Innovation, creators & the future
Caroline Lobsinger
"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last, you create what you will."
— George Bernard Shaw
The Irish playwright gained fame for such plays as "Man and Superman", "Pygmalion" and "Saint Joan", winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925. He was the leading dramatist of his generation, Shaw sought to introduce a new realism and challenge the status quo.
In many ways, that is what today's innovators do — challenge existing ideas, products and ways of doing things. Or to use another phrase, disrupt.
Disruptors create products and ways of doing things that capture the attention — and transform existing ways of doing things. Think Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Nikola Tesla and Bill Gates. Or Benjamin Franklin, the Wright brothers, Leonardo DaVinci and Galileo Galilei. Add in Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Larry Ellison.
They are but a few of the innovators who have disrupted the status quo, paving a new way of doing things, a new way of thinking or new products and businesses.
But innovators don't just live in the big, wide world. Plenty of innovators live right in North Idaho, making a difference both in the region and beyond.
Consider Victory Alliance Marketing founder Grant Richards. The Post Falls-based marketing company, which specializes in website design and search engine optimization, is transforming how it does business through artificial intelligence. By delegating algorithmic and analytic tasks to AI, Richards says he and his team can take on more clients and spend more time cultivating relationships during the design process.
Then there is Genius Gourmet, which makes protein-packed, low-carb, keto-friendly snacks that are free of gluten, low in sugar and cleverly disguised as candy bars.
“What’s really different about us is instead of telling someone to eat differently, we’re taking some of their favorite things and making them healthy for them,” Genius Gourmet Inc. Chief Operating Officer Tom Lunneborg said.
Innovators aren't challenged by competition. They thrive on it. Look at the arrival of O’Reilly Auto Parts and Tractor Supply Co. in Bonners Ferry. While there is some product overlap with existing businesses in town, everyone agrees the end result will benefit Boundary County's economy.
Creators look for ways to turn passions into opportunities. That's what Kenzie Holland did in launching Brim & Band Custom Hats. The Bonner County native works with her clients to create one-of-a-kind, unique creations that are works of art as much as they are hats celebrating the Western lifestyle.
She grew up on a ranch and the Western felt hats were a staple. When she learned how to shape the hats, customizing its form and fit, it didn't take too much longer to realize she could embellish the hat as well, giving it flair and acting as a canvas for her personality.
Change is a part of life. Disruptors and innovators help pave the way, making the world a better and more fun place to be.
— Caroline Lobsinger, North Idaho Business Journal
