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In the Loop: Maura Shea

November 4, 2014
12:30-2:00pm CST
IIT Institute of Design, 6th floor
350 N LaSalle St
Chicago, IL 60654

Social innovation x 10,000: Implementing human centered design within a 170 year old organization.


Social innovation is nothing new to the YMCA. With a long history of serving the needs of people and communities, the Y has been a national agent for change in programming, partnerships, and policy, building healthy kids, families, and communities. Maura will outline some of the opportunities and challenges facing design thinkers working in the social sector and will share insights on implementing design strategy and service design within YMCA of the USA.


About Maura


Maura Shea, Senior director of strategic innovation at YMCA of the USA, has been working with YMCA in the strategic innovation department since 2008, researching drowning prevention strategies, developing a nationwide upgrade of the YMCA Day Camp, and, among other projects, designing Togetherhood, the Y’s signature program for social responsibility. She brings skills in qualitative research, strategy development, product and service design, and training for capacity building to the Y movement.


Maura spent nearly a decade at IDEO, a leading global design consultancy, where she designed innovative products and services for companies including Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Eli Lilly, Mercedes Benz, the BBC, and the National Health Service in the UK.Maura holds a master’s degree in design from IIT Institute of Design in Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in literature and philosophy from Macalester College.


Maura will speak as part of "In the Loop", a lecture series on design, innovation and entrepreneurship organized by IIT Institute of Design faculty. The series engages a wide range of speakers that present on topics ranging from theoretical research and emerging methodologies that are relevant to the field of design as well as personal narratives and examples from current design practice.

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