TEDxArcadiaUniversity Speaker: Russ Starke
Russ Starke is Vice President of Experience Design at Think Brownstone. Russ has an M.S. from Bloomsburg University in Instructional Technology, a B.S. in Telecommunications from Kutztown University, and has been an adjunct graduate faculty member in Philadelphia University’s Digital Design and Instructional Technology programs since 1999.
Over the past 15 years he has worked with corporate and non-profit clients as an award winning Experience Designer, Information Architect, Instructional Designer, Business Analyst, Project Manager and Multimedia Specialist. Currently he is an Experience Design leader at Think Brownstone and is also deeply involved in Business Development, Operations, Marketing, Recruitment, and Account Management.
What inspires you?
I'm inspired by virtuosos – people who have relentlessly kept at something, honed an ability to jaw-dropping mastery, and put a spin on it all their own...I don't care if it's playing the cello, working with cement, making a pizza, or creating a spreadsheet. I'm even more inspired by those who then cultivate those skills in others, encourage experimentation, and remain humble, collaborative, and graceful.
How do you feel you relate to our Talk, Passion and Creativity in Leadership?
For me it's all about treating leadership as a long, complex, ever-changing and evolving project – and continuing to return to the tools that have never failed me in my craft: universal principals of design. At the heart of great design is empathy, respect, and the desire to move something toward its ideal state...ultimately making the world a better place, even if just for a small subset of people. Those are the kinds of principles I want in my leaders, and the ones I hope to better cultivate in my own leadership.
