than embracing speed and disruption, Hybrid Innovation champions a slower, more reflective approach to creativity and transformation, cultivating the conditions in which innovation can truly emerge.