Justine dares to be herself when others seek conformity. No individual or company ever accomplishes meaningful success by running with the pack. It takes courage to be innovative and one can only be innovative by making oneself vulnerable. Vulnerable to criticism, mistakes and failure. Innovators like Justine look at that challenge right in the eye and charge forward. What makes her truly inspirational is her journey is not for self, but service to others.

-Stephanie Brown

Founder & CEO of The Rosie Network

I never heard the word INNOVATION until I moved to Silicon Valley. I remember being blown away by how people took their ideas from their head to real, tangible solutions for the market in weeks, months, and sometimes even days. As I walked onto the campus of Stanford University and began to study Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Graduate School of Business, I was overwhelmed with the thought of how many brilliant people had come before me. Those same people sat in those same chairs, looked at the same views, and were even taught by some of the same professors. To be quite honest, having the opportunity to study at Stanford was an example of Innovation in itself. People from where I come from didn’t statistically go to schools like Stanford, yet here I was, surrounded by people who thought just like me. Different backgrounds, yet, the same creative mindset. People who were dedicated to changing lives, changing organizations, and changing the world. 

Knowing what I know now, I realized that I have been innovating my entire life but I just didn’t know it. I didn’t understand the science and vocabulary behind the term “innovation.” I didn’t understand how to navigate the process of finding product-market fit or even believing that you really can build a company like Facebook & Apple in your own garage. Learning the process of Innovation gave me the power to defy the odds in ways I had never dreamed of.

Today, I am on a mission to redefine the word innovation. I don’t think it belongs to just Silicon Valley and millionaire tech startup founders. We all have the power to create something that wasn’t there before, and that, in my opinion, is the real definition of innovation. I want to create a movement of courageous creators and put power back in the hands of the people. 

Download my free Mini Innovation Workbook to get a head start on how to evaluate innovation in your own life today.