Bill Gross, CEO, Idealab in conversation with Lorne Buchman, President, Art Center College of Design from Ted Habte-Gabr on Vimeo.
What defines innovation? Art Center College of Design President Lorne Buchman and Idealab CEO and Art Center Trustee Bill Gross describe it through frugal, real-world projects that make the planet a better place.
During a recent Live Talks Business Forum, Buchman and Gross discussed works-in-progress highlighting Gross’ Idealab, a Pasadena-based think tank for startups.
Through Idealab, Gross created WorldHaus, which manufactures eco-friendly, modular housing in more rural parts of India starting at $2,000.
Gross said his for-profit company has the goal of adding 200 homes in India this year and increasing that number to 1 million houses by decade’s end.
Buchman talked about Art Center’s Designmatters program, which allows students to design for communities in developing countries including India.
Just a warning: The 50-minute video has some static, but the ideas are solid.
A longtime entrepreneur, Gross has launched more than 100 companies in the last 42 years, 40 of which have gone public or been acquired, including the first online business directory (CitySearch), the first paid search engine (Goto.com/Overture) and the first online car retailer (CarsDirect).
Prior to his tenure at Art Center, Buchman ran a private consulting firm that focused on identifying philanthropic and private investment sources for nonprofits.
Live Talks Business Forums are a breakfast-hour series featuring leading executives and thought leaders to give the Los Angeles business community a chance to connect, network and hear new insights.
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