nod to an innovator

when was the last time you experienced something and felt that it was true amazing mind blowing innovation?sadly, i am not sure it happens too often which makes it all the more inspiring when it inevitably consumes you in its awesomeness!

why is it so hard to find?  well, i think there are varying degrees of innovation.  innovation can be something small like copa’s single serving wine product that comes in a cute glass for immediate consumption or it can be like netflix changing the way we watch a show like house of cards by releasing the whole season in one swoop.  or it can be big, really really big, and this is where i want to focus for today.

this july my company, kcw global research, is so very proud and appreciative to be celebrating 8 years of helping companies sculpt brands and ideas across the world.  insane.  so excited.

to celebrate this milestone i treated myself to a fundraiser for the frontera farmer foundation which happened to be hosted by rick bayless and his wife deann in their garden at their house.

what does this have to do with innovation?

so glad you asked.

rick bayless is an innovator, of the hard core upper echelon variety.  he believes in utilizing local food in his restaurants and supporting those local farms with his frontera farm foundation.

local food kate?  really?  that says innovation to you?

ummm… you check out a fontera tortas restaurant in o’hare or the philadelphia airport where they serve locally sourced high-quality ingredients IN THE AIRPORT.  and they did not open last week.  and the food is delicious.  yep, there is a guac bar….and fresh margaritas if that is how you roll.

i really respect rick for his ability to push boundaries of what is possible, like serving “real food” in airports, and for his many efforts to actually help farmers be more effective and successful through the grants given by his foundation.

so all of the above it true but i am building up to where he blew my mind.

cascabel.

cascabel with rick bayless

cascabel, lookingglass theater, chicago 3.2012

they call it a play but it is really an experience like no other.  you sit in the audience and you watch the performers, including rick bayless, sing, act, and perform beautiful flamenco dancing and insane physical feats you would expect in a circus act all tied into a beautiful love story…but there is more!

imagine watching rick bayless cooking food on stage that so intricately links into the story line and then see him serving the characters the food he has prepared…and then having someone serve you the SAME food so you are eating it with the cast.  brilliant!  and rather delicious i might add.

he took something we are all familiar with in some capacity, theater, and made it his own.  he made it 1,000,000% rick bayless.  and this is why on my 8th anniversary i would like to share this experience with you and to challenge you to add a little more innovation into what you do and to open yourself to seeing and experiencing the spectacular innovation that is lurking around…

 

can you think of something you have experienced that felt innovative to you?  maybe an experience?  a bite of food?  a product?  a package?  please share in the comment section below.

 

interested in learning more about cascabel?  if you are in chicago or will be this month then you might be able to!  due to popular demand it is back on the stage for a second run at the lookingglass theater: http://lookingglasstheatre.org/event_page/cascabel/

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denkihako

10 years ago

Kate – I love reading your mind! (These things you write DO come from your mind… Right?

Meegan

10 years ago

What an inspired blog entry! I LOVED EVERY WORD!!!

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