Leadership Team

“My role is to align people who are completely committed to driving industry-changing ideas to market. We empower curiosity inside our company and inside yours. Ultimately, my job is to make even our most traditional clients perform like there is an entrepreneur in every seat.”

Experience includes: Founder of Maddock Douglas, 3-2-1-Launch! and McGuffin Creative Group, featured innovation columnist, Bloomberg-Businessweek; cochairman, Entrepreneurial Conclave Gathering of Titans; former President, Young Entrepreneur’s Organization of Chicago.

Mike in 30 seconds: optimistic walks on hands dog person gemini margaritas HF ISU NU ENFP orange green lake loyal master angler gunnar cody a beautiful bride connector shawshank redemption navy brat cartoonist class clown woodworking ely acts of service sweetness S.E. hinton entrepreneur ECCL 11: 3–5 highly competitive reading styx maddog Dreamer

Get info on having Mike speak
Read Mike's articles in Forbes
Read Mike's articles in Bloomberg Businessweek
Check out Mike's books: Free The Idea Monkey, Brand New and Flirting With the Uninterested

"At the end of the day the number of successful innovations that we help drive to market is all I care about. Clients often tell us that working on innovation with us brings out the best in their teams – which inspires all of us. But in the end it is about the idea getting to market. That's what matters most to us and our clients."

Experience includes: Featured innovation columnist, Bloomberg-Businessweek; professor for the Masters in Business Innovation, CEDIM, Monterrey, Mexico; guest lecturer, Graduate Program of the Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies; Board Member, Conscious Capitalism Alliance; Principal, Two by Four Communications; Management Consultant, Bricker & Associates; Director of Planning, Sears Roebuck de Mexico; District Merchant/Store Manager, Sears Roebuck. MBA University of Loyola Chicago.

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Read Raff's articles in Bloomberg Businessweek
Check out Raff's book: Free The Idea Monkey

"My main responsibility at Maddock Douglas is to size the innovation opportunity. It is an amazing process to watch product, service or business model ideas come to life. They start as unmet needs and grow to become solutions that truly resolve problems (or tensions) consumers may not have even known they had. The key question that we get from clients (and particularly the CFOs) is, 'How large of an opportunity is that idea?' or, 'What will my return on the investment look like?' I am responsible for generating the numbers to answer those questions. And if the idea is not 'big enough' I have the data to fix that too. Did I tell you that I love numbers?"

Experience includes: Copernicus Marketing Consulting; Yankelovich Partners; Yankelovich Clancy Shulman; School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.

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Check out Luisa's book: Brand New

"I champion and direct our project teams and resources while galvanizing and energizing client relationships to ensure the highest level of collaboration and the greatest impact from our engagements. I help align the goals and aspirations of our clients with the passions and capabilities of our people to bring magic to our interactions, our work and the outcomes we create."

Experience includes: Office lead and associate partner at IDEO, adjunct lecturer at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering, The Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, The University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business, DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and the Carlson School of Management. Served on the board of The Edison Awards, serves on the board of Chicago Ideas Week (“CIW”), is a senior advisor to CIW’s You(th) program, a member of the CIW Co-Op and host of The Edison Talks. Aerospace Engineering at Purdue University, Social Psychology at Boston University, Fine Arts and Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design and Marketing Management at Stanford University.

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“I work with inspired and enlightened business leaders who are committed to changing their industries for the better. Specifically, I coach, plan and align the Maddock Douglas methodologies and resources required to help create the new products, services or business models leaders need.

Maddock Douglas has spent more than 21 years fine-tuning their approach to identify the leadership mindset and corresponding innovation processes to help leaders achieve their industry-changing goals. My job is to put the right leaders and the right processes together.”

Experience includes: Entrepreneur; Vice President Marketing, Markitecture; Brand Manager, Scholastic Inc.

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"My favorite wish from clients is the wish for really big ideas. I love being part of making that wish come true. In my experience the biggest ideas happen only when you find ways to challenge your own prejudice – to get outside your jar. My job is to orchestrate ways for our clients to see new opportunities and new ideas to meet these opportunities."

Experience includes: VP and Product Manager, Theikos; VP and Client Partner, Leapnet; Director of Digital Strategy, Sapient; Founder, Figure 1.

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“I chose to be in innovation for two reasons: 1) Every fiber of my being is ignited by the possibilities that putting a ‘frame on infinity’ represents, and 2) I believe that innovation is the cure for the malaise of modernity—of the stifling conventions and muffling routines that lead men to small risks and small rewards. The divergent and convergent processes of innovation play the role of a chrysalis—breaking the clay of grey men, revealing the colors of the sleeping poet, painter or musician within.”

Experience includes: Olympic speedskater on team USA. Silver medal winner at the 1994 Winter Olympics. Product designer with a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University’s “d.school.” Marketing strategist with an MBA from Kellogg School of Business. Principal at Diamond Management & Technology Consultants. User experience design at Enron. Program management at Goldman Sachs. Multiyear strategic transformation at U.S. Cellular, including culture of innovation. 


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"Would your new, industry-changing ideas be understood by a 5th grader or someone from another country or culture? Successful new ideas launched in the marketplace should be universal. And my role is to break down the complex language of new processes/technologies and translate them into simpler visual expressions that make your new ideas seem familiar and comfortable when in fact they are complex and unique. I use design as a way to capture, articulate and elevate the core idea into actionable plans for the team and its developers."

Experience includes: Co-founder of Maddock Douglas Inc.; AIGA, Design Management Institute; In-Store Marketing Institute; CPG Branding and Marketing, Brand Packaging Group.

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"It's gotta move the success needle in a meaningful way...great insights and great ideas are only as great as the way they are communicated to your audience. I am committed to changing the financial services industry for the better and making sure that the message about your new product, service or business model resonates and you get results."

Experience includes: VP Marketing, Prudential; CMO, Guardian; MBA, Hofstra University; LOL, Manhattan Comedy School.

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Get info on having Maria speak
Read Maria's articles in Life Insurance Selling
Check out Maria's book: Flirting With the Uninterested

"What’s the big idea? Not only is that question posted outside my door, but it’s in my DNA. It’s what gets me out of bed every morning. My goal for our clients is to deliver insight-driven, game-changing, actionable ideas. Ideas rock. Ideas that meet unmet needs and drive business rock harder!”

Experience includes: VP of Idea Architects Group, Research International; VP of Concept Development, Frankle; VP of Experiential Marketing, DraftFCB; VP, Group Account Director, UPSHOT; studied facilitation and creative problem solving theory at Creative Problem Solving Institute (CSPI). Players Workshop of the Second City.

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