enABELing Innovation with Art (with Harvey Seifter and Fred Mandell)

21st Century Renaissance

Seasoned executives as well as professional musician and artist, Harvey Seifter and Fred Mandell present the arts-based experiential learning "ABEL" system - a dynamic learning and development system born out of a 10-year research funded by the National Science Foundation - with stories of real world impact it has made: from catalyzing novel products and services at incubators to elevating performance of leadership teams at Fortune 500 companies.

We dive into the system’s unique processes and mechanisms to bring about transformational change, such as transliteration of insights from visual arts, and different flavors of improvisational intelligence imparted by a jazz ensemble as compared to a multi-leader classical orchestra.

We discuss the system’s relevance in the age of AI and exponential technologies, and the value of collaboration even for innovation led by autocratic leaders with strong personalities.

We exchange views on the role of informal education and life-long learning to counter the rigid, hierarchical and monolithic formal education structure entrenched in our society, no longer well-suited for navigating the volatile, topsy-turvy world we live in today.