Innovation and You

By Leyla Karimova

Leyla Karimova is a creative and innovative individual with a diverse background in entrepreneurship, marketing and business administration. Her academic journey reflects a commitment to both marketing and technical subjects. Starting as a marketing major, she later transitioned to STEM-related courses, prospects of product design and innovative startups. The intersection of entrepreneurship and technical sciences became a perfect match for Innovation Academy courses and team project management. During last summer’s IA Catalyst 2023, her team was honored the Power of Design Award by offering a solution which improved the reliability of Wi-Fi services for a telecom industry company.

I know many of you are wondering, what is innovation exactly? You may see all these emerging technologies which seem so complicated and hard to wrap your mind around but let me ask you differently: have you ever felt like some things in your life are just so inconvenient and you just wished that they were a bit better?

Here you go, this is the first and most important step in innovation when you become aware of the problem and see the chance to improve the existing solution by using your own creativity.

I remember the first time I had a “spark moment.” It happened when I moved out of my parent’s house to live on my own in Tampa. There were many tasks and challenges that I just did not know how to do, and one of them was cooking. Though I was lucky to have access to various culinary recipes and online videos, I would always lose a fight against oil splattering. Not to say that I am lazy but spending an extra 10-15 minutes cleaning was never ideal for me. That is how the idea of KNOL was born, a lid with a hole that prevents oil splattering during frying while protecting your clothes from greasy stains and reducing risk of minor skin burns.

Though I found an opportunity to innovate through being open and alert to everyday issues, it was only until my Innovation Academy classes that I have learned all the needed tools and skills of how to make my thoughts and ideas tangle into a real product. This experience made me realize that “innovation” is just another skill that you can learn and strengthen through trying repeatedly.

You have to understand and fit into the “shoes” of the product’s final user. That is why reaching out and actually talking to others will be your biggest help in discovering what really matters to them. Though it might seem scary and intimidating, the answer will always be “no” unless you try and put yourself out there. If you don’t go and seek opportunities to speak with enthusiasm about your “innovation” to potential customers,  they may not even become aware of it. 

You are going to meet a lot of great people throughout your college journey with different perspectives and backgrounds. From entrepreneurs to medical students, from designers to engineers, you all can contribute to creating and adding value to the world through considering each other’s perspective and evaluating current solutions. Part of the Innovation Academy experience involves being flexible and accepting the fast pace when you will be shifted in and out and partnered up in different teams. As a result, there is not a single person who owns an idea, but rather it is a team effort in which everyone has contributed to achieve the goal of success. This is exactly the unique opportunity that you are offered at the academy, where you become a part of something greater and everyone’s contribution matters.

I am going to leave you on the note that despite the strong connection held between the words “innovation” and “technology,” I would surprise and encourage you by saying that it is ALL about people. People are your end users from whom you can learn so many valuable insights, discover what truly matters to them and improve the existing solutions. People are your teammates, they will brainstorm, collaborate and support you throughout the design-thinking process. And lastly, it is YOU whose creativity will lead the way with new transformative ideas and drive a meaningful change.

Go IA Gators!