UW-Whitewater Directory Search

Degraff, John

degraffj@uww.edu

At UW-Whitewater

Affiliation

University - Faculty/Staff

Department

Marketing

Position

LECTURER / SV

Office Phone

(262) 472-3260

Office Location

HH 3423

Personal Bio

John is a Marketing Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater and Managing Partner for the Competing Values firm. Over the last seven years, John has worked with 20 of the Fortune 500 teaching Leading Innovation and Growth workshops at the Innovatrium (Innovation Institute in Ann Arbor) and with the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Executive Education. He has lead innovation and growth programs with notable companies like GE, Ceridian, Eaton, Florida Power and Light, Haworth, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, NBC, Pfizer, Prudential, ProQuest and Syngenta Over the past 25 years he has successfully launched over 150 new products, two product lines sold over 1 billion dollars (Gerber Graduates and first multipack microwave popcorn in Wal-Mart Pop Weaver).

Awards

Name

Date

Sponsor

Description

Academic Staff Excellence Award for College of Business and Economics 2020-2021

May 2021

College of Business and Economics UW Whitewater

Voted by department heads in the college of business outstanding Lecturer of the year for 2020-2021.

American Marketing Association Student Chapter International Champions 2014-2021-Social Impact Advisor

April 2021

American Marketing Association

Social Impact advisor for U.W. Whitewater American Marketing Association chapter. Social Impact video for Working for Leadership and Learning (WILL) also won the National social impact video competition.

ENACTUS National Championship-Marketing Advisor

April 2021

ENACTUS

First <b>National Championship</b> in school history. Project “Shakti” combats blindness all over the world. Students developed and implemented a business model in India. Ran program remotely 2,500 eye exams, over 300 eyeglasses sold ($.75 each), and 200 referrals for eye surgery. <br><br>

Inspirational Impact Award Nominee

November 2018

UW-Whitewater Student Government (WSG)

Nominated by the student government for COBE faculty that has proven themselves exceptional in their work with student both in and out of the classroom.

Teaching Excellence Award 2018

May 2018

UW-Whitewater Student Government (WSG)

Teaching Excellence Award for helping students achieve success in and out of the classroom. Five awarded for all UWW faculty in 2018.

Education

Degree

Major

School

Year

MBA

Marketing

Indiana University

1981

Biology, Chemistry and Business

Western Michigan University

1978

Certifications

Title

Sponsor

Date Obtained

Certified Professional Innovator (CPI)

University of Michigan

May 2015

Memberships

Name

Length of Membership

USASBE, United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship

January 2017 - Current

Conferences

Title

Co-Author(s)

Abstract

Learning to be an Innovator

CyberHigh is an overnight camp designed for incoming 9th through 12th grade girls. During this two-day camp, campers will use technology to solve real world problems encountered in the business, music, and science world. Learning activities will be superv...

The Creative Power of Constructive Conflict

Dr. Jeff DeGraff

Use Dr. Jeff DeGraff’s Innovation Genome framework as a strategy to form and mobilize an interdisciplinary expert team. University of Michigan faculty from the health and social sciences, external experts with research expertise in rural health, leaders f...

Learning to be an Innovator

Teaching small credit unions in the state of Wisconsin how to be more innovative and meet the needs of a changing consumer.

Learning to be an Innovator, recruiting for UW Whitewater

Choton Basu

CEOs of Tomorrow, Inc. believes in inspiring young innovators and problem solvers to shape and influence their world through social entrepreneurship, which we define as the act of creating a business that can solve a social problem or benefit society. We...

ENACTUS Reverse Pitch Workshop

Lead two day workshop for five Universities on how to reinvent the the ENACTUS competition. Forty students and ten faculty attending.

Keynote Speaker: Learning to be an Innovator

A Marketers Guide to LinkedIn, how to build your own personal brand!

Through this presentation, you will learn how to create a great personal brand on Linked In. Tell your story and create employer awareness on how you can help grow their business and increase your chances of landing your ideal job.

Keynote Speaker: Learning to be an Innovator, The Key to Unlocking Personal and Professional Growth

Through this presentation, you will learn how to create organizational cultures and habits that are conducive to innovation. John introduces the traits and habits that foster innovation, and explains how to implement them. Specifically, you will learn to ...

Learning to be an Innovator, The Key to Unlocking Personal and Professional Growth

Marketers Guide to LinkedIn

1 1/2 hour presentation on how to optimize your LinkedIn Profile

Keynote: Leading Innovation

Innovation Keynote Speaker and Innovation Judge

“A Marketer’s Guide to LinkedIn: How to Create Brand You.”

“A Marketer’s Guide to LinkedIn: How to Create Brand You.” Presentation as part of the Fall Innovation Showcase Workshop Series for Local Businesses, Faculty and Students.

Consulting

Organization

Location

Description

Haworth Furniture-CMO

Holland Michigan

Coached and advised Chief Marketing Office once a month on projects and programs of the state of innovation program at Haworth furniture. Also ran two workshops on Innovation and help publish several articles on their SPARK Blog and coached the innovation sustainability team.

Air Force-Air University

Montgomery, Alabama

Project Mercury for Air University. Coached five innovation team on special projects for the Air Force online. Wrote a 30 page report a case for innovation using the Competing Values Innovation model.

Arrow Companies LLC

I am on the Advisory Board for the company. Help create a major turnaround to increase jobs in the local economy.

Tomorrow Hope

Jefferson WI

I work with Tomorrow Hope as part of my Community-Based Learning. Through this work, they asked me to join the board of directors.

Haworth Furniture-Innovarium

Holland, MI

Ran marketing and innovation research and innovation jumpstarts for the company. Use my Innovation Assessment for their applications.

KPMG

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Developed a case for Innovation report and research.

Scanalytics LLC

Milwaukee and Whitewater

Marketing Advising and Interim CMO for a Cisco ward winning smart building sensor company. Responsible for three marketing interns.

CCI Systems

Iron Mountain MI

Innovation Workshop and Assessment

Bosch Automotive

Plymouth, MI

Did applied research for Bosch Automotive, a case for innovation.

Honeywell Aerospace

Phoenix, Arizona

Ran an Innovation Jumpstart and wrote a case for an innovation research report.

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